Wired (Vista) and wireless (Windows 7) on same network?

[Mike the Wino]

Hi all,

First time poster here....

Let me start by saying I only know enough about computers to be slightly competent.

I posted this on another forum, but I think I'm not quite getting the issues I'm having across clearly, or I'm not understanding their replies. So, I'll try again here.

We have a PC running Vista 64 that is hard wired, and a laptop using Windows 7 that is using a wireless connection with the same router. I want to share or transfer some files from the PC to the laptop, and set up the printer (which is currently hooked up to the PC) so it is shared as well. I'm not sure how to set up a home network with a wired/wireless combination, or maybe it already is and I just don't know it. When I open the Network and Sharing Center on the PC, I see the PC, Network 3, and the Internet. When I open it on the laptop, I see that computer, NETGEaR-mike1, and the Internet. I'm assuming that Network 3 and NETGEaR-mike1 are the same?

I tried using the Easy Transfer Wizard (had to upgrade and install it for Windows 7 on the PC), but the computers don't see each other on the network, so obviously I'm not fully set up correctly.

What I don't understand is, if both computers are connected to the same router, aren't they already part of a home network? On the PC's Network and Sharing Center I see that Network discovery, File sharing, and Password protected sharing, Public folder, and Printer are "on", and Media sharing is off. It looks like it's set up the same on the laptop.

I have allowed sharing of several folders on the PC, but I have no idea how to see them on the laptop. I have also shared the printer itself, which is hooked up to the PC. When I went to "add a printer" on the laptop, it couldn't find the one I had shared from the PC, or any other for that matter.

Both computers are on the same Workgroup, called "Workgroup". Windows 7 uses Homegroups, while Vista does not.

How do I get them to talk to each other?

Thanks for any and all help!

 

[johnb35]

Try the guides at these sites to see if you have settings correctly.

http://www.7tutorials.com/sharing-between-windows-vista-and-windows-7-computers

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/9040/how-to-share-files-and-printers-between-windows-7-and-vista/

 

[Mike the Wino]

Try the guides at these sites to see if you have settings correctly.

http://www.7tutorials.com/sharing-between-windows-vista-and-windows-7-computers

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/9040/how-to-share-files-and-printers-between-windows-7-and-vista/

Okay, I checked both links and made sure to follow the directions. This is what I see:

On the Vista machine, when I open Network, all I see is "MICHAEL-PC" and the Router. When I open Network on the Windows 7 machine, all I see is CHERYL=PC and the Router.

As I mentioned previously, both computers show up in the same workgroup, called "Workgroup".

When I open the Network and Sharing Centers on both machines, this is what I see:

Vista machine-- MICHAEL-PC (green line) Network 3 (green line) Internet
Network 3 is noted as "Private".

Windows 7 machine-- CHERYL-PC (green line) NETGEaR-mike1 (green line) Internet
NETGEaR-mike1 is noted as "Home network".

So, are Network 3 (on the Vista machine) and NETGEaR-mike1 (on the Windows 7 machine) one and the same with a different name? Both machines are connected to the same router.....

Why won't they see each other?

 

[johnb35]

Maybe because one is private and one is labeled home? I'm sure if you follow one of those pages, you should be good to go.

 

[Mike the Wino]

I did, and that's what they said it should look like (Vista="Private", Windows 7= "Home".

Again, are Network 3 (on the Vista machine) and NETGEaR-mike1 (on the Windows 7 machine) one and the same but with a different name?

 

[johnb35]

To answer that question most likely yes. As a wireless connection will actually list the router name to where a wired connection won't.

 

[Mike the Wino]

So, I just found something very interesting....

On the Vista machine, in the Network and Sharing Center, there is a clickable link to Customize Network 3. I clicked on it and it brings up a box called "Customize network settings". At the bottom of that page is a link to "Merge or delete network locations". Clicking on that brings up a box showing all the different Network Locations that are used or unused. NETGEaR-mike1, which is the one that shows up on the Windows 7 machine as the active network, shows as "Not in use". The dialog in this box says to select the network locations that you would like to merge into a single location, or delete. I highlighted NETGEaR-mike1, and another box pops up telling me to select the network location which I want to merge it with, Network 3 being one of the options. So I chose it and clicked "OK". I then tried to view the devices in the Network location, but it still only shows the Vista machine and not the Windows 7 machine.

The Windows 7 Network and Sharing Center doesn't have the option to customize the NETGEaR-mike1 network to merge it with Network 3, at least not that I can find. And the only device shown in the Network is still just the Windows 7 machine.

