How do I setup a simple peer-to-peer network using Windows XP Pro with NO internet connection?

Well, SpeedStep is partially right but not completely correct in everything he said.

The Limited or No Connectivity refers to the IP addresses. Chances are you have no DHCP running on your network, but instead you likely have an ethernet switch. Chances are the XP computers are using a default 169.254.x.x IP configureation.

NetBeui/NetBIOS is a complete protocol suite consisting of many implementations. Even Windows FileSharing uses part of the NetBIOS suite. While it is true NetBEUI itself is not included with XP unless you want to manually install it via Have Disk, you can probably get by with IP addresses just fine.

Go to a Windows 98 computer and run winipcfg and look at your ethernet adapter.

I am assuming you do not have DHCP and the IP address configureation is different; therefore, your computers are not seeing each other. You probalby have a static IP on Widnows 98 computers.

What you can do is match the same subnet mask and network and then set a unique host part of the IP. Do a search on subnetting. Essentially, you need to have all your computers on the same subnet, but they must have unique IP addresses.

Once you set this up and can ping... you can probably share files and printers...


Widnows XP is highly DNS based, but also supports a compuer name. I cannot guarantee Win98 will se the WinXP computers in Network Neighborhood. If you need too, you can always define teh NetBios computer names via lmhosts file. Typically, Win98 uses NetBIOS/WINS to resolve computer names and XP/2000 tends to go the DNS route instead.

Overall, you can share stuff without to many problems.


___________________


Microsoft doesn't care what you do and will allow you to do what you wish. They have taken no steps to prevent it.

However, you will need to adjust the Widnows Firewall or ICF depending on the Service Pack of XP. File Sharing doesn't work with the default firewall settings if hte firewall is enabled.

Message Edited by Jbirk on 12-22-2005 03:21 PM

"Rename" each computer by RIGHT-clicking "My Computer" and going to Properties. I would also name the workgroup something other than "Workgroup"

Each computer name should be unique, like "DentistA" and "DentistB" and so forth. I agree with using NETBEUI (change from "use server default" to Just Do IT - so to speak)

I am just saying he has so few computers he could figure out which ones don't see each other and make a hosts or lmhosts file if needed.

He could also just do something easy like set all 192.168 static ips

I appreciate the responses so far, but I'm bewildered at how unnecessarily hard this is. Most dentists, many doctors in small offices, and probably many small businesses could use small secure networks without an internet connection as I am. I paid a pro $159 to setup my server, but the Win98se clients I did successfully. I am now replacing two of the older clients with new Windows XP Pro machines. I can run the wizard to connect, but the connection is incomplete. I need to do something with the server. Any hints?

Is your server a DOMAIN? Windows 2003 server software?
You need to know the name of the Domain and then "join" Windows XP Professional computer (each) to it by naming (renaming) the PC.
RIGHT-click on "My Computer" (I use Windows classic desk display so that stays ON the desktop) and select "Identification" or some such name tab, then there are two options available. I select the lowest (second) for "join a Domain"
When you give it a name and specify the Domain then it will ask for authorization.
For me that is
userID : Administrator
password : p*ssw*rd (whatever the password for Administrator is)

I actually enter the ID as "Administrator@Domain.edu" where "Domain" is the letters of the school, edu because it is a school. If it likes what you have done then after a pause of perhaps a minute it will say "You have successfully ..." and then "You must re-boot for the change to take effect."
Exit from all the programs and do a START | Shutdown | Restart and you should be all connected (assuming the network adapter drivers are installed and working properly).
IF you do have, in fact, a server (in the Domain sense) then it should be performing the DHCP functionality. That means you would be getting the TCP/IP address automatically from it.

You probably just need to join a Domain as the person above mentioned. This should actually work better with XP than 98 anyway because 98 wasn't really intended to be used in a Domain but XP Pro is intended for Domain use. Overall, XP is much easier to use in a network than Widnows 98.

-Justin

I have several WIN98SE machines hooked to a Linksys router and peer just fine with XP.
All the machines access the internet and are all part of a workgroup.

If you dont need internet access and have a hub instead of a switch then Netbeui is the way to go.

I actually recomending Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).

It should work fine as mentioned above, but sometimes Widnows has network browsing issues.

Okay, jsut FYI NetBuei works fine on a Hub or a Switch. It is a non-routable protocol meaning it doesn't have network ids or network numbers. Plain and simply this means it operates at the Data-Link layer of the OSI model. In otherwords, it does communications based on MAC Addresses/Ethernet. I know IP does the same, but it is limited to communication via MAC addresses meaning it can never leave a single logical network.

Well unless you have some routers setup to forward all packets to all the networks for netbuei. That would be nasty.

Just use TCP/IP it is standard with both 98 and XP. Will work fine on either a switch or hub. Hopefully a switch.

But tcp/IP requires MANUAL assignment of IP Addresses and a Gateway And And and.

Netbeui is self configuring and does not require a configuration of each machine.

If you use a Linksys router Even not connected to the internet then it can act as a DHCP server
and all the machines can be AUTO configured.

Switches need spanning tree port fast to "see" other machines on the other segments or
an even more complicated manual IP address setup AND manual Lmhosts files as well as the spanning tree protocol.

Wayyy too complicated to setup for just a basic peer to peer lan setup.

Bah, I still think an IP setup is the easy way to go becuase you have two choices.

NetBEUI (Easier as mentioned), but you must install NetBEUI on XP via have disk

You must also install the protocol on 98 though you won't need to do anything really special here.

As for the configureation, he won't need a Gateway because he will not be leaving his network to the Internet or a WAN.

All he would need to do is the ip address and subnet mask then just like NetBEUI have the same workgroup name but different system name. It should work fine if that is done.

Besides, it is an opportunity for him to learn to subnet.

DHCP is easy as you mentioned. He may wish to go that route.

Another option is auto-ip aka apipa.