Aaaaaaaaggggghhhh! Networking...
<div class="IPBDescription">:(</div> How can connecting two computers be so damned hard?
I mean look I got the computers, I got the router, I got the cable modem, I got the 3 ethernet cables. In fact BOTH computers have internet access. But mine won't join the "LOCAL" workgroup, even though the other will. My brother's, the second one joins the network, sees my computer but can't open it. Is it case sensitive? No, right? It can't be that the error it gives me when it can't connect has to do with the fact that it can't connect to the workgroup "local" instead of "LOCAL", right? Or the fact that the computer, which should show up as "COLD-NITE" shows up as "cold-nite". I ask this silly random question because it has to be the one and only thing I haven't tampered with. I've recreated the network connection on each computer several times. I'm pretty sure it's my computer's fault and not my brother's since mine is the one that won't even recognize the LOCAL workgroup. God I hate this thing.
For that matter, why do they both have internet access? Does my D-Link hate me, but only in so far that it thwarts true lan attempts but will still give me Internet?
Does anyone here know anything about home networking?
Actually, how do I clone my computer's mac address, I haven't tried that. I'll go google that.
I mean look I got the computers, I got the router, I got the cable modem, I got the 3 ethernet cables. In fact BOTH computers have internet access. But mine won't join the "LOCAL" workgroup, even though the other will. My brother's, the second one joins the network, sees my computer but can't open it. Is it case sensitive? No, right? It can't be that the error it gives me when it can't connect has to do with the fact that it can't connect to the workgroup "local" instead of "LOCAL", right? Or the fact that the computer, which should show up as "COLD-NITE" shows up as "cold-nite". I ask this silly random question because it has to be the one and only thing I haven't tampered with. I've recreated the network connection on each computer several times. I'm pretty sure it's my computer's fault and not my brother's since mine is the one that won't even recognize the LOCAL workgroup. God I hate this thing.
For that matter, why do they both have internet access? Does my D-Link hate me, but only in so far that it thwarts true lan attempts but will still give me Internet?
Does anyone here know anything about home networking?
Actually, how do I clone my computer's mac address, I haven't tried that. I'll go google that.
Comments
Because computers are alive, my friend.<i> Because computers are alive.</i> And they hate us.
Whoops! Misread the problem. Sorry I can't help.
Name computers names like "Computer1", just generic names.
ASSUME that workgroup names are case-sensitive.
Reset router.
Set network connections to all default.
Anything you do to one computer do to all the others.
Use network cards instead of ports on the motherboard, that way you eliminate the possibility of motherboard settings messing stuff up.
For the above, use the same card for each one.
Try hooking only 2 up to begin with, not all 3
Are all computers useing the same OS?
run ipconfig on all computers (start --> run --> cmd (or command) --> ipconfig)
make sure everything matches except for local ip
also, try hooking everything up, turning everything off, turning the computers on and then turning the router and modem on. restarting always seems to help with windows.
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Reset router.
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Although not a hard reset. ReBOOTING would be a a more sensible option. Reset buttons can simply wipe the firmware; never a good thing.
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Set network connections to all default.
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...and you'll have QoS manager and static IPs. :\
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Anything you do to one computer do to all the others.
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?! What if they're different OSes? And it would be simpler just to get it working on one THEN port the settings to the other.
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Use network cards instead of ports on the motherboard, that way you eliminate the possibility of motherboard settings messing stuff up.
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What?! Motherboard drivers are MUCH more likely to be correctly installed than a 3rd party expansion card. "Try in either and see if it effects anything" may be easier. (Although you'd have 2 sets of properties for each card, further confusing the issue. Wait... where does he even say he's using NICs anyway?)
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For the above, use the same card for each one.
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Oh great idea. How does that wo...
Oh wait. Same MODEL of card. Yeah ok, that's reasonably good advice, although all the cards should fit the standard.
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That disected, let's continue.
gtg. Sod. Quick suggestions:
Security policy. By default neither home nor pro will permit guest connections. Turn it on in secpol.msc
If you do not wnat guest connections on, setup a new local account on each PC and deny it the right to log on locally. Enter it's username and password details when prompted for network login.
Others will help explain that, but it's almost certainly a security policy thing from the symptons you've described. ("My brother's, the second one joins the network, sees my computer but can't open it.") However you need to sort out that workgroup thing. What work group are you in currently? What is the error message you get when trying to join a different workgroup? Change workgroups via My computer, "Computer name" tab.
GL HTH.
DHCP.
Makes routing an internet connection so much easier.
Failing that, make sure the router isn't connecting to t'Internet, drop all firewalls on every PC, (You're connecting locally, not to the internet. Down with the firewalls...)
Make sure you know the IP address of your router, normally 192.168.1.1, 192.168.2.1, 10.0.0.2
Pick a PC to start from, recommend your own for this.
