XP Home file-sharing

[Frank]

Hi all, I'm having trouble with three PCs (all XP Home SP2) on a home
network (two wireless laptops plus one desktop on a hardwired Ethernet
cable, all talking to Netgear WGR614 wireless router which in turn is
connected to cable modem box).

All computers are doing tcp/ip fine -- they see the outside Internet,
can browse the web, connect to mail servers, etc. The problem is with
the home network and file-sharing. Each of the PC's has shared
folders on it.

This evening, all three computers are turned on and are successfully
accessing the Internet.

-- From laptop #1, if I go to Start > Network Places > Entire Network

Microsoft Networking > Mshome, I see only the the desktop -- I do

not see laptop #2.

If I then double-click on the icon for the desktop, I get an error
"\\desktop is not accessible. You might not have permission to use
this network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to
find out if you have access permissions. The network path was not
found."

-- From the desktop PC, I can see both laptops #1 and #2 on the
network. I can access the shared folder on laptop #2 and browse
files, etc. However, if I try to double-click on laptop #1, I get the
same "You might not have permission" error from above.

-- From laptop #2, if I navigate through the networking menus (which
seem to be somewhat different between each of the three computers) to
Entire Network > Microsoft Networking and then double-click on Mshome,
I get an error "\\Mshome is not accessible. You might not have
permission to use this network resource ..." Ergo I can't get to a
place where I can see either of the two computers.

Obivously the home network is hosed-up in different ways on each of
these three PC's. Any suggestions on where to start debugging? Thanks
in advance --

 

[Chuck]

Hi all, I'm having trouble with three PCs (all XP Home SP2) on a home
network (two wireless laptops plus one desktop on a hardwired Ethernet
cable, all talking to Netgear WGR614 wireless router which in turn is
connected to cable modem box).

All computers are doing tcp/ip fine -- they see the outside Internet,
can browse the web, connect to mail servers, etc. The problem is with
the home network and file-sharing. Each of the PC's has shared
folders on it.

This evening, all three computers are turned on and are successfully
accessing the Internet.

-- From laptop #1, if I go to Start > Network Places > Entire Network
not see laptop #2.

If I then double-click on the icon for the desktop, I get an error
"\\desktop is not accessible. You might not have permission to use
this network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to
find out if you have access permissions. The network path was not
found."

-- From the desktop PC, I can see both laptops #1 and #2 on the
network. I can access the shared folder on laptop #2 and browse
files, etc. However, if I try to double-click on laptop #1, I get the
same "You might not have permission" error from above.

-- From laptop #2, if I navigate through the networking menus (which
seem to be somewhat different between each of the three computers) to
Entire Network > Microsoft Networking and then double-click on Mshome,
I get an error "\\Mshome is not accessible. You might not have
permission to use this network resource ..." Ergo I can't get to a
place where I can see either of the two computers.

Obivously the home network is hosed-up in different ways on each of
these three PC's. Any suggestions on where to start debugging? Thanks
in advance --

Frank,

If your problem comes and goes, or is asymmetrical, then check for misconfigured
/ overlooked firewalls, and for registry setting restrictanonymous, on each
computer. Intermittent problems usually has a browser conflict as a primary
symptom, though not necessarily the root cause.
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 no help, provide "browstat status" and "ipconfig /all" from each computer, as
a diagnostic. Read this article, and linked articles, and follow instructions
precisely:
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighborhood.html#AskingForHelp>

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.

 

[Frank]

If your problem comes and goes, or is asymmetrical, then check for misconfigured
/ overlooked firewalls, and for registry setting restrictanonymous, on each
computer.

Funny, I almost posted an addendum to my initial message, noting that
I'm running Sygate Personal Firewall on all three PC's. When I set
the firewall on laptop #1 to "Allow All," I can see laptop #1's share
directories from the desktop PC. (Though, oddly, with both PC's
firewalls set to allow all, I still can't see the desktop from laptop
#1.)

It's very probable that I may have set the firewalls to prevent some
pieces of Windows whose function wasn't clear to me to access the
network. I'll have to take a closet look at this and compare the
firewall configurations across the three machines.

Thanks much!

 

[Chuck]

Funny, I almost posted an addendum to my initial message, noting that
I'm running Sygate Personal Firewall on all three PC's. When I set
the firewall on laptop #1 to "Allow All," I can see laptop #1's share
directories from the desktop PC. (Though, oddly, with both PC's
firewalls set to allow all, I still can't see the desktop from laptop
#1.)

It's very probable that I may have set the firewalls to prevent some
pieces of Windows whose function wasn't clear to me to access the
network. I'll have to take a closet look at this and compare the
firewall configurations across the three machines.

Thanks much!

You're welcome, Frank. Be sure and check restrictanonymous, too!