Vista ultimate /XPHome SP3 network

[peebs24]

I have a machine runnig Vista, another running XP connected via ethernet to a
Netgear router/modem. Both machines access the internet OK.
I am trying to set up a home network. Both machines have the same workgroup
name. Both machines have unique names. Norton 360 f/w's set to allow network
traffic.
The vista machine/network screen shows both computers and when I click on
the XP machine icon I get to see the shared etc thaty reside on the XP
machine.
When I click on My network places on the XP machine I get a folder icon for
the XP machine in the Local Network section then a line and then an icon
indicating a network entitled MSHOME - the workgroup name on both machine -
in the UNSPECIFIED section. If I click on this icon in the unspecified area I
get only the devices on the XP machine - nothing about the networked vista
machine.
In setting up the network on the XP machine it asks if you want a network
disc to put in the other machines. The oly thing offered is to coppy to the A
floppy drive which I don't have. Is this network disk necessary and if so,
how do I get it?
Why is the network icon on the XP machine labeled UNSPECIFIED?
Any help greatfully received.

 

[Donald]

Hi there,

Can you check on the vista machine whether File and Print Service has been
installed on your network connection settings? From Control Panel->Network
and Internet->Network and Sharing Center, you can select Network Connections
and select Properties after you right click on the icon for the local
network connection. Then you can see whether File and Print sharing is
there. If not, you can click on the Install button to install it from the
list of services. Then you may like to check whether the File sharing and
Network discovery options are on in the Network and Sharing Center. They are
on the main pane of the Network and Sharing Center. If the issue persists
after that, can you tell me the model number of your router/modem?

Donald

 

[Donald]

You can try accessing the share on Vista by using IP address in the UNC
name. For example, if you share a folder and it shows you the share path on
vista like \\vistacomputername\share1 you can use start->run on XP machine
and type in \\192.168.0.100\share1 assuming the IP address 192.168.0.100 is
that of your vista machine. It could work. BTW, I don't think you will need
a network disc when you setup your XP machine.

 

[peebs24]

Hi Donald,
Everything seems to be as you indicated. F&P Sharing is there and and FS &
ND are both on.
My router Modem is Netgear DG834N.
Everything seems to show up OK on the Vista end but on the XP machine I am
still getting this UNSPECIFIED network.
Many thanks for your help.
best regards,

 

[peebs24]

You can try accessing the share on Vista by using IP address in the UNC
name. For example, if you share a folder and it shows you the share path on
vista like \\vistacomputername\share1 you can use start->run on XP machine
and type in \\192.168.0.100\share1 assuming the IP address 192.168.0.100 is
that of your vista machine. It could work. BTW, I don't think you will need
a network disc when you setup your XP machine.


Hi Donald,

I tried Start/run/\\192.168.0.6\share1 on the XP machine and it eventually
came back with "network path not found". It seems that the XP machine is not
part of the MSHOME network that I tried to set up. The Vista machine lists
the MSHOME network OK. If I click on the icon for the xp machine on the
network screen on the vista it shows me the shared docs folder on the xp
machine. Cicking on properties gives me Shared Docs(\\TEAJAY) - TEAJAY being
the name of the XP machine.
Clicking on My Network places on the XP gives me an icon showing a network
called unspecified. Clicking on that gived me an icon for OFFICE - the vista
machine and TEAJAY the XP machine. Why is the network called unspecified
rather than MSHOME as was set up on both machines?
Best regards,
Peter

 

[Jack-MVP]

Hi
Make sure that the Software Firewall on each computer allows free local
traffic. If you use 3rd party Firewall On, Vista/XP Native Firewall should
be Off, and the active Firewall has to adjusted to your Network IP numbers
on what is some time called the Trusted Zone (consult your 3rd Party
Firewall instructions.
General example, http://www.ezlan.net/faq#trusted
Vista File and Printer Sharing-
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727037.aspx
Windows XP File Sharing -
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;304040
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;304040
Printer Sharing XP -
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/expert/honeycutt_july2.mspx
Windows Native Firewall setting for Sharing XP -
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/875357
Windows XP patch for Sharing with Vista -
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922120
Jack (MVP-Networking).

