xp wont see the network

not seeing the network

Situation - 3 node network. Main machine Win98 2nd, laptop XP, 3rd machine win98. Using Wireless Dlink beween main machine and XP third machine is rj45 connected to router. System was working before their corp. techs updated XP machine with all Microsoft updates and whatever. Now unable to get the XP machine to be seen through Explorer or network neighborhood by other machines. Corp put BlackIce on 2 of the machines. Have trusted not only the ip address's of machines but also the ip address of the router. The problem here is a problem even when I disable BlackIce so dont think a firewall problem.

Have a hosts file on all machines = 192.168.0.100 Main - name = brenda, 192.168.0.101 2nd 98 machine name = bob, 192.168.0.102 XP machine name = notebook. From the XP machine I can ping all ip address's including the router so there is connection. Unable to ping brenda and get a complete response but when ping ip address comes back okay. Unable to search for computer name. From the Main machine even though I cant see the XP I am able to create a short cut to the XP notebook and able to create a mapped drive. But unable to get anything from the XP machine back to the main machine.

Any thought would be greatly appreciated and my thanks ahead of time.

Greg

 

If your hosts file looks like

192.168.0.100 brenda Brenda BRENDA #I included all the variations to
192.168.0.101 bob Bob BOB #match whatever form you might use.
192.168.0.102 notebook Notebook NOTEBOOK #you won't need the comments

And is located in the proper place (different for XP vs. 9x) then it should work to ping by name if you can ping by IP.

Unless you have something (printer, folder) shared on each PC, you won't see them in Network Neighborhood. The same workgroup name on each helps too.

I'd suggest NBT enabled on all the NICs and only the XP machine with browser service active.

 

Newt

The hosts file looks exactly like the one you posted. Its in the Windows folder on the 98 machine and in the etc folder on the XP machine.

Workgroups are the same on each machine and the folders are shared. Like I said on the main 98 machine I can create a mapped drive to the XP machine and I can create a shortcut to any folder on the XP machine but cannot do anything in reverse from the XP to the 98. The XP machine sees nothing anymore not the printer on the 98 machine, nothing. Since the Windows XP updates were done things have changed but I have other small networks with the updates done and they can still see each other. The 2 - 98 machines can see each other and share resources just cant get the XP seen by the other 98 machines and the shared folders ( printers and folders ).

 

NBT active?

Can you connect to the printer if you specify

\\ip-address\printername in the add printers thing?

 

Newt

Okay now what boot tools needs to be active ??? You lost me on this one. Since I can ping from the XP to other machines I made assumption things are initialized.

Have tried not only the name and share but also the ip address. The printer is already setup to be the ip address of the printer. When looking at the printer it says basically not connected. When system first starts up it naturally gives message that not all networks connections have been restored.

What really confuses me is if I can ping to the other machines doesnt that mean we are communicating ??? And if communication is there why cant the XP see the network.

Greg

 

Greg - since you can ping by IP, things are mostly working. The problem you have is one of name<>IP resolution. With proper hosts files on all PCs, I'm a little surprised things aren't working better for you.

NBT = NetBT = NetBIOS over TCP/IP. It's one of the advanced WINS settings under your network card's TCP/IP settings.

Lets forget Network Neighborhood for the moment. It's interesting and can be a convenience on a small network but it certainly isn't essential.

I completely agree the firewall isn't your prolem. It works at the IP level and things seem OK there.

Since it appears that whatever happened with the upgrade to XP breaking a system that was working and that the simple solution doesn't work, we gotta dig a little.

Questions from info in your original post:

Using Wireless Dlink beween main machine and XP third machine is rj45 connected to router.
This sounds like Notebook is connected directly to Brenda somehow. If so, how?

System was working before their corp. techs updated XP machine with all Microsoft updates and whatever.
Corp Techs - is this a home or business network? What Corp? What updates to XP?

Unable to ping brenda and get a complete response but when ping ip address comes back okay.
- So pinging Brenda from Notebook fails? Or does "complete response" mean something else?
- Can Brenda and Bob ping each other by name and get a good response?

Unable to search for computer name.
Search how?

From the Main machine even though I cant see the XP I am able to create a short cut to the XP notebook and able to create a mapped drive. But unable to get anything from the XP machine back to the main machine.
If you can map a drive on Main that points to a share on XP, what exactly are you unable to get back?

