"Xcomputer not accessible" issues with home network

[Rick]

I have three computers on a home network (Linksys 5 port
hub)- two with XPHome, one ME. On the XP machines, in "My
Network Places" all 3 computers are listed. But I
get "xcomputer not accessible: you might not have
permission etc...Network path not found" when I click on
either of the other two computers. The ME machine sees
only itself! Any suggestions?!

 

[Chuck]

I have three computers on a home network (Linksys 5 port
hub)- two with XPHome, one ME. On the XP machines, in "My
Network Places" all 3 computers are listed. But I
get "xcomputer not accessible: you might not have
permission etc...Network path not found" when I click on
either of the other two computers. The ME machine sees
only itself! Any suggestions?!

Rick,

Is the Guest account enabled on all 3 computers?

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.

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[Rick]

Chuck: Thanks for the suggestions. Guest is turned on and
no firewalls are in place (I took them down to see if that
was the problem). Still, computers can't see each other!

 

[Chuck]

Chuck: Thanks for the suggestions. Guest is turned on and
no firewalls are in place (I took them down to see if that
was the problem). Still, computers can't see each other!

Rick,

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?

See this article from Microsoft for all the possibilities:
<http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...db-aef8-4bef-925e-7ac9be791028&DisplayLang=en>

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[Rick]

Chuck: Thanks for the quick reply. Yes, Client for MS
Networks & File and Printer Sharing are turned on. I
enabled NetBios, under WINS on the TCP/IP advanced menu on
both XP computers. It had the "default" setting - use
NetBios setting from DHCP server... This didn't help. I am
working now with just the two XP machines. After this
change, the one machine that had been showing all 3
computers in the My Network list, now only shows the other
XP (not even itself) but when I click on the other XP
machine I get the "not accessible, no permission, network
path not found" message. On the other machine, under My
Network places, only itself shows up!
A few days ago, all this was working fine and I could
share files and printers. The main change was in trying to
upgrade the old ME machine to XP - and in the process of
doing so I ran the Network Setup Wizard several times,
making floppies and running them on two of the machines,
the former ME and one of the XP's - but not on the 2nd XP
and that is the one that seems less affected, at least it
occasionally shows all 3 computers in its My Network
Neighborhood list, even though it can't access them. I
have uninstalled XP from the old ME machine, but that
hasn't solved the network problem.
Any magic solutions?

-----Original Message-----


Rick,

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

 

[Chuck]

Chuck: Thanks for the quick reply. Yes, Client for MS
Networks & File and Printer Sharing are turned on. I
enabled NetBios, under WINS on the TCP/IP advanced menu on
both XP computers. It had the "default" setting - use
NetBios setting from DHCP server... This didn't help. I am
working now with just the two XP machines. After this
change, the one machine that had been showing all 3
computers in the My Network list, now only shows the other
XP (not even itself) but when I click on the other XP
machine I get the "not accessible, no permission, network
path not found" message. On the other machine, under My
Network places, only itself shows up!
A few days ago, all this was working fine and I could
share files and printers. The main change was in trying to
upgrade the old ME machine to XP - and in the process of
doing so I ran the Network Setup Wizard several times,
making floppies and running them on two of the machines,
the former ME and one of the XP's - but not on the 2nd XP
and that is the one that seems less affected, at least it
occasionally shows all 3 computers in its My Network
Neighborhood list, even though it can't access them. I
have uninstalled XP from the old ME machine, but that
hasn't solved the network problem.
Any magic solutions?

Rick,

No magic. Just a lot of hard work ahead.

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. And
which is the ex ME now XP system?

Let's concentrate on the two XP computers first.

The Guest account is active on both, right? What firewalls (on which one)
(brand and version please) did you take down? Many personal firewall products
are known for not reacting well to being taken down.

Are both XP computers on the same workgroup?

Test shares visibility (use actual name / address of each computer as
appropriate) between the two XP computers:
Start - Run then:
1) \\ThisComputerByName
2) \\ThisComputerByIPAddress
3) \\OtherComputerByName
4) \\OtherComputerByIPAddress
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.

 

[Rick]

Chuck:

Hope you are still there. I followed your instructions as
best I could and here is a summary of what I found and
where things stand.

