More Wireless Networking Woes

[iSon]

I know how much you like wireless networking problems, so I might as well add mine.

I've bought some Belkin (I KNOW!) wireless networking kit. A PCI card for this PC and a PCMCIA card for my laptop. I just want to use an ad-hoc network connection to share files and the internet connection.

I've set them up and they've both found each other's wireless connection and so on. They can both share files, but no luck on the internet connection sharing front. I've set it up so that my ntl broadband connection is shared and the laptop should see it but it doesn't.

It's a very strange beast and I can't work it out. Also for an ad-hoc network the IP addresses given seem wildly different. The PC IP is 169.254.142.79 and the laptop IP is 169.254.1.239

I was under the impression that the first 3 sets of numbers had to be the same? Both are listed as "Automatic Private Address" with the subnet mask as 255.255.0.0. The laptop yesterday had an IP "Assigned by DHCP" (or whatever order those 4 letters go in!) which I assumed was being assigned by the main PC.

I'm terribly confused and would be grateful if someone could go over things right from the beginning step for me. You know I don't ask for much.

[MarkN]

If you are using Microsoft Internet Connection Sharing (on Windows XP), this Word document might help you:

http://download.microsoft.com/download/ ... HocICS.doc

Hope this helps!

[iSon]

Well I don't know what I did, but I ran the Windows home and small office networking thing on both computers...I had already done this several times...and suddenly it's working. As if by magic.

Still not convinced by the slightly dodgy IP's which have now changed because I've been fiddling, but it's working at the moment so I'm going to make the most of it!

Funny old game this networking lark, funny indeed.

[iSon]

OK, tell a lie. Just had a look at the IP's again. The laptop now has an IP assigned by the DHCP. So I assume that's a good thing. Starting with 192.168.0.XXX which seems more familiar when it comes to home networking!

Don't know what the IP of the PC upstairs is now. Probably wildly different, but I suppose I'll just have to hope for the best that it stays working.

[Gavin Scott]

I get a similar problem from time to time. The automatic private address is one which the computer gives itself when one isn't assigned to it by DHCP, and just means you are not connected to your home network.

I used to fanny about releasing and renewing, going through my config settings and generally tearing my hair out. Until I learned to be patient. Provided your settings are correct (which they must be at the minute), the only thing you need do is make sure your signal strength is strong enough. I found that moving the wireless point on my window sill would be enough to prompt it back to life.

If you look at the network seetings you can actually see it go from an automatically assigned IP, to 0.0.0.0, then finally to a correct 192.168.0.xxx one.

In conclusion then, it *will* work by magic, provided you don't muck about with it like I did.