Setting up a peer-to-peer network

[Guest]

I am trying to link my laptop and desktop computers. I am able to get the
laptop to share my internet connection but have to rerun the network setup
wizard everytime I switch off one of the computers. File and printer sharing
does not work at all. I am running Windows XP Home SP2 on both machines, also
the NIC's in both are the same. I am using a crossover twisted pair cable
without any router or switching device. On the laptop in the workgroup Mshome
I am able to see the laptop only on the desktop I am unable to access the
workgroup at all.


ipconfig /all returns the following on the desktop:
Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

D:\Documents and Settings\Matthew>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Nkosi
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast
Ethernet NIC
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-14-85-73-4E-08
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
Primary WINS Server . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

PPP adapter Speedtouch Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : WAN (PPP/SLIP) Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-53-45-00-00-00
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 85.95.97.40
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 85.95.97.40
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 195.26.36.3
195.26.37.3

and on the laptop it returns this

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Eayrs
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Mixed
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast
Ethernet NIC
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0F-B0-A3-87-B2
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.2
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
Primary WINS Server . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

I need some assitance to setup this peer-to-peer network properly please any
suggestions will be more than welcome.

Thanks
Matt

 

[Chuck]

I am trying to link my laptop and desktop computers. I am able to get the
laptop to share my internet connection but have to rerun the network setup
wizard everytime I switch off one of the computers. File and printer sharing
does not work at all. I am running Windows XP Home SP2 on both machines, also
the NIC's in both are the same. I am using a crossover twisted pair cable
without any router or switching device. On the laptop in the workgroup Mshome
I am able to see the laptop only on the desktop I am unable to access the
workgroup at all.


ipconfig /all returns the following on the desktop:
Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

D:\Documents and Settings\Matthew>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Nkosi
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast
Ethernet NIC
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-14-85-73-4E-08
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
Primary WINS Server . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

PPP adapter Speedtouch Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : WAN (PPP/SLIP) Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-53-45-00-00-00
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 85.95.97.40
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 85.95.97.40
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 195.26.36.3
195.26.37.3

and on the laptop it returns this

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Eayrs
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Mixed
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast
Ethernet NIC
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0F-B0-A3-87-B2
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.2
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
Primary WINS Server . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

I need some assitance to setup this peer-to-peer network properly please any
suggestions will be more than welcome.

Thanks
Matt

Hi Matt,

You say that you "... have to rerun the network setup wizard everytime I switch
off one of the computers ...". Do you mean either one? Which one causes this
problem? On which one do you rerun the wizard?

The ipconfig logs look good. Nkosi is the ICS host, and Eayrs is the client.
Is Nkosi running as a WINS server though? That's a problem, and will contribute
to your visibility / access problem ("... able to see the laptop only on the
desktop I am unable to access the workgroup at all ...") by itself. So start by
removing the WINS server address.

Then look for a misconfigured or overlooked personal firewall, or other security
component. There are several other possibilities too, and any might be the cause
of your problem. Read this article with an open mind.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/10/irregularities-in-workgroup-visibility.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/10/irregularities-in-workgroup-visibility.html

Finally look at "browstat status", from each computer, so we can diagnose the
problem. Read this article, and linked articles, and follow instructions
precisely (download browstat!):
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighborhood.html#AskingForHelp>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighborhood.html#AskingForHelp