[SOLVED] Unable to network with XP Media Center Edition to XP Pro

[e-bum]

I'm at the end of my rope here. Generally very good with computers and figuring stuff out, but this one is stumping me. I've search forum after forum and tried many things but I cannot seem to solve my networking issue.

I have one computer with a wireless card and standard built-in NIC. The computer connects to a wireless access point and then uses XP's ICS to share to the other computer via the NIC. This has previously worked a couple of months ago but now will not.

I've tried a crossover cable (that is what I would prefer to use), going through a hub, direct connection via firewire - nothing works. DHCP assigns an IP address to the client computer but the client computer still says "acquiring network address". When the client computer first boots or if I look at the lan connection properties and then close that, then the connection says "connected" but I still cannot access the internet or ping the host. The host cannot ping the client either. Although when pinging from the client from the host, I can see bytes coming through on the connection status window on the client.

I've tried a known working NIC in both computers and known working cables between them so I'm pretty sure it is not a hardware issue. I've searched for days for answers on the web and tried lots of setting changes but nothing seems to work. Any help would be great!

THANKS!

Host computer:
XP Professional
Wireless Card
Wired NIC (built-in)

Client computer:
XP Media Center Edition
Wired NIC (built-in)

[johnwill]

Let's see this for each of the computers.

Hold the Windows key and press R, then type CMD to open a command prompt:

In the command prompt window that opens, type type the following command:

Note that there is a space before the /ALL, but there is NOT a space after the / in the following command.

IPCONFIG /ALL

Right click in the command window and choose Select All, then hit Enter.
Paste the results in a message here.

If you are on a machine with no network connection, use a floppy, USB disk, or a CD-RW disk to transfer a text file with the information to allow pasting it here.

[e-bum]

Here are my ipconfig results

Computer 1 - running XP Pro

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\Tiffany>cd\

C:\>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : goobermobile
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : NVIDIA nForce MCP Networking Control
ler
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0C-6E-1F-5E-60
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : 802.11g/b Wireless LAN Client Adapte
r
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 08-10-74-0E-FF-C8
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.103
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 204.127.203.135
216.148.225.135
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, June 24, 2008 4:20:25 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, June 25, 2008 4:20:25 PM

C:\>


Computer 2 - running XP Media Center (Won't connect)

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\Owner>cd\

C:\>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : HAL
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Mixed
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : mshome.net

Ethernet adapter LAN:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : mshome.net
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : VIA Rhine II Fast Ethernet Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-11-09-B1-68-CA
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.44
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, June 24, 2008 4:37:00 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, July 01, 2008 4:37:00 PM

Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : fe80::ffff:ffff:fffd%4
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

Tunnel adapter Automatic Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : mshome.net
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Automatic Tunneling Pseudo-Interface

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : C0-A8-00-2C
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : fe80::5efe:192.168.0.44%2
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : fec0:0:0:ffff::1%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::2%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::3%1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

C:\>

[Cripple]

I may be wrong, but I think your default gateway and DNS server are set incorrectly on the second machine.

Cripple.

[blasteyes]

^^^
you might be correct..
try pinging local host

[Cripple]

Use the wizard. It's the easiest way, set the PC to get its IP address and everything automatically, then go through the wizard.

Make sure both machines are on. Select "set up new network", then select "this computer connects directly to internet, others connect through me". This enables internet connection sharing, go through the rest of the wizard and restart both machines. Then it should work.

Make sure if you have a firewall on the first PC, that the second PC's IP address is entered into it so that it allows the connection to go through.

It's somewhere along those lines because I connected my xbox up that way.

Cripple.

[e-bum]

All the settings on the second computer were automatically assigned by XP. I have the LAN connection set to automatically obtain IP. And I've ran the wizard multiple times but it still doesn't work.
And even though the status of the connection says "connected" on the second machine, I cannot ping the host, nor can the host ping the client. Also, if I try to "repair" the connection or refresh the IP in any way, the connection gets stuck on "acquiring network address" and but ipconfig still shows that an address has been assigned.
And I've even tried to connect with all firewalls off, but still nothing - so I don't think thats an issue.

[Cripple]

Don't mean to sound patronising but you have run the wizard on both the machines right?

ie set the network up with PC1, then just connect with PC2?

Cripple.

[e-bum]

Yeah, I've ran it on both machine many times (mostly because I was trying other network cards, cables, etc.)

I know it should be simple...done it a billion times...but that's why I posted here. I'm stumped.

[lazareth1]

You should just get a wireless NIC for the second machine and connect to the AP for the internet. They cost as little as $20.

[Cripple]

Originally Posted by lazareth1

You should just get a wireless NIC for the second machine and connect to the AP for the internet. They cost as little as $20.

That would most definitely be a better option.

It might be worth setting them up in the wizard as different workgroup pcs's, and then putting them back again, I find that helps sometimes.

Cripple.

[e-bum]

I've already tried using the wireless NIC I have in my second PC. It would find the wireless network but it would not connect or at least an IP was never assigned. So the same problems occurs.
I've updated drivers, uninstalled an reinstalled but nothing seems to work.
I had the two computer networked together a few months ago and I did not change any of the network configurations, and I didn't (to my knowledge) install anything that should have affected the network configurations.

[lazareth1]

Sounds like you have encryption enabled but the second PC isn't setup with the key. Double check these settings.

[e-bum]

The wireless network is unsecured so no key is being used.

[lazareth1]

checked MAC filtering is off also?

[e-bum]

yep, no filtering.

[lazareth1]

Well im fresh outta ideas. Anyone else?