file sharing nightmare

[Guest]

i have a desktop pc connected to a cable broadband service via a motorola
surfboard 4200 ext modem.
this is connected via a nic to a netgear en2005 hub to a laptop.
i am trying to share the internet to the laptop and share files between the
two.
also i have a printer connected to the desktop, i want this shared as well.
in the past this has run with no trouble at all.
currently though after reinstalling on both machines. and going through the
network setup wizard etc, all i get is trouble.
the internet is shared to the laptop without any problems using ics.
the desktop can view files from the laptop.
but the printer is nowhere to be seen on the laptop
also the laptop cannot view files from the desktop, although the machine
shows up in 'view network computers' but nothing shows as being shared.
the laptop has its ip configured by dhcp when i run the setup wizard.
but when i run the setup wizard on the desktop it sets it to manually set ip
settings.
192.168.0.1 --- 255.255.255.0 etc etc
if i set it to automatic in the ip settings, it just says invalid ip address
in the connection status and when i try to repair/ipconfig release and renew
it just says unable to do so.
i have had home and pro editions running, with and without sp2 on the
desktop - and i still get the same problem.
HEEEEEEEELP
i am going crazy

 

[Doug Sherman [MVP]]

1. On the desktop right click the printer icon and select Properties.
Click the Sharing tab - make sure the printer is shared and note its share
name.

2. On the laptop run the Add Printer wizard and select Network Printer. Do
not browse for the printer - instead enter \\desktopname\printersharename
OR \\192.168.0.1\printersharename.

Doug Sherman
MCSE Win2k/NT4.0, MCSA, MCP+I, MVP

 

[Chuck]

On Wed, 20 Oct 2004 15:25:06 -0700, "john foster" <john

i have a desktop pc connected to a cable broadband service via a motorola
surfboard 4200 ext modem.
this is connected via a nic to a netgear en2005 hub to a laptop.
i am trying to share the internet to the laptop and share files between the
two.
also i have a printer connected to the desktop, i want this shared as well.
in the past this has run with no trouble at all.
currently though after reinstalling on both machines. and going through the
network setup wizard etc, all i get is trouble.
the internet is shared to the laptop without any problems using ics.
the desktop can view files from the laptop.
but the printer is nowhere to be seen on the laptop
also the laptop cannot view files from the desktop, although the machine
shows up in 'view network computers' but nothing shows as being shared.
the laptop has its ip configured by dhcp when i run the setup wizard.
but when i run the setup wizard on the desktop it sets it to manually set ip
settings.
192.168.0.1 --- 255.255.255.0 etc etc
if i set it to automatic in the ip settings, it just says invalid ip address
in the connection status and when i try to repair/ipconfig release and renew
it just says unable to do so.
i have had home and pro editions running, with and without sp2 on the
desktop - and i still get the same problem.
HEEEEEEEELP
i am going crazy

John,

I sympathise with your state of mind. Making computers work properly is
sometimes a miracle.

You just have to take it a step at a time.

Since you have internet service working on the laptop, you apparently have
physical, and network, connectivity between the two. Now, you have to get file
/ printer sharing working.

Here are a few websites with useful tutorials:
http://www.cablesense.com/
http://www.homenethelp.com/
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/
http://www.wown.com/

What operating system, and what SP level, is on each computer? Do you have now
(or previously) any firewalls on either?

Please 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.

From each computer, test shares visibility (use actual name / address of each
computer as appropriate):
Start - Run - "cmd" then type into the command window:
1) net view ThisComputerByName
2) net view ThisComputerByIPAddress
3) net view OtherComputerByName
4) net view OtherComputerByIPAddress
Report visibility of shares / exact error displayed in each test (8 tests
total).

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

 

[Guest]

done it, it either asks me to log in if i use the server name option.
problem with that, is username is locked (greyed) to guest and there is no
way of setting a password for that. and i can't use simple file sharing mode
to ungrey it, cos it is home edition on the desktop. so i just hit enter. and
it fails.
if i go for the ip option it just plain fails straight away. and what about
the file sharing problem?

 

[Guest]

hi chuck.
net view is interesting. when i do it on the desktop it shows up fine,
everything shared.
when i just do net view on the laptop it shows up that the desktop is there.
but when i do net view - name of desktop - on the laptop. it says access
denied.
i definitely think the trouble is on the desktop. surely the nic should be
getting its ip from dhcp.
the desktop is running home - sp1
the laptop pro - sp1
the problem has been happening on all imaginable combinations of pro/home
and sp's though.
here are the ipconfig/all results on the desktop


Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : main

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No



Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : National Semiconductor
DP83815-Based PCI Fast Ethernet Adapter

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-40-F4-54-69-E1

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :



Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 2:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Motorola SURFboard 4200 USB
Cable Modem

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-08-0E-D3-61-F1

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 82.32.216.70

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.248.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 82.32.216.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 80.235.128.126

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 62.31.176.39

194.117.134.19

195.188.53.175

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 20 October 2004 22:54:26

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 21 October 2004 18:25:09

i don't get it, i hope this helps you help me though
thanks

 

[Guest]

one of those sites tells me, that you have to login to shared resources with
password validation and that you can change it in group policy editor and
adult stuff like that.... could this be something to do with it. hence access
denied all the time?

 

[Chuck]

hi chuck.
net view is interesting. when i do it on the desktop it shows up fine,
everything shared.
when i just do net view on the laptop it shows up that the desktop is there.
but when i do net view - name of desktop - on the laptop. it says access
denied.
i definitely think the trouble is on the desktop. surely the nic should be
getting its ip from dhcp.
the desktop is running home - sp1
the laptop pro - sp1
the problem has been happening on all imaginable combinations of pro/home
and sp's though.
here are the ipconfig/all results on the desktop


Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : main

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No



Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : National Semiconductor
DP83815-Based PCI Fast Ethernet Adapter

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-40-F4-54-69-E1

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :



Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 2:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Motorola SURFboard 4200 USB
Cable Modem

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-08-0E-D3-61-F1

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 82.32.216.70

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.248.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 82.32.216.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 80.235.128.126

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 62.31.176.39

194.117.134.19

195.188.53.175

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 20 October 2004 22:54:26

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 21 October 2004 18:25:09

i don't get it, i hope this helps you help me though
thanks

John,

If the desktop is running XP Home, what SP level is it? Any firewalls involved?

File sharing with XP Home is pretty simple - enable the Guest account, and make
sure there's no firewall interfering.

OTOH, a name resolution issue could return "Access denied..." - what's the
entire error message (the error number would help too)? Did you try a "net view
192.168.0.1" from the laptop?

How about ipconfig for the laptop?

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

 

[Chuck]

one of those sites tells me, that you have to login to shared resources with
password validation and that you can change it in group policy editor and
adult stuff like that.... could this be something to do with it. hence access
denied all the time?

John,

Well, there are several local security policies which have been known to affect
file sharing with XP Pro. You did say your desktop runs XP Home? Can you start
Local Security Settings (Start - Run - "secpol.msc")?

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

 

[Guest]

its running home ed mate and the laptop runs pro
when i try to connect to the printer it asks me to login to the guest
account and asks for a password, but you can't set a password for the guest
account, right?

 

[Chuck]

its running home ed mate and the laptop runs pro
when i try to connect to the printer it asks me to login to the guest
account and asks for a password, but you can't set a password for the guest
account, right?

John,

OK, you're having problem accessing the desktop (HE) from the laptop (PE),
though no problem accessing PE from HE.

Is Simple File Sharing enabled on the laptop? Is the Guest account enabled on
both computers, using Start - Run - "cmd" - type "net user guest /active:yes" in
the command window?

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