Greetings

I have a 3 mointh old computer system (celeron 2600) running XP and fitted with a network card. I also have a 386 computer with 1 MB extended memory and running windows 3.1 for workgroups also fitted with a network card and a modem.
I used to use the 386 as a fax machine to recieve faxes and send small text faxes however I have now loaned the monitor to a friend but would like to network the two computers together so that I can leave the old 386 machine running all the time to accept faxes etc rather than piling up the running time on the new unit.
I would then envisage being able to transfer files to the old unit from my new computer for example scanned images etc, and conversly retrieve faxes from the old computer to the new unit.
Can anyone tell me wether this is possible and how I would go about this.

Thankyou.

Hello,

While I don't like seeing workstation-class machines working as servers, I can understand for cost / business reasons what you are trying to do, and think we can get something working well for you concerning it.

My knowledge of Win 3.1 is a little thin, but I think we can hammer this out. You will need a network card for it, and will need to install NetBIOS / NetBUI protocol on it. Windows 3.1 did not come with a free IP stack... but if you can find TCP/IP for it, all the better. You are looking for something called WinSock, and it might be available to download from somewhere. I think you will need an ISA ethernet card, and will need the driver floppy disks for it. Be sure to blow the dust out of that floppy drive if you have not used it in a while.

You will also need a network hub, and wiring to connect the two computers to the hub. Do not use a crossover cable from one computer to the other computer. That seriously limits growth potential later on.

On the Windows XP machine, you will need an ethernet card to go to the hub. If this computer also goes to the internet, you will actually need 2 cards, or you will need to change what was described above so that they go into a router instead of a dumb hub/switch. If you need Internet capability, you can purchase a router, and from there add your XP and 3.1 machines to it. I'll wait for your reply before we go any further.

From there, you need to create a username / password on the XP computer for the 3.1 system to use. You also need to setup file sharing, and have proper permissions. You also need to make sure the NetBIOS / IP system is properly configured.

If you get TCP/IP working, grab a copy of VNC. It is free, and it is remote-control software. Install the server on the 3.1 machine, and the viewer on your XP machine. Set a password on the server. Set it to also re-launch if the 3.1 machine is rebooted. You will now have a remote-control solution, and won't need that monitor back.

Finally, have the 3.1 box login to your XP box, and share files back and forth. You will need to initiate that connection from your 3.1 box, either using a monitor, or the VNC software. Also realize that you will probably want to keep the XP machine on full time now, and that you should put UPS backup power on each box to minimize "maintanance" on them. You might also be able to get the 3.1 box to save everything on the XP box, so that you don't need VNC so much.

I know this was high-level and not step by step. If you need that, let's talk.

Christian

Thanks for the prompt reply.


I am only a home user who happens to have this old 386 given to me from my previous employer as it was obsolete. Thus further growth of my system is not a probable outcome and I was hoping to just be able to use a crossover cable to minimise costs as its not really worth spending much money on it.

The 386 already has a network card on it as it was part of a LAN (for email only I seem to remember) at my previous employer and the socket connection fits the standard cable connector. It also has a modem card as well but a fairly old and slow one. I dont have any disks for the network card on the 386 but the software has not been changed since I was given the unit so it probably has some legacy software on it but I cant check at the moment for winsock. My new celeron unit came fitted with a network card and a seperate modem card which I use to access the internet.

I am also just a beginner in learing about networking and other computer mechanicals so please be gentle and accept my apologies if I do not understand right away and the simple the instructions are the better. One of the reasons I am attempting this is to learn more about computing than the simple bells and whistles that is presented as part of the operating system

Again thanks for your prompt reply

Steven

Hello Steven,

I am in the process of building a Win 3.1 environment. I found someone with disks, and my Mac has SoftWindows on it, so I can emulate what we are trying to do. It is amazing when old college images still work!

To get you started though, here we go:

1) I am assuming that your XP machine has one network card installed, and that it is not connected to the internet. If you are thinking of disconnecting the Win 3.1 box and connecting to the internet and going back and forth, this will not work, and it is a bad idea.

2) We need to make a user account on your XP machine to use. Go to Start --> Run, and type in "compmgmt.msc" You will open up the computer management control panel. Find the Users and Groups folder, and make a new user. You will need to be using the right mouse button to do some of this. Assign a password for your new user. Add them to the Users group. DO NOT MAKE THEM AN ADMIN.

