Problem getting two computers on home LAN to see each other

[rick cameron]

I have two Windows XP computers connecting to a Linksys router. One is wired
to the router, and uses a fixed IP address. The other connects through a
Linksys USB WiFi adapter, and uses DHCP.

Both computers can see the Internet, but they can't see each other. When I
try to open the other computer with Start | Run | \\computername, I get the
message 'No network provider accepted the given network path'.

nbtscan run on one computer does not find the other one.

I tried explicitly enabling NETBIOS over TCP/IP, but that doesn't seem to
help.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

- rick

 

[Eric Cross]

Greetings rick,

Sometimes in My Network Places the shortcuts go bad for no apparent reason.
Delete the shortcuts and let Windows re-create them.

____________
Eric

 

[rick cameron]

Thanks for the suggestion, but unfortunately it didn't do the trick.

-rick

 

[Yves Konigshofer]

Open up internet explorer (or anything else with an address bar) and type in
\\192.168.1.x where the address is the LAN IP of the computer you are trying
to connect to. I've found that the \\computername only works with IPX/SPX
but that this also no longer works with the current WRT54G firmware between
wired and wireless computers. Also, are you sharing files/printers on the
computers? Are you using the same username/password on both computers?

-Yves

 

[rick cameron]

Please see below...

Open up internet explorer (or anything else with an address bar) and type in
\\192.168.1.x where the address is the LAN IP of the computer you are trying
to connect to.

I tried this in Explorer & IE. No dice.

I've found that the \\computername only works with IPX/SPX
but that this also no longer works with the current WRT54G firmware between
wired and wireless computers.

That's interesting! It has worked occasionally, but not reliably - and not
at the moment.

Also, are you sharing files/printers on the
computers?

Yes. Both are sharing directories, and one is sharing a printer.

 

[rick cameron]

I think I found the problem: ZoneAlarm!

It had decided that my home LAN was in the 'Internet Zone'. I told it to
trust the LAN, and now I can connect from one computer to the other.

Cheers

- rick

 

[Guest]

Hi Cheers,

How did you do that? I mean, tell it to trust the
LAN connection. I have the same problem.

Thank you

Joao Sol

 

[HS]

I had the same problem..I was running personal firewall that was blocking
the computer bing seen on the local network. I lowered the security level
and now I can see the computers. Hope that helps too.

 

[HS]

I had same proble with personal firewall. It was blocking my computer to be
seen on my home network. Tried all sorts of things for a few hours. Then
lowered the security level of the firewall and all of a sudden it was
sighted beautifully on my LAN. Hope that helps too.
Hemang

 

[Michel Merlin]

I have the same problem, while no ZoneAlarm.

My laptop (w2ksp4) connects everyday on our family LAN at home,
and on our LAN at Lab. At home it can see (and be seen by) my
wife's desktop (w2ksp4), my old desktop (w98se), or any of my
children's Notebooks (all WXP). This has been working flawlessly
for several years.

My new laptop (WXP Home), bought last month, now plugged, can
see (and be seen by) the other PCs (old w98se, my wife's w2k),
but not my old laptop - which is precisely the one I badly need
in order to run XP's transfert wizard. This, despite that old
laptop still has no problem connecting with the other PCs: the
old laptop - new laptop is the only connection that fails.

All PCs have different names, are in the same Workgroup.

TIA for any advice

Paris, Tue 16 Mar 2004 19:57:10 +0100

----- Parent Message -----
From: "rick cameron" <[email protected]>
Newsgroup:
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.windowsxp.network_web
Message:
news://msnews.microsoft.com/[email protected]

.....I told [Internet Explorer] to trust the LAN, and now I can
connect from one computer to the other.

 

[Michel Merlin]

I forgot to mention that all PCs on the LAN still have Internet
Access (through ICS on my wife's desktop), and that the 2
Laptops that can't see each other, can ping each other by IP
(but ping by name fails).

Paris, Tue 16 Mar 2004 20:58:55 +0100

----- Parent Message -----
From: "Michel Merlin" <[email protected]>
Newsgroup: news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.windowsxp.network_web
Message:
I have the same problem, while no ZoneAlarm.

My laptop (w2ksp4) connects everyday...

 

[rick cameron]

Salut, Michel

Take a look at http://www.tomsnetworking.com/Sections-article64.php I found
there were several useful suggestions.

In your case, perhaps the section on the 'master browser' is pertinent.

Bonne chance!

- rick

 

[Michel Merlin]

Thanks a lot for the tips. This « tom's networking » page is
clear, detailed and precise, thus helped me find several things
that I couldn't, due to WXP moving them so far from where they
were in W2K or W9x (and not always more logical...).

However my problem is still unresolved despite I did all that
results from your (nevertheless welcomed and useful) suggestion
using "tom's networking" great site:

- in my LAN connection, I enabled NetBIOS on TCP/IP
and disabled LMHOSTS lookup;
- I disabled my ICF (Internet Connection Firewall) wherever
it was enabled (that is on my phone connections);
- I disabled Computer Browser
- I rebooted

I checked... From my old W2K laptop I can now access
my new laptop using the IP trick (typing "\\192.168.0.214"
in Start \Run, "...214" being the IP address found on my
"Network Bridge" - see below), but this is slow, fixed (will
need update the IP address), and all the rest remains unchanged:

- From my new WXP laptop I can still do everything on my home
LAN (surf the web, print through my wife's PC), excepted see
my old W2K laptop, even by trying the "IP trick";
- From any other PC I can still do everything, including
browsing files in the 2 impaired PCs.

Hereafter are the details.

--ooOOoo--

The « Tip 1: Check the Basics » page
( http://www.tomsnetworking.com/Sections-article64-page2.php )
showed me something in my new WXP Notebook:
in "Local Area Connection Properties"
(actually « Propriétés de Connexion au réseau local»),
I have just 2 tabs, "General" and "Authentication";
and in "General", all the stuff between the "Configure" button
and the "Show icon..." boxlet is absent and replaced with the
notice (approx translation from French):
« This card belongs to a network bridge. To remove this card
from the network bridge or to change the bridge's settings,
right-click on the network bridge, then Properties ».

So in Start \Settings \Network Connections, I have 3 paragraphs,
the 3rd one being "Network Bridge" which contains 3 lines:
- Local Area Network Connection
- 1394 Connection
- Network Bridge

Thus I assume that "Network Bridge" is just an intermediate
layer intended to share some properties between several "cards"
(or adapters), here 2 cards:
- my NIC (National Semiconductor Corp. DP83815/816 10/100
MacPhyter PCI Adapter),
- my "Carte réseau 1394" (aka 1394 adapter).

By right-clicking that "Network Bridge" and chosing "Properties"
I do get the items I need and I can check them:
- "Client for Microsoft Networks" and
"File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks service" are
present as due;
- in TCP/IP \Properties \Advanced \WINS \NetBIOS Settings,
I have the 1st radio-button selected instead of the 2nd; and
in the frame above, I have the "Enable LMHOSTS lookup" case
checked instead of cleared.
I noticed those differences but changed them only after trying
first your advice about Master Browsing and checking that it
didn't solve the problem.

Another difference is about my XP Firewall: the "Advanced" tab
does show in each of my (56k) phone connections, and in each one
it has the ICF case checked; but that "Advanced" tab is absent
in both "Local Area Network Connection" and in "Network Bridge".
I assume (am I optimistic about Windows' logic...) that my ICF
(Internet Connection Firewall) is active *on the said external
connections*, but doesn't interact in any way with my local
connections... However I finally disabled that ICF wherever it
showed, just to make sure.

All this failed to solve my problem...

I think Microsoft should think more *and better* about
usability. Ths fault is clearly in MS's system and dialogs,
where too many dialog messages are vague, unclear, ambiguous,
and sometimes wrong. It is inacceptable in 2004 that just adding
a new WXP PC on an existing LAN that has worked for years, is so
difficult and time consuming.

Paris, ven. 19 mars 2004 12:04:55 +0100

----- Parent Message -----
From: "rick cameron" <[email protected]>
Newsgroup: news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.windowsxp.network_web
Message: news://msnews.microsoft.com/%[email protected]
Sent: Fri 19 Mar 2004 04:47 +0100
Subject: Re: Problem getting two computers on home LAN
to see each other

Salut, Michel

Take a look at
http://www.tomsnetworking.com/Sections-article64.php
I found there were several useful suggestions.

In your case, perhaps the section on the 'master browser' is
pertinent.

Bonne chance!

- rick

----- Parent Message -----
From: "Michel Merlin" <[email protected]>
Newsgroup: news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.windowsxp.network_web
Message: Sent: Tue 16 Mar 2004 19:57:10 +0100
Subject: Re: Problem getting two computers on home LAN to see
each other

I have the same problem, while no ZoneAlarm.

My laptop (w2ksp4) connects everyday on our family LAN at home,
and on our LAN at Lab. At home it can see (and be seen by) my
wife's desktop (w2ksp4), my old desktop (w98se), or any of my
children's Notebooks (all WXP). This has been working flawlessly
for several years.

My new laptop (WXP Home), bought last month, now plugged, can
see (and be seen by) the other PCs (old w98se, my wife's w2k),
but not my old laptop - which is precisely the one I badly need
in order to run XP's transfert wizard. This, despite that old
laptop still has no problem connecting with the other PCs: the
old laptop - new laptop is the only connection that fails.

All PCs have different names, are in the same Workgroup.

TIA for any advice

Paris, Tue 16 Mar 2004 19:57:10 +0100

----- Parent Message -----
From: "rick cameron" <[email protected]>
Newsgroup: news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.windowsxp.network_web
Message: news://msnews.microsoft.com/[email protected]

.....I told [Internet Explorer] to trust the LAN, and now I can
connect from one computer to the other.

 

[Michel Merlin]

{This message replaces the one of 19 Mar 2004 12:04:55 +0100.
The only 2 changes are in the title and the « unless the failing
communication... implying *one* of the 2 impaired PCs » phrase}

Thanks a lot for the tips. This « tom's networking » page is
clear, detailed and precise, thus helped me find several things
that I couldn't, due to WXP moving them so far from where they
were in W2K or W9x (and not always more logical...).

However my problem is still unresolved despite I did all that
results from your (nevertheless welcomed and useful) suggestion
using "tom's networking" great site:

- in my LAN connection, I enabled NetBIOS on TCP/IP
and disabled LMHOSTS lookup;
- I disabled my ICF (Internet Connection Firewall) wherever
it was enabled (that is on my phone connections);
- I disabled Computer Browser
- I rebooted

I checked... From my old W2K laptop I can now access
my new laptop using the IP trick (typing "\\192.168.0.214"
in Start \Run, "...214" being the IP address found on my
"Network Bridge" - see below), but this is slow, fixed (will
need update the IP address), and all the rest remains unchanged:

- From my new WXP laptop I can still do everything on my home
LAN (surf the web, print through my wife's PC), excepted see
my old W2K laptop, even by trying the "IP trick";
- unless the failing communication between the 2 impaired PCs,
any other relation between 2 PCs works (browsing files,
printing, sharing Internet access), even when implying *one*
of the 2 impaired PCs.

Hereafter are the details.

--ooOOoo--

The « Tip 1: Check the Basics » page
( http://www.tomsnetworking.com/Sections-article64-page2.php )
showed me something in my new WXP Notebook:
in "Local Area Connection Properties"
(actually « Propriétés de Connexion au réseau local»),
I have just 2 tabs, "General" and "Authentication";
and in "General", all the stuff between the "Configure" button
and the "Show icon..." boxlet is absent and replaced with the
notice (approx translation from French):
« This card belongs to a network bridge. To remove this card
from the network bridge or to change the bridge's settings,
right-click on the network bridge, then Properties ».

So in Start \Settings \Network Connections, I have 3 paragraphs,
the 3rd one being "Network Bridge" which contains 3 lines:
- Local Area Network Connection
- 1394 Connection
- Network Bridge

Thus I assume that "Network Bridge" is just an intermediate
layer intended to share some properties between several "cards"
(or adapters), here 2 cards:
- my NIC (National Semiconductor Corp. DP83815/816 10/100
MacPhyter PCI Adapter),
- my "Carte réseau 1394" (aka 1394 adapter).

By right-clicking that "Network Bridge" and chosing "Properties"
I do get the items I need and I can check them:
- "Client for Microsoft Networks" and
"File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks service" are
present as due;
- in TCP/IP \Properties \Advanced \WINS \NetBIOS Settings,
I have the 1st radio-button selected instead of the 2nd; and
in the frame above, I have the "Enable LMHOSTS lookup" case
checked instead of cleared.
I noticed those differences but changed them only after trying
first your advice about Master Browsing and checking that it
didn't solve the problem.

Another difference is about my XP Firewall: the "Advanced" tab
does show in each of my (56k) phone connections, and in each one
it has the ICF case checked; but that "Advanced" tab is absent
in both "Local Area Network Connection" and in "Network Bridge".
I assume (am I optimistic about Windows' logic...) that my ICF
(Internet Connection Firewall) is active *on the said external
connections*, but doesn't interact in any way with my local
connections... However I finally disabled that ICF wherever it
showed, just to make sure.

All this failed to solve my problem...

I think Microsoft should think more *and better* about
usability. Ths fault is clearly in MS's system and dialogs,
where too many dialog messages are vague, unclear, ambiguous,
and sometimes wrong. It is inacceptable in 2004 that just adding
a new WXP PC on an existing LAN that has worked for years, is so
difficult and time consuming.

Paris, ven. 19 mars 2004 13:28:00 +0100

----- Parent Message -----
From: "rick cameron" <[email protected]>
Newsgroup: news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.windowsxp.network_web
Message: news://msnews.microsoft.com/%[email protected]
Sent: Fri 19 Mar 2004 04:47 +0100
Subject: Re: Problem getting two computers on home LAN
to see each other

Salut, Michel

Take a look at
http://www.tomsnetworking.com/Sections-article64.php
I found there were several useful suggestions.

In your case, perhaps the section on the 'master browser' is
pertinent.

Bonne chance!

- rick

----- Parent Message -----
From: "Michel Merlin" <[email protected]>
Newsgroup: news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.windowsxp.network_web
Message: Sent: Tue 16 Mar 2004 19:57:10 +0100
Subject: Re: Problem getting two computers on home LAN to see
each other

I have the same problem, while no ZoneAlarm.

My laptop (w2ksp4) connects everyday on our family LAN at home,
and on our LAN at Lab. At home it can see (and be seen by) my
wife's desktop (w2ksp4), my old desktop (w98se), or any of my
children's Notebooks (all WXP). This has been working flawlessly
for several years.

My new laptop (WXP Home), bought last month, now plugged, can
see (and be seen by) the other PCs (old w98se, my wife's w2k),
but not my old laptop - which is precisely the one I badly need
in order to run XP's transfert wizard. This, despite that old
laptop still has no problem connecting with the other PCs: the
old laptop - new laptop is the only connection that fails.

All PCs have different names, are in the same Workgroup.

TIA for any advice

Paris, Tue 16 Mar 2004 19:57:10 +0100

----- Parent Message -----
From: "rick cameron" <[email protected]>
Newsgroup: news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.windowsxp.network_web
Message: news://msnews.microsoft.com/[email protected]

.....I told [Internet Explorer] to trust the LAN, and now I can
connect from one computer to the other.

 

[Guest]

Well... I have one computer networked to me with firewire and another wireless and I am on a router... I can see the wireless and the firewire computers, the firewire can also see me but not the wireless... the wireless can't see the firewire computer. A mess? LOL, yep and I haven't a clue how to fix it.