I'll check back on this tomorrow evening early (6-7pm) and based on the answers, either suggest a fix or, more likely, ask you to do some specific testing.

 

Newt

Thanks for taking an interest in this post you have always come up with the right answers for me in the past.

I will have client check to mark sure netbios over tcp/ip is still checked.

The notebook is wireless connected to the network. The main machine 98 is wireless and the second 98 machine is hard wired.

Client took machine out to Virginia where corp. is located Sonnax. He told me they had machine for hours and did all types of updates. Did not know specifically what but looking at add/remove it does look like patches etc have been installed as well as BlackIce was put on.

It is a small business network he is an engineer dealing with cad programs in the car transmission area.

Ping from XP to other machines fails using Brenda or Bob pinging using ip address works as does pinging to the router.

Brenda and Bob can ping using both variables ( ip or name ).

Searching for computer name either by using the start - find or through explorer.

Yes, can map to the xp machine and create shortcut to notebook. Unable from the xp machine to either see the other computers in network neighborhood or through explorer, unable to get any files from other machines and unable to print from xp machine to shared printer on main 98 machine either by share name or ip address.

Thanks Newt

 

To make sure I'm clear now:

- The 98 PCs can "see" each other fine.
- The 98 PCs can map to shares on the XP machine and copy files to and from the XP machine.
- The XP PC cannot get to any resources on either 98 PC.
- assuming a share on Brenda names stuff, what happens if from the XP PC the user does:
... a) start~run~\\brenda\stuff
... b) start~run~\\192.168.0.100\stuff
... note: specifics here if you would please. Errors if any or results.
- Also from the XP PC, what happens if the user opens a cmd window (start~run~cmd) and
... c) net view \\brenda
... d) net view \\192.168.0.100
... note: again, results or specific error messages

 

Newt

Your first 3 statements are correct. I am having the client do the other commands and will post back. I know when I did a couple of them from the command prompt basically message was path not found but will have client give specific message.

Greg

 

OK.

Sorry to play 20 then 30 then 40 questions with you but this is a very strange problem. One of those where I would have said, "Naaa, can't happen" but since it is, ????

Still, there has to be some problem we can locate and fix.

Maybe a good idea since you are having a remote user do the work, to have the results piped to a text file rather than the user trying to relay all the info to you. At least the Net View results.

net view \\brenda > c:\netview.txt
net view \\192.168.0.100 >> c:\netview.txt

The first one will create the netview.txt file and write to it. The second will append results to the same text file.

 

Good thought about piping the results. If I can get out to her I will do the test myself. Not sure if she can handle the dos prompt area.

It is a strange thing. I seem to find some of these.

 

If she can't, you might include them in a bat file and send it to her to run. Then she could just attach the resulting file to an email and send it to you.

Hopefully she can describe what happens when she does the other start~run bits.

 

Newt

Guess I'm going to have to make a trip to this client. All she is telling me the response is "couldnt find the connection ". I believe its a little more detailed than that.

 

LOL - that surely sounds like your safest option.

 

Newt

Dont close this call yet I am still trying to get to clients to do these commands but havent had the time yet.

Greg

 

We don't close these threads due to age. The only ones closed are double posts where we just leave one open for comment and problem posts (I wanna crack the system password - please help me).

 

Newt

Assuming you are the one to respond. This is more information on a previous problem but unable to find prior messages. Have the hard copy I printed but cant find the messages on the site.

Anyway, have a 3 node network with 98 2nd being the main machine, 1 other 98 machine and a XP laptop.

Unable to see the xp machine from either 98 machine but can ping the xp machine and I can ping from the xp to the other machines. When I try command prompts like \\brenda or \\192.168.0.1 the message I get back basically says "path not found ". Added netbuei to the xp machine and now am able to print from the xp machine to the shared printer on the main 98 machine. From the 98 machines I can create a shortcut to the xp machine to basically any folder but still unable to see the xp either by explorer or network neighborhood.

Any ideas.

 

Yup but it needs thought and it's way too late tonight so tomorrow night or Monday if no one else has given you an answer before then.

 

To avoid revisiting the same ground, is <removed by a merge> the thread you've lost?

If so, I'll merge the two into a single thread and we'll go from there.

 

Yep, that be the one. I keep all the postings but when I went back in they werent there. Glad you could find them.

<Edit note: threads now merged and the link'd one no longer exists as a seperate thread - Newt>
Greg