I have 2 desk tops and one laptop and cannot get them to network. They can all connect to the web but not each other. Help please
Mike,
Your problem report sort of lacks details. So I will have to make multiple
suggestions, some may not apply to your install so please bear with me.
Please start by describing your hardware and software. What computers (brand),
with what operating system (name and version), and what networking device (brand
and model)? Do you have a router or switch connecting your computers (brand and
model)? How does it all connect to the internet?
Please provide ipconfig information for each computer.
Start - Run - "cmd". Type "ipconfig /all >c:\ipconfig.txt" into the command
window - Open c:\ipconfig.txt in Notepad, copy and paste into your next post.
Identify operating system (by name and version) with each ipconfig listing.
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 service is
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 the SFS settings 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 Local Security Policy to "Guest only", make sure
that the Guest account is enabled, thru Local User Manager (Start - Run -
"lusrmgr.msc"), and has an identical, non-blank, password on all computers. If
"Classic", setup and use a common non-Guest account, with identical, non-blank,
password on all computers.
For XP Home, OR for XP Pro with Simple File Sharing enabled, make sure that the
Guest account is enabled, thru Local User Manager (Start - Run - "lusrmgr.msc"),
on each computer.
Do any of the computers have a software firewall (ICF or third party)? If so,
you need to configure them for file sharing, by opening ports TCP 139, 445 and
UDP 137, 138, 445, 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.
From each computer, test shares visibility (use actual name / address of each
computer as appropriate):
Start - Run then:
1) \\ThisComputerByName
2) \\ThisComputerByIPAddress
3) \\OneOtherComputerByName
4) \\OneOtherComputerByIPAddress
Report visibility of shares / error displayed in each test (8 tests total).
Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
