wired network doesn't work - help?

Learning_Curve

Thanks NiVZ,

As I read your message I realised I'd forgotten to say which firewall I'm using. I had disabled the Windows firewall on both PCs as I have ZoneAlarm.

I did have a look in it to see if there was somewhere I could tell ZoneAlarm to amend sharing options but I couldn't see anything. I presume this now changes my next point of action? Thanks, you are really kind to do this.

closed

a router usually has 4 ethernet ports, makes your browsing more secure, and make this networking process easier, a wireless one would allow your laptop to be used wirelessly too. If you don't have one, your isp may give you a free one with a little persuasion.

Learning_Curve

Hi Closed,<br><br>I'm not a fan of wireless due to security.  As I'm doing crossover cable linking and the modem isn't attached whilst doing so (I don't mind not having internet connection when I'm transferring files), do I need a router as opposed to a modem?  (I guess if I could blag a free one and it solved the issue it wouldn't hurt to ask my ISP.)<br>

closed

wireless is perfectly secure provided you encrypt the signal, get blagging, it will make your laptop far more portable.

NiVZ

Hello,

Been a long time since I used Zone Alarm so I'm not really familiar with the settings. Maybe someone else can help.

Alternatively, you could turn off ZoneAlarm while connected via crossover cable - just remember to turn it back on when you're finished.

NiVZ

Learning_Curve

Thanks NiVZ, you've been really helpful anyway, and if I can't sort it perhaps I'll have to resort to one of the other posters' suggestions in the end. ZoneAlarm has been the cause of other problems in the past so it wouldn't surprise me if it was the culprit!

Thanks again to everyone else who has replied also.

bingo_bango

Learning Curve. The fact that you are using a crossover cable means you do not need a router. Crossovers are used to connect two machines directly.

With a router, you generally have a number of ports. This allows you to hardwire several machines to the router at one time. If using this method, then you use UTP cables (straight through) to connect each machine to the router. By doing so you would create a home network whereby all the machines are connected to the router. You can connect to the other machines, but using the 'Home' versions of Windows OS severely limits your sharing options. This is why I had to move the files I wanted to transfer into the 'Public' folder (NB this is NOT the same as the 'Shared' folder).

Try your ISP for a free router as this will at least allow the machines to recognise each other with the need for you to start creating an IP address for each of them. Sharing and transferring will be much easier then.

Another option is the VPN route, but as you don't currently have a router and can only connect one computer at a time to the internet, that won't work.

Stick with the advice given here so far, as this is only going to be a matter of trial and error until we hit the magic combination.

Hammyman

Learning_Curve wrote: »

Thanks NiVZ,

As I read your message I realised I'd forgotten to say which firewall I'm using. I had disabled the Windows firewall on both PCs as I have ZoneAlarm.

I did have a look in it to see if there was somewhere I could tell ZoneAlarm to amend sharing options but I couldn't see anything. I presume this now changes my next point of action? Thanks, you are really kind to do this.

ZoneAlarm is blocking file and printer sharing. It is a really awful application and gets disabled by so much malware so easily that its pretty pointless having it.

Disable ZoneAlarm.

I find Windows networking between XP/Vista or Win7 works so much better when user accounts have passwords.
Put a password on the user account on the laptop
Create a user account on the desktop with the same username/password as the laptop. Log into the desktop with that username/password.

Learning_Curve

Thanks Bingo Bango and Hammyman. I'll have a go at turning off ZoneAlarm first to see if that works and try the password option. I would really like to sort the cable option because I already have the cable and it should be the simplest option, and I'm sure there is something really minor or silly causing the problem. I've become dogged now in trying to make it work! I will call my ISP as the next step if turning off ZA doesn't work, as you don't get if you don't ask.

closed

Disconnect from the net before turning ZA off, without a router you may be unprotected.