Windows network gone, internet works

I've seen lots of references to similar issues here and other places and have beat my head and fingers against it now for a few days with no relief in sight. Here's my conundrum:

Have old working win xp network running on lynksys router and separate switch fed by a cable modem. All was working well until a few months ago when the windows home networking (workgroup) began to become unstable - ie: intermitantly, computers couldn't see each other, pings didn't work, file sharing wouldn't. Printers generally worked. Resetting the router+switch+modem generally woke everything up hunky dory and the network was golden again. BTW, All of the computers were set up with auto XP updates and have the most current updates installed. I swapped routers and the problem persisted. I installed a new 16 port switch and problem persisted but things are much less messy.

Now, my wife got a new laptop w/Vista. Got it up and running and installed it on the net by designating the workgroup name to match, creating matching user accounts/passwords on the vista box to match other computers, set up File & Printer sharing to do so, set permissions for users, etc.

The current condition is this: every computer connection into the switch can access the internet through it, the router, and modem. I can invoke the router's admin from any box. None of the computers can ping each other and none of the computers can see one another when using explorer to see the network.

When I expand Network places in explorer, it will show my workgroup name, but errors out after not seeing anything on the local net.

My suspicions include an "upgrade" to XP caused some changes somewhere. Any info on anything I might try would be very helpful. Thanks in advance.
JoeKl

 

Are you running personal firewalls on any of the PCs?

 

ReggieB, thanks for responding.

I'm running Norton and that was part of the problem. I've had to create a number of rules allowing sharing and other protocals to get the computers to see one another. I also swapped routers and that also seemed to help. I think my Netgear router is going on the fritz - always dropping ip addresses and the internet.

Now, all the XP machines see each other and see the Vista machine and the Vista machine sees all of the XP machines. The XP machines can now share with each other again and the Vista machine can pull files from the XP machine. However, the Vista machine is not opening itself up to any of the other computers.

This probably has to do with Vista's "features ". Any advice on that would be welcome.

Thanks
Joe

 

The most likely source of the problem is permissions. How are you setting up sharing? Are you using the in built shared documents folder or are you setting up shares and permissions at the folder level?

 

I'm trying to set up permissions at the folder level. However, the XP machines don't even see the built in shared document folder. When I try and browse to them in explorer the XP machines time out with the xxxxxx is unavailable, you may not have permission .....path not found error.

Thanks,
Joe

 

Can you access a share from the PC you are on. That is if you are sitting at "PC1" and create as share a folder as "SharedFolder ", can you access that share via \\PC1\SharedFolder from PC1?

If you are really stuck - it might well be worth working through this guide:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/maintain/share.mspx