How to set up ethernet connection preference over WiFi network?

[dc2000]

I have two desktop computers. The old one running Windows XP and the new one running Windows 7. My goal is to set up a shared folder between them so that I can copy large files from XP machine to Win7 and back. Both desktops had ethernet ports, so I connected them via a "patch cord" ethernet cable. I then followed this tutorial to set up the sharing part:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BET_mYyqZ0

It works, but when I was transfering a 250GB folder from XP to 7, it took almost 24hrs to do that. So it made me think that ethernet is not that slow, is it? The thing is that both computers are connected to the same WiFi router (for the Internet connection) so it seems like the transfer of this large folder was carried out over slower WiFi connection instead of the ethernet cable.

So my question is, how do I make it "prefer" or use the ethernet connection for this shared folder?

 

[UsernameIssues]

Both desktops had ethernet ports, so I connected them via a "patch cord" ethernet cable.

Did you connect a single cable between the two computer?
e.g. one end of the cable connects to one computer
the other end of that same cable connects to the other computer

 

[dc2000]

Both desktops had ethernet ports, so I connected them via a "patch cord" ethernet cable.

Did you connect a single cable between the two computer?
e.g. one end of the cable connects to one computer
the other end of that same cable connects to the other computer

Yes, it's a single ethernet cable.

 

[UsernameIssues]

Temporarily disable Wi-Fi on one of the computers and see if you really have a connection between the two using that single cable.

If you connect each computer to the router via their own Ethernet cable, then your file transfer times might get better.

 

[dc2000]

Temporarily disable Wi-Fi on one of the computers and see if you really have a connection between the two using that single cable...

Good idea. Just tried it, and indeed just like I thought when I disable WiFi on one machine, the shared folder does not become accessible. Like I said I used a "patch cord" ethernet cable to connect two machines directly (no routers were involved.) So what could be the issue?

 

[UsernameIssues]

Yes, the patch cord could be the problem:
Connect two computers using a crossover cable - Windows Help

 

[dc2000]

Yes, the patch cord could be the problem:
Connect two computers using a crossover cable - Windows Help

Thanks for the link. Yes, it makes sense. I forgot that one needs a crossover cable for this. So I changed the ethernet patch cable to a crossover over (where the orange wire is flipped on each mod plug.) But still no luck...

That MS document that you linked to mentioned that XP needs to have the same workgroup as Win7, so I changed it from MSHOME to WORKGROUP to match the workgroup on Win7. Still nothing...

Then changed computer names to make them different. Didn't help...

I then changed IPs on each end on this ethernet connection:

Win7:
IP: 192.168.1.71
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0

WinXP:
IP: 192.168.1.70
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0

Rebooted XP, waited some time (like the link suggested) and still nothing...

Then tried ping'ing from Win7 side and got this:

C:\WINDOWS\system32>ping 192.168.1.70

Pinging 192.168.1.70 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 192.168.1.71: Destination host unreachable.
Reply from 192.168.1.123: Destination host unreachable.
Reply from 192.168.1.123: Destination host unreachable.
Reply from 192.168.1.123: Destination host unreachable.

Ping statistics for 192.168.1.70:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),

C:\WINDOWS\system32>

So what am I missing here?

 

[UsernameIssues]

Was the wireless network adapter disabled on both computers during this testing?

Maybe it would be simpler to use an old router

 

[dc2000]

Was the wireless network adapter disabled on both computers during this testing?

Maybe it would be simpler to use an old router

No, it was disabled only on XP machine.

The "old router" is so much slower...

 

[UsernameIssues]

That is probably where the reply from 192.168.1.123 came into play.

192.168.1.123 was probably the wireless network adapter on the W7 box.

 

[dc2000]

That is probably where the reply from 192.168.1.123 came into play.

192.168.1.123 was probably the wireless network adapter on the W7 box.

Well, OK. I can't disable it. That's where my Internet is coming from.

 

[UsernameIssues]

Temporarily enable the wireless network adapter on the XP box.
See if pings to the XP box work. If they fail, get that fixed first.

Temporarily disable the wireless network adapter on the XP box and the W7 box.
See if pings to the XP box work.

After the test, you can enable the wireless network adapter on the W7 box again.

 

[dc2000]

Yes, I'll be able to ping the XP machine if I enable WiFi back. (One caveat in this case is that I need to remove static IP from the ethernet connection, as otherwise XP shows "Limited connectivity" warning for the WiFi. It might be an XP bug though.)

