Vista won't detect wireless connection

tubes99

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Hi all,

Hope this is the right place to ask. A friend has the following setup:

1) Computer running Windows Vista connected to virgin broadband via a netgear wireless n router.

2) Second PC upstairs running Windows XP SP3 with a belkin usb wireless dongle (g).

After a lot of web research and faffing about I have managed to get the XP system with the dongle to connect to the internet wirelessly via the router. This computer had no problems detecting the network. It indicates the signal strength is excellent and it isn't dropping out.. For some reason the Windows Vista PC (connected directly to the router via a network cable) will not detect the other PC as part of the network. I've tried the things suggested on the microsft site but can't resolve the issue. The computers have the same workgroup name and from system info the XP machine has SP3 installed and I have enabled file and printer sharing. Any suggestions? I've even tried turning off the firewall on the Vista machine but it won't detect it.. I could understand if I couldn't connect the XP system wirelessly, but it seems to be fine.:confused:

I will find out the model number of the router if required (sending this from home).

Thanks for any help.
 
Hi mickevh

Thanks for replying. Sorry but could you advise how I can try them pinging each other?
 
mickevh

I've done a bit more googling and found how to ping the computers. I think I understand what I have to do. Record the subnet mask and IP address of the PC connected to the router directly. Then go into internet options(?) on the wireless machine and enter the same subnet mask number and a unique IP address (eg same IP address ending say in 2 instead of 1). Is that right?
 
No problem: Pinging will establish that the two computers can, at the most basic level, "talk" to each other.

On XP computer, click "start, run" and type "CMD" in the "run" box. That will open up a black (usually) window.

On Vista computer, click Start, then IIRC there's a box on the menu you can type into - again type CMD and a black (usually) window will open.

In your black boxes type "IPCONFIG" and there should be a response listing (amongst other info.) the "IP address" which is the network address of each machine.

From each machine (also in the black box) type "PING A.B.C.D" where A.B.C.D is the IP address of the other machine.

If you get some reponses that say "reply from A.B.C.D" you know the machines can see each other.

This can still "go wrong" if the Windows firewalls are turned on (if so turn them off teporarly and have another go.)

Either way, let up know the "IP Address," "Subnet mask" and "Default gateway" of each machine and we'll take it from there.

(Don't worry - you're not revealing anything about your computers that anyone might take advantage of.)
 
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Thanks mickevh. I'll try that and get the IP address and subnet mask number and post it.
 
Hi mickevh

I seem to have got the machine connected to the router (the Vista machine) to find the other computer with the wireless dongle. I did ipconfig on the Vista machine and got the following:

subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
Default gateway: 192.168.1.1
IPv4 192.168.1.2

So thanks to you I went on the computer with the wireless connection and entered for TCP/IP the subnet mask and assigned an ip address (I used 192.168.1.3). I didn't change the DNS value though. As I say the Vista machine now sees the wirelessly connected computer and can access shared files. So everything seems OK. However when I shut down the wirelessly connected computer it had a warning of an IP conflict. I'm assuming this may be due to the fact he has a phone which connects to his network wirelessly so the IP address (192.168.1.3) may already have been taken? Sorry if these are stupid questions.

Thanks
 
If you are getting warinings about duplicate IP addresses, it's because there are two devices on your LAN that are trying to use the same IP address.

Note that it's the devices that figure this out, it's not some sort of table that your router maintains - the router coulnd't care less (unless it's something else claiming the routers own LAN IP address.)

In very simple terms, when an IP device starts up it's IP software (however it got an IP address) it sends out a message to everyone saying "is anyone using IP address A.B.C.D" and if there is already something using that address it will respond saying "yes it's me" at which point the querying device (and possible the the respondent) will start moaning about duplicate IP addresses.

In a SOHO LAN, the most likely cause is that you've manually configured 192.168.1.3 and something else already claimed that address using DHCP. (The DHCP Server doesn't know what manual assigned IP addresses exist, so will happily serve out a lease which duplicate a manually assigned address - it only know about the range it manages.)

DHCP was invented to take all the heartache out of ensuring IP address duplication doesn't happen (DHCP server simply won't give out the same IP address to more than one device at the same time.)

So you could leave all the clients to "auto" obtain their IP and DHCP should sort it our for you.

If you want particular devices to always get the same IP address, you can either:

Used what's called a "reserved" DHCP lease - that's a lease that will only be given to a particular client. Your routers manual will explain how to do that.

Or you can manually code IP addresses into you client, but to do that you have to maintain your own map of what is what, and ensure the IP addresses you assign are not within the range of addresses the routers DHCP Server manages. Most routers let you change the start and end address of their DHCP range so that you can exclude some addresses so you can manually assign them yourself.
 
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Thanks very much mickevh:smashin: - especially for you patience. Think I have got it now.
 

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