can't see my laptop in the workgroup

[Seth Weinstock]

Hoping someone can lend some troubleshooting advice. I
have an XP Home desktop and and XP Pro laptop both
running on my network (Netgear 802.11b router). The
laptop connects via 802.11b. I had added them both to a
common workgroup and had set up shared directories on
each which were viewable from both systems. However, as
of around a week ago, I couldn't access my desktop
machine from the laptop - the network resource
disappeared. I could ping each device from the other but
could not re-establish the shared folders. I tried
straight from the Run box (\\servername\share and \\ip
address\share) but nothing worked. I could see the
laptop from my desktop but not the otherway around. I
removed the laptop from the workgroup and re-added it but
still nothing. I can't even see the laptop in the
workgroup when i'm on the laptop eventhough it finds the
workgroup (shows no machines in the workgroup). This
should be easy but i'm about to give up. any thoughts?

 

[Chuck]

Hoping someone can lend some troubleshooting advice. I
have an XP Home desktop and and XP Pro laptop both
running on my network (Netgear 802.11b router). The
laptop connects via 802.11b. I had added them both to a
common workgroup and had set up shared directories on
each which were viewable from both systems. However, as
of around a week ago, I couldn't access my desktop
machine from the laptop - the network resource
disappeared. I could ping each device from the other but
could not re-establish the shared folders. I tried
straight from the Run box (\\servername\share and \\ip
address\share) but nothing worked. I could see the
laptop from my desktop but not the otherway around. I
removed the laptop from the workgroup and re-added it but
still nothing. I can't even see the laptop in the
workgroup when i'm on the laptop eventhough it finds the
workgroup (shows no machines in the workgroup). This
should be easy but i'm about to give up. any thoughts?

Seth,

Do any of the computers have a software firewall (ICF or third party)? If so,
you need to configure them for file sharing, by opening ports TCP 139, 445 and
UDP 137, 138, 445, and / or by identifying the other computers as present in the
Local (Trusted) zone. Firewall configurations are a very common cause of
(network) browser problems like yours.

On the XP Pro computer, check to see if Simple File Sharing (Control Panel -
Folder Options - View - Advanced settings) is enabled or disabled.

If SFS is disabled, check the Local Security Policy (Control Panel -
Administrative Tools). Under Local Policies - Security Options, look at
"Network access: Sharing and security model", and ensure it's set to "Classic -
local users authenticate as themselves".

If you set the Local Security Policy to "Guest only", make sure that the Guest
account is enabled, and has an identical, non-blank, password on all computers.
If "Classic", setup and use a common account with identical, non-blank, password
on all computers.

If no solution yet, provide ipconfig information 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.

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

 

[Seth Weinstock]

Chuck,

thanks for the reply. I disabled my personal firewalls
after setting up my Netgear router/firewall so that's not
the issue. Simple File Sharing is enabled (and recall
that file sharing was working up to a week ago). As
such, I'm attaching the ipconfig info with the MAC
addresses truncated for security reasons:

DESKTOP----

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Sethmain
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : GVC-REALTEK
Ethernet 10/100 PCI Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-C0
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.2
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday,
April 28, 2004 8:37:30 AM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Thursday,
April 29, 2004 8:37:30 AM

PPP adapter Kavado e-mail:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : WAN
(PPP/SLIP) Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-53
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.66.66.9
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . :
255.255.255.255
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.66.66.3
10.66.66.5
10.66.66.3
10.66.66.5

LAPTOP---

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : sethlaptop
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No


Ethernet adapter Network Bridge:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : MAC Bridge
Miniport
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : B2-66-6
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.3
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday,
April 28, 2004 3:27:46 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Thursday,
April 29, 2004 3:27:46 PM

 

[Chuck]

Chuck,

thanks for the reply. I disabled my personal firewalls
after setting up my Netgear router/firewall so that's not
the issue. Simple File Sharing is enabled (and recall
that file sharing was working up to a week ago). As
such, I'm attaching the ipconfig info with the MAC
addresses truncated for security reasons:

<SNIP diagnostic data>

Seth,

What personal firewalls did you disable? Many third party firewalls are known
(and I have advised in problems) to not being successfully disabled. You have
to re enable, then either un install (carefully, following procedures provided
by the vendor), or configure as noted above for file sharing.

If SFS is currently disabled, then that won't be part of your problem. But if
you were to note that it had been mysteriously enabled, this would not be the
first time. And then you would need to check the LSP.

And BTW, the MAC address (as is occasionally noted in various other discussions
in these forums) is relevant only on the physical LAN segment that the computer
in question is connected. MAC addresses do not route.

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

 

[Guest]

I was running BlackIce on my desktop but I did in fact
uninstall it months ago.

I'll check SFS again.

-----Original Message-----


<SNIP diagnostic data>

Seth,

What personal firewalls did you disable? Many third party firewalls are known
(and I have advised in problems) to not being

successfully disabled. You have

 

[Chuck]

I was running BlackIce on my desktop but I did in fact
uninstall it months ago.

I'll check SFS again.

Both Black Ice and Zone Alarm have been known to present intense challenges in
successful removal. In some cases, relief is experienced only in re installing,
re enabling, then either un installing or properly configuring. Proper un
install is not achieved with firewall disabled or incorrectly configured. No
lie.

SFS / LSP is always a good candidate for problems too.

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

 

[Guest]

Chuck,

Thanks much. I thought I had uninstalled but it appears
that i only disabled it and prevented it from launching
on startup. Ran the uninstall and now it appears to be
working - although i hadn't made any changes since
disabling the firewall months ago when i set up the
network so strange that it would all of a sudden stop
working. But hey...I'm not going to argue with the
results. Thanks again.

Seth

-----Original Message-----

Both Black Ice and Zone Alarm have been known to present intense challenges in
successful removal. In some cases, relief is

experienced only in re installing,

 

[Chuck]

Chuck,

Thanks much. I thought I had uninstalled but it appears
that i only disabled it and prevented it from launching
on startup. Ran the uninstall and now it appears to be
working - although i hadn't made any changes since
disabling the firewall months ago when i set up the
network so strange that it would all of a sudden stop
working. But hey...I'm not going to argue with the
results. Thanks again.

Seth

All right, Seth! Thanks for the update!!
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.