XP not allowing share by name

[Shawn Moonan]

I have 2 XP Pro machines on a home network.
The hub is a Netgear MR814 Wireless router.

In the past I had been able to share files using each machines name but
periodically this ability would go away.
I would correct the situation by using system restore.
However due to some recent software problems I lost all my restore points
and can not go back to using the machine names to address in file sharing.
This was an anyoying process anyway to use SR.

Does anyone know why I would not be able to address the PC's by name and
what I could do to permanently fix the problem?

Here is the status on the system to help diagnose the problem

Network adabpters on both machines have
1 Client for Microsoft Networks
2 File and Print Sharing
3. TCP/IP Protocol

Network adapters on both PCs are set to obtain IP automatically and I have
tried both "Enabling Netbios" and "Default Netbios" settings

Each machine has a unique name and is on the same workgroup

Each machine has a reserved IP address on the router

Each machine has internet access

 

[Bill Crocker]

Do you have WinXP's firewall enabled?

Bill Crocker

 

[Shawn Moonan]

no firewall enabled

Do you have WinXP's firewall enabled?

Bill Crocker

 

[Shawn Moonan]

Here is what MS had to say on fixing this problem.
It appears to work.
Also, no firewall was enabled

1. Right click "My Network Places" and click "Properties".
2. Double click your connection and click "Properties".
3. In the LAN's connection's Properties, click the Install button to add a
network component. XP will ask what type of network component to install.
4. Click Protocol and Add.
5. Click NWLink IPX/SPX/NetBIOS Compatible Transport Protocol and click OK.
Two NWLink items will be added to the connection's Properties.

S