Win XP Pro SP2 cannot see workgroup computers.

Howdy meperera
> 4.     Tried to ping when I can’t see the other computers and got  an
> error message that the host cannot be found..
Were you trying to ping via ip address or computer name?  If ip address ping works, and name doesn't, it's a dns issue. If ping ip address doesn't work, then my first suspect would be firewall issue: 1.     Disabled firewalls/virus guards on all 4 computers  Does that include the windows firewall?


Happy Holidays!
Jappo

Thanks  Jappo,
  Pinging doesn't work either way (Both IP address and host name) . Yes I have disabled Windows firewall as well.

Cheers,

I've not heard of tcp/ip corruption causing this sort of issue, but then again, with computers all things are possible, it's usually the reverse it will cause you to not get internet.
But anyway, try this from command prompt on all machines:  netsh int ip reset c:\resetlog.txt  and hit <enter>
Then check the resetlog.txt on the c drive, the last line should say it completed successfully.  
You might try flushing the dns, but that is even more unlikely a solution. From command prompt also:  ipconfig /flushdns
I know there is something else I'm not thinking of, but for the life of me it's just not clicking in my head.

Thanks riteheer,
 That didn't work either. I have heard people saying that you should not use the Windows network setup wizard. Is that true ?

Thanks

I don't know, I don't care for the wizards myself, like to know what is taking place and do it personally. But in your case, it wouldn't hurt to try it... heck might just cure the problem. I know a lot of people use them, and I've seen many of the experts here recommend them. I don't think there's anything to fear.

I had a similar situation on a new network today, what happened was the client installed NIS 2007, which wouldn't have been a problem, but before doing that he had tried, unsuccessfully to uninstall McAfee Security suite. The suite was still there, just not starting up with the computer, but the firewall was still working.  I had to start mcafee up and turn off the firewall, which allowed the computers to talk, then I did a clean uninstall on it and all was fine.  
I would look thru programs and make sure again that there aren't any other firewall/security products that might have been left behind, I remember having a zone alarm problem similar to it once before as well.

Thanks riteheer,
   I will do a thorough search today and see if that fixes the issue.

Cheers

plz do an ipconfig /all on all 4 pc's & post entire results here for comparison.

here's some helpful links:

(how to setup home network in xp hm step 1-8)
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/813936/
(how to configure sharing in xp)        
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/304040/en-us
(How To Share Files and Folders Over a Network for Workgroups)
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/filesharing.mspx

comp1



Windows IP Configuration



        Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : sean

        Primary Dns Suffix  . . . . . . . :

        Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast

        IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

        WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No



Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:



        Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

        Description . . . . . . . . . . . : D-Link AirPlus G+ DWL-G520+ Wireless PCI Adapter

        Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-11-95-64-60-87

        Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

        Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

        IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.100

        Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

        IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : ?

        Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

        DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

        DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

                                            ?

                                            ?

                                            ?

        Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, December 13, 2006 10:36:51 AM

        Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, December 20, 2006 10:36:51 AM



Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:



        Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

        Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface

        Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF

        Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No

        IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : ?

        Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

        NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled



Windows IP Configuration



        Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : sean

        Primary Dns Suffix  . . . . . . . :

        Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown

        IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

        WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No



Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:



        Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

        Description . . . . . . . . . . . : D-Link AirPlus G+ DWL-G520+ Wireless PCI Adapter

        Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-11-95-64-60-87

        Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

        Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

        IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.100

        Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

        IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : ?

        Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

        DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

        DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

                                            ?

                                            ?

                                            ?

        Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, December 13, 2006 10:36:51 AM

        Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, December 20, 2006 10:36:51 AM



Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:



        Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

        Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface

        Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF

        Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No

        IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : ?

        Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

        NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled



Windows IP Configuration



        Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : sean

        Primary Dns Suffix  . . . . . . . :

        Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown

        IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

        WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No



Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:



        Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

        Description . . . . . . . . . . . : D-Link AirPlus G+ DWL-G520+ Wireless PCI Adapter

        Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-11-95-64-60-87

        Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

        Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

        IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.100

        Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

        IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : ?

        Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

        DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

        DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

                                            ?

                                            ?

                                            ?

        Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, December 13, 2006 10:36:51 AM

        Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, December 20, 2006 10:36:51 AM



Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:



        Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

        Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface

        Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF

        Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No

        IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : ?

        Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

        NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled


Comp2



Windows IP Configuration



        Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : ak

        Primary Dns Suffix  . . . . . . . :

        Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown

        IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

        WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

        DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : vic.bigpond.net.au



Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:



        Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

        Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8139 Family PCI Fast Ethernet NIC

        Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0D-87-ED-56-49



Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:



        Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . : vic.bigpond.net.au

        Description . . . . . . . . . . . : D-Link AirPlus G+ DWL-G520+ Wireless PCI Adapter

        Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-11-95-64-30-B6

        Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

        Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

        IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.103

        Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

        Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

        DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

        DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

        Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, December 13, 2006 6:59:43 PM

        Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, December 20, 2006 6:59:43 PM




WHAT IS Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface: ?  Is it a necessary feature or can I remove it ? If so how do I do that ?

Thanks

Thanks heaps Jappo, I made a mistake I'm sorry. The above is only from two computers. From "Sean" and "Ak". I by mistake had pasted "Sean" three times. Would you be able to look at the two configs and tell me why these two computers could not seeeach other at the time ?

Once again I appologize for my mistake,

Cheers

ARe you able to ping either of them using ip addresses?
If not, then it's a connection blocked by some sort of firewall software....
If you can, but can't ping by name, it's probably a dns issue.
I don't see anything from the ipconfigs that should be stopping you.

I cannot ping from either of them when they can't see each other in "View Workgroup Computers" . One minute you can access each other and the next minute you can't. I did the above ipconfig/all when the computers could not see each other. I have absolutely no firewall software whatsoever.

cheers

If you are connecting and then losing connection, that points to interference of some sort.  
Could be anything from garage door opener, portable phone, microwave, the list goes on and on... try changing channels, if you are on a defuault channel of 6 go to the lower range, like 2 or upper range around 10 and try that.  
Could be other wireless networks close by causing the problem. Update the firmware on the router, and the wireless adapters.

There isn't a problem with the wireless network. Regardless of the workgroup status all computers can see the router and connect to the Internet. THat is why I have eliminated the possibilty of a wireless interference.

The problem is that all computers are connected to the wireless network and when you access the workgroup you only see the computer that you are sitting on. However it shows that you belong to the right workgroup.

If you can't ping a machine by ip address in the workgroup, there is some sort of problem in the wireless... ip is basic communication, and firewalls are the first suggestion, which you say there are absolutely none, that means there is a communication problem, and wireless is the communication mode...
I'm out of suggestions, it's certainly strange. and really hope that someone solves this one, because as many wireless networks as I set up, I know it's gonna come around and bite me one day...

I am out of Ideas. Can someone please shed some light to this matter ? Cheers.

can ping & access shares using ip addr but not pc name
You cannot view other workgroup computers on the network on a Windows XP-based computer
     browse domain from the Entire Network
"The list of servers for this workgroup is not currently available"
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/903267/en-us      node type set to peer to peer
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/160177/en-us      node types 8 = hybrid
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\NetBt\Parameters  (NodeType or DhcpNodeType)
(1) b mode = default if no wins svr or val not specified - uses broadcasts
(2) p mode = peer2peer - uses only point-to-point name queries to a name server (WINS)
(4) m mode = mixed - broadcasts first, then queries the name server
(8) h mode = default if with wins svr - queries the name server first, then broadcasts

Hi Guys,
 I will try the above and write back as soon as possible.

Happy Holidays

ok heres the solutions in your problem my friend, if all of those  your pc's connected successfully on wifi, try to share your files fron each PC. example your drive c: or you documents either..
here the procedure how to share:
right click the folder you want to share:
then click the share this folder..

try this my friend...

This is a browsing issue. The best solution is to get a low cost WINS server for all PC's to query workgroup conditions. You must tell the PC's the IP of this WINS server. Linux can help here.
XP SP2 with the firewall service off has an effect on the computer browser service.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/889320

This may be a stupid question...Is file sharing enabled?   http://compnetworking.about.com/cs/winxpnetworking/ht/winxpsfs.htm