Computers and Related Hardware/Software

My landlady asked me to connect her laptop with a desktop in the manager's office so they can share files and printer.
This is new territory for me. What do I need to buy if anything.

Here are the specs for her laptop network:

Compliant Standards IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
Data Link Protocol Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
Type Network adapter
Wireless NIC Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG
Wireless Protocol 802.11b/g

http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/specs.aspx?EDC=937518

I have not found the specs for the destktop yet.... It had been part of an office network in her management company's office. And it has a card with an antennae sticking out. I don't know yet what the hardware system was.

Any hints yet on my next step?
Ralph

compatibale base station router if there isn't one already, one that has a printer port would be easier.

ralphm1999 wrote:
Any hints yet on my next step?
Ralph

The notebook sounds like a standard 802.11B/G with a plug for an ethernet (hard-wired connection). Most likely the notebook will be using the wireless network.

The desktop (with the antenna) appears to have a wireless PCI card added to it (most likely 802.11B, but could be G). It should also have a port of an ethernet cable.

Now you have some options. If you get a wireless router, then you can connect the two computers together. (There is a wireless mode called Ad-Hoc that will allow two (or more) computers to communicate without the need for a router....but it's a little tricky to setup.)

To share the printer, you have a choice to make. If the desktop will always be on, you can connect the printer to the desktop and then share it from the desktop so that other computers on the network will be able to use it. Again the desktop must remain on for the sharing to work.

Or...you can attach the printer to a network print sharing device (some routers have it built-in) that will allow any computer to use it and you wouldn't have to keep any particular computer on.

But since you also mentioned file sharing, it sounds like there will be at least one computer running at all times.

So you can use the File and Printer Sharing feature found in Windows.

dochira wrote:
The notebook sounds like a standard 802.11B/G with a plug for an ethernet (hard-wired connection). Most likely the notebook will be using the wireless network.

The desktop (with the antenna) appears to have a wireless PCI card added to it (most likely 802.11B, but could be G). It should also have a port of an ethernet cable.

Now you have some options. If you get a wireless router, then you can connect the two computers together. (There is a wireless mode called Ad-Hoc that will allow two (or more) computers to communicate without the need for a router....but it's a little tricky to setup.)

To share the printer, you have a choice to make. If the desktop will always be on, you can connect the printer to the desktop and then share it from the desktop so that other computers on the network will be able to use it. Again the desktop must remain on for the sharing to work.

Or...you can attach the printer to a network print sharing device (some routers have it built-in) that will allow any computer to use it and you wouldn't have to keep any particular computer on.

But since you also mentioned file sharing, it sounds like there will be at least one computer running at all times.

So you can use the File and Printer Sharing feature found in Windows.

I just installed a new printer/fax combo to the desktop. The desktop is on 24/7.

thanks for the info. I guess I need to find out exactly what's available on the desktop.

I ran Belarc on the desktop.

The card with the antennae is:
Netgear WG311v2 802.11g wirelss PCI:

http://kbserver.netgear.com/products/wg311v2.asp

I assume this is useless without some device on the laptop?
and what would I need if I can use it to make a 2 computer network?

Thanks

I don't know how 2 wireless computers can't link themselves without some kind of wireless router or hub, I never tried it. As dochira said, file and printer sharing might do the trick with the wireless network setup wizard in the Control panel.

They also may need to use the same range of IP addresses. (192.168.1.10 and 192.168.1.54... )

Having a MAJOR PC meltdown this weekend:

I got a new DVD writer in the mail and had problems installing it, so I thought it would be a good time to do a fresh install of Windows 2000... In doing so, my main J-DRAMA hard drive somehow lost its partition info, so I can't access the data on it... :puppydog: :banghead: :bleh:

I've spent the entire day trying to somehow recover the data in between full-blown tantrums of rage and frustration.

This weekend is shot to hell. :grumble:

Anyone got any ideas on how to restore a missing/damaged/corrupted NTFS partition? :puppydog:

ugh, what went wrong with the dvd writer to start with? Normally you don't have to install anything. Just connect the IDE cable and set jumpers (master/slave or cable select) and off you go.


