Cannot connect home laptop to office laptop (domain name)

Hello everyone,

This is my first post to this forum.

I have an office laptop which is on a domain (say XYZ).
I also have a loptop at my home which is on a workgroup (say HOME).

When I try to connect the two laptops with a LAN cord, it connects to the other laptop, but does not show any computers in "Microsoft Windows Network" option.

But when I connect my office laptop with another office laptop (my colleague's) on the same domain (XYZ), I am able to connect and share files from the other laptop.

I cannot change the settings of my office laptop, but can do any settings on my home laptop.

I have windows XP installed on both the laptops.

Help appreciated.

Thanks,
Swaran

Although it works sometimes, that's really not the way to share files. If your laptop is Vista Home, it cannot join the domain but if it gets an IP address from the router, it can share files. It won't get an IP address by connecting it to another laptop. It has to go into a wall jack, a switch or a router.

Like Don2007 already said, in somewhat wrong words, you'll need to have
a DHCP server for both PC's to get them their IP-addresses.
(A domain or workgroup has nothing to do with this really)

The easiest way is to just connect both laptops to a (household-)router
with a built in DHCP service, but if you don't want or can't use a router,
you could also give both PC's a static IP-address for the moment.

Giving your laptops a static IP-address:

• Make sure both PC's have administrator privileges or be at least
  able to change the IP settings with the account you're logged in with
• Go to the configuration-panel of both PC's and go for the "Network connections"
• Double-click the icon of your network-card
  (there are probably more than one, like "Internet connection", but you
  really need the one called "Local Area Connection")
• Click the properies-button in the dialog
• Scroll down the list you see in the next dialog, select "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)"
  and press the "Properties"-button
  
• Give one PC the IP address "192.168.1.101" and the other one "192.168.1.102".
  Set both their subnet masks to 255.255.255.0 (should be filled in automatically)
  You can leave the gateway empty or just enter any of the laptop's IP-addresses
  
• Press the OK-buttons in the three dialog buttons

Now both PC's are assigned a static IP-address and should be able to talk
to each other when connected with a cross-over LAN cable (if your
laptops have auto-sensing, you could also use a straight cable).

Checking connectability:

• Open a command-prompt window (Start->Run->"cmd"->Ok)
• At the prompt, on the PC having address 192.168.1.101, type: "ping 192.168.1.102",
  (without the " quotes) while on the other PC (with IP 192.168.1.102) you can type
  "ping 192.168.1.101".
• If you get messages like:
  Code: [ Select ]
   
  Pinging 192.168.1.xxx with 32 bytes of data:
   
  Reply from 192.168.1.xxx: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
  Reply from 192.168.1.xxx: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
  Reply from 192.168.1.xxx: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
  Reply from 192.168.1.xxx: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
   
  Ping statistics for 192.168.1.xxx:
      Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
  Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
      Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms
  
  1.  
  2. Pinging 192.168.1.xxx with 32 bytes of data:
  3.  
  4. Reply from 192.168.1.xxx: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
  5. Reply from 192.168.1.xxx: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
  6. Reply from 192.168.1.xxx: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
  7. Reply from 192.168.1.xxx: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
  8.  
  9. Ping statistics for 192.168.1.xxx:
  10.     Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
  11. Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
  12.     Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms
  
  you'll know everything is okay and you're ready for the next step,
  but if you've got errors like:
  
  Code: [ Select ]
   
  Pinging 192.168.21.xxx with 32 bytes of data:
   
  Request timed out.
  Request timed out.
  Request timed out.
  Request timed out.
   
  Ping statistics for 192.168.21.xxx:
      Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 0, Lost = 4 (100% loss),
  
  1.  
  2. Pinging 192.168.21.xxx with 32 bytes of data:
  3.  
  4. Request timed out.
  5. Request timed out.
  6. Request timed out.
  7. Request timed out.
  8.  
  9. Ping statistics for 192.168.21.xxx:
  10.     Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 0, Lost = 4 (100% loss),
  
  something went wrong and you'll have to re-check your settings and the cables.

If you've managed to let the two PC's talk to each other, you
should be able to share files between them...
...if you have set file-shares enabled

Enabling filesharing on a drive or folder:

• Open Windows Explorer (WIN_BTN + E)
• Click on the drive or folder you want to share
• Right click and select "Sharing and security"
• Click on the link in the dialog that tells you about
  the dangers of sharing folders
• Check the box labeled "Share this folder on the network"
  (If you want to be able to change files on that laptop from
  within the other one, check the box "Allow...to change my files"
  as well).
• Press OK to exit the dialog and accept the changes.

When you're done setting permissions on (both of) the laptops
you can do what you actually wanted to do

Since you're not on a domain now, but in a "Workgroup", you can
find the other PC by either browsing:
"My network places"->"Entire network"->"Microsoft Windows network"
followed by the workgroup-name set at the other computer

OR

Create a mapped network-drive (your laptop gets a new extra drive)
by right-clicking "My network places" and choosing "Map network drive"

In the dialog (as above) you can fill in the drive-letter the new drive
will get on your local laptop and the address to find that drive or folder
on that other laptop.

In the example above, I've shared my entire C-drive (its name is C) on
the PC with address 192.168.1.101

Reminder:
Don't forget to set things back to as they were when you're finished copying
files or you work's laptop won't work anymore on your company's network!


Greetz and good luck,

Peter.

Here is the main point of this I think everyone is missing. This is a major hurdle.

If his laptop is configured with a static IP he/she is not going to be able to use a router unless he/she reconfigures the router with the same IP scheme his/her company uses.

If it is setup for DHCP a router will work.

The direct connect with a CAT-5 cable will work if the company laptop is statically configured but it has to be a cross-over cable unless of course both NIC's are auto-sensing which has been mentioned and his home PC will have to be configured to use the same IP scheme his/her company uses.

If it is setup for DHCP he/she will not be able to assign a static IP since he/she is locked out.

Hi VideoRipper,

Hats off to you for giving such a fantastic and simple solution to my problem. It must've taken a lot of time to post such an elaborative reply.

Thanks a lot.... I'm now able to connect the 2 laptops very easily.

Thanks to grinch2171 as well..... your point is very valid and may be useful to other users of this forum having the same problem

Superb solution............ thanks VideoRipper..... and God bless...

Warm regards,
Swaran!