use the ip addresses to connect
i.e.
start- run - \\192.18.1.10\c$
assuming 192.168.1.10 is the ipaddress of one of the computers
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Browse All TopicsI am trying to set up a home LAN based on a Linksys wireless router running with a Dell computer running Windows XP. The wireless connections work fine. I also want to include a hard wired computer running Windows 98 plugged into the router. The Windows 98 computer appears on the network places screen of the Dell as do all of the Windows 98 computer files. The problem is that nothing appears on the network neighborhood page of the Windows 98 computer and therefore I cannot access the files on the Windows XP computer.
The XP computer uses McAfee AV and the IP address of the 98 computer is designated as a trusted site. The Windows firewall on the XP computer is turned off. The IP address of the WXP computer is designated a trusted site on the W98 computer. The W98 computer has no AV software. In addition, both computers can ping each other.
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"... Is the file system on the XP computer NTFS? ..." ==> The file system on the XP computer makes NO difference !! When you read files across the network, all file operations (read/write/open/close) are done by the responding OS.
Be sure all of the PC's are on the same workgroup. On the '98 machine, go to Control Panel - Network - Identification tab to set the workgroup name. On XP just right-click on My Computer; select Properties; and click on the Computer Name tab ... if you need to change the workgroup name click the Change button.
Also, be sure you have shared something on the XP computer ==> just pick any folder; right-click; select "Sharing and Security"; and click on the "Share this folder on the network" choice. Skip the wizard -- just click on the "I understand .. just share it" (not the actual wording) selection. On the '98 system, be sure you have TCP/IP bindings to your network controller in the network configuration (Control Panel - Network; configuration tab) and be sure File and Print Sharing is enabled (it clearly is since you can see the '98 shares on the XP system).
I remember when I added the first XP machine to my LAN I had a hard time getting it to see the Win98 machines, too. It saw the Win95 machines just fine, for some reason. It was one of the most-frustrating excercises I can recall. So, be sure the Win98 machine has a 'name' in Network Neighborhood's Properties on the Indentification tab (as garycase pointed out). But they do NOT have to be in the same workgroup as long as they're in the same IP subnet... not being in the same workgroups just means multiple workgroups will display when browsing the Entire Network. I also made a user on the XP machine with each LAN machine's name, but if you're setting the shares for 'everyone' rather than only for specific users you won't need to make extra users like that.
Anyway... try this.
Open a DOS command window and do these 3 commands
CD %WINDIR%\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\
COPY LMHOSTS.SAM *.
EXIT
(And note that's not *.*, but just *. )
Now start up notepad, do File->Open, set the Files of Type to All Files (*.*) and open the lmhosts file (without the SAMple extension) you just made. Read up what it's about, then delete everything in it. Put
W98Name IP.add.re.ss
WXPname IP.ad.dre.ss
# e.g.
# WXP3800 192.168.0.4
# W98P4 192.168.0.8
# comments are like this, but keep to a minimum.
# maybe just a note to remind yourself what it's for
et cetera, using the machine's names as entered on the Identification tabs in Network setups, and their actual IP addresses (they have to be using the same IPs all the time for this to work... if you have them fetching their IPs from a DHCP server, then it needs to give them the same IP every time e.g. based on MAC address), make a line in it for every machine on your LAN. You don't NEED to make a 'public' folder for LMHOSTS to live in like the sample shows unless you want to be able to edit that file remotely (%WINDIR% should not be shared, so generally a remote client couldn't get to it to be able to edit it).
You have to do this because XP does not use NetBEUI (NetBios, yes; NetBEUI, no), so it looks to the LMHOSTS file for local name<->IP associations.
Using UNC mappings kinda like weellio suggested is another option, but maintaining the LMHOSTS file is not that big of a deal. Make one and copy it to all the machines on the LAN. They can all be identical if they're just simple 'name IP' lists. The optional arguments can load down older machines, so I don't recommend it.
NT, 2000, XP and Vista look for LMHOSTS in the ...\drivers\etc folder; WFW and Win9x look for it in the %WINDIR% folder. If you put it elsewhere without specifying the preload[s] and alternate location, and adding the folder to the nullsessionshares list in the registry (as shown in the SAMple file), XP won't find/use it. Hope that helps. :-)
But if AP Isolation was enabled none of them would be able to talk to any of the others... so that's not likely.
There's another setting to check, also. In Network Connections, select any LAN adapter and click Change settings of this connection. In the Local Area (or Wireless Network, depending on what adapter you selected) Connection Properties dialog that opens, scroll down and click on ''Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)'' then click Properties. In the dialog that opens choose Advanced. On the WINS tab, make sure Disable NetBIOS over TCP/IP is NOT checked. I leave mine on the 'Default' setting, and have Enable LMHOSTS lookup checked.
