MP780 won't browse on an ad hoc network with XP...

On the DESKTOP SYSTEM: Internet Connection Sharing is enabled (through Control Panel > Network Connections > Qwest DSL > Properties > Advanced).

On the HANDHELD: Both the primary and secondary DNS are both set to the desktop IP of 192.168.0.1 (through Control Panel > Network > Orinoco > Name Servers). Primary and Secondary WINS are both still blank.

BTW, ZoneAlarm did not automatically enable the network. I had to manually go into the firewall tab and change the settings for the handheld's IP from "Internet" (and blocked) to "Trusted" (and allowed). Once I did this, file-sharing popped up but IE stayed silent.

I have also tried adding the handheld's IP (192.168.0.2) to the "Trusted" zone in ZA, but that did not help anything.

Even though I have disabled the Windows Firewall, on the Advanced tab of its configuration window it says it is still being used for the network connections listed -- including both my desktop NIC and DSL. I unchecked those boxes, but it changed nothing.

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In PIE type the follwojng into the address bar:
http://205.245.49.102/

Hit enter, do you see the site?

It takes about 30 seconds to a minute, then I get an error: "Unable to connect to the Internet site..."

Just to eliminate it as a possibility, I unloaded ZoneAlarm. No change.

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Edited by Rixware 2005-04-23 1:35 AM

Maybe this is a dumb question, but what should I use on the Identification tab on the handheld (Control Panel > Network > Identification)?

I only have one user set up on my desktop system (called "Rick"), but my Security tabs for shared folders all list four, each with their own separate permissions (the computer name is STUDIO):

Administrators (STUDIO\Administrators)
Everyone
Rick (STUDIO\Rick)
SYSTEM

I have been logging in as "Rick" with no password (because I don't have one set up), but I just discovered that all shared folders need to include the "Everyone" entry or their contents will not be shared.

I cannot find a comparable tab on the DSL properties page. This is most perplexing...

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Edited by Rixware 2005-04-23 2:30 AM

After much testing, cajoling, rebooting, tweaking, and general gnashing of teeth, this turned out to be a bigger (and simpler) problem than I thought.

I began to think a router might be the next thing to try, so I started looking at prices and features. That's when I discovered that I can't use a router because my DSL modem (the Intel Pro/DSL 2200 internal) does not have an ethernet port.

So I called Qwest DSL tech support, and the rep told me that this modem will not work with ICS. (I'm not entirely sure she understood me, but this is what she said.)

Gah!!

Can anyone offer me any hope here? I'm open to ideas, but fear I'm SOL without a new modem.

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Go into support, down into the network area and there are guides on configuring Internet Connection Sharing in there.

The Indentifaction tab is for specifying the default logon credentials that CE will try when presented with ANY network connection. You really should have a password on your account, as Windows XP Pro is setup to restrict unauthenticated logon through LSP.

I've practically memorized those guides because I've read them so many times... Nothing seems to work.

I do believe that it might be possible because of this note I found on a support page for the same modem on the InfoWest site (which offers the same modem to its customers):

Connecting Multiple Computers
Intel Internal DSL modems are not designed to be "shared" or integrated into an existing network. Although it is possible, we do not support "sharing" of the Intel internal DSL modems.

Unfortunately, I can find nothing further.

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Have you posted us your Information from vxUtil? and from ipconfig on your PC?

I have had my EUREKA! moment. And let me just say, before providing a little documentation, that this was truly maddening and I nearly gave up about 10 times. Once again, however, persistence and patience won.

The problems were two-fold:

1. ICS requires that there be 2 (count 'em TWO) ethernet adapters in the system. Don't ask me why, see this article:

http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/ics_xp#1

I got lucky because I'm using a wireless USB NIC for communication, and was able to simply enable the ethernet port built into my motherboard to serve as the second one. I didn't even have to open the case (although I did have to dig out the driver CD). There is no cable plugged into the second ethernet port, but that doesn't seem to matter as long as it's enabled. (I have an ugly red X up on my taskbar, but

2. ZoneAlarm WAS blocking me once I got everything properly configured. The free version has no automatic support for ICS, but it can be configured manually as follows:

a. Run IPCONFIG /ALL from a DOS prompt and gather all DNS server IPs (there will likely be two).

b. Add these IPs, one at a time, to your TRUSTED zone (Firewall > Zones > Add > IP Address).

