Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

Domestic dispute on my network!

Apr 9, 2005 6:34AM PDT

Here is my problem. I have a small network with two computers and a router. Both computers are running WinXP Pro with SP1. (Due to some apps that I use, I have not gone to SP2.) Both computers are using the workgroup called "Workgroup". Here are the other details.

Computer 1 is desktop named "PIII-800" and is wired to the router. It is running McAfee Firewall.

Computer 2 is a laptop named "ibmlaptop" and some time it is wired to the router and sometimes I use a SMC wireless network card. The problems are the same regardless if I use it wired or wireless. There is no firewall software and Windows ICF is off.

On the laptop, I can only see itself when viewing the entire network and going into Workgroup. If I open a search window and seach for a computer on the network, enter PIII-800, and up it comes. I then can use the shared resoures that are on the desktop.

On the desktop, if I goto Ntework Places, choice Entire Network, click on Microsoft Windows Network, after about 30 seconds, Workgroup pops up. If I click on it, after about a minute I get the error "Workgroup is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this network resoure. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you have access perpissions. The list of servers for this workgroup is not currently available."
If I search for PIII-800 from a search screen, I can see itself. If I search for ibmlaptop, I get no results. If I enter \\PIII-800 into an Explorer bar, I see the resources of the desktop. If I put \\ibmlaptop into the Explorer bar, I get an error saying that Windows can not find \\ibmlaptop.
I can ping the laptop from the desktop.
When I turn off the firewall, there is no change. I have tried to remove the shared resoures and then enabling them, with no luck.

Does anyone have any sugestions?
Thanks,
Ted

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
This problem is related to 'network sharing'
Apr 9, 2005 2:56PM PDT

You should be able to search in this forum for it, since many question and answer already given..

Basic requirement for sharing are:
1. File and printer sharing is turn on/enabled.
2. You must shared something (a folder/directory).
3. Sometimes you also need a same workgroup name (although it might see each other even with different workgroup name)

Note:
Refreshing explorer,(restart explorer or press F5, several time) or Restarting your pc's, might also help

- Collapse -
No luck so far.
Apr 11, 2005 2:50AM PDT

Melati,
I spent hours trying the tips that I found in this forum and others. I have made sure that I have File and printer sharing turned on, I have three different drives that are shared on the desktop with the printer shared as well and one drive shared on the laptop and I have made sure that the the name Workgroup is the same, even to matching the capitalization. I have also tried turning off/unsharing each of these things, rebooting, turning them back on/resharing and rebooting just to see if there was anything "wasn't installed" right, but still with no luck.
Thanks,
Ted

- Collapse -
I would have two more thing to try
Apr 11, 2005 3:28AM PDT

1. on the IBM laptop.. try (just for trying) put your LAN into the bridge connection... (don't forget to enable network bridge.. right click, enabled)

2. Try another NIC (network card)

If this doesn't solve your problem then I don't have any more suggestion...

Good Luck

- Collapse -
Domestic dispute
Apr 14, 2005 11:42PM PDT

Make sure all your protocol properties are the same for both machines. Go in to the properties for the adapters and set/ install all the client and protocol properties that you think you need with this network.

- Collapse -
Yes and No......
Apr 24, 2005 11:57PM PDT

Melati,
On the IBM Laptop, it has a build in ethernet adapter as well as the SMC wireless PC Card and it doesn't matter which one I use, I have the same problem.
As for Bridging the connection, I'm not familler with how to do that. The only Bridging that I am familer with is when you have two cards and you are using the PC to act as a gateway.
Thanks,
Ted