You can also use that dialog to import an LMHOSTS file on new machines you add to your network, but if you haven't made one already then the previous instructions I gave would be better (otherwise you won't have one to import).
Are they seeing each other yet? :-)
OK.
Set up LMHosts on both the WinXP and Win98 boxes.
Setup user on WinXP box with the Win98 computer name as the user name.
Made sure that the Linksys AP Isolation is not enabled
Tried the ip address mapping (start run - \\192.**.**.**\c$.
Made sure that the Disable NetBIOS over TCP/IP is not checked.
Still no joy. Any other suggestions. I can ping the WinXP Box using both ip address and computer name, but nothing shows up in network neighborhood on the Win98 Box
OK... backup to what garycase said: "Also, be sure you have shared something on the XP computer "
You did right-click on the drive[s] in My Computer and indicate a share[s] on the Sharing tab[s], right?
You should be able to run Windows Explorer on the Win98 box, and using the correct IP for the WinXP box in the \\192.168.*.*\C (or whatever you named the share on the Sharing tab) command in Explorer's address bar, and the WXP's C-drive should appear in Explorer when you hit Enter or click Go. Does that work at all?
i.e. don't use the C$ share name; use the name you gave C-Drive on the Sharing tab in place of 'C'.
No... sorry - they do NOT need to be in the same workgroup unless they're in different subnets (or different domains, which aren't too common on home LANs either).
All the XP machines on my LAN see all 3 different workgroups ('Home' 'Work' and 'Workgroup') just fine when browsing My Network Places -> Entire Network -> Microsoft Windows Network.
And they all see the Win98se machine I'm typing on right now, too. I only setup one XP Pro machine with the user=machine name permissions. It quickly becomes too much manual configuration for even a home network.
A good anti-virus (currently I use NAV, but I think I'll try something different when the subs expire) and firewall (8signs) on each one along with SPI firewall in the router is plenty of security.
I didn't start out intending to have 3 workgroups - I was forced into it by the DLink DI-624S router that insists on putting the shared USB drive plugged into it in a workgroup named 'workgroup' with no way to change it... once I had 2 workgroups with no problems, I went ahead and made another... that's how I know they're not necessary most of the time.
But back to 'firewall', I'm just about convinced the Author in this thread has a firewall or some other service blocking the view. Your thoughts?
First, I'd recommend completely uninstalling mcafee, and turning off winxp's firewall, just to make sure it is not the problem. Once you have everything working put mcafee back. Make sure both computers are plugged into the same router, they both have IP's, and they are both connected via wires, not wireless. Lets not complicate things.
Second, make absolutely sure a drive is actually shared on the XP machine. The hard drive should have a little "hand" under it in the icon. If not enable sharing by right clicking, go to sharing, set up appropriate options..
Third, make sure the win98 machine has file and printer sharing turned on. Do this from control panel. See just the one part of this guide that I've linked to: http://www.wellesley.edu/C
Fourth, ensure that the USERNAME you use to log into windows 98 exists as an administrator user on the windows xp machine, AND that the passwords are the same. This has to do with the way XP authenticates users who try and access the machine from the network. Win98 just sends the credentials of the user currently logged in. This user must exist on the xp machine for you to be let in.
Fifth, make sure both computers are on the same workgroup. Yes, I know it is not SUPPOSED to matter, and I have connected to my fair share of networks where I was on a different workgroup then other computers, and it all works fine, but I've also had win98 not handle the workgroups properly and fail to see the others.
Sixth, once you've done all of this, power down both computers. Power up the winxp computer, then power up the win98 computer. Make sure the win98 machine has an IP. Do this by going Start->Run->winipcfg.exe and make sure an ip is there. If not, release/renew the ip.
Open network neighborhood in win98 and then specifically refresh the screen (hit F5) *several* times. I've had before that I see nothing. Then I see the workgroup, then only 5 minutes later I suddenly actually see the share on the computer.
If none of that works, you're probably experiencing the wonders of troubleshooting a 98 vs XP network. It's buggy, what can I say?
> Open network neighborhood in win98 and then specifically refresh the screen
> (hit F5) *several* times. I've had before that I see nothing. Then I see the workgroup,
> then only 5 minutes later I suddenly actually see the share on the computer.
Proper use of the LMHOSTS file would fix that.
I'm clicking the red button above this box now. Good luck.
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by: pkumarraPosted on 2008-01-04 at 17:34:54ID: 20587387
Is the file system on the XP computer NTFS?
If yes, Win98 machine cannot read stuff on the XP machine as Win98 does not support NTFS.
You can use "NTFS for Windows 98" from Sysinternals to access an NTFS drive from Win98. There are other commercial software available that allow you to do this as well.