notwork network

M

mojo

Hi

apologies for x and repeat posting but desperate times call for
desperate measures someone once said.

Oh yeah - i already posted this a few days ago but so far not one
person's responded. I guess people probably figuring this kind of
question is either way too simple or stupid or whatever.

here's the thing... and i think it's a simple thing but it's driving
me nuts right now. All i want to do is hook 2 machines together -
network them.

both machines use Win2k, one's an old packard bell P2 233; the other a
celeron 500. Both have network cards that are spposed to be working -
says so in device manager. i've bought a rj45 cat 5e crossover cable
and there is a connection established - the LAN properties shows
packets being sent and received. Each machine has its own name and
things like NetBui, file and printer sharing and TCP/IP and Msoft
client are installed. I set up dummy IP addresses on each - 192 168 1
1 and 192 168 1 2 respectively. One one machine i set up the hard
drives as shared by everyone and the administrator. I also give the
hard drives (1 partinitioned into 3) their own special names (from D$
to DEE etc) and then do the thing with the permissions.

I log into both machines using the same user name and passwords. I
make a new network place/map network drive and for about a minute or
so, everything is fine and dandy: i can open, delete, save etc files
on the machine that i'm accessing from the other. And then it just
dies - gives me some message about the network path not being there or
something. I get the feeling that i'm missing something really obvious
- but i never done this thing before. All i want to know is what am i
missing or are there any sites giving step by steps for the novice
such as myself? I've been to a couple but they weren't written too
well and their systems didn't seem to work.

apologies for going on like some rain man, but like i said, this thing
is drving me nuts.

best wishes and thanks in advance

mojo

(e-mail address removed)
 
J

Joe Beasley

1. Are the workgroup names the same?
2. Are the netmasks the same?


mojo said:
apologies for x and repeat posting but desperate times call for
desperate measures someone once said.
Oh yeah - i already posted this a few days ago but so far not one
person's responded. I guess people probably figuring this kind of
question is either way too simple or stupid or whatever.
here's the thing... and i think it's a simple thing but it's driving
me nuts right now. All i want to do is hook 2 machines together -
network them.
both machines use Win2k, one's an old packard bell P2 233; the other a
celeron 500. Both have network cards that are spposed to be working -
says so in device manager. i've bought a rj45 cat 5e crossover cable
and there is a connection established - the LAN properties shows
packets being sent and received. Each machine has its own name and
things like NetBui, file and printer sharing and TCP/IP and Msoft
client are installed. I set up dummy IP addresses on each - 192 168 1
1 and 192 168 1 2 respectively. One one machine i set up the hard
drives as shared by everyone and the administrator. I also give the
hard drives (1 partinitioned into 3) their own special names (from D$
to DEE etc) and then do the thing with the permissions.
I log into both machines using the same user name and passwords. I
make a new network place/map network drive and for about a minute or
so, everything is fine and dandy: i can open, delete, save etc files
on the machine that i'm accessing from the other. And then it just
dies - gives me some message about the network path not being there or
something. I get the feeling that i'm missing something really obvious
- but i never done this thing before. All i want to know is what am i
missing or are there any sites giving step by steps for the novice
such as myself? I've been to a couple but they weren't written too
well and their systems didn't seem to work.
 
M

mojo

Hi

first of all, many thanks for all your advice - i think i've been
through it all.

Yes, the workgroup names are the same and yes, the netmasks are also
the same - by that you mean 255 255 etc, i guess. Not sure 'fully
patched' means - i got a yellow crossover cable running between them,
if that's what Marina meant.
As for the other stuff, here's a blow by blow

The computers have the same user accounts - I set up new matching user
accounts (fred on machine one and fred on machine 2 with the same
pwrd) just to be sure

The computers are part of the same workgroup. the workgroup is called
Albert on both machines.

The computers both have file and print sharing installed - always have
had this bit, as far as i recall.

The subnet mask for the two computers is the same 255.255.255.0

Netbios over TCP/IP is enabled but it's not under the DNS tab but the
WinS or something tab. Anyway, it's enabled.

I turned off ZOne Alarm and my antivirus stuff for the duration

I was about to get rid of NetBui but i read in the Msoft article that
this is needed by some machines that use LAN... so i left it on. All
the bits like Client, TCP/IP, printer and file sharing, and NETBUI
have ticks in their boxes

Crossover cable issue - bought a brand new one and then took it back
and exchanged it for another but same results.

Can't get a hold of patch cables and a hub but not sure how that would
work, really - would i use the hub as a bridge? Cable from machine one
goes into the hub and a cable from the hub then goes into machine 2?
might have a go but when i got more time...

and for the record, the same old crap happens: i have connectivity for
about a minute when i can see my shared folders on machine 2 but then
i get a message box saying "\\machine2 is not accessible. The network
path was not found." there's an OK button to press but this is not
OK,OK?

so there you have it. Once again, sorry for sounding all obsessed and
crazy and all, but those voices from the tv will just not stop...

any further advice/comments/medicine appreciated

TIA

mojo

(e-mail address removed)
 
M

Marina Roos

Hi Mojo,

With fully patched I meant something totally different, but I like the
yellow crossover cable ;>)
I meant do you have SP4 loaded on all W2K/XP's? And the ms03-026, or better
yet ms03-039?
Is Netbios over TCP/IP enabled (Properties nic, TCP/IP, advanced, tab Wins)?

Marina
 
K

k2list

Inline ...

mojo said:
Hi

first of all, many thanks for all your advice

you're welcome.
Yes, the workgroup names are the same and yes, the netmasks are also
the same - by that you mean 255 255 etc, i guess. Not sure 'fully
patched' means - i got a yellow crossover cable running between them,
if that's what Marina meant.
As for the other stuff, here's a blow by blow
Have you installed W2K Service Pack 4 on both computers? And some of the
other critical patches like the blaster and blaster 2 patches? As well, are
you absolutely positive you have no viruses?

[snip]

The setup with user/workgroup/file sharing sounds right.
Remove NetBeui. You really don't need it with 2 w2k machines.
Can't get a hold of patch cables and a hub but not sure how that would
work, really - would i use the hub as a bridge? Cable from machine one
goes into the hub and a cable from the hub then goes into machine 2?
might have a go but when i got more time...
Yes, that's how you would use a hub. The reason I mention this, is that I
have seen some "wierd" things happen occasionally with 2 network cards
connected with a cross over cable. Doesn't make sense, but it still
happens. Put a hub in the equation and it all goes away. Go figure. Worth
trying IMO.

Something else you can try in the meantime:
Force both network cards to the same connection settings instead of auto
negotiate.
ie Set both network cards to half duplex, 100 mbs. Full duplex is faster,
but use half for testing.

Device Manager > Right Click on your network card > Properties > Advanced
Tab > Connection Type / Duplex Setting / Media Speed ... or similar entries.
The exact entry depends on your network card drivers.

[snip]
any further advice/comments/medicine appreciated
Take two beers and throw the computers out the window :)
 

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