Networking 2 XP home, one wirless...won't work

Kronostm...Thanks for the prompt reply for a Sunday...:)
I agree with the storm, but I am really struggling to figgure this out and I'm ready to consider ANYTHING...

1.  All firewalls are turned off...
2.  Linksys router has no "isolation" function that I am aware of...
3.  Netmasks are correct, std class C for 192.168.1.x...workgroup is MSHOME...
4.  Simple file sharing...good question as it does NOT appear in either computer...
         Windows Explorer > Tools > Folder Option > View...uder Advanced Settings, Simple File Sharing
         does NOT appear...I looked for this...but if I remember correctly, SSFS was not there when I
         originally set the system up...

Biggest issue is I CANNOT ping to either computer, I CAN ping the router and BOTH comuters get out on the inet just fine...they just can't share...

So I believe my NIC's are good, my IP's are good as they are DHCP from the router...but even when I static everything I cannot ping...

If I could ping I would say there is some setting I overlooked, but even considering that, there aren't that many settings to overlook...:)

Thanx for the ideas...

Steve

indeed, my idea with SFS was stupid, because the issue is that you cannot ping. Strange that you don't have the option there, but that's not your concern now.

Mainly, if they cannot ping each-other it means they are "isolated". The function I mentioned could do that, but if the router doesn't have it it means it's not the case. Besides a netmask problem or a routing one, I can't see why don't they "see" each-other. I'll think about it and if I get any idea I'll let you know. Maybe some other people come with suggestions meanwhile.

Guys...sorry I didn't post back sooner, but this is the first chance I have had to get back on this problem...

Here is the ipconfig of each machine...

Windows IP Configuration



        Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Laptop1
        Primary Dns Suffix  . . . . . . . :
        Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
        IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
        WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:

        Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
        Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network Connection
        Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0E-35-5C-C8-F1
        Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
        Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
        IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.102
        Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
        Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
        DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
        DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 68.94.156.1
                                            151.164.1.8

        Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, August 24, 2005 6:53:24 PM
        Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, August 25, 2005 6:53:24 PM


Windows IP Configuration
        Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : desk1
        Primary Dns Suffix  . . . . . . . :
        Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
        IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
        WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
        Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
        Description . . . . . . . . . . . : NVIDIA nForce MCP Networking Controller
        Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-40-CA-6D-A8-C7
        Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
        Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
        IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.100
        Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
        Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
        DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
        DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 68.94.156.1
                                            151.164.1.8

        Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, August 24, 2005 7:08:26 PM
        Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, August 25, 2005 7:08:26 PM


As you can see, the IP's, subnett and GW's are correct...

On the Desktop...XP Home SP1
On the laptop......XP Home SP2

I have the firewalls turned OFF on BOTH computers...

What I am going to do tonite...

Put BOTH computers on a different work group..."Workgroup"...curently in MSHOME...this will "refresh" those connections...
RE- do all my folder sharing...turn off sharing and turn back on...then will try a ping...

Will post back results...

Steve

At this point...

REset BOTH computers to "Workgroup"...

Turned sharing of C:\ drive on Both machines off, then turned back on...

Laptop WILL ping the desktop...but when I go to "My Network Places > View Workgroup computers...I get the error message..."Workgroup not accessible.  You may not have permission to use the network resourec etc etc etc"...

Desktop will NOT ping LAPtop...but it WILL "see" the laptop in "My Network Places > View Workgroup computers"...but will NOT access the laptop...

I have the SAME user account on each computer, I set the same pw in that account and tried again with same results...

I am now hooking up a crossover cable and will try static IP's...

Will post back...

Steve

hooked up crossover cable, set static IP's...and the Desktop will ping the laptop...laptop will NOT ping desktop...
Desktop will "see" the laptop but not connect to it...
Laptop cannot "see" the desktop...

I plugged a straight cord from the laptop to the router, went dhcp and got on inet which suggests that BOTH the wireless and wired NIC's are working correctly...

Ntebios is enanled over TCP/IP...the "default" setting...

Firewalls are Both turned off...

I don't understand this...

Any thoughts???

Steve

Hi Steve, the way to fix this is to use the Network Setup wizard:
use the wizard to create a network setup disk on one machine, then run it on the other machine.

