Hi all.

I am still struggling to get two Vista Business desktop PCs to talk to
each other.

One machine is a recent build, the other I have just rebuilt this
morning - so it's a brand new install of Vista, with nothing else
installed as yet.

There is no Anti-virus software installed on either machine and, on
each machine, I have switched off Windows Firewall and Windows
Defender.

On the new build, I have not yet installed the wireless adapter
driver, and on the other machine I have disabled it.

There is a folder on each machine's hard drive, called C:\Somename
(different names on each machine) and these are marked as shared, with
Everyone set as Co-owner. I have also been into the advanved sharing
settings and set the permissions for Everyone to full control.

I have also enabled the Security Setting "Let Everyone permissions
apply to anonymous users".

I have switched off IPv6 on the Local Area Connection on each machine,
and renamed the connection to "Home LAN".

When I power-cycle the machines, they each generate IP addresses in
the form 169.254.x.x (which I believe is invalid) and show
"Unidentified network" and "Limited connectivity". They do this
whether they are connected by Cat 5E crossover cable or each is
connected by Cat 6 straight-through cables to an ethernet switch.

Can some kind soul tell me what I have to do to configure the ethernet
ports manually to valid IP addresses?

Specifically, what do I enter for IP Address, Subnet Mask, Default
Gateway, and DNS Server, on each machine?

Also, pointers to anything I may have missed would be gratefully
received.

Many thanks in advance.

Gale.

Where is your DHCP? Basically, the Vista can't get IP from the DHCP. You may
try to setup TCP/IP manually. To do that, go to the properties of
connection.

--
Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on
http://www.ChicagoTech.net
How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on
http://www.HowToNetworking.com
"Gale Green" wrote in message
...

Hi all.

I am still struggling to get two Vista Business desktop PCs to talk to
each other.

One machine is a recent build, the other I have just rebuilt this
morning - so it's a brand new install of Vista, with nothing else
installed as yet.

There is no Anti-virus software installed on either machine and, on
each machine, I have switched off Windows Firewall and Windows
Defender.

On the new build, I have not yet installed the wireless adapter
driver, and on the other machine I have disabled it.

There is a folder on each machine's hard drive, called C:\Somename
(different names on each machine) and these are marked as shared, with
Everyone set as Co-owner. I have also been into the advanved sharing
settings and set the permissions for Everyone to full control.

I have also enabled the Security Setting "Let Everyone permissions
apply to anonymous users".

I have switched off IPv6 on the Local Area Connection on each machine,
and renamed the connection to "Home LAN".

When I power-cycle the machines, they each generate IP addresses in
the form 169.254.x.x (which I believe is invalid) and show
"Unidentified network" and "Limited connectivity". They do this
whether they are connected by Cat 5E crossover cable or each is
connected by Cat 6 straight-through cables to an ethernet switch.

Can some kind soul tell me what I have to do to configure the ethernet
ports manually to valid IP addresses?

Specifically, what do I enter for IP Address, Subnet Mask, Default
Gateway, and DNS Server, on each machine?

Also, pointers to anything I may have missed would be gratefully
received.

Many thanks in advance.

Gale.

The 169.254.x.x addresses are correct for a setup in which no DHCP server
can be located. (A switch does not supply such services.) (If there was a
valid DHCP server you would probable have received address like 192.168.0.x
..) The two machines have negotiated non-conflicting addresses, the limited
connectivity refers to not having access to the internet.

You did not mention account setups on the two machines. If you wish to make
things as simple as possible be sure that each machine has the same account
names and passwords.

From each machine you should be able to PING the other machine by IP
address.

Michael





"Gale Green" wrote in message
...

Hi all.

I am still struggling to get two Vista Business desktop PCs to talk to
each other.

One machine is a recent build, the other I have just rebuilt this
morning - so it's a brand new install of Vista, with nothing else
installed as yet.

There is no Anti-virus software installed on either machine and, on
each machine, I have switched off Windows Firewall and Windows
Defender.

On the new build, I have not yet installed the wireless adapter
driver, and on the other machine I have disabled it.

There is a folder on each machine's hard drive, called C:\Somename
(different names on each machine) and these are marked as shared, with
Everyone set as Co-owner. I have also been into the advanved sharing
settings and set the permissions for Everyone to full control.

I have also enabled the Security Setting "Let Everyone permissions
apply to anonymous users".

