Vista-XP networking problems

Hi,

I am trying to network an XP Home (SP2) desktop and a Vista Home Premium
laptop using a standard RJ-45 cross-over ethernet cable. The desktop connects
to the internet using a USB modem - this connection should be shared with the
laptop. Previously the desktop was networked to a 5-yr-old XP laptop - this
worked fine - both computers could access eachother and the internet. I
bought the Vista laptop a few days ago to replace the XP one so just
unplugged the network cable from the XP one and plugged it into the Vista one.

Now, the problems:
- the Vista laptop has limited connectivity to "Unidentified network"
- the XP desktop says that the network cable isn't even plugged in ("A
network cable is unplugged")

I have searched through various tutorials, checked the MS troubleshooting
pages etc etc but haven't found anything that's fixed this. I've tried the
following:

- downloading the LLTD Responder for XP
- making sure the workgroup names are the same for both computers
- using Vista's various connection wizards (all of which seem to be
revolving around wireless networks)
- disabling TCP/IPv6 on the Vista machine
- running XP's home/small office network wizzard
- disabling Windows firewall on both PCs
- following Vista's "Setting up a home network" instructions

None of these have made any difference.
The XP PC has a VIA Rhine II Fast Ethernet Adapter and the Vista one an
"NVIDIA nForce Networking Controller" both of which report no problems with
the hardware.

When I swap the Vista laptop for the old XP the network/internet sharing is
fine again so it doesn't seem to be a problem with the cable.

I don't know if this bit is relevant but when I re-enable TCP/IPv6 on the
Vista laptop and try clicking on its properties I get the message: "In order
to configure TCP/IP, you must install and enable a network adapter card". I
don't get this if I try the properties of TCP/IPv4 and my network card shows
up fine in the device manager.

Does anyone have any idea how to fix this?

Many thanks

- Tim

On Thu, 10 May 2007 03:27:01 -0700, Tim <Tim@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I am trying to network an XP Home (SP2) desktop and a Vista Home Premium
>laptop using a standard RJ-45 cross-over ethernet cable. The desktop connects
>to the internet using a USB modem - this connection should be shared with the
>laptop. Previously the desktop was networked to a 5-yr-old XP laptop - this
>worked fine - both computers could access eachother and the internet. I
>bought the Vista laptop a few days ago to replace the XP one so just
>unplugged the network cable from the XP one and plugged it into the Vista one.
>
>Now, the problems:
>- the Vista laptop has limited connectivity to "Unidentified network"
>- the XP desktop says that the network cable isn't even plugged in ("A
>network cable is unplugged")
>
>I have searched through various tutorials, checked the MS troubleshooting
>pages etc etc but haven't found anything that's fixed this. I've tried the
>following:
>
>- downloading the LLTD Responder for XP
>- making sure the workgroup names are the same for both computers
>- using Vista's various connection wizards (all of which seem to be
>revolving around wireless networks)
>- disabling TCP/IPv6 on the Vista machine
>- running XP's home/small office network wizzard
>- disabling Windows firewall on both PCs
>- following Vista's "Setting up a home network" instructions
>
>None of these have made any difference.
>The XP PC has a VIA Rhine II Fast Ethernet Adapter and the Vista one an
>"NVIDIA nForce Networking Controller" both of which report no problems with
>the hardware.
>
>When I swap the Vista laptop for the old XP the network/internet sharing is
>fine again so it doesn't seem to be a problem with the cable.
>
>I don't know if this bit is relevant but when I re-enable TCP/IPv6 on the
>Vista laptop and try clicking on its properties I get the message: "In order
>to configure TCP/IP, you must install and enable a network adapter card". I
>don't get this if I try the properties of TCP/IPv4 and my network card shows
>up fine in the device manager.
>
>Does anyone have any idea how to fix this?
>
>Many thanks
>
>- Tim

Tim,

Since you know that the XP desktop (using ICS I presume) works as an Internet
server, concentrate on the Vista laptop, and on getting it to accept an IP
address using DHCP.
<http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928233>
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928233

When you get the Vista laptop to accept an IP address on 192.168.0/24, then
continue with file sharing issues.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/12/windows-xp-and-vista-on-lan-together.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/1...-together.html

--
Cheers,
Chuck, MS-MVP [Windows - Networking]
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
Paranoia is not a problem, when it's a normal response from experience.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck mvps org.

"Chuck" wrote:

> On Thu, 10 May 2007 03:27:01 -0700, Tim <Tim@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>
> Tim,
>
> Since you know that the XP desktop (using ICS I presume) works as an Internet
> server, concentrate on the Vista laptop, and on getting it to accept an IP
> address using DHCP.
> <http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928233>
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928233
>
> When you get the Vista laptop to accept an IP address on 192.168.0/24, then
> continue with file sharing issues.
> <http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/12/windows-xp-and-vista-on-lan-together.html>
> http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/1...-together.html
>
> --
> Cheers,
> Chuck, MS-MVP [Windows - Networking]
> http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
> Paranoia is not a problem, when it's a normal response from experience.
> My email is AT DOT
> actual address pchuck mvps org.
>

Thanks for that - I tried adding the new value to my network adapter's
registry entry but it doesn't seem to have made a difference - the XP still
says network cable unplugged and Vista still has limited connectivity.

