[WriteLog] Is there a tutorial for setting up netwoking in Windows?

[Fidel Leon Martin]

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 24/09/01 at 13:30 Jerry Flanders wrote:

>I am about ready to throw in the towel. All I need is one sure way to set 
>up basic networking so these two stupid computers can talk to each other 
>via the ethernet cards and crossover cable I have installed. No internet 
>connection is involved.

	I have some experiences with crossover cables, and they should run okay under any operating system, always speaking about interconnecting only two computers, of course... Crossing over is a electric question, and the operating system won't be aware of the changes...

	In case of troubles, the first protocol to use is NetBEUI, since it's pretty simple: actually, it's so simple you have not to, or you can not (hi), configure anything.

	If NetBEUI doesn't succeed... you are in big trouble... And you shouldn't assume everything is fine because of previous possitive experience!

	The usual steps I run when that kind of troubles are (icon translation could be different than written):

	-For "seeing" another computer in the "Network Environment" explorer, you MUST have the "Sharing Files and Printers" service installed.

	-Open the "Network" icon, and immediately, click "OK". Sometimes, Windows will note some faulty configuration, and will ask you for the Win98SE CD!

	-Check that the cards are actually recognized by Windows (My Computer->Properties->Device Manager). Look for any network device marked with "X" (disabled) or "!" (faulty).

	-Check that the link speed and duplex is the same for both cards. Try to avoid "Automatic" or "Default" values: for a good start, set the cards to 10MBps, Half Duplex.

	-Swap the cards between the computers... Sometimes, subtile physical design differences come from card to card.

	-Check for updated drivers for your cards.

	-Some cards provide software for testing the card and/or the network. Use it.

	-If possible, try different brand and/or model cards. Try to avoid the cheap ones... they come expensive later, in terms of headaches!!!

	-Check the cable itself, and the RJ-45 connectors. If you can, you should even build another cable. If you can borrow a hub, it can give you hints about faulty connections. You can check continuity with an standard multimeter, but don't faithfully trust it: things are very different with AC currents at frequencies of megahertz, as we all should know!

	-Try uninstalling anything from the "Network" icon (clients, protocols, services, adapters), shut down the computer, remove the network card, restart the computer, shut down it again, install the network card, and reboot the computer. If automatically recognized, let the installation ask for the necessary components from the Win98SE CD, and reboot the computer when asked. After the reboot, you surely will have TCP/IP as the protocol: install NetBEUI, and check the network.

	If all of this fails...

	73,

Fidel Leon - EA3GIP
ea3gip@ea3gip.net