Computer can share but not see other computers

I am using DSL and a U.S.Robotic 8054 Wireless Turbo Access Point & Router and all computers connected are running Win 98SE. Two computers are connected by RJ 45 cables and the third by a U.S.Robotics 5410 wireless card. Computer 1 [Gateway] is connected by cable and has the printer installed on it and can be read by Computer 2 [Basement] also connected by cable and it can access the printer and also see Computer 3 [CPi] connected by wireless card and it can see Computer 1 and 2 and access the printer. Computer 1 cannot see either Computer 2 or Computer 3 although both of them can access files and printer from it. They all are in the same workgroup and have file and printer sharing and use "window logon" as the primary window logon. Computer 2 and 3 have all computer plus the globe icon visible when you click on networking, Computer 1 has only the globe icon. Where am I going wrong? The Client for Microsoft Networks is installed on all computers. I have asked on another forum but no solution.

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Whew - I had to copy that and break it apart a little so I could try to follow what you were saying.

Can you restate the part in blue? I have read it a dozen or more times and am still not sure exactly what you are saying.

Do you have any firewall running?

Do you have shares set up on computers 2 & 3 and if so, are they open to anyone?

 

Quote "Computer 1 [Gateway] is connected by cable and has the printer installed on it and can be read by Computer 2 [Basement] also connected by cable and it can access the printer and also see Computer 3 [CPi] connected by wireless card and it can see Computer 1 and 2 and access the printer. "
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The #1 computer [GATEWAY] is hooked to the router by RJ 45 cable and it is the computer that has the printer installed on it. The printer can be used by computer 2 & 3 as well as the files that are designated as shared on #1--
Computer #2 & 3 have no problem seeing each other or sharing files. I have no firewalls running on any computer. All computers have files to share to each other with a password on each file.
When I click on the Networking Neighborhood icon on the desktop with computer #1 nothing shows up except the globe icon and if I click on it I get an error2 as attached. If I click on the desktop icon with #2 or #3 all computers are visable.
I can ping computer#2 & #3 from computer #1 and I can search for computer #2 & #3 from computer #1 and it will find each but if I double click on the results[computer name] I get an error.

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Good. Got it and thanks.

Are you using static/fixed/assigned IP addresses for all the PCs or using DHCP to assign them?

And I'm up in about another 4 hours to spend the day fishing with some work Sunday AM so it will be Sunday evening or maybe Monday evening before I get back to this topic.

 

I am using fixed IP addresses for all the PCs.

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With static addresses, a quick 'fix' try that may well help and at worst will slightly speed up your other PCs connecting to each other is to use a hosts file on each PC. This file will then be used by each PC to locate another rather than using any other sort of look-up method.

The file is a plain text file and on 98, is located in \windows with a name of hosts (no extension). Note that if you are working with other operating systems it will be located in a different place
Windows XP = C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC
Windows 2K = C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC

Assuming your PCs are named Joe, Ethel, Fred and the IP addresses are joe - 192.168.0.2, ethel - 192.168.0.3, fred - 192.168.0.4 then your hosts file should contain these entries (maybe some others already there but just add these - the name variations are so it will be found no matter which form you use for the PC name when searching for it)


192.168.0.2 joe Joe JOE
192.168.0.3 ethel Ethel ETHEL
192.168.0.4 fred Fred FRED

Use a text file editor (not a word processor or word pad) to edit or create the file and don't allow a file extension like hosts.txt) and then place a copy on each of your PCs.

If it works, great. If not, it will rule out some of the more common causes for your problem and make finding the real one a little easier.

 

I do use a Host file from http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm and have the HOSTS File Manger also--I thought the Host file was for blocking addresses?

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The hosts file is for matching ip addresses to PC names. It has been a part of IP networking since day 1 and you can find hosts files on UNIX machines from the very early days.

Network-aware operating systems will always check first for a hosts file when they need to match up IP & name. If they find a name match, they use that IP address and never look further. If they don't find it, they broaden their search to a variety of other sources and these days, usually find a DNS server that takes care of the matching.

