Can't connect XP Pro to existing network

[Erin]

I just got a new computer at work; it arrived today with Win XP Pro
(SP2). I plugged in the network cable and I can get on the internet,
but I can't seem to connect to the network. I can't "see" the other
computers when I click on "View Workgroup Computers". The error says
that the workgroup is not accessible and that I might not have
permission to access this workgroup resource and to contact the
administrator (we don't have one!).

I checked the settings with another XP Pro machine that we already
have, and they seem to be the same. The workgroup name is the same.
We have Win98 and WinP on the network already.

This is probably very simple, but in an office of 5 people where no
one is a computer expert, it's difficult to keep up with all this
stuff.

Are there some things I can try?

Thank you.

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

I just got a new computer at work; it arrived today with Win XP Pro
(SP2). I plugged in the network cable and I can get on the internet,
but I can't seem to connect to the network. I can't "see" the other
computers when I click on "View Workgroup Computers". The error says
that the workgroup is not accessible and that I might not have
permission to access this workgroup resource and to contact the
administrator (we don't have one!).

I checked the settings with another XP Pro machine that we already
have, and they seem to be the same. The workgroup name is the same.
We have Win98 and WinP on the network already.

This is probably very simple, but in an office of 5 people where no
one is a computer expert, it's difficult to keep up with all this
stuff.

Are there some things I can try?

Thank you.

1. Run the Network Setup Wizard to fully enable file sharing.

2. Make sure that NetBIOS over TCP/IP is enabled:

a. Open the Network Connections folder.
b. Right click the local area network connection,
c. Click Properties.
d. Double click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
e. Click Advanced.
f. Click WINS.
g. Click the Enable NetBIOS Over TCP/IP button.

3. Run "ipconfig /all" on and look at the "Node Type" at the beginning
of the output. If it says "Peer-to-Peer" (which should actually be
"Point-to-Point") that's the problem. It means that the computer only
uses a WINS server, which isn't available on a peer-to-peer network,
for NetBIOS name resolution.

If that's the case, run the registry editor, open this key:

HLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Netbt\Parameters

and delete these values if they're present:

NodeType
DhcpNodeType

Reboot, then try network access again.

If that doesn't fix it, open that registry key again, create a DWORD
value called "NodeType", and set it to 1 for "Broadcast" or 4 for
"Mixed".

For details, see these Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:

Default Node Type for Microsoft Clients
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;160177

TCP/IP and NBT Configuration Parameters for Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314053
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

 

[AllanK]

If you are already behind a company router and firewall, try turning off the
new XP Firewall. You don't need it.

Otherwise, you have to enable things in the Control Panel, Firewall,
Exceptions and Services. Good luck.

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

If you are already behind a company router and firewall, try turning off the
new XP Firewall. You don't need it.

The new XP Firewall (Windows Firewall) was designed for use on a
computer on a local area network, even when the computer is behind a
company router and firewall. Enabling Windows Firewall blocks the
spread of network worms like Blaster and Sasser that move from one LAN
computer to another. The company router and firewall can't do that.

Otherwise, you have to enable things in the Control Panel, Firewall,
Exceptions and Services. Good luck.

Yes. Enable Windows Firewall and enable the exception for File and
Printer Sharing.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

 

[Erin]

Thank you for the suggestions. I tried everything and still nothing
works. The node type is "hybrid".

I have file sharing turned on on this machine (as well as all others).

I made sure all computers on the network have the same workgroup name
(including all-caps).

I already have 2 XP machines (without SP2) on this network and
everything was working fine. I just can't get THIS machine (with SP2)
on the network. It just says that the workgroup computers aren't
accessible.

 

[Hans-Georg Michna]

Thank you for the suggestions. I tried everything and still nothing
works. The node type is "hybrid".

I have file sharing turned on on this machine (as well as all others).

I made sure all computers on the network have the same workgroup name
(including all-caps).

I already have 2 XP machines (without SP2) on this network and
everything was working fine. I just can't get THIS machine (with SP2)
on the network. It just says that the workgroup computers aren't
accessible.

Erin,

Steve will certainly have good answers, but until he comes back,
perhaps you want to read a little about the problem. Check
http://www.michna.com/kb/wxnet.htm for that.

Hans-Georg

 

[David Efflandt]

I just got a new computer at work; it arrived today with Win XP Pro
(SP2). I plugged in the network cable and I can get on the internet,
but I can't seem to connect to the network. I can't "see" the other
computers when I click on "View Workgroup Computers". The error says
that the workgroup is not accessible and that I might not have
permission to access this workgroup resource and to contact the
administrator (we don't have one!).

I checked the settings with another XP Pro machine that we already
have, and they seem to be the same. The workgroup name is the same.
We have Win98 and WinP on the network already.

This is probably very simple, but in an office of 5 people where no
one is a computer expert, it's difficult to keep up with all this
stuff.

How many PCs are on the network? Without a Windows server, XP Home boxes
only allow 5 connections at a time, and XP Pro only allows 10.

Check that the XP firewall does not have File and Printer Sharing
disabled, and that Properties for the specific network interface has
Client for Microsoft Networks checked (and File and Printer Sharing... if
you want to share something).

We just got a new XP Pro PC at work, updated to SP2 with its firewall
enabled. When I had trouble accessing a shared dir on an old NT box to
get data from it, I read/write shared a dir in XP Pro. I was surprised
that XP Pro did not offer any user or password protection, and more
startled when I could write a dir to it from NT without any password. So
I quickly unshared the XP dir as soon as I was finished, and checked for
any extra unknown files. It also surprised me that the default for XP was
to allow anybody to modify files on the All Users, Shared Documents dir.