Internet Network

Same domain/workgroup?
Unique machine names?
Can you ping the other system?
Do they both see the internet?
Checked/reseated cables?
The list goes on, but let us know what you've tried.

You need to seriously think about what you are about to do. The way your network is set up, with no firewall between your local net and the Internet, anyone on the same cable modem network segment is going to be able to see your computers and shares also. You would be well advised to consider using on of the Internet Gateway packages and making one of the systems a firewalling gateway between the local network and the Internet. That would mean getting a second ethernet interface for one of the boxes and the software (WinGate, WinProxy, etc).

load netbeui and bind client to MS networks to that proptocol only (ie NOT to tcp/ip for reasons implied by jlevie)

if you don't share anything on the computers, they won't show up in network neighborhood and (often) you may get some kind of error message too.  so share something first to see if you can find them in network neighborhood.

cheers.

Both Machines connect to the internet fine and have different names.  I am using the same workgroup for both.  Right they are set up to use DHCP to obtain an IP address as specified by my provider.  Another strange thing is that my drives on my NT machine show up as shared, but the only thing that shows up in the network neighborhood on my NT machine is the printer.  

i dont think you need firewalls and stuff if all you want to do is to access internet with client software.

install netbeui on all stations (it is not routable as stated - correct) and use this for your local file and print sharing.  make sure that client for MS networks is bound ONLY to netbeui - look at the ip protocol properties, and uncheck the relevent bindings.

this will provide you with full file & print sharing and provide enough protection for your local stations.

so long as you don't run tcp/ip server software, you will be as safe as you need to be from IP attacks.

cheers.

It isn't a matter of whether the TCP/IP or Netbui is routable. It's the fact some number of other systems on that cable modem segment will be in the same broadcast domain. Any system in the same broadcast domain will be able to see any shares that are being offered from his systems. The only way to prevent others on the cable modem segment from being able to reach his shares is to install a firewall.

wonderful things, cable modems ;-o

Just to make the point clear about the reason I mentioned NetBEUI...

I have previously (without NetBEUI) tried copying an ISO file (650MB) from one machine to another and it stated something like 171 minutes for transfer.

This is because the packets were being routed to the cable modem provider's router before being sent back to me.

Once I installed NetBEUI the file took 7 minutes flat.

NetBEUI is simply for small network performance in this situation

That sounds like a network config problem. If you had two systems and a cable modem connected via a hub and the data was being routed through the cable modem, then you have something wrong in the local configurations. Both local systems should have been in the same network, and should have known to talk directly to each other.

Besides that has nothing to do with network security.

Maybe they have been assigned addresses on diffrent subnets by the ISP's DHCP server, then they would not see each others broadcasts. Use ipconfig/winipcfg to find out.

jlevi, would it be safe to use ipx/spx internally or do all frame types get through cable modems?

jlevie, you are missing my point entirely and it has nothing to do with the question.

If you look at my original answer it states that he can either use something like Black ICE on each machine (which I use) or he can spend alot more time and money setting up a firewall.

The NetBEUI item was simply to point out that having two machines on one cable modem can be slow since sometimes they are on different subnets, as andyadler just mentioned.  NetBEUI is PROVEN to be up to 7 times faster than TCP/IP and is also faster than IPX.

Also, since it is NOT routable he does not have to worry about those packets going across his cable modem.

This was simply some additional help I was offering.

So stop getting on me for something you know nothing about.

Jeeze!

I don't know, my suspicion is that they would as I don't believe that they implement routing features. I suppose you'd have to set up a system with ipx/spx and hang a network sniffer on another cable modem that's on the same network segment. If you can see the sap advertisements, then you could connect to the other boxes shares.

I don't believe that the DHCP would configure the boxes to be on separate routed networks, but it might have done something funny with the routes.

dsazama,

I wasn't "getting on you" at all. And I do know what I'm talking about. A cable modem (or DSL box for that matter) generally  isn't a router, it's more like a transceiver. If it were a router the Netbios over TCP/IP traffic would never traverse the cable network to the segment router and back. And it's easy to prove. Simply hang a network sniffer on a cable modem and watch the brodcast traffic (broadcasts aren't routable either).

I believe my point about the local network being vulnerable is still valid with Black Ice installed as you have to disable it to talk between the two systems. It can only protect the systems when it's running and then you can't share data between the two systems.

jlevie,

I am sure you have a lot of experience with routing and cable modems, but not all providers do the same thing.  I too know what I am talking about and I get a little hot under the collar when ANYONE tells me that I don't know what I am talking about (quote: "then you have something wrong in the local configurations").

Not only were my computers on different subnets, they did not even have the same subnet mask!

Additionally, I have been using Sniffer Pro from Network Associates for a few years now and have looked at my local network for several hours doing other things and have never seen broadcast traffic coming from outside of my network (and yes I was in promiscuous mode).

All I am saying is that I DO know what I am talking about and that since halfback71 is even ASKING about how to protect himself I doubt he currently wants to go through all of the steps, time, and cost necessary to put a firewall up on his local network.

The simplest solution is a personal firewall such as Black ICE.

By the way, Black ICE will allow you to set up trusted addresses so as long as the DHCP assigned address does not change very often (which it normally does not) then this would be the simplest solution.

Thanks for listening