Win98/XP two pc network thru router Q's...

Hey folks,

I was here a while back, in the Win98 forum, enquiring about an error message I was getting on my Win98 pc after setting up my network...

http://www.windowsbbs.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24965

I'm still having the same troubles but after reading some posts here and on other forums, I'm not ready to give up yet.

My XP pc is directly connected to an SMC Barricade Turbo wireless router (SMC2404WBR). The 98 PC has the SMC wireless card installed. Both PCs can get on the internet. Net access is via a cable modem on the other side of the router. XP can read/write to the shared folder of the 98 machine. 98 can see but can't access the XP shared folder.

I have the router set up with a unique SSID and 64 bit WEP for the wireless side. All that works since I can get on the internet from the 98 machine. I also have the firewall enabled.

One piece of advice I've received is to run the Network Setup Wizard in XP, then have it make a disk to run on the 98 PC. I've done that but still can't get the 98 pc to connect to the shared folder on the XP PC. I can see the folder but when I click on it I get that same error.

First off, when I run the wizard in XP it gives me 2 similar choices:

1) This computer connects to the internet through another computer on my network or through a residential gateway.
2) This computer connects to the internet directly or through a network hub. Other computers also connect to the internet directly or through a hub.

Which is it, residential gateway or hub? Which one is correct?

FYI...

I also run Zone Alarm Pro on both machines. I've read that this might be an issue. I've attempted to shut the firewalls down on both PCs but that didn't help. From other posts it sounds like uninstalling and registry editing is needed...but I still need a sofware firewall even with the router so what are my options? (Sounds like I have some reading to do at the Zone Alarm FAQ page.)

I have also tried enabling the guest account on XP as well as made an account in XP with the same name as the default user on the 98 PC. Neither helps. Note that neither profile used a password. I've also read that I should not use a "null" password.

I would like to be able to simply allow the 98 pc to booth straight into windows. Is that possible? After running the setup wizard on the 98 pc it boots up asking for the windows networking username and password. Is that neccessary?

More questions coming...

 

Hi wildswing,

I have the same setup...........XP hardwired and 98 on wireless. The choice you want is #2, direct connection, for both PC's. If the firewall you referred to as enabled is XP's built in, disable it.

 

Meant to say also that both are using 'client for microsoft networks' protocol. If you're set to use winlogon, I think that might be what's requiring network username and password (been a while since I set up, don't remember for sure)

 

Thanks noahdfear,

FYI...

- XP firewall is already disabled
- Yes, both are using 'client for microsoft networks'

As for the log on thing. I know how to switch from one to the other. I'm just curious which, if either, is neccessary to make the network connection work.

Can anyone else confirm that my wizard choice would be #2 (hub).

 

Can anyone else confirm that my wizard choice would be #2 (hub).

Do you have any reason to doubt noahdfear? Especially when he says he has the same setup as you except that his is working? If you take a look at other posts he's made in the past, you'll see that if he gives a positive, 'do this' answer, it's because he's sure.

For the record, he is correct. You do not have a Residential Gateway from what you describe and the use of Hub in the choices will also include Switch (a sort of fast, smart hub). Your PCs plug into the switch portion of your router/switch.

You will absolutely need a logon password on the 98 PC and one that is non-blank (NULL value means 'no data' and is different from
a blank or 'empty string'). However, a number of utilities like TweakUI will allow you to set up an automatic logon that supplies both the username and password when you boot up and are logged on.

 

Do you have any reason to doubt noahdfear?

No, none at all. Sorry if that seemed outa line. Now that I read it over myself I guess I could have been a little more polite. I was just curious. No offense intended. My appologies.

Thanks for the info Newt. As always, it's much appreciated. I'll get myself a copy of TweakUI asap.

Can you fellas explain what a residential gateway is?

 

Newt, thank you!

Wildswing, no offense taken. A second opinion can be reassuring that you're doing things right. If it were wrong though, you could just run the wizard again and make different choices which would then be applied. BTW, you could also select 'don't have a network yet' and get the same results.
This will describe a residential gateway.

 

Update...I finally got it to work...

Regedit the XP machine
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
\SYSTEM
\CurrentControlSet
\Services
\lanmanserver
\parameters

I changed the IRPStackSize parameter from 11 to 15.

Rebooted the XP machine and the 98 pc was then able to access the shared folders in the XP machine.

I subsequently used TweakUI to automatically log on the 98 PC. Very convenient. Thanks Newt.

A couple items to note:

I DO NOT have a password in the 98 machine. I left it as an empty string as a test (I prefer to make and test changes one at a time) and it still works.

I DO NOT have either the Guest account enabled or an account of the same name as my 98 username enabled on the XP machine.

Thanks for all the help folks!

[credit for the regedit hint]
Info received via email from member Alex at Computing.net re: a post I made there about the same issue. He directed me to this thread at tek-tips.com... http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?spid=748&newpid=748&sqid=385211

 

noahdfear, Sorry your reply wasn't up yet when I started my most recent reply. Thanks for the link.

 

Glad to hear it's working for you!
I went to the key you referred to and I don't even have an IRPStackSize entry. Did a search of the registry and came up blank.
Not gonna lose any sleep over it, but it is interesting.

Thanks for posting back with results!

 

As I said, I'm not losing sleep over this IRPStackSize thing, but out of curiosity as to why I don't have a listing for it, I registered at TekTips so that I was able to view the thread that wildswing linked to and found another link to Microsoft which points out that it's not always present, and if the errors/issues wildswing was encountering are present, to add it, then adjust it.

Does anyone know what creates this entry? NAV?

 

It may be NAV that creates the entry. While searching for solutions to my connectivity issue, I ran across this Symantec support document.