Setting up Ethernet on 2 XP systems

My GF and I have out 2 computers in the same room, and I've been spending the past few days trying to network them with a Linksys WRT54G.

We're both running XP Pro, I've got a 3Com Ethernet NIC, and she's got onboard Ethernet with her Asus motherboard (although in "Network Connections", it shows her system as having both a "Marvell Yukon Gigabit Adapter" and a "1394 Net Adapter"), and are using Dial-up.

Yesterday, I came home from work and decided to push the reset button on the back of the router. Oddly enough, this somehow got the network running! However, this morning, while trying to look at files on her HDs (which I had been able t odo last night), I somehow lost the connection, and have not been able to get it back.

So basically, shat I'm looking to do is reset the network back to nothing (as if I had never run XP's Network Setup Wizard at all), and start over.

- Should I be logged in as Admin on both systems when running the Wizard?

- What TCP/IP settings shoud I be using on each computer (and for hers, which NIC)?

- Do I *really* need to run the setup CD that came with the router (with all the messing around the past few days,I seem to have forgotten the password for the router... . ..)?

 

Could we have some more information, please?

1. This is an ethernet network, but one box has a dial up modem, and dial up internet?

2. Which one has the dial up? The sentence is "We're both running XP Pro,....and are using Dial-up."

3. Has the computer that does *not* have the dial up modem ever been able to get internet access with this new network?

The 1394 is just her firewire adapter. It will show up, but she isn't using it if she's using an ethernet cable. The 1394 is harmless here.

Do this:

Unplug the router, count to ten, plug it back in and wait until all ready lights are on.

Next, in Both computers, go to - control panel > network connections > right-click the local area connection (not 1394) > choose Properties > click the general tab. Look for the check boxes in the lower left of the dialogue box and check "show icon in notification tray when connected." That should leave both boxes checked including "notify me..." Now, click OK.

That put an icon in the tray by your time of day, lower right of screen. It looks like double monitors. Single click it and then click the Support tab. Now click the Repair button. Do this on both computers. That will release and renew the IP's, flush the dns cache etc on both boxes and put them on the same subnet as the router.

How'd that do?

 

I should have added that since we don't know yet if you also have a broadband connection and broadband modem...

Do you have that?

If you don't, both computers should be hooked up side by side to that router's internal ports, and the external port, probably labeled as such, would be unused.

Please answer the questions because with just 2 computers, the router may be a nuisance compared to another service that her computer could do instead.

 

1 & 2 - 2 computers, each has dial-up modem, no DSL/Cable at all.

3 - When we were networked, we were both able to use the internet (although not at the same time).

Tried what you suggested, but still got nothing....

 

Neither computer has DSL/Cable. On the back of the router, one computer isa plugged in to port 1, the other is in port 2. Nothing is plugged in to "Internet".

The reason for using a router over just connecting the computer is that I've got another motherboard that is waiting for a case/power supply/parts, and is going to be included in the network.

 

Ftf?!

Well, now, when we go into Explorer (on either Computer) to "My Network Places" -> "Microsoft Windows Network" -> "Mshome", we can both see (and access HD's on) her computer, but *not* mine. Any ideas?

 

OK, let's remember that at one point it worked? So the settings must be usable.

Were you able to surf down through My Network Places from each computer?

1. Could each computer see the other?

2. Was it an issue that you can see the computers across the network, but not see shared files, or you can't even see the computers?

No, it worked once?

Yes, but no, it worked once?

Everything, at least for now, to "receive automatically" including IP, dns.

Not if it was working once and you haven't changed it. The default shipping password should be in the manual unless you changed it. You can download the manual from the lynksis web site.

 

Played wit hsettings last night, and reset the router, and everything is working. We can now see each others computers, and can browse files. Thanks for the advice!

 

Welcome, of course