Peer to Peer small office

[PeanutButt]

Pertinent information

2 hosts with NICs hardwired to eachother using a blue network cable, one wireless g router, internet hard wired from the wall, and a box i assume is the gateway (dont know what it is.. its from the ISP

a huge mess of networking and paths

The Scenerio

I went in to simply clean and tune up their  PCS, to find out they had not had any virus protection for 2 months,were not using their own internet, theirs was disconnected and they were picking up the wireless signal from next door.  They run a salon program on their main computer (host 1) that the owner likes to have access to from her office (host 2), she also likes to have access to the C: on Host 1.   there is a big blue wire that connects the 2 machines.  an unused wireless g router in the corner, and an intricate mess of network places and connections.  there is a constant warning that keeeps popping up about Ip Address is the same as another system on the network.  DHCP is checked on both machines, and i am unable to release and renew ips.  currently host 1 shows they are connected to a wireless network, sending and receiving packets, all devices working properly, however the browser cannot pull up a page, nor does is display the not connected page. ( it seems they are both connected through a wireless connection, because when the internet is disconnected on Host 2 it cant connect to the application on Host 1)

what I would like to do

connect both pcs with the router and printer hooked to host 2,

Share Host 1 C: with desktop shortcut on Host 2

Share Salon Biz on Host 1 with Host 2

use the cable from the wall and wireless g router with host 2
 
and share the internet connection with host 1

make it so there is no ip conflict

please advise this network is such a mess

[EEVIAC]

theirs was disconnected and they were picking up the wireless signal from next door. 

Why was their Wireless G router "disconnected"?  Was their ISP service turned off?  If not, what was the reason they set it aside, disconnected?

[Geek-9pm]

n unused wireless g router in the corner,

Make and model? Does it seem to be alright?
Is the 'blue' cable la crossover?

[PeanutButt]

she bought the business, computer system, and router as is.. i assume the blue cable is a crossover.

[PeanutButt]

I plugged the router in and it lit up, i am assuming it is operational, i will know better tomorrow.  assuming the router is functional how do i configure it to connect the two pcs and share the cable internet connection?? then share and map the the c:

[PeanutButt]

i actually think its a patch cable... im not sure! whats really long, blue, rj 45??

[EEVIAC]

she bought the business, computer system, and router as is.. i assume the blue cable is a crossover.

Well for starters, in my opinion, she should establish an ISP that the Wireless G router uses exclusively, so she can set up security on her router.  If she continues to use next door's ISP then there's no telling what your going to get, that is, unless she has made some kind of arrangment with them.  If next door doesn't know she's using their wireless signal, that means there's no password and all the traffic between between the two "hosts" and the access point (next door) is unencrypted.  This also means that outsiders/hackers can use the signal and monitor network traffic on the LAN.  Not a good way to run a business.

Once she has established what router she wants to use and configured both computer to use that router, (don't use next door's if there is no password protection),  you can set up the printer on host 2, and share the printer on the netowrk (do you know how to share a printer?) if that's the way you want it, and then both computers (host 1 & 2) can access eachother's files and printer through the router..   I don't see why there is a need for a cable between the two hosts when the router can take care of the job, unless maybe fault tolerance is required for file/printer access between the two hosts...

Once the router is operational and both computers are configured to use it, all you have to do to share the drives on the two hosts is this:

Say you want to share the drive on host 2 with host 1.  You would right click on the drive you want to share on host 2, click properties, click on the sharing tab (this part may vary, depending on what OS you're using) and go through the process to share the drive.  Once the drive is successfully shared...Go to host 1, right click on the START button on the desktop, click "explore", and from the tools menu, click, "map network drive" and go from there... At the end you'll have an icon on the host 1 desktop that you can use to connect to the network drive.

Be sure file and folder sharing is enabled on both computers in Windows Fire wall, and if your using Vista, make sure network discovery is turned on...   Google "how to map a network drive" if you must...

[EEVIAC]

When I said, "be sure file and folder sharing is enabled in the firewall, I meant file/printer sharing...    Vista has options in the Network Sharing Cetner that need to be configured as well, for sharing anything

[PeanutButt]

wont i have to configure ip addresses, i think there is a website where you would configure?  how do i find one computer from the other? does it show up in metwork places? what about it being a workgroup? do i need to name that?

[PeanutButt]

they are both running xp. 

[EEVIAC]

wont i have to configure ip addresses, i think there is a website where you would configure?  how do i find one computer from the other? does it show up in metwork places? what about it being a workgroup? do i need to name that?

If you turn on DHCP in the router, and both of the computers are configured for dhcp as well (by default, they are configured to use dhcp), you don't have to mess with configuring IP addresses...  Do you know how to turn on DHCP in the router?  If the router is currently password protected with WEP or WPA2, then you'll have to connect to it with a cable (use a standard cable to connect one of the host computers to the router's LAN interface), open a browser, type the IP address of the router... When prompted, enter the router password (not the same thing as the wep/wpa2 password) and find where to turn on dhcp.......It should be a snap     If there is no WPA2/wep  password protection, then just use the wireless card in the computer to locate the router's signal (SSID) and connect to it  (if the router is not broadcasting the SSID, as it can be configure to do so, then you'll just have to use a cable...  BTW, always use WPA2, never use WEP, it's easily crackable..

Log onto your router from the Internet to turn on dhcp, if you must..

Don't worry about "my network places" or work groups until we've got all the essentials down and ready

[EEVIAC]

I forgot to mention that, dhcp may already be turned on in the router...  If you click, START, All programs, accessories, command prompt

type:  ipconfig          press enter


Assuming that you've already connected to the router through cable or wireless, if it shows that you have a "default gateway" address and you have an "ip address", then your computer already has an IP address assigned to it...and any other computer that connect to the router will automatically get an ip address assigned to it..