Vista - Vista-to-Vista new plan still won't work

Hi all.

Any help will be much appreciated.

After three months of failing to make two Vista Business PCs network
via a crossover cable, I gave up and I now have the following:

A Netgear GS605 (5 port) ethernet switch. To this switch, I have
connected two identical Vista PCs (call them A and B), and a Livebox.

Computer A connects to the Internet perfectly well via the Netgear
switch to its attached Livebox; computer B connects to the Internet
using a wireless connection to a different Livebox.

However, the PCs can not see each other.

On computer A, all I can see is "Network", "Access: Local and
Internet". The network map shows "This computer->Gateway->Internet".
The network is Private.

On computer B, I see the wireless network (Private) plus "Local Area
Connection", "Unidentified Network", "Access: Limited Connectivity".
The Local Area Connection is Public and will not stay Private when I
change it. After a short time, or a reboot, it reverts to Public.

Below is the output for ipconfig/all for Computer A, followed by the
same for computer B.

Thanks again for any help.

Gale.

=========================
Computer A

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Gale01
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : NVIDIA nForce Networking
Controller
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-21-85-6C-E9-F7
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . :
fe80::5cae:4050:be2d:c9dd%10(Preferred)
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.123(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 21 January 2009 15:19:37
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 22 January 2009 15:19:37
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 6:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . :
isatap.{01E6DA7C-B433-4D34-9EC1-326B840DF
CD8}
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

=============
Computer B

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Mum01
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : NVIDIA nForce 10/100/1000 Mbps
Ethernet #
3
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-21-85-03-A1-89
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . :
fe80::80b0:9c24:9df1:475c%16(Preferred)
Autoconfiguration IPv4 Address. . : 169.254.71.92(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : fec0:0:0:ffff::1%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::2%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::3%1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection 2:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : 802.11g USB 2.0 adapter #2
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0B-6B-9C-74-BD
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . :
fe80::3050:6b5c:f086:29f0%12(Preferred)
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.12(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 21 January 2009 15:12:20
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 22 January 2009 15:12:20
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 6:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . :
isatap.{E6328AFE-C639-43D2-B0CF-4BEE1ED59
991}
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 7:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . :
isatap.{C8F28702-FC4F-449A-97BD-297901F83
98A}
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 11:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling
Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 02-00-54-55-4E-01
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Having looked at the ipconfig listings, I noticed that I had not
upgraded to the latest ethernet driver on computer A. I've now done
that but the ipconfig output still looks exactly the same, except for
the Ethernet adapter's "Description".

Gale.

Can both computers ping each other by IP?

--
Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on
http://www.ChicagoTech.net
How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on
http://www.HowToNetworking.com
"Gale Green" <gale@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:0pfen4tm7jh8p56rvlprpa07212bjhcc7s@xxxxxx

On Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:40:59 -0600, "Robert L. \(MS-MVP\)"
<findemail@xxxxxx> wrote:

Hi.

Thanks for the response.
No. I get "Destination host is unreachable" in both directions.

If it makes any difference, the cables from the PCs to the Netgear
switch are Cat 6, the one from the switch to the Livebox is Cat 5E.

Gale.

>On Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:40:59 -0600, "Robert L. \(MS-MVP\)"If I ping with the IPv6 address, I get error 1231.

Gale.

It seems to me they are not in the same subnet physically. How do you
connect those Liveboxes?

--
Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on
http://www.ChicagoTech.net
How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on
http://www.HowToNetworking.com
"Gale Green" <gale@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:q5ten4dph2jl2ncr9997ode1mpr95tqr2a@xxxxxx

On Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:06:08 -0600, "Robert L. \(MS-MVP\)"
<findemail@xxxxxx> wrote:
The wireless one on computer B uses an 802.11g driver supplied by
Orange (the ISP). It's not configured by me at all. The one on
computer A is just connected to the ethernet switch.

Should I be somehow setting the Local Area Connection on computer B to
point to the (sub)net of computer A? Presumably, if I change the one
on computer A, it will lose sight of the Livebox?

Gale.

They both look to be on the same IPv4 subnet already. The rest you should be
able to ignore for LAN connectivity. Is either computer showing that they
are connected to a Public network in your Network and Sharing Center? That
would cause it to block incoming connections from the other computer. The
connections on both would have to be flagged as Private Network (Customize).
Are Network Discovery and File Sharing turned on in both computers and are
there any shared folders on each computer?

"Gale Green" <gale@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:3bfgn4dt33bknlsqhiqmo7rmcepo593a36@xxxxxx

Thanks for the reply. I have now made both PCs attach to the Internet
using wireless connections to their respective Liveboxes. I thought
this might simplify the home LAN problem. However, it hasn't changed a
thing. Both computers still show their IP addresses as 169.254.x.x, on
the Local Area Connection, which I think are invalid IP addresses.

The wireless networks are Private on both machines; the local network
shows as Public on each computer (and each shows as "Unidentified
network"). If I change them to Private, they revert to Public a short
time later, or when I reboot.

On both computers, Network Discovery is on, as are File Sharing,
Printer Sharing and Public Folder Sharing. Each computer has a single
folder, C:\somename, that is shared with Everyone and Guest (both
Co-owners).

I have had this problem for three months with Vista, originally with a
crossover cable, which worked as soon as I plugged it in, back in the
good old days of XP Pro, and now with straight-through cables
connected to an Ethernet switch.

I'm beginning to think that I'm never going to get these computers
talking to each other, and I'm doomed to spend the rest of my days
walking USB Flash Drives between them. <g> I wish I knew a bit more
about networking.

Gale.

Having read a bit more, I have removed IPv6 from the Local Area
Connection on each computer, and changed the NIC drivers from
"Autonegotiate" to "Autonegotiate for 100 mbps Full Duplex".

The lights on the Ethernet ports now glow green instead of orange,
which I thought might be a good sign, and the port speed now shows as
100 mbps, but nothing else has changed - still "Unidentified network"
on both machines, and one shows "Limited connectivity" while the other
shows "Local only".

Sigh.

Gale.

On Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:16:27 -0500, "RalfG" <itsnotme@xxxxxx>
wrote: