File sharing

Lee H

Hi

This may be a very simple question but today of all days I have like 1 million things to do and don't have time to sit and play with it

I have windows 7 downstairs plugged into a dlink wireless router, this has all my media on it which I want to access upstairs on several PC's

I have it plugged into a switch upstairs which is then plugged into a TP wireless router

I have an XP machine plugged into this TP wireless router and it gets internet, also it is getting its IP from the TP router, i did try to disable DHCP on the TP router but when it got its IP from the Dlink it only worked for about 20 seconds then it dropped the IP

Win7 and XP cannot see each other?

Can anyone recommend some troubleshooting steps pliz.........

Thanks

exampasser

I would first connect both computers to the same router and try file sharing to make sure it's not a windows issue. Does the Dlink router connect to the switch by using a regular lan port, not the WAN port?

Lee H

i was thinking about that but...i can browse to the admin page for my Dlink wireless router from the xp machine plus i am getting internet on that XP machine

should the win7 and xp machines by default be able to see each other on the network??

earweed

Make sure you have network discovery and file sharing turned on.

gateway

Lee H wrote: »

Hi

This may be a very simple question but today of all days I have like 1 million things to do and don't have time to sit and play with it

I have windows 7 downstairs plugged into a dlink wireless router, this has all my media on it which I want to access upstairs on several PC's

I have it plugged into a switch upstairs which is then plugged into a TP wireless router

I have an XP machine plugged into this TP wireless router and it gets internet, also it is getting its IP from the TP router, i did try to disable DHCP on the TP router but when it got its IP from the Dlink it only worked for about 20 seconds then it dropped the IP

Win7 and XP cannot see each other?

Can anyone recommend some troubleshooting steps pliz.........

Thanks

Ok, couple of things:

When you say "I have it plugged into a switch upstairs" are you referring to the dlink router?

Make sure dhcp is switched off on the tp router as all kit will get dhcp from dlink (make sure tp router has static ip). Can't really understand why the xp machine would loose its ip so quickly, is there anything in eventvwr to give a clue?

It would help if you posted your IP config for all devices - I suspect this will give us the answer.

How have you got upstairs network connectivity? Is it hard wired or do you use homeplugs?

EDIT:- just noticed you said you can connect to the dlink admin interface. If you can get that far, you should be able to map to the win7 machine providing the firewall allows it. As exampasser said, you can test this by connecting the xp box to the dlink.

gateway

Lee H wrote: »

should the win7 and xp machines by default be able to see each other on the network??

Depends what you mean - this is all dependant on how the firewall is configured on the win 7 machine, and depends which firewall profile you are using. Set it to 'home' and enable file and printer sharing as Earweed said, and you should certaily be able to at least see icmp replies from the win7 box.

Lee H

gateway wrote: »

Ok, couple of things:

When you say "I have it plugged into a switch upstairs" are you referring to the dlink router?

Make sure dhcp is switched off on the tp router as all kit will get dhcp from dlink (make sure tp router has static ip). Can't really understand why the xp machine would loose its ip so quickly, is there anything in eventvwr to give a clue?

It would help if you posted your IP config for all devices - I suspect this will give us the answer.

How have you got upstairs network connectivity? Is it hard wired or do you use homeplugs?

Internet comes in downstairs front of the house, into Dlink router, from here cat5 goes back outside up the front of the house and into the front bedroom into a netgear switch (not router) from here cat5 goes into back bedroom and into the TP link router

XP config

192.168.1.100
255.255.255.0
192.168.1.1

Win7 config

192.168.0.104
255.255.255.0
192.168.0.1

Unsure what static IP to give my TP router?

Lee H

gateway wrote: »

Depends what you mean - this is all dependant on how the firewall is configured on the win 7 machine, and depends which firewall profile you are using. Set it to 'home' and enable file and printer sharing as Earweed said, and you should certaily be able to at least see icmp replies from the win7 box.

Both file sharing and network discovery is enabled on both home and public

exampasser

I have read that Windows file sharing between two computers each on a different subnet may not work, at least network discovery would have issues, I would try configuring the TP router to put it on the same subnet as the dlink router.

phoeneous

Lee H wrote: »

XP config

192.168.1.100
255.255.255.0
192.168.1.1

Unsure what static IP to give my TP router?

