Home network mysteries....???

[Jack Slater]

I have 3 PCs - 2 XP and 1 98. All connected via DHCP thru router. I used
to see all 3 from any PC. 1 XP PC had a printer that was shared and all
could see the printer too. I changed printers. Removed the old one and
added the new one. When I went to the 98 PC to install the shared new
printer - it couldn't see it - then when I started exploring all PCS - none
of them can see the others in their common workgroup!!!???

I can ping them all. I can search for them by IP address and find them
all - and then proceed to explore them all but I can't get them to show up
in the Network Neighborhood, common Windows Workgroup!

So, what next? What protocols must I be running on XP and 98 PCs to make
sure I'm fully installed? What else need I do to get them to show up again?

Thanks for any suggestions!

JDS

 

[Chuck]

I have 3 PCs - 2 XP and 1 98. All connected via DHCP thru router. I used
to see all 3 from any PC. 1 XP PC had a printer that was shared and all
could see the printer too. I changed printers. Removed the old one and
added the new one. When I went to the 98 PC to install the shared new
printer - it couldn't see it - then when I started exploring all PCS - none
of them can see the others in their common workgroup!!!???

I can ping them all. I can search for them by IP address and find them
all - and then proceed to explore them all but I can't get them to show up
in the Network Neighborhood, common Windows Workgroup!

So, what next? What protocols must I be running on XP and 98 PCs to make
sure I'm fully installed? What else need I do to get them to show up again?

Thanks for any suggestions!

JDS

Jack,

This is a common problem with Windows XP and Windows 98. The Windows 98 browser
(no I'm not talking about Internet Explorer) doesn't work well with the Windows
XP browser.

Make sure the browser service is running on both Windows XP computers. Control
Panel - Administrative Tools - Services. Verify that the Computer Browser, and
the TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper, services both show with Status = Started. Disable
the browser on the Windows 98 computer, as shown in this web page.
<http://cms.simons-rock.edu/faq_by_subtopic/node138.html>

Power all three computers off. Power the Windows XP computers on, then the
Windows 98 computer.

The Microsoft Browstat program will show us what browsers you have in your
domain / workgroup, at any time.
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=188305

You can download Browstat from either:
<http://www.dynawell.com/reskit/microsoft/win2000/browstat.zip>
<http://rescomp.stanford.edu/staff/manual/rcc/tools/browstat.zip>

Browstat is very small (40K), and needs no install. Just unzip the downloaded
file, copy browstat.exe to any folder in the Path, and run it from a command
window, by "browstat status". Make sure all computers give the same result.

For more information about the browser subsystem (very intricate), see:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=188001
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=188305
<http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winntas/deploy/prodspecs/ntbrowse.mspx>

 

[Jack Slater]

Thank heavens for Usenet - and thanks Chuck!

I can see what I did now that I got your help/answers. I downloaded some
utility to "speed" up the older XP PC and of course it does this by shutting
down services "not needed". Of course its not written well enuf to ask you
if the PC your running is part of a network!!!!!!!

Again - thanks a million for taking the time.

JDS

 

[Chuck]

Thank heavens for Usenet - and thanks Chuck!

I can see what I did now that I got your help/answers. I downloaded some
utility to "speed" up the older XP PC and of course it does this by shutting
down services "not needed". Of course its not written well enuf to ask you
if the PC your running is part of a network!!!!!!!

Again - thanks a million for taking the time.

JDS

Excellent, Jack! Thanks for the feedback. Care to name the utility, might help
others solve their problem?