Home network
 

I have a desktop pc and two laptops. Laptop 1 networks with the pc fine.
When I connect laptop 2 to the desktop, the network connects (each can recognise the other) and infact the laptop can see the printers on the desktop pc. However, the printers will not function from the laptop and more importantly the laptop cannot see the drives, files etc. (File sharing is enabled on the desktop and works ok with laptop 1.)
Any thoughts would be appreciated. Up to date XP on all machines.
H49

It may be that the network is configured for desktop pc and lappy 1. Lappy 2 comes along and is different to lappy 1 and is not the networked lappy, you would have to reset all the priviledges for lappy 2 to be able to access them. At the moment the drive sharing is between desktop pc and lappy 1, lappy 2 is an intruder that doesn't have the file sharing etc set.

Can you supply some details like are they all in the same workgroup, all got different names and IP addresses - assigned by DHCP?

Do they all appear in My Network places? If you "see" the printers and shares but do not have permission to access them, that can be due to logging in as a different user, share / NTFS permissions incorrectly set or firewall issues.

Have you got any firewall software running (XP or other) that may be configured differently on one PC?

I assume that you have Client for Microsoft Networks installed on the laptop you are having problems with?

MS have quite a good how to and troubleshooting section for networking with XP on their website - worth a look.

SD

Thanks guys, I shall go through everything again bearing your suggestions in mind and get back to you if necessary. Thanks again. H49