Mixed XP and 2000 problems

[Colin]

I have a home network of 4 Windows 2000 computers and one occasional Win xP
Pro laptop.

This has run without problems for years. I connect via VPN to an Office
consisting of a mixed Win 2000 and XP Pro network which is mainly peer to
peer with a Win 2000 Server that acts mainly as a file server (more than 10
computers accessing an Access database).

As we have added new XP machines to this office we have been getting more
problems such as other computers not being visible etc.

I have just brought one of the XP machines that was having a few mixed
problems from the office to my home, for troubleshooting, and it has had the
effect of making My Network Places non functional on the Win 2000 machines
with the "workgroup not accessible. The network path was not found." when
trying to view Computers near me. On the XP machine the message is
"workgroup not accessible, You might not have permission etc."

All computers can be pinged by name and my IMAP mail server works fine as
does the network printer. I can get the network back by removing the XP
machine an rebooting all the Win 2000 machines and then pinging them all
until the network starts behaving again. It even works for a while after
adding the XP machine again but is broken after leaving overnight.

What "feature" of XP is causing this? In my reading I notice that XP only
allows a P to P network of 10 machines and the first time I set up a mixed
2000 / XP network the XP machine insisted on "being in charge".

Help please,

Colin

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

I have a home network of 4 Windows 2000 computers and one occasional Win xP
Pro laptop.

This has run without problems for years. I connect via VPN to an Office
consisting of a mixed Win 2000 and XP Pro network which is mainly peer to
peer with a Win 2000 Server that acts mainly as a file server (more than 10
computers accessing an Access database).

As we have added new XP machines to this office we have been getting more
problems such as other computers not being visible etc.

I have just brought one of the XP machines that was having a few mixed
problems from the office to my home, for troubleshooting, and it has had the
effect of making My Network Places non functional on the Win 2000 machines
with the "workgroup not accessible. The network path was not found." when
trying to view Computers near me. On the XP machine the message is
"workgroup not accessible, You might not have permission etc."

All computers can be pinged by name and my IMAP mail server works fine as
does the network printer. I can get the network back by removing the XP
machine an rebooting all the Win 2000 machines and then pinging them all
until the network starts behaving again. It even works for a while after
adding the XP machine again but is broken after leaving overnight.

What "feature" of XP is causing this? In my reading I notice that XP only
allows a P to P network of 10 machines and the first time I set up a mixed
2000 / XP network the XP machine insisted on "being in charge".

Help please,

Colin

Here's a simple step that could fix the network problems: disable the
Computer Browser service on the new XP machine.

There's no limit to the number of computers on a network with
Windows XP.

A Windows XP Professional computer allows a maximum of 10 other
computers to connect to its shared resources simultaneously.
Computers that aren't actively connected to a computer's shared
resources don't count against the limit. When a computer disconnects
from a shared resource, it no longer counts against the limit. See
this site for more information:

Inbound Connections Limit in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314882
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

 

[Colin]

There's no limit to the number of computers on a network with
Windows XP.

A Windows XP Professional computer allows a maximum of 10 other
computers to connect to its shared resources simultaneously.
Computers that aren't actively connected to a computer's shared
resources don't count against the limit. When a computer disconnects
from a shared resource, it no longer counts against the limit. See
this site for more information:

Inbound Connections Limit in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314882
--

This I know was added in Windows 2000, hence the need for the Windows 2000
Server.
What I need to know now is why I cannot get back my old Home Windows 2000
network after removing the XP machine that came fron the main office. I have
tried all I did the first time but in My Network Places I cannot use the
Computers Near Me icon. I get Workgroup not available. Network path was not
found. The same message comes up if I try any of my previously defined
Network Places.

Colin