Issues setting up a home network on my PC ...

arthurbach4 | 06:00 Sat 17th Jan 2009 | Technology

16 Answers

I wish to set up a home network so that my girlfriend and I can share files and printers etc, however I am running into an issue.

I am running Windows XP Home SP3. I have an ADSL 2+ internet connection and the PC is connected through a wired ethernet cable to the ADSL 2+ enabled modem.

To be completist about this, I will transcribe the exact steps I took to attempt to set up the network and perhaps someone can alert me as to where I have gone wrong.

Start>Control Panel>Network Setup Wizard>Next>Next>This computer connects directly to the internet>Local Area Connection - Realtek RTL8139/810xFamily Fast Ethernet NIC>Main Computer (Computer Description)>PETER (Computer Name)>PETENETWORK (Workgroup name)>Turn on file and printer sharing>Next (wizard will apply settings - this may take a few minutes)

So about 1 minute later it comes up with this message:

"Cannot complete the network setup wizard. An error occurred during configuration of the network on this computer".

The only thing I can think of is this:

When it asks to "select your internet connection" it gives the option between the following:

* Local Area Connection - Realtek RTL8139/810xFamily Fast Ethernet NIC

* 1394 Connection - 1394 Net Adaptor

I chose the first one because previously I had disabled both of them to see which connection was actually allowing me be connected to the internet - it was the first one.

However, at the very end of the Network Setup Wizard when it gives you a list of all of your choices thus far (just before it applies the settings) at the bottom it says the following:

"Connection to your network - 1394 Connection".

Could this be what is causing the operation to fail and if so what can I do about it?

I tried running the wizard again to make sure

quicktime stops audio playback!

ntfs v fat32

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rojash

1394 is a firewire port which Windows treats as a network access port. This is normal on any machine with a firewire port. You say are are connected to a modem via ethernet, do you mean you are connected to a router that has a built in modem? How is your girlfriend's computer connected?

arthurbach4

Question Author

You are right - I am connected to a router which has a modem in it.

The girlfriends laptop is connected through wireless currently.

I also have a separate wireless adaptor. Initially I was going to set up a wired home network so that I could stream music and photos to my Xbox 360 and then worry about how it all might work wirelessly.

Thanks.

beso

It is the Realtec NIC you need to connect. I have always set up networks connections manually so I am not familiar with the Wizard.

However this does reminds me of a problem like this I had on a Mac a while back. If I remember correctly the Wizard was unable to negotiate a connection on the Ethernet adapter so it defaulted to the Firewire (3914). Maybe Windows does the same??

The Wizard sets up with defaults including obtaining an address by DHCP. DHCP is Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. The IP address is negotiated with a server that assigns it an address. This server is in your ADSL modem.

So perhaps there is a physical connection problem to the modem. How is it wired?

arthurbach4

Question Author

There is an ethernet cable running from the modem/router's frist port to the laptop's ethernet connection.

I am also running an ethernet connection to a wireless router and an ethernet connection to an Xbox 360.

Is that what you meant?

beso

Could the lead be faulty? Does the connection indicator light up on the laptop's Ethernet Port?

ChuckFickens

did I read right that you have 2 routers?

if so then for a start that is likely to cause you problems down the line.

anyhow back to the first problem,

can you ping the router from each computer. open a command prompt by clicking start then run and typing in cmd then hit enter.

then type ipconfig /all

this should give you a list of details for your network connection including your computers IP address and your default gateways ip address (the gateway is your router)

then, still in the command prompt, type ping followed by the numbers that corresponded to your gateway so it will look something like

ping 192.168.1.1

and hit enter. you should get for mesages saying reply from 192.168.1.1 if you do then the connection is working between the computer and the router. if not may well be a faulty lead or a problem with the actual network port

arthurbach4

Question Author

I did the ipconfig/all thing and then pinged the ip address.

4 sent 4 received nothing lost.

Perhaps I could just set the network up manually - not that I know how...

ChuckFickens

now you know the IP adress for one of the computers goto the other one, open my computer and in the address bar (where it will say "my computer") type \\192.168.0.2

replace the number above with the address of the other computer your not on.

what happens?

arthurbach4

Question Author

Bear with me on this. Or is it Bare with me?

Both look wrong all of a sudden.

Anyway the girlfriend's sister just nabbed the other computer for DJ duties at a party.

Women.

As soon as I have it back I will post again.

Thanks for your patience.

ChuckFickens

Bear with me...

bare with me would be an invitation to strip naked together!