For more info, see this article:

http://forum.zonelabs.org/zonelabs/board/message?board.id=cfg&message.id=27416#M27416

Now, I'm browsing!

Peace.
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Edited by Rixware 2005-04-26 4:44 AM

I'm glad you did it, please write about it to help other new users

Rixware,

I can assure you that so long as you are not using a PPPoE internet connection (and by the sounds of it you aren't if the second LAN adpater isn't being used) you do not need two ethernet adapters.

If you get the Internet from a USB device, something on the serial port or a PCI card then you do not need the second adapter.

If you do have a PPPoE adapter, then you could run into problems when using ICS and accessing web sites. There is a work around, but if you are not experienced in Windows, it may be somewhat daunting MSKB319661

I spoke too soon...

About 20 minutes after I wrote that entry above, my browser went dead. It turns out that the free version of ZoneAlarm does not support ICS -- but sometimes it works for a little while.

ZA claims that their Pro version supports it, but I'm skeptical because many people say it doesn't actually work.

I tried a couple of other firewalls, but with no luck. (Sygate supports ICS but the firewall leaves port 135 wide open. Bad trade-off.)

As for the second adapter, all I know is that when I disable that second adapter in the BIOS, ICS doesn't work at all (even without any firewall).

I have found evidence that my connection may be using PPPoE (possibly a Qwest "feature" leftover from when I first got my DSL connection a few years ago -- I'm still using that original modem from 2001), and slogged through many posts and tutorials about that. I tried a bunch of work-arounds, but none made any difference. Qwest tech support says this modem will not work with ICS -- but I now know better.

[ Advisory: Mini-Rant Ahead ]

I'll admit that I'm no expert on this stuff, and it seems like real experts are few and far between. And don't believe anybody who tells you that networking has "gotten easy" in the last couple of years. It's still a bunch of esoteric protocols and kludgery just like it's always been. Everybody just sort of pokes at it until it starts to work. I think the only difference is that now it occasionally works on the first try. But woe to those who have something non-standard in their setup (like an internal PCI DSL modem)!

[ End of Mini-Rant ]

As I'm unwilling to run without a firewall, I'm kinda stuck right now. (I posted elsewhere asking for firewall suggestions.)

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Edited by Rixware 2005-04-30 12:25 AM

I do sympathise with your rant. I think networking might be easy if you start with a set of standard components (pcs running XP, and matching network adaptors / routers etc) and a completely virgin system. For the rest of us, as you say, it's a matter of fiddling about until something works. I've been lucky with my ad-hoc network (but only because I was using XP configurations throughout, and after lots of advice from these forums.) Last night I installed a router / modem and set up an infrastructure network, and here I go again - it's working, but only without encryption and with the router's firewall turned off - otherwise NOTHING will communicate with anything else.

As for experts, if you can't find them here I don't know where you WILL find them. I tried our IT department at work, and was shocked to find that I knew almost as much as they did, and a lot more when it came to anything smaller than a laptop.

I suppose it's a learning curve, and it keeps the brain working.

Good luck with your system. Wish I could offer some advice. I will say a modem/router combo might be a way forward, at litle extra expense. I'm using the same wifi usb adaptor that I had on the ad-hoc network to communicate with mine, and that part of it works well. The router was cheap on Ebay and although its own firewall is off, the pc's one is switched on as normal, so only the handhelds aren't firewalled. And I've used MAC association to stop anyone else getting onto my network.

The trouble with providing network support on a forum is knowing other people serups and getting enough information out of the user at the other end to be able to trouble shoot the problem with them.

There is just a lot of information we need to help you properly, from protocils, configurations, lan cabling and hardware modes. It goes on...

I used to use ICS and zone alarm, there were some configuration steps needed above any beyond point, click, tick, ok - but it was possible.
Can you tell us the make and model number of your DSL Modem, perhaps I can clear the framing conundrum up for you.

There are three Admins on this board and there happen to be three admins on this board who in one guise or another are Network admins (One is even a Network engineer by title).