Member Avatar for bstylez

I'm new to Networking so i have a simple question.

Say I establish a network between my desktop, and my laptop. Now what If i'm at a friends house, and want to show them some pictures stored on my desktops hard drive. How does that work? Do I go through a password based entrance or something, and access the files, or what?

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by jbennet

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Short answer: yes — but exactly how depends on whether both machines are on the same home network or you need to reach the desktop from outside the house. is running XP Home on the desktop and Vista on the laptop with a wireless router planned, so the simplest and most reliable approach is to use Windows file sharing on the local LAN; if you need access while away, plan for the host to be reachable (or use a portable/cloud copy).

Basic local-LAN workflow (quick checklist):

  • Put the photos into a shareable folder: use XP's Shared Documents or create a folder and enable sharing (folder Properties -> Sharing).
  • On Vista enable Network Discovery and File Sharing in Network and Sharing Center and make sure both machines are on the same network/workgroup.
  • From the laptop, access the desktop by name or IP (Explorer -> \computername or \192.168.x.x) or map the share as a network drive.
  • If things fail, check Windows Firewall (allow File and Printer Sharing), confirm both NICs have IPs in the same range, and make sure the Server/service components are running on the XP box.

If you need to view files while away: the desktop must be powered on and network-connected to serve files. To avoid leaving it on all the time, consider copying the photos to a USB stick or small portable drive, or sync a selection to a cloud/photo service so you can access them from anywhere. Another option is Wake-on-LAN (enable in BIOS and NIC settings) so you can wake the desktop remotely — requires router/NIC support and testing.

Security/troubleshooting notes: test the setup at home before relying on it; keep sensitive folders off unprotected shares; if you want stronger remote access later, consider a dedicated always-on NAS or a secure VPN built into your router rather than exposing file-sharing ports directly. This covers the simple, practical paths not yet detailed in the thread started by and .

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Member Avatar for jbennet

depends

what Operating system? (and edition)
wired or wireless?

Member Avatar for bstylez

My desktop is windows XP, my notebook is Vista.

I will be purchasing a wireless router, i do not know which model yet.

Member Avatar for bstylez

depends

what Operating system? (and edition)
wired or wireless?

XP Home edition

Member Avatar for DimaYasny

use logmein.com - it's the easiest way

Member Avatar for jbennet

use logmein.com - it's the easiest way

thats not what he asked :(

Member Avatar for DimaYasny

why not? log in remotely, open pictures up :)

Member Avatar for bstylez

thats not what he asked :(

Thanks for the logmein web-site, it's definitely a solution.

However, like was mentioned, I'm looking to gain access through my network. is that possible? If not, no big deal... logmein.com will suffice.

Thanks for the replies fellow members! ;)

Member Avatar for DimaYasny

well, you can download and set up an FTP service on the PC, share the pics out through that, open up and forward the ports needed, provide authentication off the server, set up a dynamic DNS account...

anything is possible, provided you really want to go the complicated way, achieving a slightly different, but considering the amount of effort wasted, useless result :)

Member Avatar for bstylez

thats not what he asked :(

well, you can download and set up an FTP service on the PC, share the pics out through that, open up and forward the ports needed, provide authentication off the server, set up a dynamic DNS account...

anything is possible, provided you really want to go the complicated way, achieving a slightly different, but considering the amount of effort wasted, useless result :)

Well said... lol

Member Avatar for bstylez

Oh yeah.. one more thing.

So If i use the logmein web-site, does my desktop need to be on, in order to gain access through my laptop?

Because that would be bad, unless I knew I wanted the access in advance, i would waste alot of energy leaving the system on.

Member Avatar for DimaYasny

if you have a router, you only need the accessed system on. and the router of course

Member Avatar for jbennet

or use windows networking + pptp

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