WinVista HELP Pls

start "dos" window (cmd.exe) and type IPCONFIG /ALL

either reserve a specific IP address for the MAC address in the router's DHCP config, or if that isn't allowed by the router, just manually assign IP address on laptop instead of setting it for DHCP

Thanks, got that set up now.

DHCP can not be used, I must give the laptop a fixed IP. So how do I get in to configure the laptops IP?

1. Click Start and click Control Panel. 2. Select Network and Internet, then Network and Sharing Center, and click Manage network connections from the list of tasks. 3. Right click your local area connection and click Properties. 4. Select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) from the list and click the Properties button. 5. Select Use the following IP address. 6. Enter in the IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway information provided to you. 7. Enter in the IP address of the DNS servers your computer will use. 8. Click OK.

You do realise that DHCP can be used to hand out fixed IPs? I do it all the time. You associate the IP with the MAC address in the DHCP server, as stated above. Not that all DHCP servers support it...

Thanks again, that got it connected :-)

Bob Eager has brought this to us :

This one doesn't support handing out fixed IP's, only IP's from a range.

or enter the IP address of the router - most will be set to act as a DNS relay.

Ah well...I don't use the DHCP server in the router!

You may as well turn off MAC address filtering on the router as it's next to useless anyway.

Even better, dump wifi and get homeplugs which are fantastic.

Wholeheartedly agree. But there are a couple of downsides...

I found that sometimes a printer would get switched on when the router was not. So it would end up with some odd IP. Cleared by simply switching the printer off and on again.

And if you change your router, you have to set all the IPs up again. And maybe it isn't the best time to do so because router replacement is all too often unplanned.

As for the MAC address, it is often on the box and/or on a label on the actual machine.

WiFi is easy to secure.. just treat it the same as any other public network and secure access to all machines connected to it as you would the internet side.

This means using encrypted connections.

The last company WiFi I setup was completely open but secure. It was tunnelled through the company LAN to the outside of the company firewall and terminated on the internet side. To access anything internal required the user to use exactly the same access methods as if they were on a WiFi in a McDonalds. It was intended to provide internet access for visitors as well as some roaming capability for the MD BTW.

A home user can achieve similar results if they have a DMZ port on their internet router and a second router to use for the WiFi. Note that some routers have proper DMZ ports not just some half baked default address called DMZ.

Davey submitted this idea :

I'm on a private and dedicated personally to me IP range.

In message , "dennis@home" writes

FSVO 'easy'

In message , Davey writes

not if you just want to get you laptop out on the kitchen table and do something they aren't.

Horses, courses etc.

True enough, but if the signal is weak or you're fighting with all the neighbours' wireless networks which aew on close channels, and your connection keeps dropping, they are fantastic :)

There's a lot to be said for having a solid connection.

I'm still lie to choose my horse for the course.

There is indeed much to be said for a solid connection. we have 4 pcs in

Ok, if you are just talking about web traffic then no, it is not going to be an issue normally. but for an internal network shifting larger files around it really makes a difference (eg downloading files from the digi camera in the study to be stored on the server in the cellar is much quicker than doing it on one of the laptops over WiFi.

And whilst ours is generally reliable, it's a biggsh victorian house, solid walls and all that, I've only really just about managed to get a reliable decent connection over the all house.

but if I want to flop on the sofa, sit at the kitchen table or lie in bed the WiFi is great :-)

Was that a typo? WiFi or WiFe?

:o)

WiFe of course, WiFi is no good for bringing you a cuppa :-)

I used to think that. But since a)( getting an Apple Airport Extreme router and b) getting a new laptop, I am really not sure any more. Reliability is excellent - never have a problem. And speed is not an issue any more. Last night, for example, I was downloading at what was claimed to be 1.1 MB/sec. (That corresponded with total download time/size of file as well.) Can't get anything like that at work!

(We do have lots of other wireless stuff in the area. But we never notice anything being affected.)

Sure, local connections would be faster with a wired system, but when even gigabytes can transfer in sensibly finite time, I really don't care any more.