I have recently had to reformat the hard drive on my PC and now I can't get a network up and running. The more I think and try the more confused I am becoming. The network was origional setup using dial up and I had trouble with that also but somehow it ended up working fine. I didn't need to have the desktop on to access internet either. Everything worked fine before I reformatted with the restore disc that came with the machine. Anyway, I have Windows Pro on laptop and desktop. I have DSL modem with Westnet broadband connection, Dlink DI-524 router, Dlink DWL-510G wireless card in the desk top and a built in Broadcom 802.11/g wan in laptop.

I have tried to set up a network numerous times and have only succeeded in the desktop seeing the laptop but not the other way. I can't do that now. I really need some help with setting this up. It would be greatly appreciated if someone could give me some step by step help in plain english. I have tried reading a lot of the help docs on the net but they all end up either refering to something that isn't on my system or don't explain things exactly. Eg. which network setup wizard do I use on which machine wireless or other? Any help you can give asap would be a gift from god at the moment!

Re: wireless networking with dlink

This is simple but can appear impossible. One thing at a time then. A few questions. Are you on the net with the modem plugged into the router or into one of the PCs? Can both PC's get on the net? What model and make is the modem? More to come.

Chris B

Re: wireless networking with dlink

Have you checked to see if the laptop has a firewall on it perhaps, which could be causing the issue?

Re: wireless networking with dlink

Thankyou for responding. Sorry for delayed response from me, have gladly swapped lives of late with just about anyone.

Now I have access to everything except file and printer sharing. Last time I tried to ping they were fine. Can access all from desktop to laptop but cant get from laptop to desktop.

Have set up numerous networks using maual settings and setup disk facility but laptop just doesn't want to go. Whats really scary is if it by some miracle does work which is what happened last time, I obviously did something right, I won't know how I did it because I have tried to do it so many ways already I don't now which way was the right way.

As far as I can tell this is written on the westnet adsl modem.

TOP:- 4 Port ADSL,ADSL 2/2+ Router iconnectAccess624. UNDERNEATH:- IconectAccess624 Supplied by open networks Pty Ltd. OPEN Modem Management Details http://192.168.1.254 User Name * PASSWORD:
**.
WEB ADDRESS www.opennw.com

On the Underneath of the dlink wireless router is has written:-

Model: DI-524 P/N II524NEU..B@ S/N: DY0D15A005285 H/W Ver.:B2 F/W Ver.:2.02 FCC ID:KA2-DI524 MAC ID: 0015E9-0196B7

I am sharing a secutiry enabled wireless network for internet. My desktop can share everything on laptop but laptop tells me that from it's end the network path doesn't exist or maybe I don't have permission, or access is not granted. I probably would have been better off not having it before.

Now I know I can have it networked it makes me all the more determined to fiddle although I don't absolutely need file sharing I do need the printer sharing!! And knowing I did make me want it back even if I don't use it. It's the nature of the beast I suppose. Any help is greatfully appreciated.

I have become slightly incapacitated of late and am relying on the laptop for just about everything as I can stay central in the home with kids etc.. with the least amount of mobility. Thanks once again. Shall try to stay a bit more vigilant so I can respond to your Q's. and thankyou for any and all help!!

Re: wireless networking with dlink

OK. You have two devices here - the modem/router and the wireless router, both of whom want to be in charge. This cannot be permitted. One must rule, the other must just pass info along. The modem wins. It should be set to dhcp enabled, and the wireless router should have everything off, so it simply passes data from the ethernet cable to the wireless connection and back. Don't use the WAN port on the D-Link, just have an ethernet between the modem and one of its LAN ports. Disable its dhcp (one must rule) disable its firewall, enable one of the security options for the wireless connection so you aren't sharing with the neighbourhood.

The routers default IP address is 192.168.0.1, however the modems default is 192.168.1.254 and its dhcp range is 192.168.1.100 to 192.168.1.200. These systems don't match. Change the D-Link to 192.168.1.99. Now they can talk to each other correctly.

After making changes reboot everything. The PC can be be plugged into an ethernet port on either unit, but you will get the best bandwidth if you plug it into the modem. Both the PC and laptop must be set to acquire an IP address automatically.

Once this is all working correctly, we can look at file sharing. Both PCs must be in the same workgroup, but if both are XP Pro then they should be already. File sharing is disabled by default, so must be enabled. On both machines right click the Shared Documents folder in All Users, select Sharing, and tick Share this folder on the network, and Allow Network Users to change my files. To share the printer, you must also explicitly share it by right clicking it in Printers and Faxes, click Sharing and click the Share This Printer button.

Whew!

Do post back with any questions.

Good luck

Chris B

Re: wireless networking with dlink

Just noticed you have wireless in both. That's fine, you just don't need a cable from PC to modem.

Chris B

Re: wireless networking with dlink

Some basics some partly covered.

Wireless or cabled - no different as long as the wireless components connect (that is make a wireless equivalent of a cable).

Each PC must have an IP address in the same subnet, that is only the last digit group differs (eg 192.168.0.1 and 192.168.0.20 are in same subnet). If the IP address is allocated automatically by the DHCP server then they will be. You can see the IP address in Networking conections, slect the connectionand look in the left panel, use More Details button if required Or open a Command Prompt box and use ipconfig /all.

Only one DHCP server per network. If multiple devices exist which could have DHCP make the one closest to the Internet connection (eg your modem/router) be the one.This means giving the other device a static IP address when it alone is connected to a PC and still acting as a DHCP. But this address must be in the subnet used by the final DHCP server, so check that first.

Ideally all PC in same workgroup, but not essential.

For a PC to be seen by others it must have at least one shared resource (that is, be acting as a server). Do not use the XP wizard to share as it meses things up, just accept prompts to share manuall;y (reall hard, just give a name to the resource).

Win XP has strange ideas about security. Much easier if both PCs have same username and logon and require them on each boot. You may need at least one user with a username and pasword on each PC so you can use that user's credentials when connecting.

WinXP will probably not share MyDocuments or subfolders (or in fact the Documents and Settings folder).