networking computers

statas wrote on 11/22/2002, 11:18 AM
somewhat off-topic, but can someone help me with networking my two systems? i want to use hard drive space on the second sytem to store video files. i have one laptop with xp (the primary vegas system) and one desktop with w98. they're networked with a 2 wire modem router (which connects them both to the net). the two systems see each other, but i can't figure out the software configuration to share files.

Comments

Chienworks wrote on 11/22/2002, 1:18 PM
There isn't much that you need to do. You will need to share a directory (or even the whole drive) on the 98 system that will be storing the files. Right-mouse-button click on the directory/drive in Explorer and choose sharing. The default is Read-only, but you will probably want to change that to full. You can set a password or leave it blank. This shared directory/drive will now show up in My Network Places on the XP machine. You can specify that directory as a location to save/open files just like you would a directory on the local drive.

Just a side note: i've had an almost impossible time having 98 access shared drives on 2K or XP. It seems to work fine the other way around though. Microsoft aknowledges this and calls it a "feature". The real reason is that they want to force you to upgrade all 9X computers to 2K or XP. I've seen a patch listed on the 'net somewhere that is supposed to fix this by changing one registry key. If i find it again i'll let you know where it is.
statas wrote on 11/22/2002, 6:16 PM
ok, thanks. i shared drive c and d on my 98 system. but i don't see them on my xp network places. when i open network places, there are two headings: "local network" and "unspecified". under local network, there are two files: "c on laptop" and shareddocs on laptop". under unspecified, there three files: "network setup wizard", "add network place" and "entire network". what now?
Chienworks wrote on 11/22/2002, 7:00 PM
Try Entire Network first. If you don't see anything there, then that means that NetBIOS is being stoopid and not broadcasting the name of your 98 machine. If you know the name of it (Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Networking -> Identification), then you can Add Network Place and type in \\machinename\sharename, where machinename is the name of the 98 machine and sharename is the name of the share you set up (probably C).

My apologies since i haven't really worked with XP much at all. We just got our first XP machine at work this week. Even after having one on my desk to play with for a couple of days, i still hate it. 98 just "swims" so much better. I think the only thing i liked about it was that it did all the network configuration by itself. That was cool.
statas wrote on 11/22/2002, 8:05 PM
no workee. i really don't understand all this networking stuff. i kinda like xp, or maybe its just the faster system that i like.
BillyBoy wrote on 11/22/2002, 9:16 PM
Trying to network a little home LAN with a Win98 box and a PC running XP is a pain in the...

It is best if you install the network FIRST from the XP machine and let it have access to the Internet. The online help is pretty detailed, there is a wizard, but it may not work for a whole bunch of reasons. Have fun. I don't do house calls. LOL!
briggs wrote on 11/23/2002, 8:17 AM
statas,

I'm also thinking of networking a Win98SE machine with an XP. Here are a couple links I came across that may (or may not?) help...

http://www.homenethelp.com/web/howto/net.asp
http://forum.homenethelp.com/tm.asp?m=10438&p=1&tmode=1
http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp/t1027021869

-Les
briggs wrote on 11/23/2002, 8:19 AM
one more...

http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/Win98/Q_20273001.html

-Les
rextilleon wrote on 11/23/2002, 10:33 AM
I have three machines networked---XP, 95,98---at best performance is tempermental with occasions where one machine can't see the others---At other times it works fine---Beyond that, networking for your purposes might be counterproductive---Lets say you want to save an avi to your drive across the network---its takes lots of time and you will be doing lots of waiting. Same holds true if you want to access a video file from your storage machine----lots of time----
bdunn wrote on 11/23/2002, 10:33 AM
When I first set up my LAN a couple of years ago the best resource I could find on the net was http://www.practicallynetworked.com/howto/. One question, is either of your machines set up for a different network (Corp., etc.). If so, one thing to check is to see if one is assigned to a 'Workgroup' under Network Neighborhood / Properties / Identification and your other machine is not. Start with the basics, is the physical layer good? Can you 'ping' between the two machines?
statas wrote on 11/23/2002, 1:31 PM
yikes!
Zulqar-Cheema wrote on 11/26/2002, 4:15 PM
Cheinworks try
http://www.homenethelp.com/web/howto/net.asp

I used it to hook up my desk 98SE to Laptop XP (cable and wireless), you need one file of the XP disk and install it after that the wizard and all comes to life. I believe you need to add NETBUI file to get it going.

If no luck try me direct, I have it as a doc file.. multiwave@aic.co.uk
Jimco wrote on 11/26/2002, 5:30 PM
Hmmm. . . a few years back before Windows XP was out of beta, many companies were using Windows 98 on the desktop and Windows 2000 servers. Naturally, they were able to access network resources from the 98 machines without issues. I have done this myself plenty of times, and still run a couple of 98 machines at work for testing that access shared resources on 2000 servers without any issues. I suspect you were encountering a configuration issue.

The belief that Microsoft just wants to force you to upgrade by breaking existing functionality is just plain wrong. I know for a fact that this is not true.

Jim
nolonemo wrote on 11/26/2002, 7:18 PM
And don't forget that if you have partitions formatted to NTFS on XP, the Win98 will not see them, I believe.
Chienworks wrote on 11/26/2002, 8:07 PM
Jimco, well, all i can offer is Microsoft's official response to our help desk inquiry, which was that we needed to upgrade all the 98SE stations to 2K in order to network them to the existing 2K machines. They offered no other solution.
Cheesehole wrote on 11/26/2002, 8:20 PM
to network a 98 box so it sees a win2k share, you have to add a user on the 2k box that matches the login of the 98 box. you go Start | Settings | Admin tools | users and add a user with the exact username and password as the 98 box. I have had no trouble with that. it's exactly the same as NT 4.

as for XP, I haven't got 98 to see the XP shares yet, but based on what I've read here I need to install Netbui I guess from the XP CD. then I imagine it's the same deal. add a user on the XP box that matches the log in of your win 98 box.
Jimco wrote on 11/27/2002, 7:55 AM
That stinks. Unfortunately, you may sometimes get someone who isn't quite as technical as some others, especially where OS support is concerned.
fetch wrote on 11/27/2002, 5:05 PM
Satas, A few things to consider.
1) Are you running a firewall on any of the PC's?. If so make sure you configure each pc with the firewall to accept each other's IP address. If unsure what the IP address is, go to your command prompt and type ipconfig.
2) Make sure that the workgroup name on each PC is the same.
3) The PC with win98 does not have to be configutred to NTFS (I also have an xp-win98 networked).

good luck.
Cheesehole wrote on 12/14/2002, 10:24 AM
>>And don't forget that if you have partitions formatted to NTFS on XP, the Win98 will not see them, I believe.

not true, the win98 box can see them, but can only address the first 4 gigs of large files.