3) Go to your hard drive, and make a folder. If you have a C: and a D: (and D: is not a cd-rom), make that folder on the D:. Call it something descriptive, such as ShareWin31. Then, right-click on it, and set the security on it so that the user you made in step 2 has authority to write to that folder.

4) Go to the Network control panel, and make sure filesharing services are installed for that network interface. You might need to install that service.

5) Go back to the folder made in step 3, and you should see a sharing tab. Enable sharing and set permissions so that the username made in step 2 can write to the folder through the network.

6) Install the crossover cable from the XP machine to the 3.1 machine. Again, I would rather see you put a hub in here, but that will cost something like $40, but I feel that would be well spent money. You are really limiting future expansion with the crossover cable, and a hub would offer you troubleshooting lights to look at.

Places for Gotcha:

* NTFS permissions are not sharing permissions. Your folder and user have to have both NTFS authority (assuming you are running default NTFS, you could have stayed FAT!) and sharing authority. They are different settings.

* Your XP computer, once setup for sharing like this, should not go onto the internet. We have not talked about firewalling.

* Your XP computer needs to remain on, and if you restart it, you might have to do maintance on the 3.1 computer to re-connect it.


Ok.

I need to get 3.1 going here, so that I can step through what needs to be done, and writeup some more detailed instructions.

Christian

gidday

An update as follows usaing your numbering system

1) Correct XP machine has one network card installed not connected to the internet plus a second card (modem) used to access internet, receive voice/fax when Im not on-line

2) Ran "compmgmt.msc" but could not find computer management control panel, Users and Groups folder, and so made a new user via the control panel, create new user option
3) Made a folder on c: (and D: is not a cd-rom) called it shareWin31and then selected properties, options, sharing and slected all tick boxes under network sharing and security. For some reason this folder keeps resetting to read only. Logged out of my main user into new account and confirmed that it was accessible

4) Could not find any mention/options in Network control panel regarding file sharing services however help states that "component is installed and enabled by default. It is enabled per connection ising TCP/IP and is necessary to share local folders." TCP/IP is installed

5) sharing tab checked and sharing is enabled.

6) Dont have crossover cable buying tomorrow but understand that ideally a hub would be better however I am a single guy with one only computer and an onld unit and not going to expand any further than this. I am also on very low income.

Places for Gotcha:

* I am running XP as setup when bought unit and can find no settings with respect to sharing authority for NTSC or FAT.

* I use zone alarm firewall all the time but I do need to access the internet. If doing this means that I loose my internet connection I think I would prefer to leave it alone as i need the internet

* My intention is to use the 386 computer to reduce the operating hours of the XP unit. I envisage leaving 386 computer running with its fax program running and the modem installed on the 386 connected to the telephone. When a call is recieved , the 3865 wwould capture the message if it is a fax and store it on the 386 hard disk. At some stage I would come home, switch on the XP machine, enable the networjking and recover any fax files from the relevant folder on the 386. I would, then read or print them on the XP machine and if necessary, fax directly through the XP machine any replys required.

Thanks for the help

steven

Hello Steven,

I am crunching and will reply soon.

Christian

Steve,

If you are dialing up, then what we are doing is going to be fine. If you use a cable modem and need to disconnect the 3.1 box back and forth, that will not work.

If you want to turn off your XP box, and then turn it back on again, you will need some way to tell the 3.1 box to reconnect to it. This means remote control, or getting a monitor back on that 3.1 box and walking up to the machine. See, the file share links will be broken when the XP box is powered off, resulting in the need to re-connect the shares when you wish to use them again.

Christian

Ok

I have a dial up internet account through a 56 k modem. Broadband is unfortuantly just a dream away here, available in some places and very expensive.

I understand what you are sayiong about the need need for a modem and I have a spare monitor that I can leave connected to the 386.

Thanks for the advice, we seem to be on a roll here

You can also spring for a KVM switch like I did to utilize one monitor and two computers. Works like a top and I keyboard shortcut between the two computers. Streamlines work quite a bit.

Hi,

Yup, a KVM would do it. I was under the impression the computer was on the other side of the room or something. Yeah should have thought about it. Nice suggestion. I have everything here running VNC, and use the one monitor on the Linux box to drive everything.

Christian