Connecting Two PCs

Dear All
I have a wireless card on my laptop and a wireless card on my desktop. I can
create an adhoc wireless connection. I don't have a router. Once I close the
connection, there seems to be no way of opening it up again. In order to
repeat a connection, I suppose I need a router. Is there any other way of
retaining the ability to connect the two pcs?
Thanks
Steve

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I suppose you could try with a crossover cable between the two.
Joan


Steve BBC UK wrote:
> Dear All
> I have a wireless card on my laptop and a wireless card on my
> desktop. I can create an adhoc wireless connection. I don't have a
> router. Once I close the connection, there seems to be no way of
> opening it up again. In order to repeat a connection, I suppose I
> need a router. Is there any other way of retaining the ability to
> connect the two pcs?
> Thanks
> Steve

Hi
A Wireless Router setting would be more reliable and would provide a better
flexible Network.
Howvever Ad-Hoc should work too.
It is Not clear from your description what the issue is. What exactly you do
that stop the connection and how are you trying to connect again.
Jack (MVP-Networking).

"Steve BBC UK" <> wrote in message
news:659BC710-F2C1-47F2-9557-...
> Dear All
> I have a wireless card on my laptop and a wireless card on my desktop. I
> can
> create an adhoc wireless connection. I don't have a router. Once I close
> the
> connection, there seems to be no way of opening it up again. In order to
> repeat a connection, I suppose I need a router. Is there any other way of
> retaining the ability to connect the two pcs?
> Thanks
> Steve

Steve BBC UK wrote:
> Dear All
> I have a wireless card on my laptop and a wireless card on my desktop. I can
> create an adhoc wireless connection. I don't have a router. Once I close the
> connection, there seems to be no way of opening it up again. In order to
> repeat a connection, I suppose I need a router. Is there any other way of
> retaining the ability to connect the two pcs?
> Thanks
> Steve

What version of Windows are you using?

In WinXP, there should be no problem in automatically re-connecting to
an ad hoc network (as long as there are no preferred infrastructure
networks in range). Please describe what you do and what happens. The
more detail you give, the easier it will be to diagnose what's going on.

Are you using Windows Wireless Zero Configuration to manage your
wireless adapters or are you using a utility that came with the hardware?

--
Lem MS MVP -- Networking

To the moon and back with 64 Kbits of RAM and 512 Kbits of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer

Hello Lem
Thank you for your reply
> What version of Windows are you using?
I am using Xp home and xp professional

>
> In WinXP, there should be no problem in automatically re-connecting to
> an ad hoc network (as long as there are no preferred infrastructure
> networks in range). Please describe what you do and what happens. The
> more detail you give, the easier it will be to diagnose what's going on.

I set up a wireless connection between my laptop and desktop using the
procedure in
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...tup/adhoc.mspx.

After doing this, I was able to connect. When I disconnected, I was unable
to reconnect. I go to 'Network Connections' on both machines, double click on
'Wireless Network Connection' but I can't see the name of the network
connection I gave: 'MyNetworkConnection'. If I click on 'Change the order of
network connections', I can see the connection I set up, but I can't see it
on the list of available networks.

>
> Are you using Windows Wireless Zero Configuration to manage your
> wireless adapters or are you using a utility that came with the hardware?

For my desktop, I am using the driver (?) that came with the hardware. I
don't know what Windows Wireless Zero Configuration is. I have been able to
connect to other wireless networks on my laptop. On my desktop, I am able to
see other available networks.

Does this help?

Thank you.
>
> --
> Lem MS MVP -- Networking
>
> To the moon and back with 64 Kbits of RAM and 512 Kbits of ROM.
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
>

Hi
Wireless cards usually come with a utility that is provided by the card's
manufacturer.
Windows XP provide an alternative utility call Wireless Zero Configuration.
As a first rule if you use the original Utility, switch Off WZC and vice
versa (http://www.ezlan.net/wireless.html).
The beauty of WZC is the nice Traybar Icon and the capacity to easily
manipulate the connections. However, that is a help with infrastructure
Wireless (the one connection to Access Points). When using WZC and mixing
Ad-Hoc and infrastructure the result are less flexibility (as you
experience).
If you switch off WZC and use the Brand utility you would have better
Ad-Hoc, but probably more trouble to switch back the laptop to
infrastructure.
Therefore, as long as the Laptop is used for A-Hoc locally and
infrastructure elsewhere you would have to deal with this nuisance.
Hence, my comment in my previous posts about flexibility and Wireless
Router.
Jack (MVP-Networking).

"Steve BBC UK" <> wrote in message
news:8C64CA84-B17F-4B37-BF20-...
> Hello Lem
> Thank you for your reply
>> What version of Windows are you using?
> I am using Xp home and xp professional
>
>>
>> In WinXP, there should be no problem in automatically re-connecting to
>> an ad hoc network (as long as there are no preferred infrastructure
>> networks in range). Please describe what you do and what happens. The
>> more detail you give, the easier it will be to diagnose what's going on.
>
> I set up a wireless connection between my laptop and desktop using the
> procedure in
> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...tup/adhoc.mspx.
>
> After doing this, I was able to connect. When I disconnected, I was unable
> to reconnect. I go to 'Network Connections' on both machines, double click
> on
> 'Wireless Network Connection' but I can't see the name of the network
> connection I gave: 'MyNetworkConnection'. If I click on 'Change the order
> of
> network connections', I can see the connection I set up, but I can't see
> it
> on the list of available networks.
>
>>
>> Are you using Windows Wireless Zero Configuration to manage your
>> wireless adapters or are you using a utility that came with the hardware?
>
> For my desktop, I am using the driver (?) that came with the hardware. I
> don't know what Windows Wireless Zero Configuration is. I have been able
> to
> connect to other wireless networks on my laptop. On my desktop, I am able
> to
> see other available networks.
>
> Does this help?
>
> Thank you.
>>
>> --
>> Lem MS MVP -- Networking
>>
>> To the moon and back with 64 Kbits of RAM and 512 Kbits of ROM.
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
>>

Steve BBC UK wrote:
> Hello Lem
> Thank you for your reply
>> What version of Windows are you using?
> I am using Xp home and xp professional
>
>> In WinXP, there should be no problem in automatically re-connecting to
>> an ad hoc network (as long as there are no preferred infrastructure
>> networks in range). Please describe what you do and what happens. The
>> more detail you give, the easier it will be to diagnose what's going on.
>
> I set up a wireless connection between my laptop and desktop using the
> procedure in
> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...tup/adhoc.mspx.
>
> After doing this, I was able to connect. When I disconnected, I was unable
> to reconnect. I go to 'Network Connections' on both machines, double click on
> 'Wireless Network Connection' but I can't see the name of the network
> connection I gave: 'MyNetworkConnection'. If I click on 'Change the order of
> network connections', I can see the connection I set up, but I can't see it
> on the list of available networks.
>
>> Are you using Windows Wireless Zero Configuration to manage your
>> wireless adapters or are you using a utility that came with the hardware?
>
> For my desktop, I am using the driver (?) that came with the hardware. I
> don't know what Windows Wireless Zero Configuration is. I have been able to
> connect to other wireless networks on my laptop. On my desktop, I am able to
> see other available networks.
>
> Does this help?
>
> Thank you.
>> --
>> Lem MS MVP -- Networking
>>
>> To the moon and back with 64 Kbits of RAM and 512 Kbits of ROM.
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
>>

Have you installed Service Pack 2 for Win XP in both computers?

How did you "disconnect" from the network after you initially connected?
I know that you said that you can see other wireless networks from
both computers, but it almost seems as if you have turned off the
wireless network adapter in one of them.

If you notice in the screenshot shown in steps 6 and 7 of the article
you followed, there is a checkbox at the top of the screen that says
"Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings." If that box
is checked, then you are using "Windows Wireless Zero Configuration."

The problem is that sometimes the manufacturer of the wireless hardware
provides its own configuration software (this is different from the
driver). You can use either Windows or the manufacturer's configuration
utility, but using both at the same time may cause problems. See
http://www.ezlan.net/wzc.html

Do you have any icons in the notification area (next to the clock) that
relate to wireless networking OTHER than the icon shown in the article
(scroll down to the section headed "How to set up additional
computers")? If so, you may well have another configuration utility
running. If you tell me the make/model of the wireless adapters in your
computers, I *may* be able to tell you the name of a process to look for.

Do you have the wireless networking icon next to the clock as shown in
the article? On both computers? Hover the mouse over the icon. What
does it say (on each computer)?

--
Lem MS MVP -- Networking

To the moon and back with 64 Kbits of RAM and 512 Kbits of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer