Networking XP Home Edition and older Windows Versions

[Guest]

I note a lot of messages from people trying to network Windows in a workgroup with machines running older Versions of Windows (Win 2000, Win98, etc).

I was have a home setup with my XP on a wireles link to router and another PC running WindowsME connected to router by ethernet cable. I was trying to setup a workgroup with both machines so that XP could share the printer attached to my WinME machine.

At first i couldn't get each machine to see each other, though both could share the wirless router internet connection (the wireless router is connected to the internet via cable modem).

I followed advice and finally found a way for all machines to see each other and all the shred devies:

1. make sure that you are not running a personal firewall on any PC.
2. make sure you have NETBIOS over TCP/IP enabled on every PC
3. try running the NETBEUI protocol on each PC.

It wa only after I did step 3 that I found everything to work properly. Now both PCs see each other in the workgroup, I can share the printer and share folders with each PC and both machines still have access to the internet.

I don't know why but it looks to me like you still need NETBEUI for all the workgroup sharing to work OK.

Best of luck to you all.

 

[Hans-Georg Michna]

I followed advice and finally found a way for all machines to see each other and all the shred devies:

1. make sure that you are not running a personal firewall on any PC.
2. make sure you have NETBIOS over TCP/IP enabled on every PC
3. try running the NETBEUI protocol on each PC.

It wa only after I did step 3 that I found everything to work properly. Now both PCs see each other in the workgroup, I can share the printer and share folders with each PC and both machines still have access to the internet.

I don't know why but it looks to me like you still need NETBEUI for all the workgroup sharing to work OK.

Definitely not. Windows networking works just fine with TCP/IP
as the only transport protocol. Works fine here and works just
as fine in any other network I have seen.

Quite to the contrary, having more than one transport protocol
can cause certain problems, unless the bindings are adjusted
properly and Windows does not try to achieve the same networking
functions over more than one transport protocol.

Please have a look at http://www.michna.com/kb/WxNetwork.htm.

Hans-Georg

 

[Rob Elder, MVP]

Agreed, NETBEUI is not necessary. I've never had a problem connecting any
XP PC to a network. It can connect it all operating systems from DOS to
2K3.

Trick is I never use the wizard. You pretty much plug this stuff in and it
works.

Now both PCs see each other in the workgroup, I can share the printer and
share folders with each PC and both machines still have access to the
internet.the workgroup sharing to work OK.

 

[Gus]

Hi Rob
Can you please explain how you set this stuff up without
the Wizard? I'm having about the same problems!
Gus

 

[Hans-Georg Michna]

Trick is I never use the wizard. You pretty much plug this stuff in and it
works.

Rob,

yes, the wizard often (though not always) does more harm than
good. Moreover, some people misunderstand the choices. (Do I
have a "residential gateway"? No, never heard of such a thing.)

I actually list the wizard in my problem solver list as a
problem, rather than a solution.

Still the problems are usually not insurmountable. If you set
everything right, it will almost always work.

Hans-Georg

 

[Hans-Georg Michna]

Hi Rob
Can you please explain how you set this stuff up without
the Wizard? I'm having about the same problems!

Gus,

I'm not Rob, but perhaps you can have a look into
http://www.michna.com/kb/WxNetwork.htm for a list of potential
problems and their solutions.

Hans-Georg