XP:Start->My Computer->My Network Places-> View Network Connections. Right click on your LAN connection, then Properties. Make sure that "Client For Microsoft Networks", "QoS Packet Scheduler", "File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks", and "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)" are installed. Click on "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)", then Properties.
Under General, change the radiobutton to "Use the following IP Address".
If your router is 192.168.1.1, then your first IP address should read 192.168.1.2.
If your router is 192.168.2.1, then your first IP address should read 192.168.2.1
If your router is 10.0.0.2, then your first IP address should read 10.0.0.3
Subnet Mask should always be 255.255.255.0 for a SOHO network.
Go to second PC, and do the same, but adding 1 to the last IP address octet (2 becomes 3 etc.)
Restart each PC after changing the settings, then go to Start->Run, and type "sysdm.cpl", Click on "Computer Name", Then click on the button reading "Change"
Put something distinguishable in the Computer Name box (mine reads "Mithril-SLi"), and change the workgroup to MSHOME (XP appears to have a better time connecting to MSHOME than anything else, use WORKGROUP if connecting to any other OS'es).
Click OK, then OK again.
Restart the PC, and the system should connect to the network, and any other PC's correctly configured will show up under Start->My Computer->My Network Places->View Workgroup Computers.
With a DHCP router, all you need to do is make sure that the PC's have the same workgroup name, and unique computer names, and you'll be laughing.
DHCP routers FTW!
Phew, I think I need to lie down after all that!
I feel the same way about tatic IPs. In an assigned-IP environment most routers will simply assign each mac address an IP and re-issue the same one (if possible) when a refresh is requested. With static IPs you can't refresh at all. (So if the router reboots or crashes you can't give it a virtual poke to get your internet back. That's about the only drawback though.)
TBH Patch mate he's got the IPs setup correctly if he has internet. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> The only issue is joining the MSHOME/HOME workgroup and setting up silly old XP-Home to be more talkative.
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Don't laugh! That worked for me once...
Clone MAC addresses? What da? I don't think that's necessary, or even possible. MAC addresses are allocated at the factory, one to each piece of Ethernet hardware.
My PC, XP Home, Nvidia NF4 NIC. Firewall: Nvidia ActiveArmor
Brother's PC, XP Pro, Realtek NIC. Firewall: Kerio Professional
Mum's PC, XP Home, Intel NIC. Firewall: Windows Firewall (irk)
All PC's have MSHOME as their workgroup, and can access, and change, anything in Shared Documents, which is shared on every computer.
Every PC can access the Belkin router, via it's IP address.
If I change the workgroup on my PC, then it can still access the router, but it can't access workgroup specific shares, like the Shared Documents on my brother's PC. And the other 2 PCs can't access my Shared Documents.
With the workgroups put back, all the PC's can access all the shares.
Even the firewalls can play havok (sp?) with the network, you will need to tell each firewall to allow access from the specific IPs that are assigned to each PC.
Like I said before, make sure that each PC has a network share activated, and changeable, then you should (correctly configured/dropped firewalls allowing) be able to access each share, and change the folder contents with no hassle.
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Sig'd and QFT!
I've been to router settings (192.168.2.1) and told it to forward the necessary ports in both application gateways and virtual servers. No dice. I've tried setting up a DMZ for this computer. No luck there, either. My DHCP is set to "forever", so this comp's IP is the same every time.
According to guides I've Googled, this should be enough. I should be good to go, but I still get a 0-4kb/sec download when I should be getting ~100kb/sec.
Putting your IP address into the DMZ would solve any router firewall issues, but is the other end of the connection what is causing the NAT error?
Can you download the same torrent, from the same person, from a different PC?
If you can, then it probably is a setting in the router, but I just can't see what setting it is. Try it without using the router function, you'll need to install your ISP software for it, as the router will only forward the VPI/VCI numbers, and the software will need to provide the credentials for the logon. If that doesn't fix it, then remove the router fromthe equation, and go straight into the phone line with your modem. If you sill can't connect after that, then get the torrent from someone else.
...I've tried setting up a DMZ for this computer. No luck there, either.
... I should be good to go, but I still get a 0-4kb/sec download when I should be getting ~100kb/sec. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
You've done everything you should have needed to do, although it's not necessary to use port forwarding at all if you use DMZ. DMZ is similar to having no router at all.
My theory is that your ISP is throtling the ports used by popular p2p apps. BitTorrent is 6881-9 AFAIK. If you can change this in the client to any other port (41224, 7024, pick one) you may escape this throtling. (It should not really affect the download speed.)
Also note with BitTorrent your download speed is limited by the upload speeds of other seeds and peers, so if you're chosen download is not popular you'll never get high speeds regardless of your connection settings.
This is actually a feasible suggestion, as many ISP's don't want to be subpoena'd for the details of their clients, as it make them look bad. Port throttling isn't very widespread, but some of the smaller ISP's are active in it.
Yeah, uh... thanks for that subtle implication mate :\