Cannot connect two computers via ad hoc wireless connection!

I have two laptops, both running Windows XP Pro. One was recently upgraded
to SP2. The other had all the recent updates not including SP2.

They both have PC card wireless cards--one D-Link (only b), the other
Netgear (b&g).

I do not have an access point. I would just like to connect the two
computers occasionally to transfer files, etc. In other words, an "ad hoc"
connection.

File sharing is enabled on both computers, in the root directory of the boot
drive, for the whole drive.

I can sometimes get it so both computers say they are connected to the
"default" network, In looking at the status windows of these connections,
both say that they have sent data, but received nothing, 0 bytes.

I can find no way to access the hard drive of the other computer. In "My
Computer", "Tools", I click "Map Network Drive", but no network drive is
found, that can be mapped to a drive letter.

I tried the new "Set up Wireless Network" (or whatever it's called) applet
on the SP2 computer, but that is apparently only for infrastructure
connections, not for ad hoc connections like I am trying to create.

Is there anyone reading who could give me any advice, on how to get this to
work? I would appreciate it very much. Thank you.

Disable your firewall and follow the link below to setup your computers:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...2aprill08.mspx



" MS" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I have two laptops, both running Windows XP Pro. One was recently upgraded
> to SP2. The other had all the recent updates not including SP2.
>
> They both have PC card wireless cards--one D-Link (only b), the other
> Netgear (b&g).
>
> I do not have an access point. I would just like to connect the two
> computers occasionally to transfer files, etc. In other words, an "ad hoc"
> connection.
>
> File sharing is enabled on both computers, in the root directory of the
boot
> drive, for the whole drive.
>
> I can sometimes get it so both computers say they are connected to the
> "default" network, In looking at the status windows of these connections,
> both say that they have sent data, but received nothing, 0 bytes.
>
> I can find no way to access the hard drive of the other computer. In "My
> Computer", "Tools", I click "Map Network Drive", but no network drive is
> found, that can be mapped to a drive letter.
>
> I tried the new "Set up Wireless Network" (or whatever it's called) applet
> on the SP2 computer, but that is apparently only for infrastructure
> connections, not for ad hoc connections like I am trying to create.
>
> Is there anyone reading who could give me any advice, on how to get this
to
> work? I would appreciate it very much. Thank you.
>
>

In message <(E-Mail Removed)>, Hans-Georg
Michna <hans-(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>On Mon, 30 Aug 2004 22:21:59 -0700, "A-Design"
><(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>Disable your firewall and follow the link below to setup your computers:
>>http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...t/bowman_02apr
>>ill08.mspx
>
>This link doesn't work for me. Maybe the article is no longer
>there or it has moved.
>
>Hans-Georg
>
Http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/e...ts/bowman.mspx

Maybe this link will help to find the articles by Barb Bowman!
--
Andy Anderson

In message <(E-Mail Removed)>, Hans-Georg
Michna <hans-(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>On Mon, 30 Aug 2004 22:21:59 -0700, "A-Design"
><(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>Disable your firewall and follow the link below to setup your computers:
>>http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...t/bowman_02apr
>>ill08.mspx
>
>This link doesn't work for me. Maybe the article is no longer
>there or it has moved.
>
>Hans-Georg
>
Http://outlook.microsoft.com/windows...ert/bowman_02a
pril08.mspx

I think this is the correct link, and I only looked at it a couple of
days ago!
--
Andy Anderson

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...02april08.mspx
just worked for me...

On Tue, 31 Aug 2004 13:09:09 +0200, Hans-Georg Michna
<hans-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>On Mon, 30 Aug 2004 22:21:59 -0700, "A-Design"
><(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>Disable your firewall and follow the link below to setup your computers:
>>http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...2aprill08.mspx
>
>This link doesn't work for me. Maybe the article is no longer
>there or it has moved.
>
>Hans-Georg

--
Barb Bowman
Expert Zone Columnist
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
MS-MVP (Windows)

Thanks for the article, Barb. I'll go through it step by step, and see if I
can get it working.

In the meantime, with my trying to get it to work, my wireless connection to
my printer doesn't work any more.

I have a wireless printer server (D-Link DP-311U) (USB), had it connected to
my printer, set up as an ad-hoc connection to my computer (which being a
laptop, is not always near the printer, so the wireless link is handy). This
wireless connections worked before, but doesn't know. I don't know what I
did to make it stop working, but probably something in my changing settings
in order to try to make a wireless ad-hoc connection between the two laptops
(which I never got to work), I messed up what had been a successful wireless
connection to the printer, and can't get that to work again. I hope I get
that working again too.

"Barb Bowman [MVP-Windows]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...02april08.mspx
> just worked for me...
>
> On Tue, 31 Aug 2004 13:09:09 +0200, Hans-Georg Michna
> <hans-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>On Mon, 30 Aug 2004 22:21:59 -0700, "A-Design"
>><(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
>>>Disable your firewall and follow the link below to setup your computers:
>>>http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...2aprill08.mspx
>>
>>This link doesn't work for me. Maybe the article is no longer
>>there or it has moved.
>>
>>Hans-Georg
>
> --
> Barb Bowman
> Expert Zone Columnist
> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
> MS-MVP (Windows)

>>I do not have an access point. I would just like to connect the two
>>computers occasionally to transfer files, etc. In other words, an "ad hoc"
>>connection.
>>
>>File sharing is enabled on both computers, in the root directory of the
> boot drive, for the whole drive.
>>
>>I can sometimes get it so both computers say they are connected to the
>>"default" network, In looking at the status windows of these connections,
>>both say that they have sent data, but received nothing, 0 bytes.

Hi, i have had the same experiences.

I have spend months trying to get this to work.
Of the many attempts I have succeeded twice, able to see the
hard drive from one computer to the other. Not the other way
round. I could read files an FTP.

My impression is that this part of the software is under
developed, or parts missing.

Main problems is regarding ip-addresses.
I had a LAN address of 10.0.0.138 for the modem/router
so everything is based on this network address.

When your wireless card is looking for a transmitter, sees
the signal, tries to get connnected and doesn't see a HDCP
server it set up one of its own addresses, 169.154.something
class B.
Then, with this you can try as long as you want but it will
never work. So first step is to be sure the settings are
correct. Force addresses by manual setting.
-------
Next the matter of the channel. Could they be on the same
channel? I don't think so, but who finds whom first?
Is the first one serving as a mini-AP?
-------
I never switched on ICS. It is not needed.
---------
There are many other problems, often I went mad...

What helps are netstumbler, look@lan, lanspeed2, netinfo,
and Net activity diagram
You can download this stuff free at cnet.com
---------
Anyway I gave up. In the end it not is not worth while.
Why debug silly software? For 60 euro you can have an AP.
With an AP it works immediately. Stop wasting your time.
"Ad hoc" is ill designed and unlikely to work (all test were
in windows xp, both)

hope this helps....
hans