get my PPC to see my File & Printer Sharing

[smapdi636]

Can someone point me towards documentation or a tutorial to get my PPC on my home network?

I'm using File & Printer Sharing over IPX/SPX.

Would I have to tell my PPC about my workgroup as I would networking another Windows machine?

TIA

[that_kid]

IPX isn't supported on the pocket pc, you need to use netbios over tcp/ip

[smapdi636]

Thanks.

Still looking for any tuts or info.

[Howard2k]

It's pretty straight forwards. Not trying to be condascending but just give it a shot and you might surprise yourself.

Install TCP/IP on your desktop and enable file and print sharing. Share something.

Configure an IP address on your PPC in the same subnet... If you do not have local WINS/DNS point these addresses to your desktop IP.


Ensure that you can ping from your desktop to your PPC. If you can then you're on the right track. If not check your IP Addressing and WLAN Setup (SSID, channel, mode etc.)


IF you could ping try to map a drive. If you have no luck install Pocket Hosts from here: http://www.zimac.de

Create an entry with the name and IP of you desktop and try again.

Let us know how you get on.

[smapdi636]

Install TCP/IP on your desktop and enable file and print sharing. Share something.


I've got classic file sharing over IPX/SPX. I understand file sharing isn't supported over IPX on the PPC. So I guess I don't have an option there even though I really didn't want to enable TCP/IP file sharing on my network.


Ensure that you can ping from your desktop to your PPC. If you can then you're on the right track. If not check your IP Addressing and WLAN Setup (SSID, channel, mode etc.)


I can currently ping all machines from all machines (icluding the PPC) so I'm hoping I could get that far with TCP/IP too.


IF you could ping try to map a drive. If you have no luck install Pocket Hosts from here: http://www.zimac.de


Already got that installed.

Will the PPC only see shares where the Everyone user has permissions? What if I want to restrict access to/from my network? IOW, what User does the PPC show up as?

Lastly, what about the workgroup question? Do I (somewhere on the PPC) make it part of my workgroup?

Thanks

[Howard2k]

There is a registry hack for the PPC but you don't need it since the PPC doesn't have a browser client built in.

When you attempt to map a drive to a LAN resource it will pop-up a dialog box and ask you to enter your login credentials. So you can login as whomever you like :)

Sounds like you're well on your way.

[Janak Parekh]

I've got classic file sharing over IPX/SPX. I understand file sharing isn't supported over IPX on the PPC. So I guess I don't have an option there even though I really didn't want to enable TCP/IP file sharing on my network.
Why, may I ask? IPX is a dead protocol, and you'll have to move to IP sooner or later. Having said that, IP and IPX should coexist without any problems.

--janak

[Howard2k]

Some people will deploy IPX as opposed to IP as a security benefit. A meager one, but they all add up. You can talk IPX to a proxy and IP to the Internet and use a proxy client. Messy though.


And I'm sure that there are still plenty of Netware 3.x and 4.x servers around.. :)

I did wonder the same thing though.

[Janak Parekh]

Some people will deploy IPX as opposed to IP as a security benefit. A meager one, but they all add up. You can talk IPX to a proxy and IP to the Internet and use a proxy client. Messy though.
Perhaps, but it's relatively easy to set up IP subnets or firewalls, and there are benefits to running all-IP, as we've discussed. :)

And I'm sure that there are still plenty of Netware 3.x and 4.x servers around..
That's the only reason I still use IPX in certain networks.

--janak

[axe]

Some people will deploy IPX as opposed to IP as a security benefit.
I actually think it has pretty good security benenfits. Use TCP/IP for internet and such, but limit sharing to IPX would prevent outsiders from accessing shares. Service Providers won't route it, so share-security is a non-issue. With TCP sharing you have to have other means of protecting your files, like passwords, routers/firewalls etc.
Until a couple years ago, on my 9x machines, I did the same thing. Unfortunately 2K & XP really didn't like the IPX sharing and you really have to fight with it. If smapdi636 could get it to work easily, great!
In the end, for me, a hardened router was an easier idea, but I do understand the want for IPX sharing, having done it myself.
My 2c
AXE

[smapdi636]

I've got classic file sharing over IPX/SPX. I understand file sharing isn't supported over IPX on the PPC. So I guess I don't have an option there even though I really didn't want to enable TCP/IP file sharing on my network.
Why, may I ask? IPX is a dead protocol, and you'll have to move to IP sooner or later. Having said that, IP and IPX should coexist without any problems.

--janak

Yes, as others have stated, it is because of the security advantage (on top of hardware and software firewalls). Me paranoid?

Thanks for the info.

[Janak Parekh]

Yes, as others have stated, it is because of the security advantage (on top of hardware and software firewalls). Me paranoid?
In my opinion, yes. At this level, most security vulnerabilities are internal, i.e., someone walks into the office, plugs in, and they're on the network; IPX isn't going to help there. If you have good password and permission policies, updated machines, and a good firewall, I'd personally go all IP. If more security than that is needed, why is the information on the network in the first place? :)

That said, I don't know your environment or requirements, so it's up to you...

--janak

[smapdi636]

After binding TCP/IP to File & Printer Sharing it's working.

Now... how to get PPC Windows Media Player to read XP WMP9 play-lists... Thought this part would be easy.

[Fzara]

How are you all accessing the "desktop"'s shared resources? Resco FE? and how are you opening the path?

I'm not sure if i'm doing it right, but I try to map the drive that my laptop running XP is on, and I click on the computer's name, and it tells me A device with the same name is already on the network. Tap Start>Settings..etc and change the name.

I've already mapped a network drive, as "z:/My Music", but for some reason, the PPC cannot access it. Also, I've pinged my PPC, and have pinged the desktop back from my PPC, and everything pings fine.

I have file and print sharing enabled on my laptop, and every other doodly diddly doo, but for some odd reason the PPC can't connect.

[smapdi636]

Yes, Resco FE. There is a little button in the lower right of FE. I click on that then there is an option to map drive.

I think you should be able to use \\xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx\share-name or if you use Pocket Hosts \\machine-name\share-name.

[targetdrone]

I'm using Rescso FE and when I try to map the drive, I get the 'device with same name' error no matter what I enter.

[Fzara]

I'm using Rescso FE and when I try to map the drive, I get the 'device with same name' error no matter what I enter.

I just encountered the same problem this afternoon. Go to Settings->About->Device ID and change the device name to something different. I changed it from Pocket_PC, to Pocket_PC_Net. I then was able to see the shared folders from the computer, and was able to access the network paths as it was mentioned within this post.

One question though: Is it normal to add or open an mp3 file from the shared network using WinamPAQ, and then having the system freeze, or having the song load up in 5-10 seconds with Excellent signal and link quality?

I hope that answered your question, and I hope someone can answer mine as well.

[targetdrone]

I finally got it to work. I had to do it a couple of times. It worked when I left FE open and changed the device name. (It didn't work when I closed File Explorer, changed the name -with or without a soft reset-, and reopened File Explorer).

I don't use WinamPAQ. I have PocketMVP set as my default MP3 player and it works fine. I played songs from both computers on my network and it never froze or locked up. Are you experiencing any other network communication problems? (such as not staying synced wirelessly) Mine did that at first, but now it stays connected until I tell it otherwise.

My Axim isn't very loud, but earbuds fix that. I tried my Sony MDR-D11 headphones, but the Axim doesn't seem to have the power to drive them.