I have switched off IPv6 on the Local Area Connection on each machine,
and renamed the connection to "Home LAN".

When I power-cycle the machines, they each generate IP addresses in
the form 169.254.x.x (which I believe is invalid) and show
"Unidentified network" and "Limited connectivity". They do this
whether they are connected by Cat 5E crossover cable or each is
connected by Cat 6 straight-through cables to an ethernet switch.

Can some kind soul tell me what I have to do to configure the ethernet
ports manually to valid IP addresses?

Specifically, what do I enter for IP Address, Subnet Mask, Default
Gateway, and DNS Server, on each machine?

Also, pointers to anything I may have missed would be gratefully
received.

Many thanks in advance.

Gale.

Thanks for the reply. No, I can't ping one from the other. A short
while after booting, one of the machines changes from "Limited
connectivity" to "Local only". Any idea why that would be?

I'm thinking of buying a new NIC for that machine because it won't
talk to its Livebox via Ethernet either, so perhaps it's defective.
The other machine will talk to its Livebox quite happily.

I've been without network capability for about three months now, ever
since I replaced the old XP Pro boxes with Vista Business boxes. It
has become a real pain.

Gale.


On Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:06:37 -0500, "Michael Walraven"
wrote:

The 169.254.x.x addresses are correct for a setup in which no DHCP server
can be located. (A switch does not supply such services.) (If there was a
valid DHCP server you would probable have received address like 192.168.0.x
.) The two machines have negotiated non-conflicting addresses, the limited
connectivity refers to not having access to the internet.

You did not mention account setups on the two machines. If you wish to make
things as simple as possible be sure that each machine has the same account
names and passwords.

From each machine you should be able to PING the other machine by IP
address.

Michael





"Gale Green" wrote in message
.. .

Hi all.

I am still struggling to get two Vista Business desktop PCs to talk to
each other.

One machine is a recent build, the other I have just rebuilt this
morning - so it's a brand new install of Vista, with nothing else
installed as yet.

There is no Anti-virus software installed on either machine and, on
each machine, I have switched off Windows Firewall and Windows
Defender.

On the new build, I have not yet installed the wireless adapter
driver, and on the other machine I have disabled it.

There is a folder on each machine's hard drive, called C:\Somename
(different names on each machine) and these are marked as shared, with
Everyone set as Co-owner. I have also been into the advanved sharing
settings and set the permissions for Everyone to full control.

I have also enabled the Security Setting "Let Everyone permissions
apply to anonymous users".

I have switched off IPv6 on the Local Area Connection on each machine,
and renamed the connection to "Home LAN".

When I power-cycle the machines, they each generate IP addresses in
the form 169.254.x.x (which I believe is invalid) and show
"Unidentified network" and "Limited connectivity". They do this
whether they are connected by Cat 5E crossover cable or each is
connected by Cat 6 straight-through cables to an ethernet switch.

Can some kind soul tell me what I have to do to configure the ethernet
ports manually to valid IP addresses?

Specifically, what do I enter for IP Address, Subnet Mask, Default
Gateway, and DNS Server, on each machine?

Also, pointers to anything I may have missed would be gratefully
received.

Many thanks in advance.

Gale.

Thanks to you and everybody who replied to my posts, giving very sound
advice.

I went out today and bought two new NICs and, after applying all the
advice, everything is finally working. For the first time in three
months my computers are talking to each other and my working days can
return to normal (no more carting flash drives back and forth g).

One bit of feedback that may be worth mentioning. When I first
installed the NICs, computer A could see everything on computer B, but
computer B, whilst able to see computer A on the network, could not
see any shared resources. I ploughed through all the settings and they
looked fine, so I then compared the shares. One computer shared folder
"Users" whereas the other did not (BTW, password protected sharing is
switched off). So, I shared "Users" on the other computer and, after a
reboot, everything was working fine.

Thanks again.

Gale.

On Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:06:37 -0500, "Michael Walraven"
wrote:

The 169.254.x.x addresses are correct for a setup in which no DHCP server
can be located. (A switch does not supply such services.) (If there was a
valid DHCP server you would probable have received address like 192.168.0.x
.) The two machines have negotiated non-conflicting addresses, the limited
connectivity refers to not having access to the internet.

You did not mention account setups on the two machines. If you wish to make
things as simple as possible be sure that each machine has the same account
names and passwords.

From each machine you should be able to PING the other machine by IP
address.

Michael





"Gale Green" wrote in message
.. .

