Hello, I hope you dont mind me emailing you but i wonder if you could spare me some of your time!

I am having a problem with my LAN networking from one PC to another by a direct link cross overcable. I got your email address from the site www.computing.net where you were replying to another person who seemed to be having a similar problem to me!

Here is the situation:
I have 2 computers both running windows XP home edition. Over Christmas I was able to link the 2 computers via a LAN cross over cable and play games between them: Red Alert 2, Command and Conquer Generals and War of the Ring.

Now 3 months later, trying to play netwok games does not seem to work! The computers can both access each others files and modify them over the network but cannot be seen on any of the games!

The two things that have cahnged between the two time periods are:
1. Instillation of Service Pack 2 on both computers!
2. Instilation of Wireless broadband on one of the computers.

I have disabled the firewall and anti virus software on both computers and attempted to network the games again but that did not seem to help!

I am now stuck and do not know what to do!
Can you suggest anything?

Thanks in advance
Dave

Seems like XP is blocking certain ports that games require in order to communicate. But that would be remedied by disabling the firewall...Check and see that you disabled it on both computers. You could also try, with the firewall on, adding the programs to the exception list for the firewall so that it would allow the ports to be opened.

Another guess would be to check and make sure that the IPs are different for both wired connections. Adding the wireless card and/or installing SP2 might have changed some things around.

Alert me after you respond otherwise I'll forget to come back.

First question:

Are you running Internet Connection Sharing to share the broadband connection?

Second question:

If so, why didn't you just buy a router? ;-)

(Hint: Buy a router then!)

"...but in my defense, it was dark, I was drunk, and it was delicious!"

you need a router.

P4 3.2GHZ
kingstom 1GB DDR 3200
Nvidia geforce FX 5950 256mb

I have tried disabling the firwall and will try allowing on the exceptions list! I am running PC-cillin firewall and my other computer is running the windows srvice pack 2 firwall!

I have got the ip addresses on obtain automatically and am getting the limited or no connectivity simbol on the network in the task bar but this does not affect the file sharing! I have tried setting my own ip and i loose the limited or no connectivity sign and file sharing still works but this does not cahnge the fact that we cannot play LAN games!

It has nothing to do with allowing the computers access to certian files on each computer does it??

Im still stuck and still none of my games are working!

Buying a router might solve the problem but i would be very greatful if someone could solve this problem with my existing hardware!

Thanks Dave

In your local connection properties, you
have to enable the IPX protocole. Not
every game need this protocole to
connect, but most of them do.

AMD 64 3200+ 754
Abit KV8 Pro
1go 2x512 DDR 400 Kingston
FX5700LE
160 gb SATA Maxtor
80 gb WD

I don't know of a single game released for Windows based computers in the last five years that requires IPX/SPX, let alone most of them. In fact, I can't remember the last time I've even played a network game that required it.

That is utterly not true.

"...but in my defense, it was dark, I was drunk, and it was delicious!"

If you do not have a router, how are the IP's being obtained automatically ?

Are you running ICS (Internet connection sharing)?

If you are not running ICS
try setting up the IP's as follows

192.168.123.001
255.255.255.0

Then set the other machine
192.168.123.002
255.255.255.0

Thanks Zachnet but already have IPX enabled! Read Alert 2 needs it to run!!!!

NO! Not running internet sharing and the IP can be obtained automatically SEE BELOW:

""If you see a "limited or no connectivity" warning and a yellow exclamation mark in Device Manager, this only means that the computer's network port is set to automatically obtain an IP address through DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), but a DHCP server could not be found. Windows then generates an APIPA address in the 169.254.x.y range (see chapter APIPA Addresses in Private IP Addresses). This means that all computers in the LAN (Local Area Network) can communicate with each other, if the others also gave themselves APIPA addresses.

It does not necessarily mean that there is anything wrong, but if you don't want to see this message any more, right-click on the LAN connection, select Properties, and remove the check mark for "Notify me when this connection has limited or no connectivity".""

After all that from Windows help online, will try completely uninstalling my PC-cillin and then using the IP addresses that Temperal72 has suggested!

Thanks, will get back to you and let you know what happens!
Thanks

"Thanks Zachnet but already have IPX enabled! Read Alert 2 needs it to run!!!!"

I've played Red Alert 2. You do not need IPX/SPX to play it without a doubt. Not trying to argue, just trying to edumacate. ;-)

"...but in my defense, it was dark, I was drunk, and it was delicious!"

just get a router, its less than $20 and its simple, just hook it up then follow the instruction. 5 simple steps and you are done, just like i did. you dont need to set IP, host, enable this, disable that, or whatever complicated craps like that.

P4 3.2GHZ
kingstom 1GB DDR 3200
Nvidia geforce FX 5950 256mb

thank you for the info about automatically assigning IP's

That explains a couple of wierd issues with my netowrk (when I was setting it up) I always wondered where it got that number from. (I had removed my dhcp router for a while)

sorry about crappy link
Redalert issues ipx over lan

http://eatech.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/eatech.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1039&p_created=986499550&p_sid=Wq-*6Ryh&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9NTUmcF9wcm9kcz0zLDExOCZwX2NhdHM9MCZwX3B2PTIuMTE4JnBfY3Y9JnBfc2VhcmNoX3R5cGU9YW5zd2Vycy5zZWFyY2hfbmwmcF9zY2ZfcGxhdGZvcm09MTgyJnBfcGFnZT0x&p_li=&p_topview=1

but in general most newer games dont use ipx/spx just tcp/ip.

some nice info on dhcp apipa & arp etc.
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/dhcpwin2000/chapter/ch04.html

personally i would ditch the wireless connection get everything working on cat5
then move back to rf, troubleshooting wireless seems to be the biggest jump ppl make and cant pin down issues because theyve changed too many other things ,re: sp2, does anyone know the limits sp2 puts on connections do some games exceed these limits?
:)

I had problems with NFSU2 until I assigned each computer a default gateway of 1.1.1.1

I'm very new to networking and this may not even be relevant to your problem but it may help?

Also had a problem with a friends wireless setup that was connected to 'netbios' sharing.

Tt Lanfire
nf7-s v2.0
XP-m 2500@210x11
SP 97
512mb pc3200
Jou Jye 550w psu
FX5600
WDCaviar 160gb sata
WDCaviar 160gb sata

;~}

Im having the exact same problem with C&C Generals and it seems to be ever since i installed XP SP2. I cant find an answer and its geting real frustrating.