Cheers

On Thu, 10 May 2007 11:26:01 -0700, Tim <Tim@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>"Chuck" wrote:
>

>Thanks for that - I tried adding the new value to my network adapter's
>registry entry but it doesn't seem to have made a difference - the XP still
>says network cable unplugged and Vista still has limited connectivity.
>
>Cheers

OK, confirm please - if you unplug the Vista computer, and plug in the XP
computer, the XP computer comes online with no problems?

If that's absolutely true, then we have to look at the Vista computer. Can you
get it online to any network? Has it ever been known to be networkable? Have
you discussed this with the vendor?

If you Google thru microsoft. public. windowsxp. network_web (the peer forum to
this one), you'll find a few references to the nVidia nForce, none of them
complimentary.
<http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/newsgroups/reader.mspx?dg=microsoft.public.windowsxp.network_ web>
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/e...xp.network_web

My article:
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/02/hidden-personal-firewall-nvidia-nforce.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/0...ia-nforce.html

Besides the nForce, I would look at LSP / Winsock corruption. When you're
talking about a computer with an IP address of 169.254/16, it's not getting DHCP
packets. That shouldn't be a personal firewall issue, it's either physical or
it's in Winsock. I have plenty of experience with Winsock on XP, none yet with
Vista. You can read about the XP issues.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/problems-with-lsp-winsock-layer-in.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/0...-layer-in.html

--
Cheers,
Chuck, MS-MVP [Windows - Networking]
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
Paranoia is not a problem, when it's a normal response from experience.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck mvps org.

"Chuck" wrote:

> On Thu, 10 May 2007 11:26:01 -0700, Tim <Tim@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>

>
> OK, confirm please - if you unplug the Vista computer, and plug in the XP
> computer, the XP computer comes online with no problems?
>
> If that's absolutely true, then we have to look at the Vista computer. Can you
> get it online to any network? Has it ever been known to be networkable? Have
> you discussed this with the vendor?
>
> If you Google thru microsoft. public. windowsxp. network_web (the peer forum to
> this one), you'll find a few references to the nVidia nForce, none of them
> complimentary.
> <http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/newsgroups/reader.mspx?dg=microsoft.public.windowsxp.network_ web>
> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/e...xp.network_web
>
> My article:
> <http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/02/hidden-personal-firewall-nvidia-nforce.html>
> http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/0...ia-nforce.html
>
> Besides the nForce, I would look at LSP / Winsock corruption. When you're
> talking about a computer with an IP address of 169.254/16, it's not getting DHCP
> packets. That shouldn't be a personal firewall issue, it's either physical or
> it's in Winsock. I have plenty of experience with Winsock on XP, none yet with
> Vista. You can read about the XP issues.
> <http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/problems-with-lsp-winsock-layer-in.html>
> http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/0...-layer-in.html
>
> --
> Cheers,
> Chuck, MS-MVP [Windows - Networking]
> http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
> Paranoia is not a problem, when it's a normal response from experience.
> My email is AT DOT
> actual address pchuck mvps org.
>

Yep, the XP-XP network works fine (except the desktop could never see the
laptop's shared files but that wasn't really a problem so I just lived with
it). As for the Vista laptop yesterday I installed our USB broadband modem on
it and it connected to the internet through it fine, I haven't tried
connecting it to any other networks - I'll try connecting it to the XP laptop
later though. I haven't discussed it with the vendor yet because I wasn't
sure whether it was a problem with the desktop (in which case they'd be
unlikely to be able to help) or the laptop.

I've just had a look at the nForce posts - they aren't very encouraging at
all! If it turns out that that is the problem then I'll just get a wireless
router and use the laptop's wireless NIC as that at least seems to have no
problems picking up all the neighbours' networks so it should pick up mine!

Cheers

Ok, the problem's still not solved but I've worked around it. I had an old
network hub hanging around so I went out and bought a couple of cables, wired
it all up and it's all working fine now. The internet's shared and the
computers can see each other and share files.

Thanks for you help Chuck

On Fri, 11 May 2007 06:18:01 -0700, Tim <Tim@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>Ok, the problem's still not solved but I've worked around it. I had an old
>network hub hanging around so I went out and bought a couple of cables, wired
>it all up and it's all working fine now. The internet's shared and the
>computers can see each other and share files.
>
>Thanks for you help Chuck

That's great news, Tim. Thanks for the feedback! 8-)

--
Cheers,
Chuck, MS-MVP [Windows - Networking]
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
Paranoia is not a problem, when it's a normal response from experience.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck mvps org.