Hello -
I have a question about setting a home network with my desktop (xp
prof) and my laptop from work (win 2000). I have set up the network on
my home computer under administrator, but then when I try to access the
workgroup, it tells me that I dont have access to that workgroup, and
that I should contact the network administrator.
Here are a few websites with useful tutorials on networking:
http://www.cablesense.com/
http://www.homenethelp.com/
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/
http://www.wown.com/
That error you're mentioning comes in different versions, and can be caused by
problems other than simple authorisation. Can you please post the error in its
precise form?
Are you running both Client for Microsoft Networks, and File and Printer Sharing
for Microsoft Networks (Local Area Connection - Properties), on each computer?
Do you have shares setup on each?
Are you running NetBIOS Over TCP/IP (Local Area Connection - Properties - TCP/IP
- Properties - Advanced - WINS) on each computer?
Make sure the browser service is running on each computer. Control Panel -
Administrative Tools - Services. Verify that the Computer Browser, and the
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper, services both show with Status = Started.
On any XP Pro computer, check to see if Simple File Sharing (Control Panel -
Folder Options - View - Advanced settings) is enabled or disabled. With XP Pro,
you need to have SFS properly set on each computer.
With XP Pro, if SFS is disabled, 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".
With XP Pro, if you set the above Local Security Policy to "Guest only", enable
the Guest account, using Start - Run - "cmd" - type "net user guest /active:yes"
in the command window. If "Classic", setup and use a common non-Guest account
on all computers. Whichever account is used, give it an identical, non-blank
password on all computers.
For XP Pro with Simple File Sharing enabled, make sure that the Guest account is
enabled, on each computer. Enable Guest with Start - Run - "cmd" - type "net
user guest /active:yes" in the command window.
Do any of the computers have a software firewall (ICF / WF, or third party)? If
so, you need to configure them for file sharing, by opening ports TCP 139, 445
and UDP 137, 138, 445, by enabling the File and Printer Sharing exception, and /
or by identifying the other computers as present in the Local (Trusted) zone.
Firewall configurations are a very common cause of (network) browser, and file
sharing, problems.
Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
