XP requiring authentication for network resources without password

[Sam]

Hi,

Something has changed with my XP machine. My computer is on a SOHO network
and it (and only it) now requires that I enter a username and passwords for
network resources that do not have a username or password assigned. The
username and password I have for resources that do require authetication
(which I share with one other user) work. But XP shouldn't be asking me for
authentication in the first place.

In case it's relevant, XP also initially refused to allow edits to resource
shortcuts, where I was replacing the fileserver's name with its LAN IP (for
road warrior VPN purposes). XP said the path was invalid, when it wasn't (the
IP was correct). Not until I added a network place that used the IP instead
of the name could I edit existing shortcuts.

The fileserver is a Buffalo TeraStation Pro NAS, and no other XP machines
(all of which use the NAS device) behave like mine, including the machine of
the other user with whom I share username, password, and resources. Even if I
am the only (and first) user using those credentials, my machine asks for
authentication for resources not protected by a username or password. All
compouters on the network use the same firewall product (Live OneCare) and
are configured identically as far as I know. So it seems to be something I've
done with this computer, or at least something unique to it.

Thanks,

Sam

 

[Anteaus]

Not quite an answer to your question, but my advice here would be:

1. Any share that is writeable should have a user/pass set.

2. Working with 'Network Places' is at best unreliable. It is far better to
use drive-mappings established by way of a script. For example a batchfile
containing :

net use h: \\nasboxname\sharename /user:username password

will connect the H: drive to the NAS share. This is not only more reliable
but much easier for users to understand and work with.

You might find http://mylogon.net useful in this situation, it will give you
a logon-dialog for the NAS, and then run a script connecting the drives.
Optionally this can also be set to require logon before the computer can be
used, giving a more 'domain-like' security to a small workgroup.

 

[Sam]

Thank you much for taking the time for the detailed reply.

To clarify a bit, even to browse \\nasboxname, as a workgroup computer,
requires authentication. XP is absolutely denying me any access at all to the
NAS without authentication, even at places where no authentication
requirements can exist from the NAS's point of view, as far as I know. (It's
true that there are a couple of shared resources with no password protection,
but that's by design, I would think. These are public resources intentionally
not needing internal authentication, by anyone. I expect that if we used the
NAS's print server capability, a shared printer too would require
authentication on my machine.)

Drive mappings may prove more reliable than network "places" and that's an
interesting option, so I appreciate you mentioning and detailing it (though I
have no trouble understanding my network places on my desktop and how they
work). Yet it doesn't address the problem, if I'm understanding right. It
amounts to batch authentication at boot.

My concern is not only that my machine is clearly behaving differently than
it used to and from any other machine on site. I'm concerned that the
situation will degenerate further and leave me stranded -- literally, if I'm
off site. Given that XP is confused about the NAS's authentication
expectations as far as I can tell, and given that it has trouble
transitioning between the NAS's network name and its fixed LAN IP, my sense
is that something is messed up down in XP's TCP/IP guts. Or worse.

I hate the thought of downtime for reinstalling, but having looked for
solutions to this problem for some weeks, that's looking like the only
solution at this point.