Re: Netgear DG384G - mixing wired and wireless

On Mon, 24 Oct 2005 22:53:09 +0100, "TP" <tp@xxxxxxx> wrote:

>Guys - thanks for all your replies! Some stuff to try next time I'm there
>and playing with it (having had a pretty fruitless weekend!)
>
>In short.. there's only Windows XP firewall and the router firewall in
>operation, and I think I've done most of the windows bits you've suggested
>(like check that file and printer sharing was enabled.. although thinking
>about it.. maybe not in the TCP/IP properties). I've moved the laptop (well,
>the "Unknown" but visible machine which I assume is the laptop!) into the
>Trusted list on the router control panel.. is there an equivalent to the
>trusted list in XP Firewall?

Hmm, I've only had a quick glance through this thread so forgive me if
I've missed anything but my first thoughts are:

- Turn off the XP firewall completely on both machines. The router
firewall will protect you from the internet. The only benefit of an
average software firewall is that it will protect you from things
calling outbound but since the XP one doesn't protect you outbound
it's about as useful as tits on a bull in this instance.

- There is no equivalent to "trusted" on the router firewall and it
would not prevent LAN machines from seeing one another anyway since
both machines are on the same side of the firewall (i.e. internal). I
can't think what you've done.... maybe added it to the DMZ or put its
MAC as "trusted" in the trusted MAC address box for restrictions on
WLAN clients. Neither is relevant here as your laptop was already
able to connect to the wireless.

- Make sure wireless isolation is not selected. It shouldn't make any
difference but do so anyway.

>And can someone talk me through the point PJB made (in the other half of the
>thread) about creating a user account for the other PC? I'm not that clear
>on XP user profiles as I don't use them at home.. and I don't remember
>seeing anywhere in the workgroup set-up any indication that I needed to
>provide login details for the other machine.

Firstly I think we can rule out the router. It isn't designed to care
what's going on internally, it merely acts as a switch - a dumb bit of
kit which simply fires the packets to their intended destination
without getting involved in what they. The only thing the router
cares about on the wireless side is security. It'll ask the laptop
for the encryption key and if the laptop provides the correct one
it'll be allowed to connect to the wireless and issued an IP address.
>From that moment if the computers want to talk to each other it's
themselves that have to agree to speak. Think of it like a telephone
call - the router opens up the line but you cannot force the other
person to talk.

Software firewalls are the leading cause of headaches in this area.
Turn them off and see what happens. Come back if it doesn't work and
we'll try something else! Good luck.
.

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