"kojak***@bellATTsouth.net" wrote:

> I have an HP notebook using WinXP Media Center.  I also have a netgear
> router, and an old, old tower.  All three are connected.  However, when I
> want to access the Tower, while the icon is visible in My Computer, it is
> always Disconnected. I have to click on the "Tower" icon and it connects.
>
> I can not imagine that is the way it is supposed to work.  I would think the
> connections are active all the time.
>
> I am sure I have done something wrong when I mapped the computers, but I am
> too much of a rookie to know what.
>
> Any guidance will be greatly appreciated.
>
> k
>

> 1. with command prompt type ipconfig
> 2. chek if all have same Subnet Mask?
> 3. chek if All have series IP Address?
> 4. in control panel - SYSTEM - COMPUTER NAME - set the same workgroup.
>
> Yanto Asnawi
>
> "kojak***@bellATTsouth.net" wrote:
>
> > I have an HP notebook using WinXP Media Center.  I also have a netgear
> > router, and an old, old tower.  All three are connected.  However, when
> > I
> > want to access the Tower, while the icon is visible in My Computer, it
> > is
> > always Disconnected. I have to click on the "Tower" icon and it
> > connects.
> >
> > I can not imagine that is the way it is supposed to work.  I would think
> > the
> > connections are active all the time.
> >
> > I am sure I have done something wrong when I mapped the computers, but I
> > am
> > too much of a rookie to know what.
> >
> > Any guidance will be greatly appreciated.
> >
> > k
> >

> On 27-Oct-2006, =?Utf-8?B?WWFudG8gQXNuYXdp?=
> <YantoAsn***@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>
> > 1. with command prompt type ipconfig
> > 2. chek if all have same Subnet Mask?
> > 3. chek if All have series IP Address?
> > 4. in control panel - SYSTEM - COMPUTER NAME - set the same workgroup.
> >
> > Yanto Asnawi
> >
> > "kojak***@bellATTsouth.net" wrote:
> >
> > > I have an HP notebook using WinXP Media Center.  I also have a netgear
> > > router, and an old, old tower.  All three are connected.  However,
> > > when
> > > I
> > > want to access the Tower, while the icon is visible in My Computer, it
> > > is
> > > always Disconnected. I have to click on the "Tower" icon and it
> > > connects.
> > >
> > > I can not imagine that is the way it is supposed to work.  I would
> > > think
> > > the
> > > connections are active all the time.
> > >
> > > I am sure I have done something wrong when I mapped the computers, but
> > > I
> > > am
> > > too much of a rookie to know what.
> > >
> > > Any guidance will be greatly appreciated.
> > >
> > > k

>> On 27-Oct-2006, =?Utf-8?B?WWFudG8gQXNuYXdp?=
>> <YantoAsn***@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>>
>> > 1. with command prompt type ipconfig
>> > 2. chek if all have same Subnet Mask?
>> > 3. chek if All have series IP Address?
>> > 4. in control panel - SYSTEM - COMPUTER NAME - set the same workgroup.
>> >
>> > Yanto Asnawi
>> >
>> > "kojak***@bellATTsouth.net" wrote:
>> >
>> > > I have an HP notebook using WinXP Media Center.  I also have a netgear
>> > > router, and an old, old tower.  All three are connected.  However,
>> > > when
>> > > I
>> > > want to access the Tower, while the icon is visible in My Computer, it
>> > > is
>> > > always Disconnected. I have to click on the "Tower" icon and it
>> > > connects.
>> > >
>> > > I can not imagine that is the way it is supposed to work.  I would
>> > > think
>> > > the
>> > > connections are active all the time.
>> > >
>> > > I am sure I have done something wrong when I mapped the computers, but
>> > > I
>> > > am
>> > > too much of a rookie to know what.
>> > >
>> > > Any guidance will be greatly appreciated.

>I sent this message earlier and got this response.  I was able to connect
> the mouse/keyboard/monitor to the old tower.  I typed ipconfig at the Run
> prompt.  The DOS screen popped up for a microsecond and disappeared.  IT
> does not seem to be opened anywhere on the computer.  I could not do lines
> 2  and 3 in Yanto Asnawi response.  I did instruction 4, but the original
>problem still exists and that is the tower disconnects from the router.
>Any idea why the command prompt does not open the window and keep it
>opened???
> Thanks k

>Thanks for the words of encouragement.
>
>I went to your link and set the IPAddress on the tower to match the
>IPAddress on the laptop.  i.e. 192.168.1.97
> When I was closing out of the window it started to complain that another
> system was using the same address.
>
>I clicked through and restarted the tower.
>
>No joy with the Laptop recognizing the tower.  It said it was disconnected.
>
>When I tried to go into the network IP/TCP properties on the laptop, it said
>"There is an IP Address conflict with another system on the network"  Pretty
>much the same thing the Tower was grousing about.
>
>I tried to make all the setting the same.  i.e. Gateway, IPAddress and
>Computer Name.  But no joy for me.  the laptop can see the tower, but the
>Tower is always disconnected.  I have to click on the tower from the laptop
>to connect it.  It then works for a while and for some reason, known only to
>the binary imp that lives in my computer, disconnects the tower from the
>network.
>
>I keep the tower solely to be able to access some of the tower's hard drive
>files and to allow an old HP laserjet printer to print from the laptop.
>
>Your help and guidance is greatly aprecisated.
>
>k

>Here goes!  I use the Laptop as my "main" computer.  I use the old Tower
>simply as a device to access and old HP Laser Printer, and for additional
>storage on the Tower's Hard Drive. For some reason, the old Tower always
>"disconnects"  I can double click on the icon and it will reestablish the
>connection, but I just do not think that is how it was to work.
>
>The following is ipconfig of Laptop.  It uses XP Media Center.
>Windows IP Configuration
>Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : HPDV8000
>Primary Dns Suffix  . . . . . . . :
>Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
>IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
>WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
>DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : launchmodem.comEthernet adapter
>Local Area Connection:
>Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
>Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast
>Ethernet NIC
>Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-16-D4-05-5C-9E
>
>Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection 2:
>Connection-specific
>DNS Suffix  . : launchmodem.com
>Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom 802.11b/g WLAN
>Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-14-A5-A1-97-29
>Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
>Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
>IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.97
>Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
>Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
>DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
>DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
>
>            192.168.1.254
>Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Friday, November 17, 2006 12:08:51 PM
>
>Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, November 18, 2006 12:08:51 PM
>
>This is the ipcong of the old Tower.  It uses Windows 2000
>Windows 2000 IP Configuration   
>Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : micro-4c44c87b1
>Primary DNS Suffix  . . . . . . . :
>Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast
>IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
>WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
>DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : launchmodem.com
>
>Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:   
>Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . : launchmodem.com
>Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Linksys LNE100TX(v5) Fast Ethernet
>Adapter
>Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-04-5A-8F-12-85
>DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes   
>Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes   
>IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.96   
>Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0   
>Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254   
>DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254   
>DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
>                                        192.168.1.254
>Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Friday, November 17, 2006 12:29:53 PM   
>Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, November 18, 2006 12:29:53 PM
>
>When I tried to change the IP Address on the Tower (192.168.1.96) to match
>the Laptop (192.168.1.97), the Tower said there was already "something" with
>the same address.  When I did ipconfig of the Tower it showed all 0's where
>address/mask/server numbers once lived.
>When I told Tower to recognize address/mask/server on it's own, and then ran
>ipconfig again, it showed the .96 on the Tower's IP Address.
>
>Both computers are connected via a Netgear WPN824 RangeMax Router.
>If you need each OS's service pack number I need for you to help me find it.
> I am really a virgin at all this.
>
>Chuck, I appreciate the time and effort you have taken to teach me.
>k

>Chuck, to answer your question. Yes, the disconnected drive is the problem.
>It means that whenever I wish to print a file, I must also remember to go to
>My Computer, click on the old Tower, close My Computer then ask it to print.
> It just seems so odd that my laptop can not see my old tower, or print from
>the old Tower by just asking the file to print.
>
>That is, when I try to print a file when using the laptop, I select the HP
>laserjet printer from the print menu. That HP is hard wired to the old
>Tower. If I do not go through the steps above it will not print because the
>Tower has disconnected.  It just seems like a lot of steps to go through to
>just print something.
>
>For some reason, I sort of remember printing files at my old company and I
>did not have to do all of this.  There were two printers I could access.
>One I used all the time, one I used once in a very long time.  But no
>matter, I could print to whatever device anytime I wanted.  Now it has been
>2 years since I worked at that company, and at my advanced years, my memory
>could have faded, I just do not remember having to go through so many steps
>to print a file.
>
>Your other question, why make the addresses the same...if you look at the
>early part of this thread, someone else advised that I make the addresses
>the same.

>
>On 17-Nov-2006, Chuck <n***@example.net> wrote:
>
>> Well, the AutoDisconnect function is server based, and it's common to all
>> servers running Windows XP, or another client OS.
>> Any file, print, named pipe, or mail slot session that does not have any
>> activity is automatically disconnected after the AutoDisconnect time has
>> expired; the default for the AutoDisconnect time is 15 minutes.
>
>Chuck, I guess it does not make a difference in the AutoDisconnect function
>if I am using two computers.  i.e. not a computer and a server.
>
>A new question. If the tower disconnects after 15 minutes, does that mean
>the internet connection to the tower is also disconnected?  I ask because I
>do not use the tower for either e-mail or web surfing.  However, since it is
>connected to the router, I am concerned with vulnerability from outside
>attacks.
>
>I do not wish to delete my e-mail or browser from the Tower just yet.  In
>your opinion, is that a mistake?  i.e. am I looking for outside attacks?

>Here is a new wrinkle.
>
>Over an hour ago I asked the HP laser printer, the one tied to the Tower, to
>print a document. I had to go to My Computer to reconnect the the Tower to
>the network.
>
>I did not realize that I did not close My Computer.
>
>I then opened a second My Computer window and it showed the Tower was still
>connected.  Well after an hour had passed since the last print request.
>
>When I tried to print the exact same file, it printed.  I did not have to
>reconnect the Tower.
>
>So, just leave My Computer opened and it will not disconnect???
>
>This is more than my tiny brain can handle.
>
>k