Cannot see network

[Guest]

Hi,

I have a small network. I have two XP SP2 machines that can see each other
fine, I am trying to add a third and it cannot see the network. All settings
are the same, router acting as DHCP, all under WORKGROUP, can ping all
machines, but cannot see ANYTHING in Network Neighbourhood. Even if I named
the group wrong, I should see the machine on which I am working in network
neighbourhood, shouldn't I? Tried changing network ID, used network setup
wizard, nothing.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Chuck]

Hi,

I have a small network. I have two XP SP2 machines that can see each other
fine, I am trying to add a third and it cannot see the network. All settings
are the same, router acting as DHCP, all under WORKGROUP, can ping all
machines, but cannot see ANYTHING in Network Neighbourhood. Even if I named
the group wrong, I should see the machine on which I am working in network
neighbourhood, shouldn't I? Tried changing network ID, used network setup
wizard, nothing.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Are you running both Client for Microsoft Networks, and File and Printer Sharing
for Microsoft Networks (Local Area Connection - Properties), on each computer?
Do you have shares setup on each?

Are you running NetBIOS Over TCP/IP (Local Area Connection - Properties - TCP/IP
- Properties - Advanced - WINS) on each computer?

Make sure the browser service is running on each computer. Control Panel -
Administrative Tools - Services. Verify that the Computer Browser, and the
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper, services both show with Status = Started.

Do any of the computers have a software firewall (WF, or third party)? If so,
you need to configure them for file sharing, by enabling the File and Printer
Sharing exception, and / or by identifying the other computers as present in the
Local (Trusted) zone. Firewall configurations are a very common cause of
(network) browser, and file sharing, problems.

Do ipconfig for each computer.
Start - Run - "cmd". Type "ipconfig /all >c:\ipconfig.txt" into the command
window - Open c:\ipconfig.txt in Notepad, copy and paste into your next post.
Identify operating system (by name and version) with each ipconfig listing.

Do net view for each computer.
Start - Run - "cmd". Type "net view >c:\netview.txt" into the command window -
Open c:\netview.txt in Notepad, copy and paste into your next post.

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[Guest]

Hi Chuck,

Thanks for the suggestions, I believe the problem is related to NetBIOS over
TCP/IP. If I do an ipconfig /all, it states that NetBIOS over TCP/IP is
disabled. Even if I manually apply it through TCP/IP properties for the NIC
(as opposed to the default setting through the DHCP server), it remains
disabled. If I try to repair the connection or do an nbtstat -r, I receive
an error regarding "Clearing NetBT" or "Failed to access NetBT driver --
NetBT may not be loaded", respectively. I have tried updating the driver for
the NIC, removing the NIC through Device Manager and allowing XP to reload
it. Furthermore, I receive Event ID System Error 4311, Source NetBT
"Initialization failed because the driver device could not be created." I
looked up the related KB833747, which I believe is totally unrelated to the
actual problem. I am guessing NetBIOS (or TCP/IP) needs to be reloaded.

Any suggestions?

Thanks for your help.

 

[Chuck]

Hi Chuck,

Thanks for the suggestions, I believe the problem is related to NetBIOS over
TCP/IP. If I do an ipconfig /all, it states that NetBIOS over TCP/IP is
disabled. Even if I manually apply it through TCP/IP properties for the NIC
(as opposed to the default setting through the DHCP server), it remains
disabled. If I try to repair the connection or do an nbtstat -r, I receive
an error regarding "Clearing NetBT" or "Failed to access NetBT driver --
NetBT may not be loaded", respectively. I have tried updating the driver for
the NIC, removing the NIC through Device Manager and allowing XP to reload
it. Furthermore, I receive Event ID System Error 4311, Source NetBT
"Initialization failed because the driver device could not be created." I
looked up the related KB833747, which I believe is totally unrelated to the
actual problem. I am guessing NetBIOS (or TCP/IP) needs to be reloaded.

Spotts,

Well, assuming that you already tried to enable NBT (TCP/IP Properties -
Advanced - WINS - "Enable NetBIOS Over TCP/IP", and it didn't take (any error
messages in Event Viewer?), let's try resetting TCP/IP.

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=299357

Start - Run - "cmd". Type "netsh int ip reset c:\netsh.txt" into the command
window.

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[Guest]

Thanks again for all your help,

Unfortunately, I only had the PC here in order to repair some unrelated
issues and wanted to stick it on my network to transfer data easier. It is
repaired now anyway, besides the NetBIOS, so I won't be able to tell you if
the solution worked. However, I have kept it for future reference in case I
run into the problem again.

 

[Chuck]

Thanks again for all your help,

Unfortunately, I only had the PC here in order to repair some unrelated
issues and wanted to stick it on my network to transfer data easier. It is
repaired now anyway, besides the NetBIOS, so I won't be able to tell you if
the solution worked. However, I have kept it for future reference in case I
run into the problem again.

OK, Dude. Thanks for the feedback.

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.