[johnharris85]

I have a laptop and a desktop that I want to network together. I have a direct cable between them and they are both on the same network. The laptop is running vista and the desktop running xp. Trouble is, whenever I try and send files between them it always tries to send them wirelessly?! Which, as you can imagine, takes forever. If I disable the wireless connection they transfer via cable, but enabling and disabling the wireless every time I want to transfer files is a major pain. How can I force them to use the cable connection as default? (would have thought it would use it as default anyway but I guess I would be wrong)

Thanks for any help you can give.

[TerryNet]

Before I venture a guess please show the following for one of the machines ...

Start, Run, CMD, OK to open a command prompt:
(For Vista type CMD in the Search box after Start)

Type the following commands:

nbtstat -n

IPCONFIG /ALL

[Note that there is no space between the slash and ALL.]

PING OtherPC

where "OtherPC" is the name of the other computer.

Right click in the command window and choose Select All, then hit Enter.
Paste the results in a message here.

If necessary use a text file and removable media to copy the results to a computer with internet access.

[johnharris85]

Thanks for replying. It seems that the wired connection isn't working now even when wireless is turned off. I think I must have played with some settings trying to fix it a while ago. Now whenever I plug the cable into the laptop it just says "Limited or No Network connectivity" on the desktop. Anyway, here are the results of the IPCONFIG (done on the laptop).



Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6002]
Copyright (c) 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\John>nbtstat -n

Local Area Connection:
Node IpAddress: [192.168.1.10] Scope Id: []

NetBIOS Local Name Table

Name Type Status
---------------------------------------------
J-LAPTOP <00> UNIQUE Registered
J-NET <00> GROUP Registered
J-NET <1E> GROUP Registered
J-LAPTOP <20> UNIQUE Registered

Wireless Network Connection:
Node IpAddress: [192.168.1.3] Scope Id: []

NetBIOS Local Name Table

Name Type Status
---------------------------------------------
J-LAPTOP <00> UNIQUE Registered
J-NET <00> GROUP Registered
J-NET <1E> GROUP Registered
J-LAPTOP <20> UNIQUE Registered

Bluetooth Network Connection:
Node IpAddress: [0.0.0.0] Scope Id: []

No names in cache

C:\Users\John>IPCONFIG /ALL

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : J-Laptop
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Bluetooth Network Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Bluetooth Device (Personal Area Network)
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-1F-E1-BD-DA-4A
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Dell Wireless 1397 WLAN Mini-Card
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-22-68-DB-E1-49
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::d35:34f8:e5be:3e79%12(Preferred)
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.3(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 01 July 2009 19:03:32
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 04 July 2009 07:31:23
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 201335400
DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-10-4E-69-64-00-21-70-7C-ED-DE

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom NetLink (TM) Gigabit Ethernet
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-21-70-7C-ED-DE
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::c4e8:3d87:4444:ab3c%11(Preferred)
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.10(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 251666800
DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-10-4E-69-64-00-21-70-7C-ED-DE

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : fec0:0:0:ffff::1%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::2%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::3%1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 6:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : isatap.{6F18CB32-D600-4BF3-88AD-E45DF25D6
171}
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 7:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 02-00-54-55-4E-01
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 11:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #2
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 13:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : isatap.{E4304AC9-200A-4A30-985B-A8F58C8BA
DE0}
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 14:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : 6TO4 Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 15:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft 6to4 Adapter #2
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 16:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft 6to4 Adapter #3
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

C:\Users\John>PING J-DESKTOP

Pinging J-DESKTOP [192.168.1.2] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 192.168.1.10: Destination host unreachable.
Reply from 192.168.1.2: bytes=32 time=9ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.1.2: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.1.2: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=128

Ping statistics for 192.168.1.2:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 2ms, Maximum = 9ms, Average = 5ms

C:\Users\John>


Thanks.

[Squashman]

Is File and Printer sharing enabled on the Wired Network card?
I would disable it on the Wireless card and enable it on the Wired. I would think that would force it to use the wired network.

You can also change the Network Adapter Priority. You would think the wired would get top billing but maybe you switched it at some point.
http://blogs.technet.com/jamesone/ar...-in-vista.aspx

[johnharris85]

I've right-clicked both the wireless cards (on laptop and desktop) and unchecked "File and Printer sharing for Windows networks" on both. I've also followed your link and set the wired connections to have top billing over the wireless (which were both set to top as default, I've never changed this. Strange though).

I'm still getting the limited or no connectivity on my desktop's wired connection though. Details says:

IP: 169.254.11.26
Subnet Mask: 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway:
DNS Server:
WINS Server:

When I click repair it just says cannot renew my IP address.

Thanks.

[Squashman]

You have them connected with a Cross Over network cable?

[johnharris85]

They're definitely connected with the right cable as it has worked previously (whenever I disable wireless). The cable only stopped working recently because I think I must have played with some settings. Now the priorities are in the right order the problem might be solved, although I'm still getting limited/no connection as described above. If anyone has ideas on that then I can get the cable working again and test the priorities.

Thanks.

[Squashman]

I am a bit confused on which computer is which. Do you have one computer's wired network card set with a static IP address and the others set to DHCP enabled. If it is showing as a 169 address that means it can't communicate with a DHCP server. But it looks like you have one of your computers set with a STATIC ip address above.

[TerryNet]

Having both connections on the same network (192.168.1.x) is certainly going to cause confusion, at best. Look at those pings; the first tried to go by ethernet, the other 3 went by wireless.

I first suggest you change the ethernet to use a different subnet; say, 10.1.1.1 and 10.1.1.2 for IP addresses on the two PCs.

You now have the desktop's ethernet set to obtain IP dynamically; as above change it to static, preferably NOT 192.168.1.x.

Then after you get the ethernet connection working again if you are still having the original problem please show a new ipconfig /all and ping.

[johnharris85]

Terry, thanks for your reply. How exactly do I do all that? I go into the properties of the wired connection on each machine and I uncheck 'Obtain Automatically' and check 'Use the following IP'

IP:
Subnet:
Default Gateway:

I also have to specify the DNS server.

What should the above settings be on 1) the desktop and 2) the laptop. The laptop (vista) has the option of IPv4 or IPv6, which should I be using?

Once I've done this on the wired connections on each machine do I need to change anything on the wireless connections or just leave all the settings as they currently are?

Thanks for your help.

[JohnWill]

Leave the Default Gateway and DNS Server blank on those direct link configurations. The subnet mask should be 255.255.255.0 for both.

[TerryNet]

IPv4; you should be able to ignore the IPv6.

IPv4 addresses as I had suggested: 10.1.1.1 and 10.1.1.2. John covered everything else.

[JohnWill]

Yep, 192.168.3.1 & 2 would work as well, anything but 192.168.1.x is fine.

[johnharris85]

Thanks very much for your help guys. Everything is now working as I want it to. This was all really so I can sync up some folders on both machines. I'm a basketball coach and want to keep my stuff with me on my home pc and my laptop for when I travel. I have a program (Synchronize It!) that seems to do a good job, yet I have a couple of problems:

1) I have no idea how to share a folder on Vista to allow read and write access for my XP machine (for synching XP to Vista). I know I have to add permissions, but the whole process seems really complex in relation to XP's method.

2) I can open up the folder on the XP machine for read and write access and it is happily synching this way, although is there a way I can make ONLY my Vista machine able to have read and write access? (I'm on a network with a couple of other people as well and don't want them to have read and write access). I know I can protect the Vista folder like this via permissions (although I don't have a clue how, as per question 1), but is there a way on XP? I checked the help and it says if you are on a network domain as opposed to a workgroup then you can set permissions (I imagine in a similar fashion to Vista) but I have the two machines on a workgroup. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

[Squashman]

If you have Printer and File sharing disabled on all your Wireless network cards the only way other people would be able to get to the files would be if they were on your computer.

Since you have the two wired nics connected directly with a cable and if you disable the File sharing on the Wireless it should in theory keep everyone esle from accessing your files over the network.