Wireless Networks and Proxy Servers

[Carol Haynes]

I have access to a lpatop that is used on various wireless networks, but those networks link to the internet using different proxies (or none at all).

Is it possible to setup a proxy server dependent on which network/router you are connected to?

[f0dder]

Don't think so - you'll probably have to resort to one of those proxy switching apps or plugins.

[Carol Haynes]

Thanks I see what I can find ...

Anyone got any recommendations?

[tsaint]

Anyone got any recommendations?

I use Maxthon, which has an option to use the ie proxy. I just wrote an ahk script which asks whether I'm at home or school, then firstly, it sorts the proxy for ie to use, then secondly, changes my smtp settings and pop accounts to check in foxmail (my email client). Reason for latter is that checking external pop accounts directly is barred at school (another typically dumb school idea)
tony

[Carol Haynes]

Thanks Tony.

Another question ....

I share a house with a teacher and the laptop was provided for her use by her school. It is primarily aimed for use at school which has a Domain to log in to. You can obviously login as a standard PC when not connected to the domain.

Short of changing the network settings is there anyway to connect to a Workgroup at home - I'd like her to be able to use my network printers and access file shares on my home network. (Which is set up as a Workgroup using an Access point)

I looked at changing the Domain name to a Workgroup (on the page where you can change the computer ID etc.) but it asks for a login which allows you to detach from the domain and I'm not sure I have one - or if it will work when I am away from the domain.

Any ideas ?

[Wordzilla]

Carol,

I think you might find PrinterAnywhere of some help to share your printer over the Internet without causing yourself troubles, and it's free. 

http://www.printeranywhere.com/

Also I've been using Foldershare (a Microsoft service) to share my files with friends on the internet, and it's very convenient and reliable, IMHO.

http://www.foldershare.com/


- Anderson

[Carol Haynes]

Thanks for the suggestions - trouble with using the internet for file sharing is speed really. Ideally it would be good to access the local wireless network. At the moment it finds the router and I can connect to the internet but becase the laptop isn't set up as part of the local workgroup it can't see local network resources.

[Wordzilla]

At the moment it finds the router and I can connect to the internet but becase the laptop isn't set up as part of the local workgroup it can't see local network resources.

How about just creating an FTP access for her (an easy solution with IIS), so every time she needs to access network resources, just double-click a URL shortcut on the desktop which goes to "ftp://192.168.0.2" (if static ip) or "ftp://carol"

It'd might turn out to be very tricky if u really want her to access your file shares w/o being in the same domain.

- Anderson

[tsaint]

Thanks for the suggestions - trouble with using the internet for file sharing is speed really. Ideally it would be good to access the local wireless network. At the moment it finds the router and I can connect to the internet but becase the laptop isn't set up as part of the local workgroup it can't see local network resources.

I log onto a domain at school. At home, I still get the same logon dialog, which I fill in as for school and I don't try to join any workgroup. Once I did run a wizard (set up for home networking?) which enabled me to see the other 2 computers at home and it didn't affect me vis a vis the domain logging on. My wife's laptop, and my old desktop, both belong to the same workgroup. They can all see each other and share files through the wireless network. The 2 workgroup ones see each other "easier" than my laptop does... I don't trust the laptop to communicate 100% of the time. Don't ask why - I'm a bit like an idiot savant in this area in that I just do stuff and it works, but I'm a bloody idiot knowledge wise. Sorry I can't be helpful.

[Carol Haynes]

Actually I have found it is quite easy ...

Just share the folders on the PC and laptop using Windows XP simple file sharing and then add them as network shares or network places. The printers work fine so long as you specify the network address for the printer explicitly (doesn't seem to find them automatically). Limiting the Wireless network to a protected status (WEP or WPA) and specified MAC addresses makes it reasonably secire (esp. if you live in the middle of nowhere like me).

PrinterAnywhere works great - though obviously print quality for graphics is lo res for speed.