Hosts files for blocking bad stuff is simply a clever trick. Your network card has a loopback address of 127.0.0.1. This is another old time piece. Ping that address and you are pinging the back side of your own network card. If a hosts file entry points a URL to 127.0.0.1 then you will never reach that URL so

127.0.0.1 GonnaHackYou
127.0.0.1 StealYourStuff

will keep any spyware/trojan/etc. on your PC that tries to 'call home' to such a URL from ever being able to do so.

The sort of hosts file I suggested will simply avoid the need for any DNS or NetBIOS/browser service on your local network.

You can add the local information to your existing hosts files and if it clears up your problem then you have browser issues on your LAN.

 

OK, I added the following in the host file:
192.168.xxx.xxx Dell DELL dell
192.168.xxx.xxx Gateway GATEWAY gateway
192.168.xxx.xxx Basement BASEMENT basement
Still nothing on the Gateway computer but it will still share its printer and its files. All machines run Mozilla 1.7.11. See attached files as conten of Network Neighborhood.

 

I'm puzzled here. Not any real idea why it isn't displaying on the one PC even though the shares are available. I almost never use Network Neighborhood so haven't really worried about it for several years.

That particular display depends on browsing and sometimes it just doesn't work correctly. Might be worth making sure you have browsing enabled on one PC and disabled on the others. If you need specifics on enabling and disabling browser service, you will need to say what operating system(s) you are using. Otherwise, unless all are the same OS, use the newest as your master browser.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Network\NoWorkgroupContents
with a value of 1 will cause what you are seeing but it's normally a tweak you have to set up to hide things. Never heard of it happening accidently. Might be worth looking at though.

 

All are using Win 98SE and Mozilla 1.7.11 also see attached file reg entry

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Try disabling Browse Master on all but one of your PCs using the directions in This article.

 

I have the #1 [gateway] the computer that does not see the others as Browse Master and the other two being disabled.

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Dang I hate it when this happens but I'm pretty much out of ideas.

As I mentioned earlier, I don't use the feature. On a small network you pretty much know the shares & share names so can connect as needed. On a large network, it is too cluttered and unwieldy. I haven't messed with a medium network for years.

 

Thanks for all you help, I learned a bunch. I notice when I run Belarc it say my computer is in OEMWORKGROUP but on the info it shows as WORKGROUP don't know if that is of any importance,
Thanks again,
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Hmmmm. WORKGROUP might be some sort of reserved word so I think if it were me, I'd put them all into some new workgroup named George or Fred or Something or something. No idea if it will make any difference but easy enough to do and just might work a little better.

 

Hey Newt ... definately if they are not in the same workgroup the other computers would not show up. It's still possible to connect to them, but wouldn't you have to do like \\OEMWORKGROUP\MachineName

to get to it?

How are machine names looked up on a Windows Network? This is not DNS, right? This is done by Netbios Name Service (NBNS). Could that not be getting through some how?

Also what happens if he clicks on that WORLD icon for All Networks. What happens then?

 

When I had the computers in different workgroups both workgroupes showed up on 2 of the computers and noe on the other. When I click on the world icon it say "unable to browse the network "

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Have you resolved your problem? I'm having similar issues as posted: http://www.windowsbbs.com/showthread.php?t=48543 , and can use your insight if you fixed it.
Thanks

 

I just did another yacht. Put a Linksys WRT54G wireless. They threw a Windows 98SE PC at me for dessert last night around 6pm. I tried to put a USB Wireless Linksys gadget on it they had but the software was for 2000 and XP. I put it on a wired network port. Then wanted file sharing ... and do it now!

Symantec Internet Security. Put all on the same workgroup MSHOME, shared something on 2 out of 3 computers. The laptop already had something shared. Added 192.168.0.1 to 192.168.0.255 .... the laptop was a little slow in finding the network, XP SP1. Finally it got it... found the other two machines. I DID get to go home last night