 

[peebs24]

Hi Jack,
many thanks for the response.
I am using Norton 360 on both machines and they are set up to:-
Allow - inbound windows file sharing TCP & UDP
Allow - inbound and outbound ICMP
Allow - inbound and outbound Loopback TCP & UDP
Allow - inbound & outbound Bootp UDP
Allow - inbound & outbound ICMPv6 loopback
Allow - inbound specific ICMPv6
Allow - outbound ICMPv6
Allow - inbound web services on devices (shared networks)
Allow - inbound LLMNR (shared networks)
Allow - inbound web services dicovery (shared networks)
Allow - inbound SSDP (shared networks)

All other rules show as blocked. Please don't ask me what that all means -
the Norton instruction booklet doesn't even mention the firewall!!

The FW setting are identical on both machines. Both machines are running the
same version of 360. Windows Fw is deactivated on both machines.

HELP!!!!!!!

Regards,
Peter

 

[Donald]

Can you open any web site on the XP machine? What is the IP address, DNS IP
address and gateway IP address on the XP machine? If you ping the IP address
of your router and the IP address of the Vista machine, will you get a live
response from them? Is there any other network connection icons other than
the Local Network Connection icon in the network connections window which
yhou can open from Control Panel on the XP machine? Are you using DHCP on
your router or static IP address on the XP and Vista machine? What kind of
settings do you have on the advanced setting of your TCPIP on the XP
machine? I mean the advance setting by opening Control Panel->Network and
Internet Connections->Network Connections->right click on Local Area
Connection and click on Properties->select TCP/IP and click on the
Properties button and then click on the Advanced button. On the WINS tab,
can you see Enable LMHOSTS lookup is selected and whether NetBIOS setting is
the Default one? Thanks.

Donald

 

[Donald]

Not sure whether you can send me a screenshot with the unspecified network
icon on it by email or a web link. You can use a different workgroup name
for your Vista machine and your XP home should be able to see it in the
network place under that workgroup.

 

[peebs24]

Hi Donald,
I don't seem able to get a screen shot of the icon but it is 3 small compter
screen arranged in a triangle connected by a network.
Up until this morning I had just 2 icons on the My Network places on the XP
machine (Teajay).
In the top section labeled Local Networks I had a folder icon called
Shareddocs on Teajay (the xp machine. Then there was a second section called
Unspecified with the 3 screen icon and no name.
When I fired up the XP machine this morning to try to get a screenshot of
the icon suddenly there were the same two icons but the three screen icon in
the unspecified area is now called MSHOME - the workgroup name for both
machines. Furthermore, there is now a THIRD section called The internet
containing a folder icon called Public on Office (the name of the vista
machine).
Clicking on the shared doc on Teajay produces the shared files on that
machine, clicking on the second icon - MSHOME in Unspecified shows both
Teajay (the xp) and Office (the Vista) which in turn shows the shared folders
on each machine respectively. Clicking on the Public on Office in the
Internet section produces the shared files on Office (the vista machine).
I have absolutely no idea what has caused the change - maybe the order in
which the machines were turned on - no idea!!!!
My question now is:- Why is it still called Unspecified? Why do I have 3
network places on a network of 2 computers? There has GOT to be an easier way.
Don, thanks for your continued help. Before I retired I was he CEO of an IT
company but the technology has moved on ahead of me!!
Regards,
Peter

 

[tony from hong kong]

I have a similar problem.

My desktop runs on XP SP3. My notebook, a ThinkPad R61i on Vista Business,
has both Ethernet and WiFi adaptors. They are networked via a Linksys router.

Internet connection works fine under all circumstances.

If WiFi is used, the network works just fine. However if wired connection is
used for the notebook, the network becomes a one-way-traffic, ie. the Vista
notebook can access the XP machine, while the XP machine can only see the
Vista notebook under the designated work group, but any attempt to access the
notebook's content results in an error message saying that " \\(notebook
machine) is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this network
resource. ... The network path was not found."

Technical supports of both the notebook machine and the router company were
unable to find a solution.