confused/ is this??? Networking or???

[GoodZwell]

Hey People!

Ok I'll try to make this short.

I have two computers at home. I went out and bought a Linksys e4200 router so that I could go out and buy a 3TB My book essential external hard drive. I've hooked up the external hd to my router via USB. I've gone into the router to hopefully set things up so I can use the external drive as a storage/sharing disc with all computers. However I can only see the drive from my laptop that has Windows 7 64bit as the OS. My other computer is an old desktop running XP Pro and it will not see the router through Explorer, but it does connect to the internet through the router and I can go into the router and change setttings either through Cisco Connect or through Internet Explorer via Url:. Both systems are runing in NTSF and NOT Fat32 so that is not the problem. I'm not sure what is going on do I have to creat a workgroup or Homegroup? I don't think I need to do that at all because I'm only using the external drive as a drive and not a workgroup if you will. Sorry not very savie on the proper terminology, and that's probably why I'm having difficulty trying to fix this.

Question#2. Is this configuration a "network" or is it something else? Oh and No I can not see any other computers in "my network places" on the XP machine nor can I see the router via this vessel.

I can see the router on the Windows 7 machine and have access to the external drive there.

Please help me understand what I should be doing.

I've tried to set up a workgroup and a homegroup so that I could share files between the two computer but have had no luck. I've since heard and read that XP and W7 don't like each other and are very hard to set up this way. That's why I've decided to go and buy an external HD so I could share files that way instead.

I've created a short cut via Cisco Connect while setting up the router on the XP machine but when I double click on it, it gives me an error message that say, "192.168.1.1 is not accessible. you might not have permission to use this network resource".

I'm really starting to hate computers...

Ok that wasn't as short as I'd like it to be.. lol


Thanks for your help in advance,

Cheers

[GoodZwell]

Just got off the phone with Linksys support. It didn't help but they think the issue is with a setting in Windows because I can't map the network drive and can't access a shared drive I created with the Windows 7 machine. I should be able to see that drive and can't. Anyone please help.

Thanks

[lbmest]

You are creating a home network so yes, you are networking.
HERE is a tutorial for how to set up a network between different versions of Windows.
The main thing is for both machines to be in the same "workgroup" which is the default name of the network grouping. You can rename it anything you want just so long as it is the same for both machines.

One thing you should do is to remove the homegroup from the Win 7 machine as the xp computer can not join a homegroup; only other Win 7 comps can join. You may also want to set up the external drive from the xp machine rather than the Win 7 machine. Leave HomeGroup Instructions (Last tab - More Options)

[GoodZwell]

Hi thanks for the reply.

Ok I'm not sure you understand my question. I have two computers attached to a router. I have a Hard drive attached to the router not to any of the two computers. However when I attached the HD to both computers seperately they both can see the external drive, but when I connect the external drive to the router only the W7 machine sees the drive. I can't access the drive from the XP computer at all.

So I'm hoping I'm not making a fool of myself here... Is that still call networking?

And do I still need to create a network for my XP computer to see a drive located on a router?

Thanks so much for trying to clear this problem up for me.

Cheers

[lbmest]

I have to apologize for not checking before but the Essential drive is not designed for NAS (Network Attached Storage) which is what you are trying to do. It is designed to be used as an external drive and be hooked up to one computer at a time. I'm surprised the Win 7 machine did see it when it was on the router.
So what you need to do is get the network working where the XP machine sees the Win 7 machine and vice versa. Then you can share the external drive from which ever computer you hook it up to.
To do what you are attempting, you would need the My Book Live to work correctly. (http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=280)

[GoodZwell]

wow... Ok.. so Linksys support directed me to a page that said this drive is compatible and tested with both my computer configurations.

http://www6.nohold.net/Cisco2/ukp.as...0&cpage=search

I'm at a loss now as I don't want to dumb down my W7 to see my XP, at least that's what I was told I'd have to do. Is that correct because if it is that means my W7 will not have as good as security as it does currently. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Thanks again for the info!

[GoodZwell]

Forgot to tell you I'm using a My Book Essential 3 TB.

[satrow]

I suspect this might be related to the software pre-installed on the WD.

If there's any data already on the ext. drive, I'd copy it back to a PC before formatting it via the settings in the router.

[foogoo]

So on your XP machine you go to start > run> and type \\192.168.1.1 or whatever the router's IP is and <Click OK>, then you get what?

**Do not do this in IE** You'll just get the router's web interface.

[GoodZwell]

Thanks for the reply.

Yes I've done that on instrustion from the Linksys support and still get the same error message.

