\\computer is not accessible - intermittent problem

[dbraller]

I have two computers networked, one running Windows 2000, the other
Windows XP.

Connected through a Netgear wireless router. The Win2K machine is
hardwired into the router, the XP through the wireless card. My
network has been working fine, been able to share files between the two
until recently. No settings have changed, haven't tampered with
anything, but I now can no longer access shared folders across the
network, getting the following message:

"\\laptop is not accessible. The network path was not found."

I have searched extensively throughout the usenet and haven't found a
solution to my particular problem yet.

-win xp firewall is disabled
-have tried it with zone alarm security disabled
-have tried to ping both ways with it "timed out" each time
-workgroup is the same on both
-cannot see any computers nearby or any shares

Any thoughts on what happened to my network? Let me know if any more
information is needed. Thank you!

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I have two computers networked, one running Windows 2000, the other
Windows XP.

Connected through a Netgear wireless router. The Win2K machine is
hardwired into the router, the XP through the wireless card. My
network has been working fine, been able to share files between the two
until recently. No settings have changed, haven't tampered with
anything, but I now can no longer access shared folders across the
network, getting the following message:

"\\laptop is not accessible. The network path was not found."

I have searched extensively throughout the usenet and haven't found a
solution to my particular problem yet.

-win xp firewall is disabled
-have tried it with zone alarm security disabled
-have tried to ping both ways with it "timed out" each time
-workgroup is the same on both
-cannot see any computers nearby or any shares

Any thoughts on what happened to my network? Let me know if any more
information is needed. Thank you!

Let's have a look at your IP addresses. Start a Command Prompt on
each PC, then run the following command and paste the contents of
c:\test.txt into your reply:

ipconfig /all > c:\test.txt

 

[dbraller]

Okay, here you go. Appreciate your time.

Computer 1: desktop, wired connection to router

Windows 2000 IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : returnoftheking
Primary DNS Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 3-LAN:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Cable Disconnected
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : 3Com EtherLink XL 10/100 PCI TX
NIC (3C905B-TX)
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-50-DA-16-EC-70

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection-Main Internet:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : SiS 900 PCI Fast Ethernet
Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.2
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, November 15, 2005
9:16:50 AM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, November 16, 2005
9:16:50 AM

Computer 2: laptop, wireless connection to router

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : brentslaptop
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Mixed
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : hsd1.ca.comcast.net.

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : hsd1.ca.comcast.net.
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/Wireless
2200BG Network Connection
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0E-35-39-7D-D4
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.103
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : fe80::20e:35ff:fe39:7dd4%4
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 204.127.202.4
216.148.227.68
fec0:0:0:ffff::1%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::2%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::3%1

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, November 15, 2005
9:14:57 AM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, November 16,
2005 9:14:57 AM

Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling
Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-FB-D3-BA-4A-41-D3
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . :
3ffe:831f:4004:1950:0:fbd3:ba4a:41d3
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : fe80::5445:5245:444f%5
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : ::
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

Tunnel adapter Automatic Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : hsd1.ca.comcast.net.
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Automatic Tunneling
Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : C0-A8-01-67
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : fe80::5efe:192.168.1.103%2
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : fec0:0:0:ffff::1%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::2%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::3%1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Your settings look fine even though I do not understand the
operation of the "Pseudo-Interface" on the laptop.

In the past I resolved similar mysterious problems with one
of the following methods:
- Give each machine a fixed IP address. In your case this would be:
IP Address 192.168.1.x
Gateway 192.168.1.1
DNS 192.168.1.1

- Instead of 192.168.1.103, use 192.168.1.13 for the laptop's
IP address. I currently have one PC that refuses to work on
one particular IP address but works perfectly fine on a slightly
different address.

- Uninstall, then re-install all network components on the laptop.
This might knock things back into place.

I note that your desktop's DNS is 192.168.1.1 whereas the laptop's
is 204.127.202.4. It's probably your service provider's DNS. It
won't affect your internal operation (pinging, sharing) but it's worth
noting regardless.

 

[dbraller]

Hmm. Okay, I gave each machine a fixed IP. I gave the laptop the
given IP address. And I uninstalled all network cards and then
re-installed them. And my pings still time out. Any other thoughts?
Could it be faulty hardware? My internet connections for both still
work fine running through the router.

Initially, this problem was intermittent. I'd either re-boot or try
again in awhile, and the shares would be found. Now it seems to be
permanent, haven't gotten them to see each other in quite some time.

Much thanks...

 

[dbraller]

I also just swapped the connections to the router. Wired my laptop to
the router through its LAN card and activated my desktop's wireless
card. Internet access is fine for both, but still the network is not
accessible on either.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I also just swapped the connections to the router. Wired my laptop to
the router through its LAN card and activated my desktop's wireless
card. Internet access is fine for both, but still the network is not
accessible on either.

I would now start monitoring network traffic, e.g. with
Ethereal. You can download it freely.

 

[dbraller]

for some reason which i have not been able to pinpoint, it's working
now. i went in and played with some of the router settings, along with
going through all the network connections again, and now it's cool.
there were some problems with shared folders, which didn't occur
before. i had to set up some user accounts and "re-take" permissions,
but i figured it out sooner or later.

the weird world of windows.

thanks for all your help.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

In my experience, problems don't just go away. They hide
themselves until the worst possible moment . . .