posted 10 years ago
I'm trying to set up a LAN with my son's discarded computers. One runs XP and the other Vista. They can detect the presence of each other, but won't let me access the other. The Vista tower is connected to a Netgear router by cable, and the XP system connects to the internet wirelessly with a Netgear adapter. Both systems can operate an HP printer wirelessly. I don't want to screw up what is already working. Both systems are in the same workgroup, but when I try to access one from the other, I get a message saying I need to see the administrator because I don't have the necessary access. (Unfortunately, I'm the defacto administrator)
The XP system has an Intel PRO/100 VE network connection that appears in the list of network devices, but it is not active because it is unplugged. Do I need to get an AP wireless adapter to connect to this local area connector to network my two systems, or can I set it up using the Netgear wireless adapter? When I try to set up a local network using the wizard, it tells me my local area connector is unplugged, and when I click on configure, I get a scary message telling me I have made changes that will be forever lost if I proceed. Did I already mention that I don't want to screw up what is currently working?
I don't really need to network my systems, but I am toying with the idea of learning how to do this so I can be a Computer Technician for the local school district, because they can't seem to hold on to qualified tech people. I figure if I can learn networking........but I don't want to create a big mess because I don't know enough about this stuff yet.
Can I set up a LAN using the same Netgear adapter that is being used to connect to the internet, or do I need to get an adapter for the Intel device?