XP Network won't work anymore

[dirkg]

Hi all,

I have a notebook with WinXP and one with Win98. I used the network wizard to set up a small home network. I connect to the internet via the XP-notebook. This all worked fine for a while. However, whenever I rebooted my notebooks after having used my network for a while, I needed to delete the network bridge on my XP-notebook and rerun the network-wizard to make it all work again. Now however nothing helps anymore. I've reset all my connections and rerun the wizard several times and it still won't work.... Also when I connect to other notebooks having WinXP some strange things are happening: it used to work to when I ran the wizard on both pc's but now it doesn't work anymore...however when I delet the network bridge on the client-pc it seems to work again...I really can't follow anymore

Thanks in advance for your help!

Greetz,

Dirk

 

[prescot9]

Dirk,

Are you using a Network Card for both the Network, AND Internet access?

In other words, are you using a DSL/Cable modem, that requires you to connect to it with your Network card?

If so, bear in mind that different DNS, DHCP, WINS, and other TCP/IP specific information will change depending on the "Network" you're connecting to:

If using DSL/Cable for instance, when you connect to your ISP, your PC is likely getting a "DHCP assigned" TCP/IP address, which may, or may not also assign some DNS, or WINS settings for theis session. Then, when you attempt to reach your other "Network", the required TCP/IP address scheme is different...can't connect.

More info?

Rich
prescot9@hotmail.com
Father, Geek, and MCP

 

[dirkg]

No, my two PC's are connected via a network-card and I connet to the internet via my USB-ADSL modem

The fact is that it worked perfectly before and now it doesn't work anymore while no hardware has changed.

 

[dirkg]

also when I mannually assign the IP-addresses it still doesn't work. They don't find each-other, I can't even ping them...

 

[prescot9]

Dirk,

1.) The first thing we need to do, is to ensure that your Network Cards are working.
2.) Next, let's take a look at the TCP/IP "stack": You need to have at least 3 things to communicate with TCP/IP:
a.) Working Network Card.
b.) A "Client", such as Client for Microsoft Networks.
c.) A protocol, such as TCP/IP.
3.) If you are using others protocols, let's leave them out for right now, and just work with TCP/IP.
4.) TCP/IP, needs to know weather or not you'll be using a "DNS Server" to resolve names, such as when you "ping" a name, the DNS Server resloves the name to the ip address.
5.) Are you using DNS?

Let's get to this point, then we'll move on... Let Me Know!

Rich
prescot9@hotmail.com
Father, Geek, and MCP

 

[dirkg]

Hi Rich,

thanks for helping me.

1. my network cards are working since I can ping to their own IP-address
2. on both pc's I have the Client for Microsoft Networks installed
3. on both PC's I only use TCP/IP
4. on the pc with XP (the one that connects to the Internet and hence with ip-address 192.168.0.1) I have on the DNS-tab the following settings:
- DNS server addresses are empty
- append primary and connection specific DNS suffixes
-append parent suffixes of the primary DNS suffix
- register this connection's addresses in DNS

on the client pc (with Win98 and to which I assigned the IP-address 192.168.0.2) I have selected Disable DNS

Some additional information:
On the XP-pc I do not have a network bridge anymore, I configured the LAN-connection directly. It works fine now when I connect other pc's having Windows XP and on which all the network bridges are removed...

Hope this tells you more...


Greetz,

Dirk

 

[prescot9]

Dirk,

Ok, great!
It sounds like we're on the right track...now:
1.) 192.168.0.1, is a "Class C" address, so your "Subnet Mask should be:

255.255.255.0

...in order to use the "default" for that network.

Let's make sure that each PC that participates in your Network, is using this subnet, or at least that they all use the same one...

Now, let's make sure that none of your PC's are using a "Default Gateway" address - if any exist, delete them for now...

Question: Are you using a Router? Such as the Linksys DSL/Cable router, or something like it?

Let Me Know!

