sharing files via wireless network

  • Thread starter Thread starter Colin Bradley
  • Start date Start date
C

Colin Bradley

Hey everyone,

I'm having trouble with getting my new laptop computer to interact with my
existing home wireless network. The laptop can access the internet through
the router, but cannot share files with the other two desktops.

I posted a detailed description of the problem on a technical support forum
of another site that I visit, and although the people there were helpful,
they seem to have run out of ideas. The thread is here:
http://forums.massassi.net/vb3/showthread.php?t=34917

Any ideas? I leave for school in a couple of weeks, and I need to transfer
over all of my files from my old computer.

Thanks,

- Colin
 
Hey everyone,

I'm having trouble with getting my new laptop computer to interact with my
existing home wireless network. The laptop can access the internet through
the router, but cannot share files with the other two desktops.

I posted a detailed description of the problem on a technical support forum
of another site that I visit, and although the people there were helpful,
they seem to have run out of ideas. The thread is here:
http://forums.massassi.net/vb3/showthread.php?t=34917

Any ideas? I leave for school in a couple of weeks, and I need to transfer
over all of my files from my old computer.

Thanks,

- Colin
Click to expand...

Colin,

This sounds like a browser problem, except for the pinging problem.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/04/nt-browser-or-why-cant-i-always-see.html>

Please provide "browstat status" and "ipconfig /all" from each computer, and
we'll diagnose the problem. Read this article, and linked articles, and follow
instructions precisely:
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighborhood.html#AskingForHelp>
 
Okay, here's the ipconfig and browstat info for all three machines.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

IPCONFIG info for Laptop (Windows XP Home Edition, version 2002, SP 2)

Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Laptop

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No



Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:



Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom 440x 10/100 Integrated
Controller

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-12-3F-F0-42-19



Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2915ABG
Network Connection

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-13-CE-1C-8D-C6

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.4

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

24.113.32.30

24.113.32.29

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Friday, August 12, 2005 7:49:41
PM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, August 13, 2005
7:49:41 PM


======================================================================

BROWSTAT info for Laptop (Windows XP Home Edition, version 2002, SP 2)

Status for domain MSHOME on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{1C13710C-4A95-4B15-B657-CDCD1DBCD386}
Browsing is NOT active on domain.
Master name cannot be determined from GetAdapterStatus.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

IPCONFIG info for Desktop (Windows XP Home Edition, version 2002, SP 2)


Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Desktop

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No



Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:



Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/100 VE Network
Connection

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0C-F1-89-98-65



Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Belkin Wireless 54Mbps Desktop
Adapter

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-30-BD-F2-02-19

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.2

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

24.113.32.30

24.113.32.29

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Friday, August 12, 2005 11:33:08
AM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, August 13, 2005
11:33:08 AM


======================================================================

BROWSTAT info for Desktop (Windows XP Home Edition, version 2002, SP 2)

Status for domain MSHOME on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{8E88A31A-3E95-431C-9F81-C862D7ECBA01}
Browsing is NOT active on domain.
Master name cannot be determined from GetAdapterStatus.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

IPCONFIG info for Compaq (Windows XP Professional Edition, version 2002, SP
2 v. 2096)


Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Compaq

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No



Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:



Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : SMC EZ Card 10/100 PCI
(SMC1211TX)

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-10-B5-FE-41-5B



Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Belkin Wireless 54Mbps Desktop
Adapter

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-30-BD-F4-9D-25

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.3

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

24.113.32.30

24.113.32.29

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, August 13, 2005
8:13:53 AM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Sunday, August 14, 2005 8:13:53
AM

======================================================================

BROWSTAT info for Compaq (Windows XP Professional Edition, version 2002, SP
2 v. 2096)

Status for domain MSHOME on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{B7AB436B-4A6F-4CF6-8F86-F5CEC164F506}
Browsing is active on domain.
Master browser name is: DESKTOP
Could not connect to registry, error = 53 Unable to determine build
of browser master: 53
\\\\DESKTOP . Version:05.01 Flags: 51203 NT POTENTIAL MASTER
1 backup servers retrieved from master DESKTOP
\\DESKTOP
There are 2 servers in domain MSHOME on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{B7AB436B-4A6F-4CF6-8F86-F5CEC164F506}
There are 1 domains in domain MSHOME on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{B7AB436B-4A6F-4CF6-8F86-F5CEC164F506}
 
Okay, here's the ipconfig and browstat info for all three machines.
Click to expand...

<SNIP>

Colin,

OK, you have a browser mismatch. Compaq says Desktop is running the master
browser, and sees only 2 servers. Neither Desktop nor Laptop see a master
browser at all.

All 3 computers seem to have connectivity - they are all getting appropriate
settings from the DHCP server. All 3 computers have appropriate Node Type
(Hybrid and Unknown are both OK).

Check to make sure that Desktop is running the Computer Browser service.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/06/services-running-on-your-computer.html>

Check for any misconfigured or overlooked personal firewalls, and check registry
setting restrictanonymous.
Misconfigured / overlooked firewalls:
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/your-personal-firewall-can-either-help.html>
Registry setting restrictanonymous:
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/07/restrictanonymous-and-your-server.html>

If you find any changes to make, restart the changed computer afterwards, then
restart the other 2 computers. Then rerun browstat on each, and compare the
result.

Please let us know if any of these suggestions are of any help. What you learn
may help others in the future, and that's the purpose of these forums.
 
Chuck,

I tried all your suggestions, and everything seemed to be normal. Once I
ran browstat again, however, it appeared that both Desktop and Compaq were
saying that Compaq was running the master browser. Each time I restarted
the pair, they seemed to "argue" if you will, over who was running it.
After I restarted them along with the laptap, I ran browstat and found that
all three machines said that the Laptop was now running the master browser -
and now, for some reason, the file sharing works!

Thanks for all of your help, I really appreciate it!

- Colin
 
Chuck,

I tried all your suggestions, and everything seemed to be normal. Once I
ran browstat again, however, it appeared that both Desktop and Compaq were
saying that Compaq was running the master browser. Each time I restarted
the pair, they seemed to "argue" if you will, over who was running it.
After I restarted them along with the laptap, I ran browstat and found that
all three machines said that the Laptop was now running the master browser -
and now, for some reason, the file sharing works!

Thanks for all of your help, I really appreciate it!

- Colin
Click to expand...

Colin,

That's great news. Thanks for the update.

But I think you still have a potential problem, and you need to fix it, don't
just reboot all of the computers. And please don't stop with a laptop being the
master browser. Please read about the browser subsystem:
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/04/nt-browser-or-why-cant-i-always-see.html>
 
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