Can't ping on peer-to-peer network

[Russel Dirks]

I've got a two machine peer-to-peer network, both machines running WinXP.
Machines are connected to a hub, with an ADSL modem also connected to the
hub. Both machines have TCP/IP installed for internet access, and Netbeui
for file sharing. I can surf the net on both machines, and I can share files
between machines. But I can't ping one machine from the other!!?? (I'm
pinging using IP address). I get "Request timed out". Firewall is turned
off on both machines.

I installed a packet sniffer on both machines, and I can see the ICMP packet
being sent from the source machine, and being received by the destination
machine, but a return packet is not sent. This happens no matter which
machine I do it from.

One of the machines can dual boot to Win98 as well, so I tried doing it
between WinXP and Win98 ... I get exactly the same thing.

I would appreciate any help given.

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

I've got a two machine peer-to-peer network, both machines running WinXP.
Machines are connected to a hub, with an ADSL modem also connected to the
hub. Both machines have TCP/IP installed for internet access, and Netbeui
for file sharing. I can surf the net on both machines, and I can share files
between machines. But I can't ping one machine from the other!!?? (I'm
pinging using IP address). I get "Request timed out". Firewall is turned
off on both machines.

I installed a packet sniffer on both machines, and I can see the ICMP packet
being sent from the source machine, and being received by the destination
machine, but a return packet is not sent. This happens no matter which
machine I do it from.

One of the machines can dual boot to Win98 as well, so I tried doing it
between WinXP and Win98 ... I get exactly the same thing.

I would appreciate any help given.

Do the two machines have IP addresses in the same subnet? If not,
they won't be able to ping each other or communicate in any other way
using TCP/IP. Since file sharing is working (using NetBEUI), why does
it matter whether they can ping each other?

With your setup, it's likely that the computers get public IP
addresses from your ADSL provider, and it's likely that they won't
always be in the same subnet.

BTW, you MUST run a firewall on each computer to prevent Internet
hackers from breaking in. An un-firewalled computer WILL be hacked.
--
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

 

[Russel Dirks]

Thanks for responding. You're right, they do have different subnets. What
got me started on this whole thing was I had downloaded TightVNC and was
trying to get it working on my home network here. I was just curious about
the program. But the client machine could never connect to the server
machine. I tried typing in host names ... although I wasn't sure what to
enter for the host name. It would come back right away saying "Failed to
get server address". When I entered the IP address of the server, it said
"Failed to connect to server" after about 20 seconds. I'll have to go get
some help from the TightVNC support area.