network problems.

[Morrolan]

we're experiencing problems with our home wireless network that i'm at a loss to solve:

for some reason the various computers are no longer able to access shared resources on other computers, even though they're all on the same home network. there is an error message that the administrator (i.e. me) should check whether access rights have been granted, but i hve no idea how to change or set this as i can't see an option.

help?

[Fat Bob]

Is there an oppurtunity to hard wire at least two computers that share resources? Sometimes the wireless goes a bit nutty. This would be one test.

To check if a folder is shared, right-click on the folder in Windows Explorer and hit properties. There should be a box that comes up with a "Sharing" tab. There again, if it worked before and is nto working now....

Outside of that.....not sure. Only share resources at work so that's all XP Pro which is much more suited to all of this. And I tell my IT guy what I want and he does it.

[Morrolan]

Is there an oppurtunity to hard wire at least two computers that share resources? Sometimes the wireless goes a bit nutty. This would be one test.

good idea, i can link the laptops and try that. good thing our router is both wired and wireless.

[baloo]

get a new router.

I bought the Dlink DIR-655 and I couldn't be happier. I have it locked in a cupboard upstairs and I get at least 90% signal strength in every room of the house no matter what floor it is on. The previous WTG-604 couldn't make it downstairs.

The best bit about it is the 5 port Gigabit wired router. Great if your gigabit hard wired PCs need to connect to a gigabit ported NAS

[Morrolan]

get a new router.

I bought the Dlink DIR-655 and I couldn't be happier. I have it locked in a cupboard upstairs and I get at least 90% signal strength in every room of the house no matter what floor it is on. The previous WTG-604 couldn't make it downstairs.

The best bit about it is the 5 port Gigabit wired router. Great if your gigabit hard wired PCs need to connect to a gigabit ported NAS

but why would the router be the problem? our signal strength is fine. we're using a Netgear Rangemax router.

[baloo]

I never said your router is the problem but times like this it's always a perfect excuse to upgrade your hardware !

[Bender]

I have it locked in a cupboard upstairs

... sounds like you're punishing it!

I was thinking about one of these (DIR655), but will wait until the 'N' standard is finally bedded down for certain. Also like the 'look' of the Belkin N1 Vision (for the visitor access function and the funky display - which is probably a bit of a gimmick), but the reviews say it needs better firmware coz it's slower than it should be.

In probability, I'll go for standalone components (separate access point, etc). Next up for me: 24 port gigabit switch.

Morrolan, when you say 'shared resources', do you mean folders/files, or devices (printers, etc), or both?

[Morrolan]

Morrolan, when you say 'shared resources', do you mean folders/files, or devices (printers, etc), or both?

yes, everything you'd usually share on a network. at this point some computers can't even look at the workgroup anymore, while others still have access to some shared folders.

i don't know what's wrong with it, but it all went pearshaped when i added Fyn's new laptop a few months ago.

it's a royal pain in the butt. i've tried setting up a new network under a different name, but it doesn't help. maybe i first need to delete the old workgroups/network before installing a new one?

[Fat Bob]

Take Fyn's laptop off the network, does the problem continue or go away? If so, tell Fyn she can't use that laptop anymore!

I think Windows home versions try to limit you in number of computers on the network. I think some routers do as well. Though wouldn't suggest that's the main reason for the problems, it's another option to explore.

[Fat Bob]

Just thought: have you assigned staitc IP addresses for each PC? that might help it? Or there again, might not!

[Bender]

I'd take things back to basics as far as possible to start with, before setting up all the networking and sharing again.

You probably don't want to hear this, but if things have really gone screwy I'd suggest backing up everything you want to keep and reinstalling the OS on all machines (if you're using Windows, I find a reinstall every year or so does wonders anyway). Make sure you download the latest drivers/software for everything before you do the reinstall. Think of it as an opportunity to set up your computers and network as professionally as possible.

Don't bother with a new router, I reckon if you were going to spend money, it's better spent on a Network Attached Storage (NAS) drive (if you haven't already got one), which you can use to keep data and backups on (it makes life much easier when your computers fall over). If you're in Oz(?), have a look at Officeworks or Harris Tech, they've got a good deal on a Western Digital 1 terabyte one (with gigabit ethernet) for about $450 at the moment. There are bigger and faster (and smaller/slower) ones available, but for the money I reckon the WD unit is not a bad buy.

We've found life with a NAS is is good - we've set up folders for data and backups, and found it useful to set up a 'systems stuff' folder, with 'software' and 'hardware' sub-folders. The 'software' folder has subfolders for copies of all the CDs and downloaded files (including activation codes/serial numbers) for all the software we use, and the 'hardware' one has a folder for each bit of hardware, with all the drivers, software, etc in each folder. Whenever we get anything new, a copy of the disc, manuals, etc goes onto the NAS and we never need to use the disc again. We also save updated drivers as we get them. This makes life really easy when we do a re-install.

