Workgroup has disappeared

[Guest]

I have a 2-computer home network connected to the Internet via satellite
internet using a Linksys wireless broadband router (WRT54GS). Both computers
have wireless disabled and are hardwired into router. Both computers also run
WinXP Pro. Both computers can ping each other and both can access the
Internet.

On computer 1 (desktop), I can see the workgroup (Rbarh) and both computers
are listed. On computer 2 (laptop) I can see the workgroup but neither
computer is shown.

The workgroup stopped functioning some time in the last couple of days (file
and printer sharing). The last time I had accessed files from one to the
other was over the weekend. About midnight last night while working on the
laptop was when I discovered I could not access any files on the desktop
computer. To the best of my knowledge I had not changed any settings either
intentionally or otherwise--no reason to do so. I'm not exactly the brightest
bulb in the pack when it comes to figuring this out (ie, what's missing &
what's not, what's right vs. wrong, etc.); so any guidance (plain English
preferred) will be greatly appreciated.

Computer 1 is the "master" browser. Computer browser is disabled on computer
2.

Here are stats from computer 1:
net config...
Server Name \\HP
Server Comment Brand New BIG Kahuna

Software version Windows 2002
Server is active on
NetbiosSmb (000000000000)
NetBT_Tcpip_{EECCD3A3-48DA-4C70-962E-619008760B35} (00402b6986c5)


Server hidden No
Maximum Logged On Users 10
Maximum open files per session 16384

Idle session time (min) 15
The command completed successfully.

Computer name \\HP
Full Computer name HP
User name Owner

Workstation active on
NetbiosSmb (000000000000)
NetBT_Tcpip_{EECCD3A3-48DA-4C70-962E-619008760B35} (00402B6986C5)

Software version Windows 2002

Workstation domain RBARH
Workstation Domain DNS Name (null)
Logon domain HP

COM Open Timeout (sec) 0
COM Send Count (byte) 16
COM Send Timeout (msec) 250
The command completed successfully.

ipconfig /all.......
Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : HP

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Peer-Peer

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

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

DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : wildblue.com



Ethernet adapter Ethernet-Satellite:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : wildblue.com

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast
Ethernet NIC

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-40-2B-69-86-C5

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

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.100

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

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 12.213.224.61

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, July 18, 2006 11:38:17 AM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, July 19, 2006
11:38:17 AM

browstat /status...


Status for domain RBARH on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{EECCD3A3-48DA-4C70-962E-619008760B35}
Browsing is active on domain.
Master browser name is: HP
Master browser is running build 2600
1 backup servers retrieved from master HP
\\HP
There are 2 servers in domain RBARH on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{EECCD3A3-48DA-4C70-962E-619008760B35}
There are 1 domains in domain RBARH on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{EECCD3A3-48DA-4C70-962E-619008760B35}

Stats from computer 2:
ipconfig /all...


Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : George

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Peer-Peer

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

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

DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : wildblue.com



Ethernet adapter Ethernet Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : wildblue.com

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast
Ethernet NIC

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-C0-9F-A0-8E-23

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

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.101

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

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 12.213.224.61

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, July 18, 2006 12:15:48 PM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, July 19, 2006
12:15:48 PM

net config...
Server Name \\GEORGE
Server Comment Fancy laptop

Software version Windows 2002
Server is active on
NetbiosSmb (000000000000)
NetBT_Tcpip_{93A675C5-1CE0-491F-A883-A3431D7E37DA} (00c09fa08e23)


Server hidden No
Maximum Logged On Users 10
Maximum open files per session 16384

Idle session time (min) 15
The command completed successfully.

Server Name \\GEORGE
Server Comment Fancy laptop

Software version Windows 2002
Server is active on
NetbiosSmb (000000000000)
NetBT_Tcpip_{93A675C5-1CE0-491F-A883-A3431D7E37DA} (00c09fa08e23)


Server hidden No
Maximum Logged On Users 10
Maximum open files per session 16384

Idle session time (min) 15
The command completed successfully.

browstat status...


Status for domain RBARH on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{93A675C5-1CE0-491F-A883-A3431D7E37DA}
Browsing is NOT active on domain.
Master name cannot be determined from GetAdapterStatus.

 

[Guest]

One additional discovery: Since I last use the workgroup, two Microsoft
security updates have been installed on each computer--KB917159 and KB914388.
I don't know whether or not these have any bearing on the current problem.

 

[Chuck]

One additional discovery: Since I last use the workgroup, two Microsoft
security updates have been installed on each computer--KB917159 and KB914388.
I don't know whether or not these have any bearing on the current problem.

From the amount of detail you've got there, I'm sure that you've already Googled
on both KB917159 and KB914388. I did anyway, and found very little (0 web
entries, and a few vague Google Groups entries). That's not to say you couldn't
be the first, but apparently there's no obvious connection between your problem
and those specific updates.

Now I see that both George and HP show NetBT bound in their service status. But
do they both have NetBT explicitly Enabled?
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/04/netbios-over-tcpip.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/04/netbios-over-tcpip.html

And why do both computer have Peer-Peer node type? Do you have a WINS server?
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/address-resolution-on-lan.html#Peer-Peer>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/address-resolution-on-lan.html#Peer-Peer

 

[Guest]

As to your first question: Yes, it is explicitly enabled in both.

As to the second: I don't know; and "no."
So... I went to your article
(http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/address-resolution-on-lan.html#Peer-Peer)
and followed the Peer-Peer instructions for deleting "DhcpNodeType" and
voila! I now have my network back--and it even works as before.

What I wish I knew was why it all happened in the first place. It seems that
one needs to jump through a lot of hoops to change the network around and it
would be difficult for it to be accomplished "inadvertently." Which leaves
"intentional." I had enough difficulty making it work when it was set up a
year ago--mostly due to lack of expertise--that once it was working, I never
went near any of the settings.

But now it is resolved and I've filed the print-outs for future reference.
Thank you so much for making yourself available to help those of us who don't
know, and for having the patience and tolerance needed for a seemingly
never-ending task.

Vicki

 

[Chuck]

As to your first question: Yes, it is explicitly enabled in both.

As to the second: I don't know; and "no."
So... I went to your article
(http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/address-resolution-on-lan.html#Peer-Peer)
and followed the Peer-Peer instructions for deleting "DhcpNodeType" and
voila! I now have my network back--and it even works as before.

What I wish I knew was why it all happened in the first place. It seems that
one needs to jump through a lot of hoops to change the network around and it
would be difficult for it to be accomplished "inadvertently." Which leaves
"intentional." I had enough difficulty making it work when it was set up a
year ago--mostly due to lack of expertise--that once it was working, I never
went near any of the settings.

But now it is resolved and I've filed the print-outs for future reference.
Thank you so much for making yourself available to help those of us who don't
know, and for having the patience and tolerance needed for a seemingly
never-ending task.

Vicki

That's great new, Vicki. Another Peer-Peer problem. Thanks for the feedback -
and the reminder - always check Node Type, in cases like this.