It may be necessary to bring the Desktop machine up to SP2.  That is more secure, although SP2 can be a pain.
(Whenever I've installed SP2, it has messed up network connections until I straighten it out again.  But, you have network problems anyway, so you might as well have SP2.)
CajunBill

Steve, that's an OS mess.  Two things:

1. Remove the network cards from device manager, restart the computer  and reinstall them. For both computers. If you can remove the drivers also when you uninstall, that would be great.
2. Do a system repair using XP's bootdisk, as something seems to be really messed up and I have no idea what.

Many thanx for the comments guys...

A little more background...maybe this will help...

This system has been working great for about 3 months...both computers were talking to each other and the client was using the Vice Versa program to sync data between the 2 computers a couple times a week...

Then something happened sometime between Aug 15, the last time he synched and Aug 20 when he tried to synch again...

Client takes laptop to work...he is a  graphic designer, but not employed at the company he is working for...and because the laptop is XP Home, he is not on their domain...

They have him set up to access a couple of printers and internet access and that's about it...

Talking with client, he needed access to a large format printer and had the tech rep for some company install the drivers for a KIT 6000 printer and client thinks this is when things stopped working...client is certain that he was not able to synch AFTER the KIT6000 drivers were installed...I removed the drivers, but made no difference...

As far as the OS being "messed up"...I'm not sure...both computers get on the Inet just fine...they run smoothly, fast, just like normal...they do everything they always have done EXCEPT, Vice Versa won't work because the 2 computers cannot access each other...

Tonite I'm going to try to connect his laptop with one of my computer and if I am unsuccessful, I am going to have to assume that installing this KIT6000 printer messed something up and will try a system restore,,,if that doesn't work, and it probably will, then I'll rebuild the laptop from scratch...

Many, many thanx for hanging in there with me...

I am still VERY OPEN to other ideas...

Steve

Steve,
  Rebuilding from scratch might be needed for Laptop OR for the Desktop( we can't know for sure since both are involed in a strange behaviour), so consider this as the last resort. Try a repair from CD first, it might fix the problem. It seems unlikely for the KIT6000 drivers to mess up the system such way, but since your problem is strange enough, you never know. It might aswell been an automatic update that windows did at that time and something didn't work well. That's why I stopped using windows a few years ago :) .   As the problem might as welll be on the desktop side, try installing SP2 there also, it modifies lots of things and hopefully the culprit might get removed like that. Anyway, normally it shouldn't harm the system, but as we can see, with Billy's stuff you never know. LL Open-source :p

Hi Steve,
is there a reason that you don't want to run the Network Setup wizard again?
It really can help, you might not need to reinstall the laptop.
CajunBill

Hay Bill

No, there is no reason that I can specify...I ran it early on, made no difference at all...and anything the wizard can do, we can do manually...I can run it again, won't take long...nothing to lose...

The only thing that has improved is that I can now ping from the laptop to the desktop but not in reverse...couldn't tell that I did to get this much working...but I think it started pinging after I put both machines in a new workgroup and re-shared the C:\ drive again...so m aybe with this small improvement the wizard will work...

When I started I could not ping either way...small joys...>:)

Thanx
Steve

The nice thing about the wizard is that it puts the network setup of the machines in synch,
IF you can use the floppy on both systems.

Steve, I wish I could be on the ground there to help you.
I'd feel better if I could actually see the machines - even though you have done a thurough job of giving info, more thurough than most.
Are you in the SF Bay Area by any chance?
CB

Nope...I'm in St Louis...but you are more than welcome to drop by...>:)

I'm going to try the wizard again...do the floppy routine...see what happens...hopefully get to it tonite...depends on my clients work schedule...

If the wizard doesn't work, then I guess I'll try a repair install, if that doesn't do it then a full rebuild...
Do the laptop first as I suspect that is where the issue is...

Many thanx for your time...

Steve

SP2 on the Desktop before reinstalling from scratch. Please!!!
 I start taking this personally now :))  Annoying Bill !!!

P.S. Do you accept guests from the end of the world? Com'on , it will only take me a few years to get visa ;)

Hi Kronostm...

