Password accessing gateway computer's shared files?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Eddie Dunn
  • Start date Start date
E

Eddie Dunn

I have set up a home network between two computers with one single crossover
cable, and one computer being used as a gateway (I have a USB ADSL modem). I
use ZoneAlarm as a firewall. Up till now, everything's worked just fine.

Now, here's the problem -- all of a sudden this computer cannot access the
gateway computer's shared files, or printer sharing services. Whenever I try
to browse the shared files I get prompted for a username and password, and I
don't know why and I've no idea what the username and password may be. How
do I remove this username and password so that this computer can access the
gateway computer's files? Since I didn't enable any username/password
protection, I have no idea how to disable it.

The internet sharing still works, although the "shared connection" icon no
longer shows in My Network Connections (direct translation from Swedish,
dunno what it's really called in English). The gateway computer can access
this computer without any problems. I've tried disabling ZoneAlarm, but
still no dice.

Again, my question is:

Ho do I disable the username and password prompting that pops up whenever I
try to access the gateway computer's shared files?
 
I have set up a home network between two computers with one single crossover
cable, and one computer being used as a gateway (I have a USB ADSL modem). I
use ZoneAlarm as a firewall. Up till now, everything's worked just fine.

Now, here's the problem -- all of a sudden this computer cannot access the
gateway computer's shared files, or printer sharing services. Whenever I try
to browse the shared files I get prompted for a username and password, and I
don't know why and I've no idea what the username and password may be. How
do I remove this username and password so that this computer can access the
gateway computer's files? Since I didn't enable any username/password
protection, I have no idea how to disable it.

The internet sharing still works, although the "shared connection" icon no
longer shows in My Network Connections (direct translation from Swedish,
dunno what it's really called in English). The gateway computer can access
this computer without any problems. I've tried disabling ZoneAlarm, but
still no dice.

Again, my question is:

Ho do I disable the username and password prompting that pops up whenever I
try to access the gateway computer's shared files?
Click to expand...

Eddie,

Check Simple File Sharing (Windows Explorer - Tools - View - Advanced settings:
- very end of list) - is it enabled or disabled on the gateway computer? If
disabled, do you have a common account / password setup and in use on each
computer?

Enable Zone Alarm, ensure that each computer is listed in Local (Very Trusted)
Zone of the other, and ensure that the following ports are open for Local Zone
only: TCP 139, 445; UDP 137, 138, 445.

Learn to munge your email address properly, to keep yourself a bit safer.
http://www.mailmsg.com/SPAM_munging.htm

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
 
Thanks for the swift reply. I forgot to mention that both computers where
running Win XP Pro, but it seems you assumed that this was the case anyhow.

Simple file sharing is disabled on the gateway, which appears to be the
problem. -I- never enabled it on the gateway computer so I though that
it -should- be disabled... Argh.

However, having it disabled is actually a good thing -- I would like to
still be able to access and delete secured files, so I'm loathe to enable
Simple file sharing again. Where do I configure an account/password setup
for it instead?

PS. Instead of munging my e-mail address, I just entered my spam address
instead. Thanks for reminding me to remove my real e-mail address, though.
 
Thanks for the swift reply. I forgot to mention that both computers where
running Win XP Pro, but it seems you assumed that this was the case anyhow.

Simple file sharing is disabled on the gateway, which appears to be the
problem. -I- never enabled it on the gateway computer so I though that
it -should- be disabled... Argh.

However, having it disabled is actually a good thing -- I would like to
still be able to access and delete secured files, so I'm loathe to enable
Simple file sharing again. Where do I configure an account/password setup
for it instead?
Click to expand...

Eddie,

The symptoms of your problem - and the fact that you were posting to m.p.wx.n_w
made Windows XP a very likely possibility. SFS is so easy to cause this
problem. I personally always advocate disabling SFS - unless someone is a Win9x
addict anyway.

You add users from Control Panel - Administrative Tools - Computer Management.
System Tools - Local Users and Groups - Users. Right click on Users - select
New User.

Remember if disabling ZA doesn't get things working, you gotta either un install
it, or open the ports as I listed. Enabling it - and protecting you from the
internet - would be my choice. Stay safe.

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
 
Okay, it turns out I was too optimistic.

The problem wasn't the simple files sharing, apparently. When that login box
popped up, I thought you needed some kind of special network account and not
a regular user login account.

Anyhow, logging in as a user from the computer on the other side of the
network doesn't work, no matter if simple files sharing is turned on or off.
I get the same message when trying to connect to and browse the gateway
computer's shared files:

"\\Laptop is not available. Maybe you do not have permission to use this
resource. Ask the server administrator for help.

Access denied."

Somewhere, somehow, some kind of permission variable has been set to refuse
my stationary computer to access the gateway comp. I'm suspecting maybe it
has something to do with the Services in the control panel, but I dunno,
it's just a wild guess, I'm grasping for straws.

Also, this computer can still access the internet through the network. It is
the files and printer sharing that is broken, somehow.

 
Eh, forgot to mention that I uninstalled Zone Alarm too for testing purposes
(I do not know how to open specific ports in Zone Alarm -- I'm using the
free version, that doesn't have as many features). It still didn't work. I
don't think the firewall is the problem here.

Eddie Dunn said:
Okay, it turns out I was too optimistic.

The problem wasn't the simple files sharing, apparently. When that login box
popped up, I thought you needed some kind of special network account and not
a regular user login account.

Anyhow, logging in as a user from the computer on the other side of the
network doesn't work, no matter if simple files sharing is turned on or off.
I get the same message when trying to connect to and browse the gateway
computer's shared files:

"\\Laptop is not available. Maybe you do not have permission to use this
resource. Ask the server administrator for help.

Access denied."

Somewhere, somehow, some kind of permission variable has been set to refuse
my stationary computer to access the gateway comp. I'm suspecting maybe it
has something to do with the Services in the control panel, but I dunno,
it's just a wild guess, I'm grasping for straws.

Also, this computer can still access the internet through the network. It is
the files and printer sharing that is broken, somehow.
Click to expand...
 
Okay, it turns out I was too optimistic.

The problem wasn't the simple files sharing, apparently. When that login box
popped up, I thought you needed some kind of special network account and not
a regular user login account.

Anyhow, logging in as a user from the computer on the other side of the
network doesn't work, no matter if simple files sharing is turned on or off.
I get the same message when trying to connect to and browse the gateway
computer's shared files:

"\\Laptop is not available. Maybe you do not have permission to use this
resource. Ask the server administrator for help.

Access denied."

Somewhere, somehow, some kind of permission variable has been set to refuse
my stationary computer to access the gateway comp. I'm suspecting maybe it
has something to do with the Services in the control panel, but I dunno,
it's just a wild guess, I'm grasping for straws.

Also, this computer can still access the internet through the network. It is
the files and printer sharing that is broken, somehow.
Click to expand...

Eddie,

Can both computers access the internet?

What about pinging? Can you ping one computer from the other? By both name and
ip address?

Check the Local Security Policy (Control Panel - Administrative Tools). Under
Local Policies - Security Options, look at "Network access: Sharing and security
model", and ensure it's set to "Classic - local users authenticate as
themselves".

If you set the Local Security Policy to "Guest only", make sure that the Guest
account is enabled, and has a non-blank password. If "Classic", setup and use a
common account with identical password on both computers.

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
 
For the record, both computers can access the internet. Both computers can
ping each other, by name and ip-address.

But changing "Network access: Sharing and security model" to "Classic..."
seemed to do the trick for me. Thanks! :)

How it was changed in the first place is beyond me, though...
 
For the record, both computers can access the internet. Both computers can
ping each other, by name and ip-address.

But changing "Network access: Sharing and security model" to "Classic..."
seemed to do the trick for me. Thanks! :)

How it was changed in the first place is beyond me, though...
Click to expand...

Excellent, Eddie. Thanks for the update.

Only God knows everything, including why computers behave randomly like that.
;)
 
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