Hi all.

I am still struggling to get two Vista Business desktop PCs to talk to
each other.

One machine is a recent build, the other I have just rebuilt this
morning - so it's a brand new install of Vista, with nothing else
installed as yet.

There is no Anti-virus software installed on either machine and, on
each machine, I have switched off Windows Firewall and Windows
Defender.

On the new build, I have not yet installed the wireless adapter
driver, and on the other machine I have disabled it.

There is a folder on each machine's hard drive, called C:\Somename
(different names on each machine) and these are marked as shared, with
Everyone set as Co-owner. I have also been into the advanved sharing
settings and set the permissions for Everyone to full control.

I have also enabled the Security Setting "Let Everyone permissions
apply to anonymous users".

I have switched off IPv6 on the Local Area Connection on each machine,
and renamed the connection to "Home LAN".

When I power-cycle the machines, they each generate IP addresses in
the form 169.254.x.x (which I believe is invalid) and show
"Unidentified network" and "Limited connectivity". They do this
whether they are connected by Cat 5E crossover cable or each is
connected by Cat 6 straight-through cables to an ethernet switch.

Can some kind soul tell me what I have to do to configure the ethernet
ports manually to valid IP addresses?

Specifically, what do I enter for IP Address, Subnet Mask, Default
Gateway, and DNS Server, on each machine?

Also, pointers to anything I may have missed would be gratefully
received.

Many thanks in advance.

Gale.

Please ignore the load of rubbish about folder "Users". I had
permissions problems which I'd solved at the same time. I've now
removed the sharing of folder "Users" on both machines and all is
still working as it should.

Gale.


On Thu, 29 Jan 2009 21:53:52 +0000, Gale Green
wrote:


Thanks to you and everybody who replied to my posts, giving very sound
advice.

I went out today and bought two new NICs and, after applying all the
advice, everything is finally working. For the first time in three
months my computers are talking to each other and my working days can
return to normal (no more carting flash drives back and forth g).

One bit of feedback that may be worth mentioning. When I first
installed the NICs, computer A could see everything on computer B, but
computer B, whilst able to see computer A on the network, could not
see any shared resources. I ploughed through all the settings and they
looked fine, so I then compared the shares. One computer shared folder
"Users" whereas the other did not (BTW, password protected sharing is
switched off). So, I shared "Users" on the other computer and, after a
reboot, everything was working fine.

Thanks again.

Gale.

On Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:06:37 -0500, "Michael Walraven"
wrote:

The 169.254.x.x addresses are correct for a setup in which no DHCP server
can be located. (A switch does not supply such services.) (If there was a
valid DHCP server you would probable have received address like 192.168.0.x
.) The two machines have negotiated non-conflicting addresses, the limited
connectivity refers to not having access to the internet.

You did not mention account setups on the two machines. If you wish to make
things as simple as possible be sure that each machine has the same account
names and passwords.

From each machine you should be able to PING the other machine by IP
address.

Michael





"Gale Green" wrote in message
. ..

Hi all.

I am still struggling to get two Vista Business desktop PCs to talk to
each other.

One machine is a recent build, the other I have just rebuilt this
morning - so it's a brand new install of Vista, with nothing else
installed as yet.

There is no Anti-virus software installed on either machine and, on
each machine, I have switched off Windows Firewall and Windows
Defender.

On the new build, I have not yet installed the wireless adapter
driver, and on the other machine I have disabled it.

There is a folder on each machine's hard drive, called C:\Somename
(different names on each machine) and these are marked as shared, with
Everyone set as Co-owner. I have also been into the advanved sharing
settings and set the permissions for Everyone to full control.

I have also enabled the Security Setting "Let Everyone permissions
apply to anonymous users".

I have switched off IPv6 on the Local Area Connection on each machine,
and renamed the connection to "Home LAN".

When I power-cycle the machines, they each generate IP addresses in
the form 169.254.x.x (which I believe is invalid) and show
"Unidentified network" and "Limited connectivity". They do this
whether they are connected by Cat 5E crossover cable or each is
connected by Cat 6 straight-through cables to an ethernet switch.

Can some kind soul tell me what I have to do to configure the ethernet
ports manually to valid IP addresses?

Specifically, what do I enter for IP Address, Subnet Mask, Default
Gateway, and DNS Server, on each machine?

Also, pointers to anything I may have missed would be gratefully
received.

Many thanks in advance.

Gale.