Quick Router Question

[Neuqua]

Ok, so I bought a Linksys router the other day and have everything set up downstairs in the den (where my main PC is at.)

Now I want to connect the PC which I have directly above my den to the router. Is it safe to send the connecting cable through an airvent (which leads almost directly to an airvent in the upstairs room.)

I'm not good with PCs so this may be an extremely dumb question, but I figure if anyone, the good ol' boys at FOFC can set me straight.

[Airhog]

No problem there. Just dont cut the cable on any metal :D

[Craptacular]

Take it back and buy a wireless router.

[Franklinnoble]

Actually, that sounds like a pretty clever solution to me, Neuqua...

Oh, and I'm an IT guy... no risk there, aside from what Airhog said. ;)

[Eaglesfan27]

I have a LINKSYS cable modem/DSL router and I can use it to have an internet connection on each of my computers but I can't seem to use Windows XP network setup wizard to create a workgroup that my computers can actually access to share files between computers. Only one computer is able to access the workgroup and other computers fail to access the workgroup when I attempt to do so. Each computer is connected to the LINKSYS router with CAT 5e cable. Any idea what I'm doing wrong or how to easily set up a Windows XP network to share files between computers (and printers)?


EDITED for grammar and clarification

[Fonzie]

Originally posted by Eaglesfan27
I have a LINKSYS cable modem/DSL router and I can use it to have an internet connection on each of my computers but I can't seem to use Windows XP network setup wizard to create a workgroup that my computers can actually access to share files between computers. Only one computer is able to access the workgroup and other computers fail to access the workgroup when I attempt to do so. Each computer is connected to the LINKSYS router with CAT 5e cable. Any idea what I'm doing wrong or how to easily set up a Windows XP network to share files between computers (and printers)?


EDITED for grammar and clarification

Did you check to make sure each of the PCs has permissions to access the others? I know that permissions have become a big (for me) pain in the butt with XP networking. Other than that, I can't really help ya other than to wish you luck.

[Scholes]

I have exactly the same setup as you and have mine running through a vent... works great.

[Eaglesfan27]

Permissions is my problem. I get the message that the 2nd computer doesn't have permission to access the network, yet I'm the main user on both computers. How do I give permission for the other computer to access the network? I can't seem to find this anywhere in the help/support files.

[Eaglesfan27]

Dola post (least I think that is the correct usage)

I've tried reading all over the web about setting permissions for this network and haven't had much luck. Anyone know how I give permission for this second computer to access the home network?

[Easy Mac]

My router gets insanely hot to touch, and I'm not sure why. The last one did it too, and it stopped working, but it did so after warranty. This one is under warranty. Anyone know what the deal might be. I couldn't understand a damn thing their tech guy was saying.

[Dutch]

Make sure that you have both computers on the same "workgroup" if using Windows.

[Marc Vaughan]

I'd definitely recommend using wireless networking for a home solution.

I've got a wireless LAN setup at home and its great, reasonable speed and no cables for the kids to destroy :D

[Draft Dodger]

Originally posted by Eaglesfan27
Dola post (least I think that is the correct usage)

I've tried reading all over the web about setting permissions for this network and haven't had much luck. Anyone know how I give permission for this second computer to access the home network?

so, computer 1 can access the web, and can browse files on computer 2 but computer two can only access the web (it can't access files on computer 1). is that correct?

[Eaglesfan27]

No, Computer 1 is the only computer showing up when I click show Workgroup Computer. Computer 2 attempts to access the workgroup but it states permission is not granted, please contact the administrator. Both computers can access the web, but neither computer can access the other computer's files or printer.

[Draft Dodger]

are you sure you're logging in as administrator on Computer 2?

[Eaglesfan27]

yep, I'm positive. I'm the administrator on both computers.

[Draft Dodger]

I'm at a loss - I'm sure it's probably something simple that's being overlooked.

[Eaglesfan27]

Me too, but I've spent hours trying to get it to work with no luck. Finally, I just decided to use my external harddrive (which I use to backup important work files) to make the desired transfer from one computer to the other.

[Dutch]

1. Make sure you have both machines join the same work group.
2. Make sure you have administrator rights on both machines.
3. Share a folder or your entire C:\ drive on the primary machine.
4. Go to the secondary machine and go to Network Neighborhood/My Network Places and you should see your shared drives or other computers on your network. A lot of this depends on what operating systems are in use.

[Eaglesfan27]

Both computers are using Windows XP. I will try this as described, the only thing I haven't done before is making a folder sharable on the primary computer. Will try this.