If you do re-install everything, back up each computer when you've got everything set up and working the way you want, and set up a 'restore' point if your OS supports it (that way you can 'roll back' to that point if things go wrong). After that, set a restore point before installing new software or making any major changes to your computer(s) so you can roll back if things stuff up.

We treat our computers/network as 'basic household infrastructure', so we try to have some sort of maintenance routines in place, and try to have some policies around directory structures, etc. Every couple of weeks we plug a big USB drive into the NAS and backup the entire NAS to it, so we always have a fairly recent backup of it if it conks out. The backup USB drive is stored offsite - we've been burgled before and learnt that it's not losing a computer that hurts - it's losing what's on it.

[Morrolan]

thanks for the info, Bender. yeah, i've been looking at a NAS and that definitely is something we'll be going for next, but just not now.
we have more than 1TB in various internal and external drives right now. i thought your USB thingy was very interesting, btw.

as to reinstalling the OSs: ohmygod no. i've had to reinstall XP on my main desktop and it's been screwy ever since and with the amount of software we have on them (combined with my sloppiness when it comes to keeping everything in one place), i don't think i could manage.

no one who can tell me how to reset the network??

[Bender]

Reset the network? Not that easy. Sorry.

BTW many of the NAS drives can host 1 or more USB drives (the NAS has 1 or more USB sockets), so you can share your existing external drives on your network through the NAS.

[Burbage]

Windows XP? So sodding security obsessed that they overlook the possibility that you might actually WANT two computers to talk to each other.

I noticed there was an XP security update at the weekend, no doubt therein lies your problem.

[Morrolan]

Windows XP? So sodding security obsessed that they overlook the possibility that you might actually WANT two computers to talk to each other.

I noticed there was an XP security update at the weekend, no doubt therein lies your problem.

good idea, although the problems are older than that. nevertheless, the fact that i'm using 3 different firewalls may have something to do with it, i now realise...

[Burbage]

Windows XP? So sodding security obsessed that they overlook the possibility that you might actually WANT two computers to talk to each other.

I noticed there was an XP security update at the weekend, no doubt therein lies your problem.

good idea, although the problems are older than that. nevertheless, the fact that i'm using 3 different firewalls may have something to do with it, i now realise...

Frankly, I've given up. It's about 100x easier to use a USB key than it is to try to keep windows networking operating. Your best option is to figure it our in the cmd prompt and bypass the whole sodding operating system.

[Bender]

XP Service Pack 3 and Vista SP1 should both be out soon... Interesting that MS is still supporting XP to such a big extent.

We're running a mix here: XP on 2 desktops, 2000 (stripped right back to run fast 'n' mean) on another (because the software we're running on it is most stable on 2000), 98 on an ancient laptop and Vista on a new Dell laptop which came with Vista installed. All works fine. Despite all the horror stories, Vista is running fine on the Dell.

[Morrolan]

Frankly, I've given up. It's about 100x easier to use a USB key than it is to try to keep windows networking operating. Your best option is to figure it our in the cmd prompt and bypass the whole sodding operating system.

you're not wrong. alternatively, Bender's USB thingy that connects directly to the router is an option (but that would mean moving the bloody router 20 meters to the study, because i don't want the printers and all that stuff in the TV room... )

[Bender]

that would mean moving the bloody router 20 meters to the study, because i don't want the printers and all that stuff in the TV room... )

Not necessary. Put the USB thingy near your printers and run a network cable to it from the router.

[Morrolan]

that would mean moving the bloody router 20 meters to the study, because i don't want the printers and all that stuff in the TV room... )

Not necessary. Put the USB thingy near your printers and run a network cable to it from the router.

true, still 20 meters of cable, though, and the other way i can do wired for the desktop, instead of everything wireless. a bit of drilling though, which is a pain. hmm... needs a good think, that.

[Bender]

...a good deal on a Western Digital 1 terabyte one (with gigabit ethernet) for about $450 at the moment.

Correction: $379 (a shop advertising in a recent Melbourne Age Green Guide)

[Bender]

I've just bought

the wireless router that Baloo has wet dreams about

...on eBay. Brand new, sealed, and cheap!

It's a Dlink DIR-655. Patience is not one of my (many) virtues - I want it to arrive. Now!

[Burbage]

I wonder whether using routers would work better than using adapters. If you daisy chain the routers via wireless but connect the computers via cat 5 to each router then Windows won't think it's on a wireless network and you can do all the security through the router interfaces. I might try that...