Here are the results of running ipconfig on the computers
in order:

#1: Computer 1 = laptop running Windows Home Edition Vers
2002 Service Pack 1.
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:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R)
PRO/100 VE Network Connection
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-39-E8-47-
F1
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.3
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . :
205.171.3.65 205.171.2.65
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday,
August 11, 2004 9:56:25 AM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Thursday,
August 12, 2004 9:56:25 AM

#2 Computer 2 = desktop running Windows Home Edition Vers
2002 Service Pack 1.
Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : family
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
Ethernet adapter Network Bridge:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : MAC Bridge
Miniport
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 72-41-83-4E-DD-
F2
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.10
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . :
205.171.3.65
205.171.2.65
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, August 11,
2004 5:38:17 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, August 12,
2004 5:38:17 PM

#ME Computer ME = a desktop running Windows ME Vers
4.90.3000
Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . : DESKTOP
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . : 205.171.3.65
205.171.2.65
Node Type . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast
NetBIOS Scope ID. . . . . . :
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . : Yes
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . : No
NetBIOS Resolution Uses DNS : No 0
Ethernet adapter :
Description . . . . . . . . : ICSHARE Adapter.
Physical Address. . . . . . : 44-45-53-54-00-00
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . :
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
Primary WINS Server . . . . :
Secondary WINS Server . . . :
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . :
Lease Expires . . . . . . . :
1 Ethernet adapter :
Description . . . . . . . . : Accton EN1207D/EN2242A
Series NDIS 5.0 driver
Physical Address. . . . . . : 00-10-B5-71-9E-25
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.5
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
Primary WINS Server . . . . :
Secondary WINS Server . . . :
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . : 08 11 04 8:14:30 AM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . : 08 12 04 8:14:30 AM
2 Ethernet adapter :
Description . . . . . . . . : PPP Adapter.
Physical Address. . . . . . : 44-45-53-54-00-01
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . :
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
Primary WINS Server . . . . :
Secondary WINS Server . . . :
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . :
Lease Expires . . . . . . . :

Guest is turned on on both XP's. That option doesn't seem
to be available on the ME. I was using ZoneAlarm, which I
have disabled for the testing. All computers are on the
same workgroup = MSHOME.

I ran the "\\" tests on all 3 computers with the following
results:

#1 can see files and printers etc on #'s 1 and 2 by name
and IP address but gets "Network path not found errors"
for ME both by name and IP address.

#2 can see files and printers etc on #'s 1 and 2 by name
and IP address but gets "Network path not found errors"
for ME both by name and IP address.

ME can see files and printers etc. on #'s 1, 2 and ME both
by name and IP address.

I don't know what this means but on the ME machine, when I
use Windows Explorer and open My Network Neighborhood,
Entire Network, only the ME is listed, but below that are
separate items such as "C on rickslaptop" etc. By clicking
on these, I can access those directories on the other
computers! What is that all about?

Hope this info is helpful - sorry it took me so long to
get it to you. What is amazing to me is that things have
improved somewhat - some computers can see each other
whereas earlier today and yesterday none could see any -
but I have no idea what I did; in fact I don't think I
knowingly did anything to correct the situation! But now I
feel that a solution might be possible! I await your next
response. Thanks for getting me get this far.

Rick

 

[Chuck]

Chuck:

Hope you are still there. I followed your instructions as
best I could and here is a summary of what I found and
where things stand.

Here are the results of running ipconfig on the computers
in order:

Guest is turned on on both XP's. That option doesn't seem
to be available on the ME. I was using ZoneAlarm, which I
have disabled for the testing. All computers are on the
same workgroup = MSHOME.

I ran the "\\" tests on all 3 computers with the following
results:

#1 can see files and printers etc on #'s 1 and 2 by name
and IP address but gets "Network path not found errors"
for ME both by name and IP address.

#2 can see files and printers etc on #'s 1 and 2 by name
and IP address but gets "Network path not found errors"
for ME both by name and IP address.

ME can see files and printers etc. on #'s 1, 2 and ME both
by name and IP address.

I don't know what this means but on the ME machine, when I
use Windows Explorer and open My Network Neighborhood,
Entire Network, only the ME is listed, but below that are
separate items such as "C on rickslaptop" etc. By clicking
on these, I can access those directories on the other
computers! What is that all about?

Hope this info is helpful - sorry it took me so long to
get it to you. What is amazing to me is that things have
improved somewhat - some computers can see each other
whereas earlier today and yesterday none could see any -
but I have no idea what I did; in fact I don't think I
knowingly did anything to correct the situation! But now I
feel that a solution might be possible! I await your next
response. Thanks for getting me get this far.

Rick,

Let's start with Zone Alarm. Which computers is it installed (and disabled) on?

ZA is known for, and in my personal experience I have helped folks with it,
causing file sharing problems when disabled. You have to re enable ZA. Then
either correctly configure it (designating the other computers as local zone /
trusted / whatever), or un install it completely, using ZA un install
procedures.

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[Rick]

Chuck:

ZA is on computer #1 and the ME. But I just uninstalled it
from the ME and BINGO! I can now see the ME from both XP's
and open files etc. and vice versa. Seems like magic to
me! Thanks so much for guiding me through this mess.

 

[Chuck]

Chuck:

ZA is on computer #1 and the ME. But I just uninstalled it
from the ME and BINGO! I can now see the ME from both XP's
and open files etc. and vice versa. Seems like magic to
me! Thanks so much for guiding me through this mess.

Excellent, Rick!

Now try re installing ZA, and making it work. Do you have a wired or wireless
router?

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.