The desktop NEEDS SP2, no question about that...

But the more I think this thru the more I think the problem  is in the laptop...at least that's what I'm going to work on first...

Guests are AWAYS welcome...'come on over...>:)

ps.  I have a supply of "green cards"...>:)

Steve

Sorry, Steve, this needs to be addressed:
kronostm,  that's the second time you've refered to me in this thread, as "Billy" and as "Annoying Bill !!!", neither of which is flattering, and could be said to be negative.
Are you annoyed that someone besides yourself is contributing to solving this?

Now, back to the real point of this thread.
Steve, we have all of us agreed that installing SP2 is a good idea.
If it were me I would first install SP2 on the desktop, then run the wizard on both systems, using the floppy.
Only then, if the problem still exists, would I take the risk and time of a major repair or rebuild of the laptop.
HTH
CajunBill

Yes, we all agree that SP2 needs to be added...but I really don't think that's the culprit...at least when I think things thru, it doesn't make any sense why it should be the issue...

I am going to pick up the laptop tonite, try sharing it on one of MY computers...if it works then I do SP2 on the desktop and try hooking them again...

If it doesn't work sharing one of my computers, then I will try a repair, and if not that then I'll rebuild it...

I think that's the plan of attack...

Will post back results...

Steve

Hi KronosTM,
Thanks for clearing that up for me and any other readers of this thread.
I agree with you about Bill Gates and M$.
(Maybe the CentOS and OpenOffice open source efforts will help the world be free of M$.)

And I appreciate the efforts of people like yourself who contribute as page editors to keep EE going.
Thanks!

Looking forward to seeing the results from Steve,
CajunBill

Steve, I see you shared the points, but we have no feedback from you. Can we know what was the end of this issue?

thanks

Certainly...

I had posted the results just before I posted the points...and for some reason, every and now and then, I can post and it won't show up on the forum...oh well...another issue for another day...

Turned out to be real easy...

Another tech and I were both working on it this morning...this other tech works at the firm that my client works at...other than that we don't know each other...I deal with the clients home computer issues...the other tech deals with his "at work" network issues...

A couple of weeks ago the client needed access to a certain large format printer...because  my client is not an employee of the company, just a contractor, his laptop is not part of their domain...but they gave him access to certain assets he needs from time to time...internet, printers etc...

They had a problem connecting him to this one particular printer and made a change in my clients Norton  firewall...that I didn't know about...

This morning the tech that made the firewall change a couple weeks ago was working on it and struggling like I was...Until we tried putting my clients home network IP range in the "Trusted Zone" of the Norton firewall...then everything started working normally...

He is not sure what changes he made in the firewall originally...couldn't remember and when we go thru the settings, we don't see anything obvious that would preclude the 2 computers from talking to each other...

But it was really confusing when both computers are working on the internet, (eg: NIC is good)...but can't ping each other when everything is set up correctly...

But, now it's working...

Many thanx for all your  help...
Steve

Steve, thank you so much for posting such a thurough wrap-up!
It is very helpful to get feedback about what the solution was.
That will help us (well, me in particular) to help other people in the future.
You are honest to tell us that the firewall was the problem, since your post on 8/21 said "1.  All firewalls are turned off..."
*sigh* that's why it is so hard to help from afar, it is so hard to see the details through this little bitty phone wire ...
If we had been with you in front of the machine, we would have seen the Norton firewall as we poked around.
Oh well, I guess the lesson learned is that we need to keep asking these things more than once.

Thanks again for the excellent wrap-up post (thank you to the page editor, KronosTM, for suggesting it).
CajunBill

You know...I was thinking only of Windows Firewall because the Norton Firewall had been letting stuff thru ok...

Remember this thing worked perfectly for about 3 months...the real issue was finding out what had changed...and that was what I really couldn't see...

And, the client even told me at one point that he thought there was some firewall issue at his job...but when I looked at the firewall I didn't see anything that suggested anything was getting blocked...

I think the biggest thing I learned from this experience as to be VERY, VERY thorough...even at the simplist, lowest level...start at the very bottom and VERIFY, VERIFY, VERIFY....

Again...many, many thanx

Steve