Originally Posted by foogoo

So on your XP machine you go to start > run> and type \\192.168.1.1 or whatever the router's IP is and <Click OK>, then you get what?

**Do not do this in IE** You'll just get the router's web interface.

[foogoo]

try these steps...

http://www6.nohold.net/Cisco2/GetArt...80&converted=0

[GoodZwell]

Originally Posted by foogoo

try these steps...

http://www6.nohold.net/Cisco2/GetArt...80&converted=0

Ok I've tried to follow, to the tee, these instrucrtions however when I get to Mapping a Network Drive I can only do it on the W7 machine. XP will not connect to the IP address when trying to Map a Network Drive . I'll try and attach a picture so you can see what it says. I don't know maybe I don't have something in windows turn on or off properly???

[foogoo]

Have you tried the IP instead of the name?
\\192.168.1.1\mybook

If I am recalling this correctly NetBIOS will not take any 'special characters' so rename the share backleybaby, with no dash.

Also check the simple sharing is turned on the XP. Couldn't hurt.

[GoodZwell]

Originally Posted by foogoo

Have you tried the IP instead of the name?
\\192.168.1.1\mybook

If I am recalling this correctly NetBIOS will not take any 'special characters' so rename the share backleybaby, with no dash.

Also check the simple sharing is turned on the XP. Couldn't hurt.

Hi thanks for the input!

how do I turn on the simple sharing? not sure what you mean.

I have tired various configurations of \\192.1683131\mybook, \\brackleybaby, \\brackley-baby... and nothing same error message.. can't locate that address make sure....... I've not tried "yet" to format my drive. I"ll try and do that soon. Sorry guys but I'm in the middle of trying to buy a new car and that is consumming my time at the moment. Thinking on an Optima EX or the SX. Sorry off topic here.

update:

Have finnially got my other laptop up and working once again but with no laptop monitor yet. external works good but would like it back to original condition. Any who, it's running Vista 64bit and sees my W7 laptop in the default network without configuring anything on it. Also sees the external HD on the router. Funny the External HD has never been connect to the Vista machine but still sees the HD on the router.

Seems I'm missing something really simple in Windows xp pro sp3. Any idea's what the defaults are supposed to be in services. I was trying to follow a tutuorial a week or so ago to fix my problem and it told me to go into services and open or close some running/not running services.

[GoodZwell]

Originally Posted by satrow

I suspect this might be related to the software pre-installed on the WD.

If there's any data already on the ext. drive, I'd copy it back to a PC before formatting it via the settings in the router.

Hey guys/gals,
it's been a while since I could work on this issue and now that I managed to find a "little" time I've copied all my data back to my PC. Then I went a head and formated the drive while hard wired to my Laptop runing Windows 7 64bit. that worked as far as formating went but still could not see the drive while hooked up to the router using my Desktop XP Pro SP3. So I figured I mess around a little and see if I used the format utility on the router. Formated it ok but now I have two drives formated in FAt32, 1.99 TB and a 75gb or something secondary drive. OMG... So... I went a head and tried to delete both drives through the router but didn't work. I then connected the drive back to the Laptop W7 and used Disc Management to try and delete the drives and start over. Deleted the 1.99 drive but couldn't delete the smaller one. now I un-allocated it and can't do anything with it at all. I see if but it's will not allocate. So I tried to hardwire it to my XP Pro and at first it didn't see the drive but then, poof, it was visible. I tried to allocate it but it was grayed out. OH and then for some reason after I tried to delete the smaller drive and thought it worked the desktop lost connection with the EXT drive. I reconnect it but the driver I think was deleted. I'm at my wits end. I'm about to head out west to work again which is 3000 miles from this problem so I won't be able to work on it from there. In the mean time if some one can direct me to a fix ASAP I might have time tomorrow 1 hour tops, to fix this problem otherwise it will have to work with only 2 TB for now. I HATE computers now.. really really hate them... lol

[GoodZwell]

Ok hooked it back up to the W7 laptop and managed to get the drive to work. still can't get the smaller drive to allocate. No way to expand. will try it on my desktop again. last time tonight though. hope this works. Have look at what I see on the W7 laptop.

Have 7 jpegs. Here's 4 of them

[GoodZwell]

Here are the other three jpegs.

[GoodZwell]

ok so it worked. Managed to get the Desktop XP Pro to deleted the bigger drive then when that happened I managed to get it all back to orginal 3tb drive.. wOOt.

Problem must have been the Fat32 process. Not sure but that's my guess.

the other problem is still there.. I don't see this 3TB drive when it's connected to the router. RRR xp pro and W7. any more help with this would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers