Problems with Computer Browser

[TC]

Please help. I have a simple network -- 2 Windows XP computers and 1 Windows
2000 computer hooked up through a router. Every few months, the network
stops working and I typically spend about 8 hours trying to figure out why.
My friends who own Macintoshes laugh at me. I'm not kidding.

Anyway, this time I'm about 4 hours in and I've discovered I can ping all
the computers on the network, but I can't browse them with Explorer. My
research has told me this points to a problem with the computer browser
service. I've confirmed that the computer browser service is turned on for
all computers. Furthermore, I believe I've isolated the problem to one of
the XP machines. My best diagnosis so far is that, even though the computer
browser is turned on for that computer, it is not broadcasting its presence
to the other computers on the network. Furthermore, I've seen hints that
there is a registry entry which causes this behavior. Nevertheless, I can't
figure out what that registry entry is.

Can anyone help?


-TC

 

[TC]

Yay! After nine hours of plugging away, I've solved the problem. Something
had changed my node type from broadcast to peer-to-peer. I don't know what
that means, but I learned to fix it by going to the registry at
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Netbt\Parameters and
deleting the keys NodeType and DhcpNodeType.

Now, if only I could get my weekend back...


-TC

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Usually, a home network is set up as an "infrastructure" network with a
network name such as MSHOME. A peer to peer network is pretty much as the
name implies.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Additional note: Someone correct me if I have it wrong, but I believe a
peer to peer network is also called an 'ad hoc' network, as opposed to
infrastructure (which is persistent).

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)

Usually, a home network is set up as an "infrastructure" network with a
network name such as MSHOME. A peer to peer network is pretty much as the
name implies.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)

Yay! After nine hours of plugging away, I've solved the problem.
Something
had changed my node type from broadcast to peer-to-peer. I don't know
what
that means, but I learned to fix it by going to the registry at
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Netbt\Parameters and
deleting the keys NodeType and DhcpNodeType.

Now, if only I could get my weekend back...


-TC