Networking PC (Windows 7) and Laptop (XP)

MathsParMathsPar New
edited January 2010 in Science & Tech
Hi

I want to link up my PC and my laptop.

I have ethernet cables joined to each and meeting at an old Tiscali router.

Now I'm stuck. I'm going wrong somewhere with the 'setup' network parts on each system.

Basically I want to be able to transfer files back and forth between each, possibly stream vids/music from one to the other, use my laptop (XP) internet connection on my PC and just use one keyboard and one mouse for the whole thing.

Simple or impossible? I'd appreciate some tips (or a full blown guide!).


Also, Tiscali isn't my internet provider, I'm just using their router to join the cables. I get my wireless internet from elsewhere in the flat with Sky internet. When I connect the router though Tiscali tries to overwrite all the settings with it's own so is there a way to format (probably not the right word) the router?

Thanks

MP

Comments

  • kryystkryyst Ontario, Canada
    edited January 2010
    First unless your other machine is running XP or better ignore all of this.

    Using a router to do what you want is going to create a hell of a lot of confusion and mess because basically it's going to try and run the show.

    What you should get is a little 4 port switch for about $30. They are dumb, which is what you want.

    If the XP machine is getting it's IP information from sky internet then you need to match the ip scheme on the other. Also make sure that the are both on the same workgroup (windows default workgroup called workgroup is fine).

    At that point doing nothing else both machine should be able to ping each other.
    next turn Internet Connection and file sharing on both machines. Then everything should be happy you just have to make sure any files you share are in the public directories with guest access.

    Using one keyboard and mouse for the whole thing means it's got to be plugged into the dominant machine. You can then either control the other machine remotely through Remote Desktop alternatively there is a program called synergy that will allow you to remotely share key board and mouse across multiple computers each with their own displays.

    However these software solutions aren't for gaming utilitarian only. If you want to game you need to hook it all up through a KVM switch, you can get a 2 port KVM switch for around $40 for something good.

    At any rate that's enough information to get you started.
  • MathsParMathsPar New
    edited January 2010
    Thanks Kryyst,

    Think something like this should do the job?
    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Netgear-FS605-Platinum-Unmanaged-Switch/dp/B000087H93/ref=pd_cp_ce_1

    I'll probably ask more questions once it arrives. Not worried about the gaming really, I think the remote desktop option should work for me.

    Thanks

    MP
  • kryystkryyst Ontario, Canada
    edited January 2010
    Yep that's exactly what you want.
  • MathsParMathsPar New
    edited January 2010
    The remote desktop is working well, can't seem to get the Internet connection sharing to work though. I can access the internet on the remote desktop (XP) but want to use the internet connection for the original PC. When I click 'Allow other users to connect through this computer's internet connection' on the remote desktop (XP) it gives the error message 'ip address conflict with another system on the network'.

    Any ideas?
  • kryystkryyst Ontario, Canada
    edited January 2010
    Make sure that all the computers have a different IP.
    The IP part of a computer is made up of 3 things.
    1) Machine IP
    2) Subnet
    3) Gateway

    The Subnet has to be the same for all machines usually 255.255.255.0
    The Gateway on a machine has to point to the device that is providing the internet connection. Usually this would be the IP of the router. However in your case it's probably the sat device your using.

    The machine IP's have to be unique. They are made of 4 parts ###.###.###.### if you have a subnet of 255.255.255.0 that means the first 3 parts have to be the same. For example all machines would haven an IP starting out with 192.168.0.### That makes them all on the same network. It's that last set that every machine has to have differently. So 1 machine could be 192.168.0.3 and another 192.168.0.4.

    There are some other limits you can't have a machine ending in ###.###.###.255 and you can't have a machine ending with the same IP as the gateway - Unless that machine is the Gateway (which is odd but possible if you were using a dial-up modem for example and sharing internet).

    So if your gateway is 192.168.0.1 then your subnet will be 255.255.255.0 and then all your other machine IP's will start out 192.168.0.### with the .### having to be different for each machine.

    The easiest way to usually figure this all out is on the machine that can connect to the internet. From shell (start>run>cmd) do: ipconfig /all
    it will list all the internet info that should give you what you need.

    There is one other important piece of info and that is Primary and Secondary DNS. These are public servers that translate web names into IP addresses.
    I suggest using 4.2.2.1 and 4.2.2.2 for your DNS servers or 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220
    Your Internet provider will also have it's own DNS servers in which case you can use them as well.
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