Sharing files over wifi network

Viral · 27 Aug 2007 at 01:18

I need to know how to share files between my 2 PC's that are both on the same network. My setup is 1 pc with Vista Home Premium and 1 pc (media centre) with XP Pro, neither PC is hardwired into the Router. The router is plugged into the cable internet connection directly and then the 2 pc's are connected via WiFi. I have a D Link DI 524 Router, D Link G122 USB on the Vista PC and a D Link WUA 1340 USB on the Media centre.

Snapshot · 27 Aug 2007 at 07:12

I believe the search facility is working again so search for 'sharing'.

Deception · 27 Aug 2007 at 10:22

I believe its just the same as if they were wired together; enable file and printer sharing, configure firewall so that each pc can see each other (firewalls like ZA make the PC hidden on a network etc), make the appropiate share permission on the folder you want to be shared.. Then start->run and \\computername.

Ive probably missed something, but thats the jist of it.

Viral · 28 Aug 2007 at 06:22

Unfortunately this is not working, even if I turn off both of my windows firewalls I still cannot detect the other pc or connect using the Run method.

Snapshot · 28 Aug 2007 at 08:22

Can you ping each PC from the other?
Are they in the same workgroup?
Do you have an ID & password that's the same on both PCs?

how random · 28 Aug 2007 at 10:27

You might need to run the network setup wizard on the XP machine, is worth a try. It worked for me the other day.

Viral · 28 Aug 2007 at 16:13

Not sure if I can ping them, but they are both in the same workgroup i believe.
I tried the wizard last night but it needs a floppy disk to save the settings for the other pc, I have no floppy drive.

how random · 28 Aug 2007 at 16:20

Viral said:
I tried the wizard last night but it needs a floppy disk to save the settings for the other pc, I have no floppy drive.

Dont worry about saving the settings for the other pc on the floppy disk, just use the option 'Just finish the wizard, i dont need to run the wizard on the other computers', restart if promped to then do start->run and \\computername.

Hopefully that should work, it did for me.

Deception · 28 Aug 2007 at 17:44

Viral said:
Unfortunately this is not working, even if I turn off both of my windows firewalls I still cannot detect the other pc or connect using the Run method.

Yes run the network wizard on both... ive had a few problems where ive enabled file and printer sharing through network connections and they still didnt see each other.. then i did it on the network setup wizard and it worked fine.

Viral · 28 Aug 2007 at 21:29

Ok so I need to run the network setup wizard on both machines. In XP do I select the wifi wizrd or soho wizard? In Vista they give you lots of options for a network so not sure which one I need there. I have tried the \\computername but they will not see each other, even when I turn the firewalls off.

Deception · 28 Aug 2007 at 22:15

I did fine this article on file sharing in windows vista.. How useful it might be, I dunno.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/network/evaluate/vista_fp.mspx

Viral · 29 Aug 2007 at 05:10

Ok so I tried the XP setup wizard and it asked for a USB flash drive which I had, and it save the settings to it and then asked me to insert the flash drive into my Router, it has no USB port

I guess I could choose the manual option and see if that works but there is no printer on the XP pc atm.