Home Network Mapping Network Drive Problem

[tired-flyboy]

Fellow ppruners (computer techies!)

I'm having trouble getting a drive mapped to allow file sharing across a private (secured) home netowrk.

Tower is running XP, laptop is running Vista.

Tower is hard wired to router/modem via ethernet, laptop is wireless.

In my network places, the home network is showing but NEITHER or the computers is showing connected to the network. I have checked the workgroup names and both are identical.

I have tried pinging each computer's IP. The tower cannot get a return from the laptop (request timed out), but the laptop can get a return from the tower IP.

Vague i know but could anyone give me pointers (or better yet a link to a good tutorial!)

many thanks

[green granite]

I suggest you go to http://support.microsoft.com/ and type in Mapping Network Drive or similar into the search box, and try various combinations as well.

[tired-flyboy]

i have tried the msn site. Its helpful, to a point (or so i see anyway)

I know how to share a file, i know how to map a drive.

What it doesn't show is what to do if you come across a problem getting the computers to talk to each other.

if you can find a more specific page in the msn site then that would be great.

ta muchly

[hellsbrink]

I assuming you are running some sort of firewall on both PC's. That is normally one issue (usually the cause, actually), you have to "tell" it about the networked computers.

Also, is "file and printer sharing" turned on?

[tired-flyboy]

i have set the firewall to accept the ip range, on both computers.

on vista, the file sharing/printer option is on. And on the XP machine i have set the folder that i wish to share over the network in the tools options.

i really seem to be going round in circles and

lol

[Parapunter]

Tried turning off completely all firewall protections? - pull internet plug out of wall first Although you have created an exception for both machines, is it possible there is a lock elsewhere you have overlooked?

My first effort at networking machines took four days to get right - I had forgotten about Norton

[hellsbrink]

which firewall is it?

[tired-flyboy]

Norton on the XP machine, and the windows firewall on Vista (which automatically adjusts the settings through the network centre - i believe)

[hellsbrink]

windows firewall is garbage, useless, etc. Best shove Norton on both and you'll get them to talk to each other. Depending on which version it is, it probably will force you into a few hairpulling moments. Sometimes, however, it does go smooth. Have 2008 on laptop and Vista machine, they spoke to each other with no problems. Getting 2005 to speak to 2008, however.....

Oh, you get three licences with your regular "buy in the shop" version so unless you've used them up you don't have to buy a new Norton

[tired-flyboy]

now i didn't know that you get multi licence with the store purchase, does this apply to the downloaded version (ie store disc then updated via the website the following year?)

ta muchly