Windows Network

I really need help on this one folks. Here is my situation. I have a D-Link Wireless router setup in my home. One computer is physically attached to it and the other two are connected wirelessly. I am using AOL DSL as my IP (but am in the process of going to comcast). I read in the computer help section that I could setup a wireless network in my house simply by using the router I already have and my flash drive. So I tried setting it up over and over again on all three computer and all I got out it was a different workgroup on each computer that is completely inaccessable to all the other computers. My question is how do I remove the workgroup computers, or more simply, how do I get back to the point I was at before I started screwing around with this? PLEASE HELP! Lester

Depends on the Operating System. In XP to change the workgroup, go to control panel, performance and maintenance, system. I am assuming you were not running a domain setup to begin with. On system properties window, go to the computer name tab, click the change button On the computer name change window, make sure the workgroup radio button is selected, and type the correct workgroup for the computers in, click ok. All three computers should have the same workgroup name. Some additional things to check in troubleshotting the network. To see if all three computers are on the same network IP addresses, select run and then type cmd to bring up a command window. type in ipconfig This should show the assigned network address - something like 192.168.0.where x is between 1 and 254 and a subnet mask like 255.255.255.0. Check on all three computers to make sure the first three groups like 192.168.0 match. I not sure what set D-link uses by default. You should see your routers IP address as the default gateway in the ipconfig display. I would expect that your wireless router should be acting as a DHCP server to assign the IP addresses. If that's the case you do have to modify each computer network IP/TCP properties to get IP address automatically. in the command window you can type ping x.x.x.x where the X are the other computer's IP addresses to see if the computers are able to see each other on the network. Good luck

Oh, I see! And as far as removing multiple workgroups (2 which I created) from the Microsoft Windows Network, is there an easy way to do that? And if you cannot, can I assume that my actual computer can only be connected to one workgroup at a time? ONE MORE THING: Once I make sure that all the computers (3 in my case) are connected to the same network, is there anything I have to change in the Network Connection Properties to enable file and printer sharing among all computers? And is there a way I could password access to the workgroup or is it simply that only the computers I add with my flash drive have access the workgroup? I have WPA encryption on my router but I am not sure if that makes a difference. Thanks for your time. Lester

Again I am assuming you are running XP on all networked computers. Also I assume you mean when you open network places, microsoft windows networks - you see more then one workgroup. If my memory is working right, after all the computer are renamed to the same network and perhaps rebooted after all the other unwanted workgroups are removed from the computer name properties, the extra workgroups will disappear from under microsoft windows network. On each computer - if XP then control panel, network connection, select appropriate network (usually the bridged one) and right click on properties, under the general tab in the bottom box, make sure the file and print sharing box is checked. Have to do this on each computer. If all you see on the other computer when you click on the computer name under the network is a printer and faxes folder, then you have to go to each computer. There open My Computer, right click on each drive to share, and bring up sharing and security, make sure the share this drive radio button is selected. Then there has to be a share besides the drive letter$ one (ie C$). If not click the new share button and set one up. Before this I go to each computer and add the log in names from the other computers as users with the same password. This will allow you to set permissions on each shared drive or folder. I usually then uncheck the everyone permissions. Make sure the WPA is enabled on your router. Not all routers enable it automatically. It's a good idea to change the default administrator password on the router also. Just make sure you record it someplace safe and secure, since that's a password I don't tend to use a lot, I sometimes forget mine. Hope this helps. Let me know if it all works.

Before I go any further, I am using Windows XP. Ok, I added two of my three computers to one unique workgroup and when I rebooted them both, all unused workgroups disappeared and both computers appeared under one workgroup. However, for some reason, on one computer I could access both computers in the workgroup and in the other computer I can access only one (itself) in the workgroup. Here is how the network connection properties look like on the computer I am having trouble with: 1. Client for Microsoft Networks (Checked) 2. Service Advertising Protocol (Checked) 3. File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks (Checked) 4. QoS Packet Scheduler (Checked) 5. NWLink NetBIOS (Checked) 6. NWLink IPX/SPX/NetBIOS Compatible Transport Protocol (Checked) 7. Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) (Checked) Before I started screwing around with this, I believe only #'s 1,3,4 & 7 were in the "this connection uses the following items" section. But the I pressed install (I don't why) on, I believe, Client for Microsoft Networks and #'s 2,5 & 6 popped up. Is there a proper setup for this issue? Thank you so much for all your help. Lester

You know, now that I have tried this a couple times, it seems to be working with the settings that I posted to you earlier. It's just sometimes it takes forever for the workgroup to show up and even when the group shows up sometimes the computers won't. But, we'll see. As far as the 3rd computer in the house goes, can it share the internet connection we have and not be a part of the workgroup. I am pretty sure that that is the case, but I'd rather here it from you because you seem to know a lot. And if you do add a computer to a workgroup, can you remove it?

