Network Problem

[Ken Blake]

I have a small two-computer network, with each computer running Windows XP SP1 (one computer is XP Home, the other XP Professional). The XP Home computer is running the free Zone Alarm 3.7.202 without a problem. If the XP Professional Computer is running the built-in Windows firewall, everything is fine at first--each computer can see the other--then a few minutes later, trying to reach the XP Home computer from the XP Professional one results in the message

An error occurred while reconnecting Z: to \\Eileen\C

Microsoft Windows Network: the local device name is already in use.

The connection has not been restored.

If instead of the built-in firewall, Zone Alarm is running on the XP Professional machine, that message appears immediately.

I did a Google search on "the local device name is already in use" and found a couple of sites that suggested I use a different drive letter for mapping. So I changed the mapping from Z: to X: with the same results.

Each machine can Ping the other without a problem. Any suggestions as to what might be wrong or how to fix it? Suggestions on a more appropriate newsgroup for the problem are fine too.

 

[GSV Three Minds in a Can]

I have a small two-computer network, with each computer running Windows
XP SP1 (one computer is XP Home, the other XP Professional). The XP
Home computer is running the free Zone Alarm 3.7.202 without a problem.
If the XP Professional Computer is running the built-in Windows
firewall, everything is fine at first--each computer can see the
other--then a few minutes later, trying to reach the XP Home computer
from the XP Professional one results in the message

The XP built-in firewall is useless for use on a LAN connection, it is
intended for connection which go (only) to the Internet.

An error occurred while reconnecting Z: to \\Eileen\C

Microsoft Windows Network: the local device name is already in use.

The connection has not been restored.

If instead of the built-in firewall, Zone Alarm is running on the XP
Professional machine, that message appears immediately.

I did a Google search on "the local device name is already in use" and
found a couple of sites that suggested I use a different drive letter
for mapping. So I changed the mapping from Z: to X: with the same
results.

Each machine can Ping the other without a problem. Any suggestions as
to what might be wrong or how to fix it? Suggestions on a more
appropriate newsgroup for the problem are fine too.

Possibly the drive mapping is being done in more than one place? - see
for instance: (watch the wraps).

http://groups.google.co.uk/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&threadm=#
nYMmk%23sBHA.2556%40tkmsftngp04&rnum=5&prev=/groups%3Fhl%3Den%26ie%3DUTF-
8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26q%3D%2522the%2Blocal%2Bdevice%2Bname%2Bis%2Balready%2Bin
%2Buse%2522%2Bwindows%26sa%3DN%26tab%3Dwg%26meta%3D

Do you get the same problem if you just manually (one time) try to map a
letter to something on that machine - does it happen with C$ instead of
C? does it happen with \\eileeen\shared documents, or some other folder?

If you open explorer, tools, disconnect network drive, what drives do
you see listed (at the time when it says the device name is in use)?

 

[Ken Blake]

In [email protected], GSV Three Minds in a Can wrote:

The XP built-in firewall is useless for use on a LAN connection, it is
intended for connection which go (only) to the Internet.

Yes, of course. I wasn't looking to use it for the LAN connection. When the problem began a week or so ago, I suspected that it was being caused by ZoneALarm, so as a troubleshooting measure, I tried it with and without ZoneAlarm, as well as with and with the built-in firwall. I don't need a firewall to protect against a local computer, only against instrusions from the internet.

Possibly the drive mapping is being done in more than one place? - see
for instance: (watch the wraps).

http://groups.google.co.uk/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&threadm=#
nYMmk%23sBHA.2556%40tkmsftngp04&rnum=5&prev=/groups%3Fhl%3Den%26ie%3DUTF-
8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26q%3D%2522the%2Blocal%2Bdevice%2Bname%2Bis%2Balready%2Bin
%2Buse%2522%2Bwindows%26sa%3DN%26tab%3Dwg%26meta%3D

That possibility was why I tried mapping to another letter, but it didn't change the result.

Do you get the same problem if you just manually (one time) try to
map a letter to something on that machine - does it happen with C$
instead of C? does it happen with \\eileeen\shared documents, or some
other folder?

In all these cases, the result is the message: The network path.... could not be found.

If you open explorer, tools, disconnect network drive, what drives do
you see listed (at the time when it says the device name is in use)?

\\eileen\C, but it's grayed out.

 

[Robert Kister]

Try disabling the firewalls on both machines. If your problem goes away you
know you are looking at a firewall issue.


It's been several days, since I posted the question below, and I still don't
have an answer, so I thought I'd try again.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup


In

 

[Ken Blake]

In

Try disabling the firewalls on both machines. If your problem goes
away you know you are looking at a firewall issue.

Sorry if I didn't make it clear, but I've already done that. Disabling the firewalls doesn't matter.