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Mshome doesn't show the workgroup computers

I have just installed a new Modem Router, the Sitecom WL-127. It works fine but I have a problem.
First let me explain the structure of my network: there is a Pc connected via a Lan cable to the firewall, a Pc connected via wireless and a network drive (for viewing movies on the telly) via wireless.

The problem is, the wireless clients see each other just fine and share files with no problem, but none of them sees the cable connected client. When I look at the Mshome workgroup on the latter, it looks totally empty.

All components have fixed IPs and I can ping any of them just fine in any situation: moreover I can connect to the wireless pc from the cable pc if I use \\192.168.0.2. The only problem is I don't see anything in the Mshome workgroup and I can't see the cable pc from the wireless clients.

If I try to enable Netbios on the cable pc I can't even open up Mshome without getting an error message saying I can't open the workgroup.

Dawilliams

check the windows firewall settings.

Daniele Brunengo

ASKER

The problem is there even after disabling the firewall (comodo firewall). The windows firewall is disabled.

Dawilliams

can you show a schematic of the network, if it's not the firewall it sounds like a routing issue or the wireless and the lan are on different sides of the firewall?

Daniele Brunengo

ASKER

The firewall is on the computer connected via lan, there's no firewall on the other computer. But the problem persists even if I turn off the firewall or set it to allow all traffic.

The router is connected via lan to a pc, and via wireless to the other pc and the network drive.

Dawilliams

A schematic would help, how about an ipconfig /all from the wireless and the lan pc also how is the router configured, static ip, dhcp, gateway,

Daniele Brunengo

ASKER

Okay. I'm italian, so some of the text below will be in italian but it should be comprehensible.

Here's the ipconfig /all from the lan pc:

Nome host . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : Dino
Suffisso DNS primario . . . . . . . :
Tipo nodo . . . . . . . . . : Sconosciuto
Routing IP abilitato. . . . . . . . . : No
Proxy WINS abilitato . . . . . . . . : No

Scheda Ethernet Connessione alla rete locale (LAN) 5:

Suffisso DNS specifico per connessione:
Descrizione . . . . . . . . . . . . . : NVIDIA nForce Networking Controller
Indirizzo fisico. . . . . . . . . . . : 00-50-8D-D9-57-9B
DHCP abilitato. . . . . . . . . . . . : No
Indirizzo IP. . . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.136
Subnet mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Gateway predefinito . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
Server DNS . . . . . . . . . . . . . : 212.216.112.112
212.216.172.62
NetBIOS su TCPIP. . . . . . : Disabilitato

Now the ipconfig /all from the wireless pc:

Nome host . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : Pala
Suffisso DNS primario . . . . . . . :
Tipo nodo . . . . . . . . . : Sconosciuto
Routing IP abilitato. . . . . . . . . : No
Proxy WINS abilitato . . . . . . . . : No

Scheda Ethernet Connessione rete senza fili:

Suffisso DNS specifico per connessione:
Descrizione . . . . . . . . . . . . . : 108Mbps Wireless Network USB Dongle
Indirizzo fisico. . . . . . . . . . . : 00-40-F4-FB-11-47
DHCP abilitato. . . . . . . . . . . . : No
Indirizzo IP. . . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.2
Subnet mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Gateway predefinito . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
Server DNS . . . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

The router has dhcp disabled since I assigned static ips to all components. The router too has a static ip which is the ip address listed as gateway above.

Dawilliams

the two machines have different dns servers you will only be able to communicate by IP. put them both to the 192.168.0.1 address as the dns server.

Daniele Brunengo

ASKER

I have set them both to 192.168.0.1 as the dns server but the problem persists.

Dawilliams

Ok, run ipconfig /flushdns on all the machines and you should be able to at least ping them by name
ping pala from dino or ping dino from pala, let me know.

Daniele Brunengo

ASKER

I ran ipconfig /flushdns on both machines but I still cannot ping them by name, nor dino from pala nor pala from dino. I still can ping by ip as before.

Dawilliams

I would reboot the router to clear out it's cache also.

Dawilliams

then ipconfig /registerdns to initiate the dns registration to the router.

Daniele Brunengo

ASKER

Ok, there's progress! Now the two computers can see each other and ping with names. The only problem left is the network drive. It can only be reached by ip and it doesn't see the two PCs. Anyway this problem is minor for me.

Dawilliams

Sorry what do you mean by network drive is it like a nas storage device?

Daniele Brunengo

ASKER

Exactly, it is a nas storage device, which on turn connects to the tv and lets me view movies and listen to music in multiple formats.

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Dawilliams

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Daniele Brunengo

ASKER

Ok, the problem seems to be corrected. Actually the nas device has a wireless connection management which gives problems sometimes. Right now I can see it clearly so all problems related with the router and the network are solved. I've got a small problem with a couple of shared folders yet, but I will try to fix it and if I can't I will put up another question.

Thanks a lot for your help.