XP -> ME, computers show but are not accessible

[Jason]

I have 2 computers (one with XP, and one with ME). Up until recently,
they were networked fine, and the internet connection was through
dial-up. The XP computer was the "primary," and the ME computer used it
as a proxy.

I recently had satellite internet installed, so now instead of using
the XP computer as a proxy, the router itself is acting as a proxy.
It's a Belkin F5D-6230, if you care.

As far as I know, the only thing that physically changed was the
satellite modem being plugged into the internet port of the router.
When I had dial-up, I had to assign an IP address to both computers to
make them work, but now they are assigned by the router.

Now, both computers browse the internet just fine, but they're no
longer networked together! I can't understand why, and I've spent
several days going over every bit of information I can find. It just
doesn't make sense to me.

On the XP computer, when I go to Entire Network, it shows both
computers. I can browse my own computer, of course, but when I try to
browse the ME computer, I get "\\MEComp is not accessible" (where
MEComp is the name of the computer).

On the ME computer, I don't even get that much. It shows itself on the
network, but doesn't show my computer (named "Jason"). I've checked and
triple-checked that both are on the same workgroup, and just to be
safe, both name and workgroup are in all-caps on both.

The XP computer has an IP address assigned of 192.168.2.18, and the ME
computer is 192.168.2.37. The weirdest thing is that I can ping one
from the other by pinging the IP, but if I ping by computer name, it is
not found.

I've reinstalled TCP/IP on both machines, IPX/SPX on the ME machine
(I'm not sure why it's there, but without it the workgroup doesn't show
up on the ME machine), changed every NetBEUI setting that has ever been
recommended to change, etc. I even gave up and used the Setup wizard,
with hopes that it would do something I couldn't see, but that had no
impact. Firewall is turned off completely, and "File and Printer
sharing" is only binded (bound?) on TCP/IP (I tried unbinding it, then
binding it on IPX/SPX, but that had no impact).

Any other thoughts?

TIA,

Jason

 

[Jason]

I have 2 computers (one with XP, and one with ME). Up until recently,

they were networked fine, and the internet connection was through
dial-up. The XP computer was the "primary," and the ME computer used it
as a proxy.

Any other thoughts?

Nevermind, I found the solution right after I posted! Here's what I
found:

Run "ipconfig /all" and look at the "Node Type" at the beginning of the
output. If it says "Peer-to-Peer" (which should be "Point-to-Point,
but Microsoft got it wrong) that's the problem. It means that the
computer only uses a WINS server, which isn't available
on a peer-to-peer network, for NetBIOS name resolution.

If that's the case, run the registry editor, open this key:
HLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Netbt\Parameters

and delete these values if they're present:
NodeType
DhcpNodeType

Reboot, then try network access again.


- Jason

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

Nevermind, I found the solution right after I posted! Here's what I
found:

Run "ipconfig /all" and look at the "Node Type" at the beginning of the
output. If it says "Peer-to-Peer" (which should be "Point-to-Point,
but Microsoft got it wrong) that's the problem. It means that the
computer only uses a WINS server, which isn't available
on a peer-to-peer network, for NetBIOS name resolution.

If that's the case, run the registry editor, open this key:
HLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Netbt\Parameters

and delete these values if they're present:
NodeType
DhcpNodeType

Reboot, then try network access again.


- Jason

That looks like information that I've posted previously, Jason, and
I'm glad that it helped you.

Remove IPX/SPX and NetBEUI if they're still installed on either
computer. TCP/IP is all that's needed, and running more than one
protocol can make a Windows network unreliable.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

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