Glad to hear it working for you at least partially. Service Advertising Protocol (part of the IPX protocol) NWLink NetBIOS NWLink IPX/SPX/NetBIOS Compatible Transport Protocol are not usually installed on the systems I see. Usually NetBIOS over IP is enabled. Not sure if D-Link uses them for some reason. I need to take a glance at their website. Do you know if you are using any programs that would require using NetBIOS and IPX protocols? Do the other two computers show these protocols also? If not on the computer that does, in network properties, select TCP/IP, then click properties, advanced button on the general tab, then on advanced TCP/IP settings window the WINS tab, radio buttons at bottom - enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP. Can check if that button is enabled on the other 2. The computer that has trouble seeing the other computer is it connected to the wireless router or on on a wireless connection? Depending on walls, appliances and distance their can be spots with worse radio reception. Might try moving the router slightly to see if that helps? Should be able to use the gateway on one computer not in the workgroup. Router doe not care about workgroups. You can add computer to a workgroup and later remove it without causing any problems other then it showing up in the workgroup temporarily after it is removed. It should disappear eventually when the cache clears or the computers reboot. I will think a bit on the slow finding other computers.

Service Advertising Protocol (part of the IPX protocol) NWLink NetBIOS NWLink IPX/SPX/NetBIOS Compatible Transport Protocol All of the above were not there until I went ahead and pressed the install key on the Internet Protocol in the general tab of my network connection properties. I pressed install and selected to install the "service" portion of the installation. I did this on both computers. Is there anyway to undo that or should it just be left alone. And as far as the computer being slow, the one attached to the router by an actual cable is the one having a slow time accessing the workgroup while the one attached with a wireless antenna has no problem or wait. And does D-Link use NetBIOS and IPX protocols? I have no idea how to answer that one. Thanks again. Lester

Service Advertising Protocol (part of the IPX protocol) NWLink NetBIOS NWLink IPX/SPX/NetBIOS Compatible Transport Protocol NetBios is the protocol that is used to translate workgroup and computer names to IP addresses and also identifies resources for file and print sharing. I usually don't see the NWLink NetBIOS protocol installed when looking at the network properties. Then again I usually look at mixed networks of win95,98,2000,XP machines and in that case it is usually handled by the NetBIOS over IP option. IPX/SPX is the communication protocol Novel Netware uses. I am guessing you are not communicating with anything running Netware. I looked at a couple D Link manuals on their website and did not see anything about NetBIOS or IPX being needed for the D-Link. They are probably not necessary for the router - wireless system. However, there should not be a any real problem with having them installed. It is possible, IPX might causing some of the lag in detecting computers. I think I would open up the Service Advertising Protocoal NWLink NetBIOS and the NWLinK IPX/SPX/NetBIOS Compatible Transport Protocol properties and record any settings just in case. Then uninstall them starting with the NWLink IPX/SPX/NetBIOS Compatible Transport Protocol. If this does cause any problem you can reinstall them and reenter the settings, but I do not expect it will. On the slow detection on the computer attached to the router, again I am assuming it is a 100 MBps ethernet card. That should be faster then the wireless connection. Using a good category 3 ethernet cable? Is it well away from anything that might generate strong EM fields? Try using a different port on the router to connect the cable. You are not running personal firewall on computer like ZoneAlarm are you? Hopefully, it will work better once the IPX Protocol is gone.

1. Client for Microsoft Networks (Checked) 2. Service Advertising Protocol (Checked) 3. File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks (Checked) 4. QoS Packet Scheduler (Checked) 5. NWLink NetBIOS (Checked) 6. NWLink IPX/SPX/NetBIOS Compatible Transport Protocol (Checked) 7. Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) (Checked) Here is what I did: 1st I unchecked NWLink NetBIOS and NWLink IPX/SPX/NetBIOS Compatible Transport Protocol. The computer using the LAN connection still remains slow when connecting to the workgroup and when it does connect, the workgroup computers do not appear but the accessible files from both computers do show up on My Local Network. 2nd I tried uninstalling NWLink NetBIOS and NWLink IPX/SPX/NetBIOS Compatible Transport Protocol but it would not allow me to do that unless I uninstalled Service Advertising Protocol. So I did. When I did that I could not connect to the network workgroup at all. 3rd I plugged the cable into a different LAN port and it did connect but was still slow. Before you write back, I am going to try to use a different cable all together. If that doesn't work, maybe the network card in my computer sucks? Thanks. Lester