Solved my WinXP/SP2 home network problem

[JimBo]

Dear all,

Maybe you've tried this, maybe not.

I have a laptop (XP Pro, SP2) and desktop (XP Home, SP2). I work at home &
my laptop is on the company domain. Both machines are on ethernet connected
to a 4-port router. After installing SP2 on both, they "lost each other",
sort of. I could ping Home from Pro using its IP address but not its name. I
could not ping Pro from Home at all. Tried disabling windows firewalls, etc.

Finally got it working part way (Pro to Home) by (1)making the Home
workgroup name the same as the Pro domain name and (2) adding the Home to
the Pro's "hosts" file in Windows\System32\Drivers\etc. I've re-enabled the
windows firewall & still OK. (It kept giving me those dire warnings about
danger to my outlying areas while disabled on Home). I still can't see Pro
from Home (I could pre-SP2) but at least I have the ability to transfer
files without CD or memory sticks.

Any thoughts on getting Home-to-Pro working are welcome. Also why I had to
use the hosts file - maybe workgroup vs. domain untrustworthy? I've used
that technique before with Win2000 company networks where I had to access a
machine in a different domain without a trust relationship to my domain.

Cheers,
Jim

 

[Hans-Georg Michna]

I have a laptop (XP Pro, SP2) and desktop (XP Home, SP2). I work at home &
my laptop is on the company domain. Both machines are on ethernet connected
to a 4-port router. After installing SP2 on both, they "lost each other",
sort of. I could ping Home from Pro using its IP address but not its name. I
could not ping Pro from Home at all. Tried disabling windows firewalls, etc.

Finally got it working part way (Pro to Home) by (1)making the Home
workgroup name the same as the Pro domain name and (2) adding the Home to
the Pro's "hosts" file in Windows\System32\Drivers\etc. I've re-enabled the
windows firewall & still OK. (It kept giving me those dire warnings about
danger to my outlying areas while disabled on Home). I still can't see Pro
from Home (I could pre-SP2) but at least I have the ability to transfer
files without CD or memory sticks.

Any thoughts on getting Home-to-Pro working are welcome. Also why I had to
use the hosts file - maybe workgroup vs. domain untrustworthy? I've used
that technique before with Win2000 company networks where I had to access a
machine in a different domain without a trust relationship to my domain.

Jim,

using the hosts file is a patch that should be unnecessary and
only indicates that the true cause has not yet been found.

Check some simple things first. Do you have the firewall
exception for File and Printer Sharing activated on both
computers? Are the Guest accounts enabled? Is the computer
browser service running (use BROWSTAT VW 1, get the BROWSTAT
utility first). Details can be found in
http://www.michna.com/kb/WxSP2.htm.

Hans-Georg

 

[JimBo]

Jim,

using the hosts file is a patch that should be unnecessary and
only indicates that the true cause has not yet been found.

Check some simple things first. Do you have the firewall
exception for File and Printer Sharing activated on both
computers? Are the Guest accounts enabled? Is the computer
browser service running (use BROWSTAT VW 1, get the BROWSTAT
utility first). Details can be found in
http://www.michna.com/kb/WxSP2.htm.

Hans-Georg

Lets continue this in one thread only - I've replied in "Upgrade to XP
Pro..."

Thanks for the assistance. Jim