adding laptop to router network? help please

[Liam]

hi.

I have my own laptop connected wirelessly to my router upstairs. The router is connected via ethernet wire to the desktop. So basically I can use laptop wirelessly anywhere in house and print to the printer upstairs and share files via "My Shared Folder"

Now I have another laptop and want to add it so i can share files with the other computers.
I have the other laptop on the internet via my router already, again wirelessly but I want to be able to share files.

How do I set this up, I have clearly forgot how I did it with my first laptop.

thanks.

Liam

 

[sh33n]

Right click on the folder and go to sharing!?!

 

[Liam]

if i right click the sharing folder is greyed out.

Dont i need to add it as a function some how to the other computers on the router?

 

[sh33n]

What OS do you have?

Open up a folder, go to Tools menu, then folder options, view tab, scroll down to the last item in the list and uncheck use simple file sharing.

 

[Liam]

xp on all

 

[Liam]

thing is mate if i go to my network places on my oroginal laptop or the desktop the only two computers shown there are my original laptop and desktop. The new laptop aint there...
so cant browse its shared folder

 

[sh33n]

Are they all part of the same "workgroup" windows can be funny about that.

I assume that they all use the Router as the DNS and that they can all ping each other?

 

[Liam]

do i need to do something on the desktop to allow the new laptop to talk with the other 2 existing computers?
remember its already on the net all Im wanting to do is share files between them all.

 

[sh33n]

If that all seems fine try connecting to the pc like this from a run prompt

\\name-of-pc\

or

\\name-of-pc\c$

 

[Liam]

that might be it i might have to add the new laptop to this existing workgroup. How do i do that exactly?

 

[sh33n]

Right click on my computer and go to computer name tab.

 

[Liam]

im not even sure of the name of the new laptop, i havnt assigned one yet.
I know i did to my other laptop as i remember naming it and now i see that name in network places on both computers.

 

[sh33n]

Go to the computer name tab mate, that will show you, and you can change it there if you wish.

 

[Liam]

ok ill try now

 

[Andy.]

You also have to make sure that any firewalls on the individual PC's allow the other PC's to connect.

 

[Liam]

it comes up with what looks llike a msn sign in box, asking for username and password for other laptop?

this isnt the way i connected my first laptop to the network. I did not use the run prompt.

I think the workgroup I called "MSHOME" is there an easy way of adding the new laptop to my existing workgroup?

 

[sh33n]

Yer on that computer name tab mate, just change the workgroup on that.

If it comes up with that box type in the user name and password for the other computer, that will get you connected.

 

[Liam]

think ive nearly done it
on new laptop i can see the other two machines in my network places now
just going to try and view the new laptop on my other laptop now. SOmehow.

Thank you

 

[Liam]

on the new laptop the other 2 shared docs folders from the other 2 machines are there. But on my original laptop i still dont see the new laptop...?

this is doin my nut in guys lol

i do notice the workgroup is not called mshome on the new machine and it is on the others.. On the new one its just called workgroup.
Presume it needs to be same name?

 

[sh33n]

connect to the pc through the run prompt:

\\name-of-pc

Sometimes windows just needs a kick, more so over wireless.

 

[Liam]

sorted it peeps. thanks for all you help.

 

[sh33n]

No problem