Wi-fi home networking problems

Hi

i've my home network setup where two of my centrino laptops (one is
personal and the other is my work laptop that i plug into my home
network when am working from home) connect to the internet via a
linksys router. Internet access works fine from both computers but what
has been a problem is that am not able to access the shared files and
printer on my personal laptop from my work laptop. But am able to
access shared files in my work laptop from my personal laptop. Ping
(using IP address) from my personal laptop to work laptop goes through
but not the other way around. Can someone help me debug this problem?

Sri

"sri" <(E-Mail Removed)> hath wroth:

>i've my home network setup where two of my centrino laptops (one is
>personal and the other is my work laptop that i plug into my home
>network when am working from home) connect to the internet via a
>linksys router. Internet access works fine from both computers but what
>has been a problem is that am not able to access the shared files and
>printer on my personal laptop from my work laptop. But am able to
>access shared files in my work laptop from my personal laptop. Ping
>(using IP address) from my personal laptop to work laptop goes through
>but not the other way around. Can someone help me debug this problem?

1. If your laptops are running XP, set the Windoze firewall to allow
file and print sharing.
Control Panel -> Windoze Firewall -> Exceptions -> File and print

2. If you're using a different personal firewall such as Norton
Internet Security, Zone Alarm, McAfee, Kerio, etc, configure it to
allow for file sharing.

3. Make sure you have XP file sharing enabled. The easiest way to do
this is to select a random folder, right click, and select sharing.
Select "I know what I'm doing. Just enable sharing".

4. If none of the above work, go to:
http://www.windowsnetworking.com/art.../wxppntsh.html
and see if you missed anything.

--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Thanks Jeff for your prompt reply. The steps you outlined did not work.
I believe the problem that i've in the first place is that my work
laptop is not able to even see my personal laptop (i.e.ping does not go
through). If I can get the two computers to see each other, that would
be the first step in the debug (I think). Do you have any pointers to
that end?

Sri

"sri" <(E-Mail Removed)> hath wroth:

>Thanks Jeff for your prompt reply. The steps you outlined did not work.
>I believe the problem that i've in the first place is that my work
>laptop is not able to even see my personal laptop (i.e.ping does not go
>through). If I can get the two computers to see each other, that would
>be the first step in the debug (I think). Do you have any pointers to
>that end?

Sure. You state that:
Ping (using IP address) from my personal laptop to work laptop
goes through but not the other way around.
as well as both laptops access the internet. That means that both
have properly assigned IP addresses.

If your unspecified wireless router happens to be a WRT54G or GS, then
check the advanced wireless settings and make sure that "AP
Protection" is turned off.

The inability to ping from the work laptop to the personal laptop is
the major problem. Things should work if that gets fixed. Assuming
you are pinging the correct IP address (check with IPCONFIG), the
problem has to be on the personal laptop. Try disabling whatever
firewall you're using. If that fixes it, play with the firewall
configuration.

There's not much else that can prevent ping responses. You might want
to try the same thing using a wired connection from either or both
laptops to the wireless router. That will eliminate the wireless as a
possible culprit.

If you can get the personal laptop to respond to a ping, then the next
step is to check sharing using the command line instead of the Network
Neighborhood browser thing. Try:
Start -> Run ->
\\IP_address_of_other_laptop
That should open a list of available shares.
Also try:
Start -> Run -> CMD <enter>
net view
which should list both machines if sharing is enabled.

--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Jeff

So far no luck with getting ping to work (even after the firewall on my
personal laptop is turned off. But am yet to hook up the laptops on
wired network. Will try that and see if wireless is the culprit.

Also, my router is not WRT54G or GS. It starts with BF<something>.

Thanks a heap
Sri

"Jeff Liebermann" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> "sri" <(E-Mail Removed)> hath wroth:
>
>>Thanks Jeff for your prompt reply. The steps you outlined did not work.
>>I believe the problem that i've in the first place is that my work
>>laptop is not able to even see my personal laptop (i.e.ping does not go
>>through). If I can get the two computers to see each other, that would
>>be the first step in the debug (I think). Do you have any pointers to
>>that end?
>
> Sure. You state that:
> Ping (using IP address) from my personal laptop to work laptop
> goes through but not the other way around.
> as well as both laptops access the internet. That means that both
> have properly assigned IP addresses.
>
> If your unspecified wireless router happens to be a WRT54G or GS, then
> check the advanced wireless settings and make sure that "AP
> Protection" is turned off.
>
> The inability to ping from the work laptop to the personal laptop is
> the major problem. Things should work if that gets fixed. Assuming
> you are pinging the correct IP address (check with IPCONFIG), the
> problem has to be on the personal laptop. Try disabling whatever
> firewall you're using. If that fixes it, play with the firewall
> configuration.
>
> There's not much else that can prevent ping responses. You might want
> to try the same thing using a wired connection from either or both
> laptops to the wireless router. That will eliminate the wireless as a
> possible culprit.
>
> If you can get the personal laptop to respond to a ping, then the next
> step is to check sharing using the command line instead of the Network
> Neighborhood browser thing. Try:
> Start -> Run ->
> \\IP_address_of_other_laptop
> That should open a list of available shares.
> Also try:
> Start -> Run -> CMD <enter>
> net view
> which should list both machines if sharing is enabled.
>
> --
> Jeff Liebermann

I have very similar problems. (3 individual systems, 2 x XPHome and 1 x
98SE, access the net fine
wirelessly, but I'm having a heck of a job enabling file-sharing, which I
mainly use for mutual back-up, and therefore wish to get running again as
soon as possible). This thread has been really helpful, especially the link
to windowsnetworking. Lots to try now! Thanks guys.
Miles