I noticed that on Vista, the network Access is for "Local and Internet", and the Connection is "Local Area Connection". On Windows 7, the "Access Type" is "Internet" (only), not "Local and Internet". Could this have something to do with it, and if so, any ideas how to make them the same?

 

[johnb35]

Like I said before, you will have different names when using wireless and a wired connection. There is no way to change that. You most likely have a setting that is wrong. Or its possible that you have a security program running that is blocking the connection and you need to choose to allow it. What antivirus/firewall programs installed?

 

[Mike the Wino]

I am using the Norton Security Suite, version 20.3.1.22, provided by Comcast, on both machines. I have disabled the Windows supplied firewall, at least on the Vista machine (can't remember on the Windows 7 machine).

 

[johnb35]

Disable nortons or try uninstalling on both machines and see if things will connect.

 

[Mike the Wino]

Disable nortons or try uninstalling on both machines and see if things will connect.

I ended up with major pain the last time I disabled my security program, so that'll be my last option. However, you are probably correct that the issues are related to it....after reading your reply I opened up the Norton's Control Panel and there's several things needing configuration regarding Network Security, computer discovery, and remote monitoring....stuff like that. Won't have time to mess with until later, so I'll post later to let you know what's up.

Thanks for the idea about the one thing I hadn't yet messed with....out of all the "techies" I've talked to on several forums, you're the first to suggest it.

 

[johnb35]

Yeah, there are few programs that are a pain in the butt to allow network sharing and Nortons is one of them. Since it comes from comcast you can always uninstall it and then check and then reinstall it afterward. That will tell you for sure if its nortons, but i bet it is.

 

[Mike the Wino]

Yeah, there are few programs that are a pain in the butt to allow network sharing and Nortons is one of them. Since it comes from comcast you can always uninstall it and then check and then reinstall it afterward. That will tell you for sure if its nortons, but i bet it is.

So, I spent over 2 hours with a Norton's remote tech support agent...he went in and changed a bunch of settings and then blamed my network issues on Comcast. He was obviously reading scripts and wasn't a SME. Fed up, I uninstalled the Norton's from both machines, and.....still they don't see each other on "the network".

This morning, as I was thinking about getting the Geek Squad out for a one-time service call to get my network properly set up, I had an epiphany. A month or so ago I had an electrician friend wire in a low-voltage cabinet in the basement while we were rewiring the house during a remodel. From it we had the whole house hard wired for phone, cable and CAT 5e, with several "outlets" (great technical term, eh?) throughout the house. He put a 4-port Internet router in it which is being fed via a hard wire from the wired/wireless router upstairs. I think the intent was to eventually move the wireless router downstairs and feed it from the Internet router in the cabinet, but we haven't done that yet.

Anyway, is it possible the devices aren't seeing each other due to this setup? I have attached a diagram of my "network" here: (BTW, can someone shrink this so it doesn't take up so much space, or how would I do it?)

 

[johnb35]

Yes, thats most likely the reason. When you hook router to router and use the wan instead of hooking it up to an lan port, the machines on the second router are on a different network. If you run out of ports on a router just get a 4 port switch, they are much cheaper.

 

[Mike the Wino]

Well, one thing's for sure, my computers boot up quicker since I got rid of the Norton's! Guess I'll go get a 4-port switch now....

Thanks John!

 

[johnb35]

Just make sure that the cable from the wireless router to the leviton is going into a lan port on the leviton router and not the internet port.

 

[Mike the Wino]

Just make sure that the cable from the wireless router to the leviton is going into a lan port on the leviton router and not the internet port.

It worked! I had a couple open LAN ports on the Leviton, so I plugged the wireless into it, and now the computers see each other. Time to go see if the sharing thing works now.

Thanks for all the help!

 

[Mike the Wino]

So now that they see each other on my network, and I have allowed sharing of certain folders on my Vista PC, how do I get them onto the Windows 7 laptop? In other words, using the network as opposed to a cable hookup, how do I move the installation files for a program on the PC to the laptop?

And beyond that, if I just want to view pictures that are on the PC from the laptop, how do I do that? I need a tutorial!

 

[strollin]

When you open Windows Explorer and expand Network, you should see the other machines on your network. If you click on those machines, you should see the folders on each machine that are shared. Find the file you want to copy in it's folder and drag it and drop it on the folder on the drive you want it copied to.

If you want to mount the network share as a drive letter on your computer, find your computer in Windows Explorer, right-click on it and select "Map network drive". Browse your network to find the share you want to map and click on it. It will now be listed in Windows Explorer as whatever drive letter you mapped it as.

 

[Mike the Wino]

Thanks! That was easy, once I understood how. Cheers!