DSL Modem->Wireless Router->Ipaq?

[esc76]

I'm sort of new when it comes to WLAN, so forgive me if there is an easy solution to this question.

I have a Linksys wireless access point/router hooked up directly to my dsl modem. My desktop pc is connected via ethernet cabling to my router. I am able to connect my Ipaq to the internet through the use of a linksys cf card. However, what I'd like to be able to do is to be able to browse my desktop's shared folders from my Ipaq. I bought Resco's file explorer, but it has not been able to find any nearby computers, and when I use Net Use to browse for any connections all I get is an error stating that I should change the name of my pocket pc because there is a device with the same name already on the network.

Is it possible to browse files on my pc with my ppc without connecting the dsl modem -> desktop -> router?

I've tried running XP's home network wizard, but it to encounters an error before finishing, more or less telling me it cannot configure the way I'm asking it to do.

Any advice on the matter would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[bdeli]

esc76 - trying to understand clearly your post. I am assuming you are using a BEFWxxx router and a wireless network card on your pocket pc.

The wiring from dsl to desktop have to be dsl modem=> router=>desktop. In this case the router will act as the gateway with an ip address of 192.168.1.1 (if you did not change it) and your desktop will have an ip address of 192.168.1.x and netmask of 255.255.255.0

Set up home networking on your windows xp and make sure you have file and print sharing enabled. Also make sure that you setup a workgroup name (The wizard will guide you through this). On your pocket pc setup the wireless card with 192.168.1.1 as gateway, 192.168.1.x as your ip and 255.255.255.0 as netmask.

Now on your pocket pc in resco, click on the map network drive icon. You should be able to see an icon 'Computers near me' and underneath you should get your desktop machine. Click on that and click on share and you will be able to access your files from your desktop.

With this setup you will also be able to browse the internet since your pocket pc is using the router as the gateway and not your desktop.

Hope this helps.

[VintageSlots]

I'm sort of new when it comes to WLAN, so forgive me if there is an easy solution to this question.

I have a Linksys wireless access point/router hooked up directly to my dsl modem. My desktop pc is connected via ethernet cabling to my router. I am able to connect my Ipaq to the internet through the use of a linksys cf card. However, what I'd like to be able to do is to be able to browse my desktop's shared folders from my Ipaq. I bought Resco's file explorer, but it has not been able to find any nearby computers, and when I use Net Use to browse for any connections all I get is an error stating that I should change the name of my pocket pc because there is a device with the same name already on the network.

Is it possible to browse files on my pc with my ppc without connecting the dsl modem -> desktop -> router?

I've tried running XP's home network wizard, but it to encounters an error before finishing, more or less telling me it cannot configure the way I'm asking it to do.

Any advice on the matter would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

One problem in your setup might be that you have personal firewall enabled on the XP box. If so, that could be keeping you from getting in. If you turn off personal firewall you should probably have something like ZoneAlarm running.

I am able to do what you are asking with ICS (Internet Connection Sharing). My XP box is the gateway to the Internet. I have a local 802.11 network running. The XP Box is also on the 802.11 network (ICS requires two NICS to be in your PC). My Ipaq gets a DHCP address from the XP box. I am able to open up shared folders on my Ipaq.

Hope this helps.

[esc76]

bdeli and VintageSlots, thanks for posting, I really appreciate the help, but unfortunately I have yet to get it to work.

I should have been more clear with my setup. I am using a Linksys BEFW11S4 ver 2 router/access point and a Linksys WCF12 card adapter for my Ipaq. I also have disabled XP's firewall, but do have ZoneAlarm's free firewall running.

Like you figured bdeli, I still have the router's ip address set at 192.168.1.1. When I try to run the home network wizard, I get all the way through to where it attempts to apply the settings, but it always ends in an error stating something like, "An error occurred during configuration of the network on this comp. Cannot complete the network setup. Try configuring the network manually or run the wizard again."

Each time I try to map a network drive in Resco its unable to find any nearby computers.

There was one instance where after 'erroring' out of the home network wizard, the computer had to reboot. But before it did I checked the Ipaq in resco, and it did indeed locate my desktop pc. Unfortunately, after rebooting it couldn't find it again.

There was also an instance where after setting my ipaq to the same ip address/gateway/netmask as my desktop, I did receive a notice down in my system tray of XP that there was an IP conflict with another device. As far as I can tell thats the first evidence that my PC knows my Ipaq is out there.

The crazy thing is that I don't have any trouble syncing through Activesync wirelessly. I just can't seem to browse my shared folders on the desktop.

Sorry for the length of this post, I'm just hoping someone will know what I'm doing wrong.

Thanks again!

[bdeli]

esc76,

Seems like we have the same setup. I have two addtional WPC11 cards to wirelessly connect two laptops other than a BEFW11S4v2 and and WCF12 card in my iPAQ.

As for the setup, you can first try to turn off zone alarm from your pc. (When you install zone alarm it normally detects that a network is present and you can add that to the trusted zone). Your wireless router acts as a firewall - so you internal network is secure - assuming all the wireless security features are turned on.

On your windows xp machine, in your connection properties, make sure that you have Client for Microsoft Networks and File and Printer sharing enabled. After you make sure that you have the above settings, run the home or office network wizard. Follow all the prompts and make sure you name a workgroup.

After the setup finishes, you are supposed to get a default 'Shared Folders'. This will be accessible from your iPAQ via Resco.

[esc76]

Success!

Bdeli, thanks for hanging in there with me.

You were right about turning off ZoneAlarm. Now that I have made a connection, I've found that I'm unable to repeat it with ZoneAlarm running.

For the sake of reference I will detail what I did to make a connection.

First of all, I already had Client for Microsoft Networks and File and Printer sharing enabled. However, what I didn't have was an 'Incoming Connections' connection setup in Network Connections. This I was able to setup using the New Connection Wizard.

After doing that, I re-ran the Network Setup Wizard for the umpteenth time. This time it did not end in an error though, which was a first. Even though I had previously enabled File Sharing and had a Shared Documents folder, I think this truly opened the path.

The only change I made to the Incoming Connections properties was to check the box next to 'Always allow directly connected devices such as palmtop computers to connect w/o providing a password'.

Also, after finishing the Network Setup Wizard and restarting the computer, I had to again disable the XP firewall under the Local Area Connection properties.

Next I ran Resco, and attempted to map a network drive (for the umpteenth time as well), but successfully found my computer. However, when tapped on the computer name an error popped up stating that a device of the same name was already on the network. The only way I found to get around this was to change the name of my ipaq on the fly. I suppose it must then need to be reset back to the original device name before running Activesync, otherwise a new partneship would be setup. (?)

Finally, with the name change of my device, I was able to expand the tree under my computer's name and share the 'Shared Docs' folder. I'm now able to open files off of my pc onto my Ipaq.

I'm left with two questions. Now that I have neither XP's firewall running nor ZoneAlarm, how vulnerable are my pc's contents to hackers? And secondly, is there any way around having to change my Ipaq's device name to be able to connect to my pc?

Not that I'm in a hurry to have these questions answered, its nice just to have the network browsing capabilities!

I hope this helps others do the same, and thanks to those who helped me with this problem.

[bdeli]

esc76, glad you managed to get it working! :lol:


However, when tapped on the computer name an error popped up stating that a device of the same name was already on the network.


Seems like either you are using the same ip address on your ppc and computer, or you both have them named the same.


Now that I have neither XP's firewall running nor ZoneAlarm, how vulnerable are my pc's contents to hackers?


The wireless router acts as a firewall. Make sure that you have enabled the wireless security features of your router (disable ssid broadcast, make WEP mandatory 128Bit, disable dhcp, enable mac filtering and change the default password and network name). All of these changes will require you to change settings on your pc and ppc.

To know how secure your system is with a xp/zonealarm firewall disabled, go to this website: http://scan.sygate.com/udpscan.html. It will list any open ports on your router. If you have latest firmware installed on the BEFW and no p2p/file sharing apps configured you should get a msg like this "We have determined that you have a firewall blocking UDP ports!".

I did manage to have zonealarm and the xp firewall working with my ppc connecting to my pc. In zonealarm, I remember that you have to add a trusted network. The most problematic to setup was Norton Internet Security 2003.

Hope this helps!
Brian