Subnetting to the rescue! Ask yourself, "what are the valid hosts in my 192.168.1.0/24 network?". Pick one of those valid hosts and assign it to to the TP router. Just make sure the dlink isnt handing out that address via dhcp. Also, you need to create statuc routes on each router so they can point to each other since I doubt they are using a dynamic routing protocol.

exampasser

phoeneous wrote: »

Subnetting to the rescue! Ask yourself, "what are the valid hosts in my 192.168.1.0/24 network?". Pick one of those valid hosts and assign it to to the TP router. Just make sure the dlink isnt handing out that address via dhcp. Also, you need to create statuc routes on each router so they can point to each other since I doubt they are using a dynamic routing protocol.

Can static routes be configured on cheap consumer routers, I've never heard of someone doing that. Perhaps putting the TP router in "client mode" or equivalent if there is an option?

Lee H

phoeneous wrote: »

Subnetting to the rescue! Ask yourself, "what are the valid hosts in my 192.168.1.0/24 network?". Pick one of those valid hosts and assign it to to the TP router. Just make sure the dlink isnt handing out that address via dhcp. Also, you need to create statuc routes on each router so they can point to each other since I doubt they are using a dynamic routing protocol.

only part that went over my head was

Also, you need to create statuc routes on each router so they can point to each other since I doubt they are using a dynamic routing protocol

is this easy to find?

exampasser

Lee H wrote: »

only part that went over my head was

Also, you need to create statuc routes on each router so they can point to each other since I doubt they are using a dynamic routing protocol

is this easy to find?

I assume that both of the routers have built-in switches so that may not be necessary to configure, essentially you could use the TP router as a switch.

earweed

I'm not sure if this would really create the issue you have but you may want to make sure that NAT is off on your TP router. NAT being on that router may cause you some issues.

phoeneous

exampasser wrote: »

Can static routes be configured on cheap consumer routers, I've never heard of someone doing that. Perhaps putting the TP router in "client mode" or equivalent if there is an option?

I can on mine, a Linksys WRTG. I am running dd-wrt firmware but Im pretty sure I remember seeing it on the factory firmware. See attached for screenshot.

Lee H, what models are your routers? And did they not go over static routes in C&G Networking Level 2 or C&G Networking Level3?

exampasser

phoeneous wrote: »

I can on mine, a Linksys WRTG. I am running dd-wrt firmware but Im pretty sure I remember seeing it on the factory firmware. See attached for screenshot.

Lee H, what models are your routers?

Cool, now all you need is some dynamic routing protocol options .

Lee H

phoeneous wrote: »

I can on mine, a Linksys WRTG. I am running dd-wrt firmware but Im pretty sure I remember seeing it on the factory firmware. See attached for screenshot.

Lee H, what models are your routers? And did they not go over static routes in C&G Networking Level 2 or C&G Networking Level3?

Hi

Yer your right this thread does beg the question, but as time goes by a lot of things you learn need refreshing, level 2 is only basic stuff level 3 was 90% written theory etc...

TP-LINK TL-WR740N

D-LINK DIR-615

Thanks for all your help guys, still yet to grab another half hour to turn off DNCP on the TP router one hell of a day million things to do, will let you know how i get on soon as

gateway

Out of curiosity, why have 2 subnets?

dlink - 192.168.0.1/24 dhcp on static ip
tp router - 192.168.0.2/24 dhcp off static ip
xp - 192.168.0.3/24
win7 - 192.168.0.4/24

This way the tp router should just act as a wireless switch instead of a router. This is how I have mine setup, I can connect wirelessly to either AP and both work fine.

Lee H

Hi

No luck with this

Soon as I disable DHCP i no longer have access to browse to it ???

Here is the full status


Firmware Version:
3.9.17 Build 091118 Rel.36350n
Hardware Version:
WR740N v1 00000000

LAN
MAC Address:
00-27-19-FF-43-FA
IP Address:
192.168.1.1
Subnet Mask:
255.255.255.0

Wireless
Wireless Radio: Enable
Name (SSID): TP-LINK_FF43FA
Channel: Auto (Current channel 4)
Mode: 11bgn mixed
Channel Width: Automatic
Max Tx Rate: 150Mbps
MAC Address: 00-27-19-FF-43-FA

WAN
MAC Address: 00-27-19-FF-43-FB
IP Address: 192.168.0.102 Dynamic IP
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 192.168.0.1
DNS Server: 192.168.0.1 , 0.0.0.0

Lee H

gateway wrote: »

Out of curiosity, why have 2 subnets?

dlink - 192.168.0.1/24 dhcp on static ip
tp router - 192.168.0.2/24 dhcp off static ip
xp - 192.168.0.3/24
win7 - 192.168.0.4/24

This way the tp router should just act as a wireless switch instead of a router. This is how I have mine setup, I can connect wirelessly to either AP and both work fine.

