Connect W2k to Win7

aem said:

Are you wanting to mapp network shares betweent he two?

I would be interested in doing so if it were practical.

Failing that, any kind of crude connection might be very helpful.

Thx,
P

Puddin Man said:

2 desktop systems: W2k sp4, Win7 HP OEM 64 (all new). Both connected to old
2wire router/gateway.

W2k is not eligible for homegroup. I suspect some other kind of connection is possible if only for crude ascii file transfers.

ipconfig tells me the IP Addresses which vary only by last digit:

W2k xxx.yyy.z.67
W7 xxx.yyy.z.68

What can I do and how can I do it?

Thx,


P

You are correct in that Homegroups is only made for Windows 7 machine networking so that isn't going to work for you.

You would have much better luck setting up a workgroup type network making sure that you are using the same workgroup name on all machines. Also make sure that both machines are using the same default gateway.

You would also be better off to get your network set up and working before installing any type of A/V software.

I am not sure if that will help, but this is what I do with my computers, it definitely works, no problems at all, but if you are used to homegroups or Microsoft networks, then this may be unfamiliar to you.

Basically, I connect my computers through ssh. This way it makes no difference whatsoever which operating system they run. My PCs have Windows 7, XP, and 2000, but with ssh it may well be Linux or Mac - would not make any difference.

All you need to know is the IP addresses of your machines on your local networks, usually something like 192.168.1.xxx or whatever your router is set up to. If you have two PCs, then you need to install an ssh server on one of them and a client on another. If you have a software firewall, then you might need to give the server permission to receive connections from the internet (since firewalls usually do not distinguish between LAN and WAN) and the client has to have permission to connect to the internet. After that you're all set.

Admittedly this is not as "easy" as simply have a shared drive already showing in Windows explorer, you'll have to connect your computers manually whenever you need them to talk. On the bright side, no problems with networking, no shared virus infections, etc. Personally I prefer that as more secure and more stable compared to Windows networking, which I actually disable completely on my machines together with NetBios, Remote Registry and other similar stuff that I consider to be too much of a security risk.

Which ssh software can you use? There are plenty. Personally I use Cygwin, it is actually much more than just ssh, it's a full-fledged UNIX emulation layer, where one can use all kinds of scripts and UNIX tools, it gives my gcc, xfig, and other useful stuff. However, what's relevant for this thread is the OpenSSH server and client which comes as a part of the whole bundle. If you don't need anything else, you can just install the necessary routines for ssh, which will amount to a fairly small installation. It installs itself separately from Windows, does not mess up your registry, just takes some hard drive space if you don't use it. If you need an explorer-like graphical interface, you can use SSH Secure Shell or Putty or any other similar (and free) app.

Hope this helps.

>I am not sure if that will help, but this is what I do with my computers, it definitely works, no problems at all, but if you are used to homegroups or Microsoft networks, then this may be unfamiliar to you.
...
>Hope this helps.

It surely helps as a description of one interesting approach to my little problem. Many thanks for the explanation.

My needs ae so simple I'm not sure OpenSSH is the way to go. Then again, I'm not certain that it is not. Basically, I've got an old and a new system accessing the net via a router/firewall, no plans for anyone else to be on the local net, don't even need encryption. Simple file transfers would do for the immediate future.

If I decide to go with OpenSSH, you'll no doubt see a query or 2 in this forum for help with it: I'm no net guru.

Thanks,
Puddin'

There is absolutely no reason to use a third party networking program in order to get Homegroups working. Both Workgroups and Homegroups works perfectly as is I can assure you of that.

The real problem is that everyone installs those bogus third party networking programs and third party A/V's and firewalls at which point the problems begin. This fact has panned out more times than I care to count.

You should always get your network up and running before installing any type of A/V software, that way you will know exactly what is causing the problems with sharing when you encounter them.