I might have the solution, is the harddrive > 120gb? If I remember correctly WIN2k doesn't recognize bigger harddrives without updates or *insertname of HD brand* tool.

Terryb wrote:ugh, what went wrong with the dvd writer to start with? Normally you don't have to install anything. Just connect the IDE cable and set jumpers (master/slave or cable select) and off you go.

Yeah, that's what I thought, but Win2K hiccupped somehow and didn't recognize the new DVD writer... And everything spiraled down the toilet from there. :puppydog:

I might have the solution, is the harddrive > 120gb? If I remember correctly WIN2k doesn't recognize bigger harddrives without updates or *insertname of HD brand* tool.

Yeah, the HD is 160GB... I know of the 137GB limit and I thought I took care of it on the new OS install.

The 160GB HD was also set up as a dynamic drive... Not sure how that plays into things.

The data is still on that drive, I'm sure since it was never formatted, but I've gotta somehow recover the partition table and/or get the OS to recognize the drive. :sweat:

Ugh, you may want to read in to this about dynamic drives (I never made any drives dynamic, so I can't comment) : http://support.microsoft.com/kb/175761

bmwracer wrote:Having a MAJOR PC meltdown this weekend:

I got a new DVD writer in the mail and had problems installing it, so I thought it would be a good time to do a fresh install of Windows 2000... In doing so, my main J-DRAMA hard drive somehow lost its partition info, so I can't access the data on it... :puppydog: :banghead: :bleh:

I've spent the entire day trying to somehow recover the data in between full-blown tantrums of rage and frustration.

This weekend is shot to hell. :grumble:

Anyone got any ideas on how to restore a missing/damaged/corrupted NTFS partition? :puppydog:

I saw a post in a Pinoy-based computer forum that there is a software called "Partition Table Doctor" that can be used to recover lost partitions and fix partition error and another one called "Data Recovery Wizard' that can recover lost files, but I'm afraid these tools aren't freewares. :sweat:

Another program is GetDataBack. I've never used it, but according to their site it can handle dynamic disks.

No subs.. but http://www.apple.com/jp/getamac/ads/ :mrgreen:

boris wrote:Another program is GetDataBack. I've never used it, but according to their site it can handle dynamic disks.

Found a program called Nucleus NTFS Partition Recovery... Looks promising: it sees the files on the HD... Let's see if it can retrieve them.

It'll cost me $50 to find out, though. :sweat:

bmwracer wrote:
Found a program called Nucleus NTFS Partition Recovery... Looks promising: it sees the files on the HD... Let's see if it can retrieve them.

It'll cost me $50 to find out, though. :sweat:

once when my external hard drived crashed after a series of tell tale clicking noises; i could no longer access any of the 256 GB of data on it until i used a program called Magic Recovery Pro. Despite my problem after using this program I was able to retreive every last file with no data loss whatsoever. good luck.

http://www.software-recovery.com/data-recovery-software.htm

Free stuff on Live CD or USB key:

G-Parted like partition magic

Ultimate Boot CD

In partition recovery mode right now: 53% done after one hour. :sweat: :fingerscrossed: :fingerscrossed: :fingerscrossed: :fingerscrossed: :fingerscrossed:

bmwracer wrote:In partition recovery mode right now: 53% done after one hour. :sweat: :fingerscrossed: :fingerscrossed: :fingerscrossed: :fingerscrossed: :fingerscrossed:

good ish...hope you get all the files in jeopardy, meng...been there done that...as i said i was fortunate to recover all 250+GB without incident.

good luck!

Tu_triky wrote:good ish...hope you get all the files in jeopardy, meng...been there done that...as i said i was fortunate to recover all 250+GB without incident.

good luck!

Thanks.

Did it require turning towards Musha and genuflecting three times? :beaten:

bmwracer wrote:
Thanks.

Did it require turning towards Musha and genuflecting three times? :beaten:

:lol: :lol: omg!

nah, dood, fortunately it wasn't that complicated...the program performed as advertised.