For some mad reason the default IP for my TP router is 192.168.1.1 as opose to my Dlink which is 192.168.0.1

exampasser

Lee H wrote: »

Hi

No luck with this

Soon as I disable DHCP i no longer have access to browse to it ???

Just to make sure, you did assign a static IP address to your computer when you disabled DHCP?

Bl8ckr0uter

Am I missing something here? You shouldn't need static routes nor static ips (although this would help) to share files between machines. As long as DNS is working he should be fine. I could see if these boxes were on two different networks (subnets) but static routes for machines on the same lan? I have never done this.

Have you actually shared out the share on the Windows 7 box? How about UPnP on the router? Is it turned on?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Plug_and_Play

Edit: Oh I see. Sorry I missed a post or two.

So you have moved the boxes to be on the same lan now correct? I had a similar set up.

Gateway Router: 10.0.0.1 /25
AP 10.0.0.2 /24
PC 10.0.0.3/24 and so on.

I also set exclusions in my gateway router (which was also doing dhcp) for it not to give out a certain range of addresses. These addresses included the AP ip and a few special machines. All routers should have a way for you to do that.

phoeneous

knwminus wrote: »

Am I missing something here? You shouldn't need static routes nor static ips (although this would help) to share files between machines. As long as DNS is working he should be fine. I could see if these boxes were on two different networks (subnets) but static routes for machines on the same lan? I have never done this.

They are on two different networks, 192.168.0.0/24 and 192.168.1.0/24.

Lee H

Just had a thought

When i disable DHCP on the TP router, why dont i get an IP from the Dlink router??

Bl8ckr0uter

phoeneous wrote: »

They are on two different networks, 192.168.0.0/24 and 192.168.1.0/24.

Yea I saw, my mistake .

He could run RIP

@OP:

Why exactly do you have it set up like this? Is this on purpose?

Lee H

knwminus wrote: »

Yea I saw, my mistake .

He could run RIP

@OP:

Why exactly do you have it set up like this? Is this on purpose?

No, all i want to do is map drives to my pc downstairs, dont really care how its setup as long as it works

phoeneous

Lee H wrote: »

No, all i want to do is map drives to my pc downstairs, dont really care how its setup as long as it works

Then get rid of one of the routers and plug both computers into the same router. Problem solved.

Lee H

i supose i could replace the 2nd router with a switch but i do want wifi upstairs aswell as one downstairs

when i try to change the IP of the TP router i get the following error

Error code: 5008
WAN IP address and LAN IP address cannot be in a same subnet. Please input another IP address.

earweed

Or just plug the upstairs XP machine into the switch instead of the router.

If it's set up as >--Router1

---

>switch

---

>router2
then plugging XP machine into switch should correct your problems. I can file share and everything between my Vista and 7 machines (I don't have a second router just a swith) with just enabling network discovery and file sharing and no extra configuration on the router.

Bl8ckr0uter

phoeneous wrote: »

Then get rid of one of the routers and plug both computers into the same router. Problem solved.

You don't need to get rid of the router. Keep it if you want*. What you need to do is get rid of the "routing" function of the device (at least if you want to make it easy). There has to be an access point mode or something like that in config of the tp router. Find it and the problem will be solved.

Lee H wrote: »

i supose i could replace the 2nd router with a switch but i do want wifi upstairs aswell as one downstairs

when i try to change the IP of the TP router i get the following error

Error code: 5008
WAN IP address and LAN IP address cannot be in a same subnet. Please input another IP address.

You have to find that access point mode or whatever. You will need to make sure DHCP is off that one, or at least not stepping on the other DHCP range.

*Not sure why you want to

phoeneous

Lee H wrote: »

i supose i could replace the 2nd router with a switch

How many switches do you need for two computers? Both of those routers have 4 switch ports on the back panel. For a home network, I'm all about keeping it simple.

Lee H wrote:

but i do want wifi upstairs aswell as one downstairs

Are you being serious?

Wifi upstairs = wifi downstairs = wifi throughout your whole house. The wireless signal doesn't choose which rooms to be in....