ad hoc setup help request

I am trying to ad hoc two Windows XP computers. On one, I am using (Lenovo) ThinkVantage Access Connections with a built-in wireless card; the other, a Linksys Wireless-G USB Network Adapter with its bundled software.

I would appreciate any help with this, because the wireless router gets a weak signal from my room (and changing the location of the router, or myself, is not possible).

 

Is the problem that the computers won't talk or that the signal is weak? A weak signal cannot be remedied without adding a wireless bridge or knocking down some walls, however you should be able to get some connectivity, even with a weak signal.

(Do ipconfig /all from the command line)
Are the computers on the same IP subnet? in the same workgroup/domain? have you tried temporarily switching off windows firewall to see if a connection can be made without it?

 

I will be unable to work with the computers for at least a day, so it will be a while before I try.

I did update the one that uses Linksys to Windows XP Service Pack 3 (was previously SP1), so that may have been one problem solved. Before I updated, they both said they connected and have a Excellent signal. I did try to switch to the same workgroup (I think that was what it was that I changed; default on one was "MSHOME" and the other was "WORKGROUP") before you replied (I think that was what made them connect, but I could be wrong -- my humanoid memory likes to fail sometimes).

Connecting succeeds, but trying to access one from the other doesn't work. I'll check to see if I have "File and Printer Sharing" enabled on both, and then disable the firewall and anti-virus (after no-firewall try fails) on both (I also need to put the free Anti-Virus and the free Firewall I use on the Linksys one, so it is protected).

Do I need to have a default gateway or DNS? I do know that I was able to put those options in on them.

When I do get back on it, (hopefully I will remember to,) I'll post the ipconfig /all result.

Thank you so far for the help.

 

Attached is the ipconfig /all result on both machines.


I did find out when I was checking the "Add/Remove Windows Components" applet, I didn't have the Peer-to-Peer item installed. I don't know if it is required if I'm using "ThinkVantage Access Connections" and Linksys's connection software.

 

Sorry for taking so long in getting back, I've been really busy and not been able to log on here as often as I would like.

Are you still having a problem, the fact that you can connect the machines suggests that your connection is ok. Probably putting both machines onto the same workgroup i.e. both on MSHOME, would probably have allowed this.

You may also need to share a folder to allow transferring of files etc. In My Computer is there a folder visible that looks like it has a hand cupping the underside of it? To enable sharing a folder you may want to right click the shared Documents folder and choose sharing and security and make sure that share this folder has the dot in it.

If that doesn't help, you could try switching Simple file sharing off, its in Control Panel under Folder Options > View and right at the bottom there is a tick box by default in Use Simple File Sharing (recommended), untick it and also switch off your firewalls on both machines. This will probably allow you to connect the machines together. After that its just a matter of getting the firewall settings right on each machine to allow sharing.