Rich
prescot9@hotmail.com
Father, Geek, and MCP

 

[dirkg]

My subnet mask is indeed 255.255.255.0 and none of the pc's has a default gateway

I have no router, I just link the two pc's via a crosswired cable

Before, when it used to work, I got the network-icon in my system tray on the Win98-pc and now nothing appears anymore...

 

[prescot9]

Dirk,

Ok! Two things:

1.) Let's ensure that on both the Windows 98, and XP machines, we check to see if the NIC's, (Network Interface Controllers), are being "put to sleep" by the power management console:
a.) From Device Manager, right click the NIC, and choose "Properties". Then, look for an "Advanced" tab, or "Power Management" tab. If there is one, be sure to uncheck the option to: "Allow this device to be powered down to conserve power", or whatever the choice is.
b.) If you have to do the above, we need to reboot also.

2.) Make a share on both PC's, that is the same, for instance: make a folder called "Temp" on the root of each PC's c drive, and share it with "Full Control" for the "Everyone group, on the XP box, and "All users have full control", with no password, on the Windows 98 box - make sure that you share each share as "temp", without the quotes.

3.) From the XP box: Click "Start", then "Run", then type in the UNC call for the Windows 98 share:

\\windows 98 computername\temp

...and hit ENTER, (Substitute "windows 98 computername" for the "Computer Name" of the Windows 98 box.)

The share should open in a window.

Now try it from the Windows 98 box:

Click "start", then "Run", then type:

\\XP computername\temp

..and hit ENTER, (Substitute "XP computername" for the "Computer Name" of the XP box.)

The share should open in a window.

Did this work? Let Me Know!

Rich
prescot9@hotmail.com
Father, Geek, and MCP

 

[dirkg]

nope, doesn't work :-(


a strange thing though: if I ping from the XP-pc to the other pc, using the pc-name I get
pinging arm1700 [192.168.0.2] with 32 bytes of data:

Request timed out

=> but then he knows the ip-address of the other pc??? so why don't he find him?

 

[prescot9]

Dirk,

Ok, let's try this:

From the XP box, click "Start", then "Run", then type:

cmd

and hit ENTER. This opens a DOS box. Now, type:

net view

and hit enter. It may take a moment, but you should at least see the Windows 98 computername listed, together with a share called "temp".

Did that work? Let Me Know!

Rich
prescot9@hotmail.com
Father, Geek, and MCP

 

[dirkg]

when I do this on the XP pc I get indeed my two pc's listed (finally something that works ;-)) as follows:

Server Name Remark
-----------------------------------------------
\\ARM1700 Compaq Armada 1700
\\INSP8100 Dell Inspiron 8100


So no shares listed...I am sure though that I have shared the temp-directory on both pc's correctly

When I use the net view command on the Win98 PC I get the following error:

Error 6118: The computer(s) sharing resources in this workgroup cannot be located. The computer(s) might have been restarted. Wait a few minutes, and then try again. If the problem persists, make sure your network-adapter settings are correct.

I checked again that my two PC's are belonging to the same workgroup which was indeed the case. I restarted again both my pc's. Started first the XP-pc, did net view and I only saw the INSP8100 in the list. I started the Win98-pc, did the net view on the xp again and now also the arm1700 is listed as above...so something must be working.
The net view command on the win98-pc still gives error 6118...

 

[tlcscousin]

Error 6118 resolves to the error message of "The list of servers for this workgroup is not currently available" (This si found by going to a command prompt and typing in " net helpmsg 6118&quot[no quotes]I would in the advanced properties of the NIC WINS tab on the XP box check the box to enable netbios over TCP. This should allow your XP box to talk to the W98 box. XP does not really need WINS, but W98 does.

 

[dirkg]

this box is checked (all the time it was checked in fact) and it doesn't help :-(

 

[tlcscousin]

Is the firewall running on the XP box? This is by default turned on.
Other articles

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q220586

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q298804

 

[dirkg]

Thanks futuretech for the tips. I've read the articles, installed all possible updates and it still doesn't work...:-(