Crossover cable: slow recognition

[Peter]

I have 2 desktops and one laptop, all Win XP SP1, and
connect the laptop to one desktop at a time by crossover
cable. There is no hub. The desktops are in different
buildings, and never talk to each other. When I plug in
the crossover cable (both computers are turned on) the
laptop can use the shared printers on the desktop
immediately, but often cannot find the shared drives or
folders for a long time. I have tried "Repair
Connection" on both computers, to no avail. It seems
that if I leave them connected for ages they do find each
other and then work fine. How do I get them to find each
other quickly? The problem is worst when I have been
working successfully with the laptop connected to one
desktop, unplug the cable, move to the other building and
plug into the other desktop.

 

[Merlin]

I have 2 desktops and one laptop, all Win XP SP1, and
connect the laptop to one desktop at a time by crossover
cable. There is no hub. The desktops are in different
buildings, and never talk to each other. When I plug in
the crossover cable (both computers are turned on) the
laptop can use the shared printers on the desktop
immediately, but often cannot find the shared drives or
folders for a long time. I have tried "Repair
Connection" on both computers, to no avail. It seems
that if I leave them connected for ages they do find each
other and then work fine. How do I get them to find each
other quickly? The problem is worst when I have been
working successfully with the laptop connected to one
desktop, unplug the cable, move to the other building and
plug into the other desktop.

may help to disable and then enable the connection. this should cause
the windows networking drivers to poll the "network" for shares. the
effect would be the same if the physical connection was done with the
laptop off, and then start up the laptop.

 

[Peter]

I should have added that the three computers have the
same workgroup name, have subnet mask 255.255.255.0,
and IP Address 192.168.0.x, where x is 1 or 3 for the
desktops and 2 for the laptop.

 

[Peter]

Thanks for the tip, which didn't fix the problem. So far
I know that the following, tried at both ends, do not
seem to resolve the problem:
1. Repairing the connection.
2. Disabling and then enabling the connections.
3. Turning off the firewalls.
4. Enabling NetBIOS over TCP/IP.
5. Using Default NetBIOS setting.
6. Unplugging and re-plugging the crossover cable (one
end only)
7. Screaming, and pulling hair.
After doing all these things the desktop is now showing
only its own shared drives in My Network Places, but is
not showing any computers in 'View Workgroup Computers'.

While I have been writing this message the laptop has
decided to show itself and the desktop, and shared drives
on both, in My Network Places. Both computers now show
in 'View Network Computers' on the laptop.

 

[Peter]

I have tried with a new crossover cable, and the results
are much improved! There may be a rotated pair in the
first cable, which is beyond me to recognise or fix.

With the new cable it takes about 30 seconds for "View
workgroup computers" to produce a result, which seems
slow. Is this slow?

However, I think it produces the correct result. It
surprises me that the second desktop shows the first
desktop as belonging to the group, when they have never
been connected to each other. I suppose it knows about
the other one through the laptop's knowledge of it.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Peter]

Before running these commands, I would like to have some
idea of what they do. Can you explain a little?

arp -d *
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew

I guess the ipconfig lines are self-explanatory, but the
arp line is unfamiliar.

Further down the thread you will find some comments on
rotated pairs, which are probably my main problem, but I
am still interested to understand and try your suggestion.
Thanks, Peter.

 

[Peter]

The things you see the moment after hitting 'Send'! Marc
Reynolds' reply to the post 'Repair Network Connection'
(just below this one) explains all. By repairing the
connection I have been issuing the commands you suggest,
and more, and they did not help. I will keep using my
new cable.
Thanks, Peter.

 

[Peter]

The things you see the moment after hitting 'Send'! Marc
Reynolds' reply to the post 'Repair Network Connection'
(just below this one) explains all. By repairing the
connection I have been issuing the commands you suggest,
and more, and they did not help. I will keep using my
new cable.
Thanks, Peter.

 

[Merlin]

I have tried with a new crossover cable, and the results
are much improved! There may be a rotated pair in the
first cable, which is beyond me to recognise or fix.

With the new cable it takes about 30 seconds for "View
workgroup computers" to produce a result, which seems
slow. Is this slow?

i have not had much direct experience with swapping a system from one
network, to another. it seems a bit slow, but then the network polling
frequency may only be about every 30 seconds.

However, I think it produces the correct result. It
surprises me that the second desktop shows the first
desktop as belonging to the group, when they have never
been connected to each other. I suppose it knows about
the other one through the laptop's knowledge of it.

it would seem the laptop seems to get elected each time to be what is
called the master browser. when a new machine is connected to the
network, it sends out a broadcast message announcing it's information.
if a current master browser is available, it receives this and replies
with a brows list of other computers and services. if there is no
current master browser, then one is elected. as this case may be, it
looks like your laptop wins the election each time and so it carries the
information of both systems. i have seen this effect once before, but
IME, it may be fairly rare.

Thanks for your help.

not a problem. glad i could be of some help.

 

[Peter]

It is fascinating to know how it works, and I will
congratulate my laptop on being an election winner.

I got out my multi-meter to check which wires were
connected to which pins in the cable plugs, and sure
enough the new cable was different from the old one.
Someone got their wires crossed, so to speak, and a
friend is re-wiring the old cable.

With a working system I will now sign off on this
matter. Thanks again, Peter.