LAN Problem

[bonzaman]

I have two computers linked through a hub and sharing an ADSL connection to the internet. I am trying to see each of the computers on the LAN without success so far. They both have the same OS, Win XP Pro SP2. They both have the same settings for file sharing and HD C. The firewall settings, Windows Firewall settings are the same for both. They both have Client for Microsoft Networks and File and Printer Sharing enabled. The workgroup name is the same
The situation, at present, is that No ! can see No2 in the network connections but trying to access My Documents comes up with the answer that I do not have access. No 2 cannot see No1 on the Network but I am able to find it by searching for another computer on the network. Having found it access is refused.
I know I am missing something obvious, but what is it?

[maxell]

I think the answer to this was to go into control panel user accounts and enable guest accounts on both computers, you may have to reboot both computers after that

[bladewashout]

Try totally disabling the firewalls and all antivirus (some antivirus products also have firewalls).

Use the command tool to 'ping' the IP address of the remote machine. If you can see it on an IP ping, try pinging the name.

If the address works, you have connectivity. If the name works, you have name resolution. If those work but you can't browse, try doing a 'map network drive' from tools on My computer, using address ' \\remotename\remotesharename' where 'remotename' can be either the host name or an IP address.

If you can mount but still can't browse through microsoft networks (see your workgroup computers) there is definitely something blocking the traffic and it can only be on one or other of the computers if you are running over a hub.

BW

[Keef]

Have you actually changed the C-drive (or whatever) settings to "shared" on both machines? Without that, you'll get an error message.

[bonzaman]

Thank you all for your prompt replies. Unfortunately the Guest Account did not solve it Maxell. I have disabled all firewall and anti virus programmes and the two C drives are shared.
Bladewashout I need help to ping the IP address. How do I find it for each of the computers and what is the ping process?

[Keef]

Bladewashout I need help to ping the IP address. How do I find it for each of the computers and what is the ping process?

I'm not Bladewashout, but...

To find the IP address of a machine,
- Click Start - Run and type CMD in the box, press enter.
- In the black box that appears, type IPCONFIG /ALL and press enter.

A load of data will appear, including "IP Address xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx"

The number is likely to be something like 192.168.0.3

Do that for each of the computers. Note those numbers.

Into the same black box where you typed IPCONFIG /ALL, type instead
PING xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx where the xxx bits are the IP address of another computer as obtained by those means.

You'll see something like this:


C:\>ping 192.168.8.11

Pinging 192.168.8.11 with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 192.168.8.11: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.8.11: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.8.11: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.8.11: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=128

Ping statistics for 192.168.8.11:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 1ms, Maximum = 2ms, Average = 1ms

C:\>


That means it worked, and the machine that pinged can reach the other one.

If it says "Request timed out", then that link isn't working.

If you post the IP addresses you get, they may reveal something.

[bonzaman]

Thank you Keef, No1 ip address is 10.1.1.13 and No2 is 10.1.1.6
Each could see the other with no packets lost.

[Keef]

So they're both connected to the router, and both working OK.

If they can't see each other, the problem lies somewhere in the Microsoft networking. You could play for hours in there...

Try a cheat:

On one machine,

Start Windows Explorer (Windows_key and E will do that)
Click Tools - Map Network Drive

Pick a letter that isn't allocated to anything already (somewhere in the range N - S is usually safe).

Click "Browse", then the + beside Microsoft Windows Networking

Hopefully you'll see a local network name - either one you created, or "Workgroup". Click the + beside that.

If you can see the other machine, drill down to see if you can connect that as the drive letter you chose above.

If that works, try it the other way round (from the other machine).

Let us know if that works, or what error you get.

[bonzaman]

There has been some progress Keef, No 1 can now access the files I want on No 2. No 1 is set up with Cisco VPN software so that I can access my work computers. I found, by a lucky break that this software had its own firewall, disabled that and problem solved.
However No 2 still cannot see No 1. I followed your Map the Network Drive process. It came up with the workgroup name, which the revealled the two computers, clicking on No 1 revealed the next level, ie Drive C, My Documents, etc. Clicking on My Documents brought up the files, however that is as far as I could get. I cannot open any of the files in My Documents. I then went to No 1 to confirm that My Documents was a shared folder.

[Keef]

Oo-er! So Machine 2 can see Machine 1, see drive C, see the My Documents folder and what's in it, but can't read those files. Hmmm. Thinking...

Go to Machine 1, open drive C, Documents and Settings, <Your name>, right-click on My Documents, and see if that is shown as shared. If it is, I reckon there's something in a firewall somewhere that's blocking Machine 2 from accessing it.

[bonzaman]

Keef, problem solved and my thanks to you. Following the Map the Network excercise I have just opened My Network Places again and there they are My Documents from No 1 on display and all accessable. I do not know what you have done Keef but it worked.
I have come to the conclusion that Windows is, in some ways like my 48 year old marriage. There are some things I do which I don't understand, but I know that I have to do them

[Keef]

Glad it worked! Yes, it's a bit like a marriage ;)

There's some more tinkering you can do in there, like telling the machines to reconnect the network drives on startup. That makes it easier to shuffle stuff about (which I do far too much).

It does make the boot-up take slightly longer. If the other machine isn't on the network, it'll spend a few seconds looking for it before continuing. If you then connect the other machine, it won't see it, but if you click on one of its drives in Windows Explorer, it'll take another look to see if it's there, and will connect it if it is.

Once that's settled down (it seems to take a few startups before it beds down) it's usually pretty solid and reliable.

Yes, very like a marriage, in fact!

[bonzaman]

Once again, thanks for your help Keef, however I will not take up your advice to tinker any more. With my level of knowledge, I have learned to leave well alone.