In the interest of persistence . . .

[Tony Allen]

. . . I'll start this question again - only in different words.

1 xp pro box
1 xp home box
Networked via wireless

Print sharing works if the printers are added via Add Printer.
Folder sharing works just fine if they are added via Add Network Places
Map Network Drive works just fine if the address is entered by typingb-
Browsing does not work (see below)
My Network Places | Entire Network | Microsoft Window Network will find my
network - but takes about 30 seconds to do so.
*Windows DOES find the network - evidenced by the fact that it provides the
name along with the icon. If windows didn't find the network it wouldn't
know the name.*
However - clicking on the network icon produces a 45 second delay and then
an error message "<mynetworkname> is unavailable" Bla Bla Bla. Browsing
for network places - as in the case of Network Drive mapping - gets the same
error.

The network can see the pieces, if added as pieces (ala, Add Network
Places), but can not see the network in it's entirety. It even seems to
know enough about the network to autofill addresses when using Add Network
Places. Strange that is can find the address to autofill but can't find it
by Browsing for it.

All worked just fine until a few days ago and then just POOOOFF! Working
when the systems were turned off at night but not working when they were
turned on in the morning. No updated, installs or setting/configuration
changes.

To date I've tried every trick I can muster (and I'm fairly literate about
such things) plus all those that have been offered via newsgroups.

I'll take any serious suggestion as such!

TIA

 

[Ulysses]

Sounds like my post which follows your post. I don't think I tired "Mapping
the Network Drive" recently. I think I'll try that again.

When having problems networking with Win98SE I was directed to "gateway." I
don't remember if that was the problem but when I looked it up in XP help
and went to look at the setting it was blank and I'm supposed to fill in the
blanks. I may know a thing or two about computers but I have no clue as to
what numbers are supposed to be there.

I'm beginning to think the solution for us may lie in another box of
software (such as 98SE or 2000).

 

[Tony Allen]

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;318030&Product=winxp

 

[trevor]

I have same problem but it happened only after loading
SP@. I thought it may be to do with that? But if you
guys didnt do any upgrade then I am just as lost. One
computer cannot see the other / the other "sees" as in
the name but errors by just busy for 30 sec then nothing

Has anyone got the answer?

Trevor

 

[Ulysses]

I'm afraid to install SP2 after reading Microsoft's warning. I went to find
MS Backup and it was not on my computer. It was not on Windows Components
that I could add. There was no information about it in Help (info that I
needed anyway, such as backup devices etc). But Bill Gates said I need to
backup my system files etc before I install his software. So I didn't.

 

[Ulysses]

I tried the link and got a blank page having to do with a survey. I'll try
going to MS's home page and look for the survey there. Where did it begin?

 

[Tony Allen]

Ya couldn't convince me to install that mess for the world! It simply isn't
even close to being worth the risk.
One reads, and follows, ALL the warning from Microsoft PLUS all the
complaints about it and IMO one would have to be nuts to want to even try
it.

 

[Ken J]

Ulysses & Tony,

I had the same problem! I also looked through posts and tried various suggestions. I have XP SP2 on one end of my home network and Win98 on the other. Both were connected to the Internet through a router connected to a DSL modem. I could ping IP addresses but not names. Both could access the Internet without problems. Could not see shares.

Here's how I solved the problem. It's a workaround. Microsoft seems committed to TCP/IP, but IPX can be used for local networks just fine. I added the IPX/SPX protocol to both machines. I also made sure that NetBIOS was added for the IPX on both machines. Then I went into the IPX/SPX properties, advanced tab, and I set the frame type to 802.2 on both machines. You could also use 802.3 on both, but they must be the same. I rebooted and my local shares came up just fine!

Give this a try.

Ken

 

[NoNoBadDog!]

Then perhaps you can explain to me why I was able to install it on 28
machines of varying configurations and vintages (5 at home and 23 at work),
and had only one very minor problem with a NIC card driver on a POS Dell
machine that was rectified by updating to the latest driver for that card.
Not a whimper from the other machines. Some of the machines do in fact show
improved performance.

Bobby

 

[Tony Allen]

Sure - Super intelligence, blind luck, a big ego and an attitude that
assumes people will buy anything just because YOU say it.


"NoNoBadDog!" <

Then perhaps you can explain to me why

<SNIP>

 

[Hans-Georg Michna]

Ya couldn't convince me to install that mess for the world! It simply isn't
even close to being worth the risk.
One reads, and follows, ALL the warning from Microsoft PLUS all the
complaints about it and IMO one would have to be nuts to want to even try
it.

Tony,

with this particular problem I wouldn't install SP2 either. I
would first repair the problem, then install SP2.

As to your problem, please have a look at
http://www.michna.com/kb/WxNetwork.htm#Workgroup_is_not_accessible.

Hans-Georg

 

[Ulysses]

Thanks Ken, I'll try it!

 

[Ulysses]

I must have done something wrong. I tried it and lost my Internet Sharing too :-( I put everything back the way it was and it still didn't work. I ended up doing a System Restore to get the internet to work again.

I'll try it again some time when I have an excess of patience ;-)

 

[Ken J]

Sorry my idea didn't work out, Ulysses. I'm curious about what kind of a connection you have to the Internet with which you use Internet Connection Sharing. Dial-up or cable or DSL? I'm assuming you aren't using a router since you're using ICS.

I had problems with my DSL modem connection for a few weeks (never tried using ICS) -- the connection would drop and stay disconnected for a few hours at a time, and then I put a router after the modem and now my DSL is much more stable -- down for 1/2 hour in the past two weeks. Also I was able to easily get Internet access to the 2nd computer through the router. I also like the firewall on the router, although I'm using Zone Alarm on both computers as well.

It's a pain to tear the system apart and start troubleshooting, although I like your idea of setting a restore point to return to where you started!

Ken
I must have done something wrong. I tried it and lost my Internet Sharing too :-( I put everything back the way it was and it still didn't work. I ended up doing a System Restore to get the internet to work again.

I'll try it again some time when I have an excess of patience ;-)

 

[Trog Dog]

Ulysses & Tony,

I had the same problem! I also looked through posts and tried various
suggestions. I have XP SP2 on one end of my home network and Win98 on the
other. Both were connected to the Internet through a router connected to a
DSL modem. I could ping IP addresses but not names. Both could access the
Internet without problems. Could not see shares.

Here's how I solved the problem. It's a workaround. Microsoft seems
committed to TCP/IP, but IPX can be used for local networks just fine. I
added the IPX/SPX protocol to both machines. I also made sure that NetBIOS
was added for the IPX on both machines. Then I went into the IPX/SPX
properties, advanced tab, and I set the frame type to 802.2 on both
machines. You could also use 802.3 on both, but they must be the same. I
rebooted and my local shares came up just fine!

Give this a try.

Ken


I had a "similar" problem on my home network ethernet win xp and win 98se.
At first both could access the net but not each other, then after rebooting
both pc's the winxp box could see and access the shares on the win 98 box,
but the 98 box couldn't see or access the xp box. As a last ditch effort I
enabled IPX/SPX on the win98 box and suddenly it could see and access the xp
box. (Note - I didn't enable IPX/SPX on the xp box). I left it in this state
for a couple of months - I was just glad that it was finally working.
Yesterday I removed the IPX/SPX protocol from the 98 box and the network
still works.

In light of the posts here, and the problems I've had at work with windows
networking I suspect that windows is sometimes flaky when it comes to
networking.

My conclusion is when you've tried all the mentioned solutions and it still
doesn't work, remove all protocols on the problem machine, reboot, then
reinstall manually.