Using WideFS over Wireless LAN?

[iandix]

Peter:

I"m trying to use WideFS with Project Magenta via a Linksys 54mb 802.11G wireless broadband router, 2 client laptops and a tower unit. Have others done this before?

My problem is: I can see the router assigns 192.xx.xx.xx IP addresses to these machines, but when I point one of the client .ini files at the FS server machine via ServerIPAddr=, nothing happens. I have tried pinging the server machine from the clients, and vice versa, and they do not see each other, yet they are all able to get to the Internet via the router.

Any ideas? You can tell I'm no networking expert.

And, thanks as always for your groundbreaking work.

Best,

Ian Dix

[Pete Dowson]

I"m trying to use WideFS with Project Magenta via a Linksys 54mb 802.11G wireless broadband router, 2 client laptops and a tower unit. Have others done this before?

One of my PCs (actually the Notebook) is on a Wireless LAN -- I use USRobotics devices with "Turbo" mode (matching, theoretically, the 100 mbs wired LAN speed).

My problem is: I can see the router assigns 192.xx.xx.xx IP addresses to these machines, but when I point one of the client .ini files at the FS server machine via ServerIPAddr=, nothing happens.

...

Any ideas? You can tell I'm no networking expert.

I'm no expert either. It's all trial and error with me. But, certainly, I don't like letting anything assign IP addresses. I do that myself. You should be able to overrule the router and assign your own, fixed, IP addresses. Check the documentation and/or on-line help. I can't remember what I had to do with my router (its a Zoom) but I followed the instructions that came with it.

If you don't do this it is likely that the IP address is different each time.

However, that said, if you are using TCP/IP with WideFS, why not just refer to the Server by name (the ServerName parameter) and stop trying to tell it the IP address? That way, WideClient asks Windows for the IP address, so even if it changes it should still be okay.

But, you also say:

I have tried pinging the server machine from the clients, and vice versa, and they do not see each other, yet they are all able to get to the Internet via the router.

So I doubt if the ServerName will work either. Something is evidently blocking access. I doubt if it is anything to do with being wireless or not.

I'm afraid I am not able to solve network problems like this as I don't understand them enough either. Your best bet is to ask Katy Pluta -- either via the Project Magenta support address or over in the FS2004 Forum.

Regards,

Pete

[Jamie Fox]

I have tried pinging the server machine from the clients, and vice versa, and they do not see each other, yet they are all able to get to the Internet via the router.

That sounds like a firewall blocking incoming ping (ICMP echo request); this is the default behaviour of Windows Firewall.

You need to ensure that the server PC (running FS) is allowed to listen on the port used by WideServer (the default is 8002 TCP I think). In Windows Firewall you can do this either by program (SP2 only) or by port. Windows XP SP2 prompts you for this the first time. Post back if you have any trouble enabling this.