You see, my initial idea was to have both WiFi and ethernet connections -- WiFi for the Internet and ethernet for fast connection between computers. But evidently there's some internal conflict in this configuration that Windows doesn't like that I don't really understand...

 

[UsernameIssues]

I knew what you hoped to do. I was just testing one part at a time.

The OS normally only uses one network adapter* at a time, but some people have managed to do what you want. Maybe other forum members know how to do that... I don't.

*the fastest adapter - hence, XP picking the wired one and not seeing an Internet connection via wired - so, limited connectivity warning. On your W7 box, the wireless adapter might claim to be the fastest.

 

[foxyrick]

So... you want each PC to access the internet through wifi, but network to each other through a wired connection? Do you have anything else connecting through the wifi to the PCs, like a printer or NAS? if not, then you can try this setup:

1. Use a different subnet (e.g. 192.168.2.0) for the wired NIC like this:
1.a. On PC1's wired NIC, set a static IP address of 192.168.2.1, mask 255.255.255.0. NO default route or DNS entres; leave them blank.
1.b. On PC2's wired NIC, do the same as above but IP address 192.168.2.2.

2. Your wifi settings should have the default route and DNS entries already, if you've changed anything there, put it back how it was.

Now, anything going off either of your subnets (192.168.1.0 and 192.168.2.0) to somewhere else will use the default route to the wifi router.

3. On both PC's WiFi settings (LAN properties), untick "Client for Microsoft Networks" and "File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks".

Now, the PCs should be forced to use the wired NIC for file sharing. Removing the above prevents Windows from using its file sharing protocols on those interfaces.

After changing the above, it takes a good few seconds for things to stabilise. I tried it out and verified it worked between two XP virtual machines, but the principle is the same for Windows 7.


An alternative to removing the file sharing services on the NICs might be to enable some sort of Private/Isolated setting on your WiFi router. Check your manual. What you are looking for is a setting that prevents WiFi-connected PCs from communicating with each other through the router. Many WiFi routers have this facility for security. That will probably have the same effect as my instructions. You should still use a different subnet for the wired LAN though.

 

[dc2000]

Thank you for trying to help, guys!

Yes, I do have other things on this WiFi network. I thought it wouldn't matter in my original post, but now I see that it may. So let me give you the full configuration:

1) Windows 7 desktop:
- I have VMWare Workstation 10 set up on it that comes with two of its own (virtual) networks/adapters used for its guest OS'es.
- The WiFi network provides Internet connection to a Comcast broadband modem.
- The Wifi network is connecting this computer to another Windows 7 desktop (in my office) that has its laser printer sharing enabled.
- The WiFi network also connects this computer to an all-in-one fax machine/scanner/color/photo printer.

2) Windows XP desktop:
- The WiFi network provides Internet connection to a Comcast broadband modem.
- (I do not print nor scan from this PC.)

The reason I'm trying to set up this ethernet connection between XP and Win7 machines, is that the XP machine has some proprietary software installed on it (needing special hardware) that generates bulky data files that I need to send to the Win7 machine. My original approach was to use an external/portable hdd for that, but it seemed like a slow and tedious process of plugging it in and out, (unfortunately XP machine doesn't have front-facing USB ports) then transferring those large files to and from hdd, etc. So I thought that setting up a shared folder via ethernet cable was a simpler/faster solution. But now as I look at how complicated it is to set it up, maybe using an external hdd wasn't that complicated after all

So @foxyrick, shall I still try your suggestions?

 

[foxyrick]

Yes, I do have other things on this WiFi network. I thought it wouldn't matter in my original post, but now I see that it may.

That changes things. Don't disable the file sharing services, because then you'll lose printing etc.

Whether my final paragraph will still work depends entirely on the capabilities of your wifi router and braodband modem. I'm not familiar with your hardware so can't say, but that is the way to go (investigate) if you still want to do this. I know I could do it on my network (and it's a *lot* more complicated that yours) but it does depend on your kit's capabilities.

There's even the possibility to have a second wifi SSID and subnet/VLAN for the XP PC, so that it isn't even on the same wifi network and has to use the wire to talk to the other PC. Again, it depends on your kit.

Edit to add: It might be as simple as ticking a 'privicy' box on your wifi router's settings, if it does that. Or not...