I have two Neverwire 14s but they will not connect my two computers via the power mains. I've done everything according to the instruction book. All the lights work on top of the Neverwires, except the "bridge" light -- it doesn't light on either one. There is no surge protector, only a safety switch on the power supply. I've tried using other power points but still they won't connect.

I tried to email Protex in America but my email was returned . the sound cards are okay according to the instructions.

Michael Morgan, Bundaberg, QLD

PC User has never been sent a Neverwire for test, and so we can't comment on how to setup and debug these devices.

We note that the manufacturer is Phonex, not Protex.



It occurs to us that possibly your Ethernet cards or the networking setup on one or both computers may have a problem. The best way to check this is to take the Neverwires out of the setup, and use a conventional wired network for test purposes.

This can be done by running a crossover cable from one computer to the other, or by borrowing a hub and connecting both computers to it.

If the computers are a fair distance apart, or n a different room, you may have to move one close to the other just to minimise the length of cable required.

Then:

1. Check that you have loaded the latest drivers for your network cards.
2. Check that both cards have TCP/IP enabled.
3. Check that both cards have different IP addresses and the same subnet mask. If you have enabled "Obtain an IP address automatically" both will have different addresses. Otherwise manually enter different addresses in the range 192.168.0.1 to 192.168.0.254 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0
4. Test the physical connection by opening a MS-DOS window on one computer and pinging the other. As an example, if you are on computer 192.168.0.1 and want to ping 192.168.0.2 the command is:
   • ping 192.168.0.2
   • If this gets through, then the cards, drivers and cables are OK.
5. Make sure that both computers are in a workgroup, and have the same workgroup name.
6. Make sure that both computers have a different name.
7. Go to computer A, right click on a drive or folder and click on Sharing. Configure a share. Don't use shares like C$ - they are administrative shares and can't be used across the network.
8. Then, on computer B, browse with network neighborhood and look for Computer A.
9. Once you are sure that the computers can talk over a hard-wired connection, connect via the Neverwires. For your first test, connect them both to the same power board. This will eliminate the possibility that the two power points you've been using are on different phases or are too far apart to work.
10. If you then can't get a connection you may have a defective Neverwire or one that is not correctly configured.

Do any of our readers have any experience with Neverwire that they can share?

John Hepworth