Network not working HELP!!

Hi, here's my problem...

I have two computers, one running windows 98 sec editon and one running windows 98. I connect to the internet through ntl broadband, on the windows 98 sec edition machine.

I have got two belkin wireless usb network adapters, which plug in to usb ports on both machines and are communicating with each other. I have uninstalled and reinstalled them many times for various reasons and they have always worked fine - i.e sharing files and the internet.

This time after reinstalling them though, i have managed to share the files, but not the internet connection.

And although i've managed to share the files, i had to assign static IP addresses to the TCP/IP (Home) -> Belkin USB wireless network adapter on both computers, this is something i never had to do before, as i always had it set to "obtain IP addess automatically ". Only when the IP addresses are assigned do both computers appear in the network neighbourhood.

Ive run the ICS wizard on the host computer, and made the client disk, then run that on the client computer. Usually after doing this i could connect to the internet on the client computer fine, but it just displays "Page cannot be displayed ".

I'm not sure about the DHCP for WINS and Disable WINS settings, i don't know what settings i had for them before but at the moment i have:

Host computer

TCP/IP (Home) Belkin USB Wirless Network Adapter - Specify an IP address and Disable WINS
TCP/IP (Shared) USB Cable Modem - Obtain an IP address automatically and Disable WINS
TCP/IP Internet Connection Sharing - Obtain an IP address automatically and Use DCHP for WINS resolution

Client computer

TCP/IP -> Belkin USB Wirless Network Adapter - Specify an IP address and Disable WINS

I've checked the workgroup names and im logged on as Client for microsoft Networks.

I just don't know what to do from here, ive been doing it the past 2 days!! It's really doing my head in, I've changed the settings so i don't have a clue which should be on DCHP if any and if they should have static or dynamic IP addresses. What i don't understand is that all the other times i've had it set up fine, i didn't even touch the IP addresses, it just worked!!! So i'm a bit dubious about using them, but at the moment without them i can't even share files.

Please can someone help, i'm sooooo stuck :-(

 

I will assume your internet is still working and that the host machine can connect. What you need is the IP settings to get internet on the Client computer working.

Below, when I refer to the "Host" TCP/IP settings I am refering to the "TCP/IP (Home) Belkin USB Wirless Network Adapter" settings

The IP address of the client PC needs to be similar but not the same as that of the Host. Change the last digit by adding one (if the host's is not 254, in which case subtract one). So

if the host is 192.168.0.1, set the client at 192.168.0.2.
If the host is 10.0.0.1 set the client at 10.0.0.2.
If the host is 192.168.255.254 then set the client at 192.168.255.253

I hope you get the idea. If not give us the IP address of the host and we'll suggest a suitable client IP.

The default mask needs to be the same as that of the host.

The default gateway needs to be the host's IP address.

The DNS IP address need to be the same as those set on the host. You may find these are only assigned after connection to the internet. So connect to the internet, and then do an IPCONFIG /ALL on the host machine and get the DNS setting from that.

Ignore WINS. You won't use WINS on a small peer to peer network like yours.

 

Hiya

Thanks for your reply.

I probably should've mentioned in my first post what my IP settings for the TCP/IP (Home) -> Belkin Wireless Adapter are set to.

On my host computer i have the IP address as : 192.168.0.1

and the subnet mask as: 255.255.255.0

On my client computer i have the IP address as: 192.168.0.2

and the subnet mask same again as: 255.255.255.0

For the gateway on the host computer, should i have the IP address of the client computer and for the gateway on the client computer, have the hosts IP address? At the moment i have nothing in the gateways

You mention the DNS settings, i gather you are still referring to the settings for TCP/IP (Home) again?

At the moment on both computers, for DNS i have "Disable DNS" selected, should i be changing this to "enable DNS" on both machines? If so, what should the host name and domain be set as in this particular tab? I'm not sure how to IPCONFIG/ALL, i went to run and typed IPCONFIG and the MS-DOS thing came up but closed straight away.

Also, for the other TCP/IP protocols, should all these still be set to obtain IP address automatically?

 

OK- the IP addresses look fine.

The default gateway is the address of the default route out of your network. In other words what you are saying to the computer is "If you have a packet for an address you don't have a route for, send it to this address to sort out ". A computer will alway know the route to addresses in its local network (or strictly the same subnet -this route is to its local network card). Other routes have to be entered manually as "static" routes or assigned dynamically with a routing protocol such as RIP or OSPF. On a small network like yours, you should not have to set up static routes or use a routing protocol.

The default gateway address has to be on the same network (subnet) as the main address - it is the route out of your network.

For the client machine, the default route out of the network is via the host computer. Therefore, on the client computer the default gateway needs to be the IP address of the host PC (192.168.0.1).

For the host machine the way out of the network is via the internet connection - this machine is the gateway out of the 192.168.0.0 subnet. Therefore on the Host the default route is set up on the cable modem connection and is dynamically assigned by the ISP on connection. If you enter a default gateway on the internal network connection you'll just confuse things.

TCP/IP works at the IP address level. Humans tend to work with names. To connect to the computer with (or owning) the name www.windowsbbs.com you need to be able to translate the name into an IP address. DNS is the service that does this for you. Without a path to a DNS server, browsing the internet by names will not work. So you have to enable DNS on the client!

To get DNS working you have to give each computer the IP address of a DNS server. On a small network like yours this will be one of the Internet's DNS servers - usually it is your ISP's internet DNS server.

The Host PC will get the ISP's DNS server address when it connects via the broadband modem. It will be dynamically assigned along with the IP address. As it is only assign when you connect, you may find that while your PC is not actively connected to the internet no DNS server address appears when you do an IPCONFIG /ALL. However, if you connect to the internet (by doing some browsing for example) and then do an IPCONFIG /ALL straight away the DNS server address should appear.

The DNS address you get on the host computer, is the one to set up on the Client computer.

Leave the other TCP/IP settings as they are

 

hello again,

ok, i have set the IP address for the host computer as the gateway on the clients computer.

Next, i chose "Enable DNS" on the client computer

But what do i write on the Host and domain boxes in this property?

There is a Host box, a domain box, then underneath is DNS Server search order and a Domain suffix search order.

On the host computer when i got to run then command and type in IPCONFIG/ALL stuff comes up, but i cant scroll to the top of the screen to see what i should be looking for, there is nothing with a title of DNS server address, what should i be looking for, There are titles such as physical address, default gateway, DHCP Server, but i don't know which is the right one?

When and if i get this address which box am i supposed to type it into on the client computers DNS tab property?? ARGHHHHH this is so confusing, why isnt the MS-Dos prompt screen showing everything?

 

Genious! Thanks ever so much, i've finally done it!

I was able to get the DNS server addresses by pressing pause whilst MS-Dos ran the script, i entered them and the host name on the clients computer, restarted it, opened up internet explorer and the internet is working Thankyou!!!!! I've been working at it since monday! I just don't understand it at all, because i've set up the same network i dont know how many times and i never had to even use IP addresses! Anyway, i'm just glad that its working again!

 

Glad you're up and running.

You don't have to put anything in the host and domain boxes. However, as your system is working fine, I'd leave it as it is.

Well done.