How do you share files and printers? 5

[HyperChao]

I've got my 2 computers, XP and 98, hooked up with the 4-port router. I'm using it to share the DSL connection already, but how do you set up the computers so that I can exchange files and share the printer?

 

[HyperChao]

Darnit... I was hoping I wouldn't run into any more problems, but I guess they're unavoidable. I configured the Win98 computer for NetBEUI, no problem there, but I couldn't find how you unbind TCP/IP on WinXP from sharing. Also, there's a "NetBIOS setting". Should I put it on default, enable, or disable? And once again I assume there's nothing to configure with NetBEUI? I have it installed on both computers, but they're not showing up. I just have to get the TCP setting correct right?

 

[TheOldMan346]

HyperChao,

I was just composing a response to your previous post when the email note came in.

Just a note re: TCP/IP, NetBEUI and security. The allegation that TCP/IP is insecure because it is used over the internet and is routable is basically true. However,
1. you are behind a router which is providing NAT protection for you
2. the IP addresses provided by the router are NOT routable.

You would be safe continuing to use TCP/IP. Since you've already gone through the effort of switching to NetBEUI, here's how to unbind it from sharing.

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp/network_protocols.htm

Good luck.
What goes around - comes around.
The Old Man

If you feel that this post can help others, please indicate it with a star.

 

[zeons]

I know this isn't exactly a helpful comment, but I thought I'd add it anyway. I have had similar problems in the past and the fix seems to be nothing more than carrying out the removal and reinstallation of networking components several times along with a few reboots. Presumably I have done something different on the times it has worked, but not that I am aware of. Just the same process of removing everything and readding it. Maybe it's a MS 'feature' that allows for this or maybe just strange coincidence.

 

[HyperChao]

Okay, thanks again for a helpful link. I was looking for the Advanced Settings part in the properties of the connection, not on the window menu. It's good to know that TCP/IP will be fine because of the router - the whole routable thing was the only reason I tried NetBEUI. And zeons: that basically sums up what I did, although I didn't change anything. Who knows what Microsoft has tangled in their OS. Again, I thank everyone that's helped me through this mess. I hope this time that this concludes my problems =)

 

[cdogg]

Just a follow-up about bindings and NAT:

The Old Man makes a good point that since you are behind a router providing NAT protection, "unbinding" certain protocols from various network components becomes less important. However, it is still not a good thing to have more bindings than you need. Plus, there's no point in leaving TCP/IP bound to "File and Print Sharing" if you already have NetBEUI installed.

Here's a site that explains why in more detail (the popular grc.com):

http://grc.com/su-bondage.htm

The only reason why HyperChao was encouraged to use NetBEUI in the first place was to bypass the problem with sharing over TCP/IP. Is it better to waste hours or even days trying to resolve a TCP/IP setting issue on 2 different OS's, rather than installing NetBEUI which was a five-minute fix??


~cdogg

"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."
- A. Einstein

 

[HyperChao]

Funny thing is NetBEUI didn't seem to work, and I don't have time to mess around with it. I don't think the printer works for the other computer though... I shared and set it up with drivers already, but I can take care of that myself. Maybe it works and it just wasn't wanting to go the first time I tried. School takes way too much time...

 

[ownuridea]

My sharing question is less technical, I think. Both machines are W2K. Sharing printer from my computer. Added the network printer from wife's computer, as Administrator. But since there are different accounts, I assume she should work under as another account, rather than Administrator. But the printer is not visible under a normal user account, and Windows Help isn't much. Should I leave her as Administrator, or is there a solution?

Also, I'm sharing her c: drive, for the occasional time I want to copy a large file between computers - wow, is that fast! (again, I have ot be Administrator, but that's not particularly inconvenient). But does the share make the drive vulnerable to the web? My only firewall protection is whatever is built into Linksys router.

Thanks
Mike

 

[smah]

To share files without being administrator, you need to give permission for the remote user. As a slightly simplified example: create an account on your wife's computer with the same account name that is on your computer. As administrator on your wife's computer give permission to your account name. Same concept for going the other way.

With the router, the shared drives will not be vulnerable to the internet, but they will be vulnerable to the local network - if one gets some malware by e-mail, the other is suceptible. For a couple of internet side vulnerability scans visit

http://www.pcflank.com

and the shields up section of

http://grc.com