Peer to Peer Quagmire

[Bitbob]

I am running a small PtoP network and slowly changing over to Vista..Since
most of the computers were running XP with no problems communicating I have
not pushed to get beyond sneakernet with the Vista Machines. Now I have
recently upgraded two of My five XP machines to Vista Ultimate and Vista
Business, lraving me with 3 Vista machines and 1 XP machine. The Vista
machines will not consistently allow communications on the network. I have
tried all the setup reccomendations on this sight up to and including
installing identicall users on all Vista machines. I do not require
passwords---Behind several firewalls-------- but I do have Norton Internet
security install on all machines and have turned of the Vista Firewall on
these machine i favor of the Norton Personal firewall. The business version
of Vista is stripped back to an XP interface but the Ultimate installs are
generic......The VBC(vista business computer) can see both of the ultimate
installs but it will only access2 drives on one VUC. The attempt to access
the other VUC ensd with an error message that I probably am trying to access
them with a different logon identity than I booted the computer with and will
not allow acces. The same happens only with the C drive on the first VUC.
When the VUC tries to access the VBC it gets shut out with the same message
about the wrong logged in Identity. Bear in mind that we have identical users
with identical shares and identical security setting on all drives on all
machines. Oh none of these installs see the XP computer comsistently.
Occasionally it will show up on one or the other.....Vista install... I
would like to get this running properly as sneaker net is getting old. By the
way internet access is just fine on all machines...Thanks

 

[Jack \(MVP-Networking\).]

Hi
Using more than one Firewall is a sure Key for trouble, and it does not add
any security.
Make up your mind which one you like and disable the other/s.
Successful Sharing involves some general consideration in Network settings,
http://www.ezlan.net/sharing.html
As well as specific adjustment of each computer according to what it is
allowed to be shared.
Vista File and Printer Sharing-
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727037.aspx
Windows XP File Sharing -
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;304040
Printer Sharing XP -
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/expert/honeycutt_july2.mspx
Windows Native Firewall setting for Sharing XP -
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/875357
Windows XP patch for Sharing with Vista -
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922120
Jack (MVP-Networking).

 

[Mick Murphy]

If you have not already read this, have a read!

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727037.aspx

Have a read of the above link re Vista File and Printer Sharing.

Permissions/Share info is there as well.

If using Norton, McAfee, Trend Micro I.S., make sure file and printer
sharing is enabled in THEIR firewall.

1st thing to do is make sure that the Workgroup Name of ALL the computers is
the SAME.

In Vista Network and Sharing:

Network Discovery: ON (So it can see the other computers)

Network set to Private (Public is for hotspots, airports, etc)

File Sharing: ON

Public Folder Sharing: ON (Vista’s Public Folder is the same as XP’s Shared
Docs)

Password Protected: OFF (unless you want to set up identical usernames and
passwords on ALL computers in your Network) If you have it ON, you will be
asked for a username and password when you try to access a Vista computer
from an XP computer.

Also, run the XP’s Home Network File and Printer Sharing Wizard to include
Vista in your “New†Network, even if you had an XP Network set up prior to
adding a Vista computer to it.

 

[Bitbob]

Jack: I had already followed all the links quoted in previous questions to no
avail but I did keep worrying the problem and finally got the network to
respond most of the time. The key to the whole mess was that after installing
all the same users in all the computers-which I had previously done-I had to
add passwords for them which I had not required previously. This seemed to
clean up the security issues and allowed them to log on to the peered
computer even though they might not be logged on to the local computer with a
password......... Occasionally when the peers are brought up by windows
explorer it will not connect claiming that there is a network problem--but if
I bring up an XP peer first them the Vista peers seem to function
properly.....Strikes me that the security system has become so complex that
no one knows exactly how it will react in a given software mix!!!!! Thanks
for your help.