XP Pro PC linked OK wirelessly to XP Pro laptop but cannot Network

[thenoo]

As stated in the heading , I have got my d/t PC ( XP Pro) linked wirelessly to a Dell Latitude X200 ( XP Pro ) laptop .
The d/t accesses the Web through a DSL modem and a Linksys WRT54GS v1.1 router and the laptop accesses the Web through a wireless link from a Linksys card to the router.

The d/t name is "DTOP" in w/g "WORKGROUP" and the other machine is "ltop1" also in WORKGROUP.

Both PC's have TCP/IP and whose Properties are set to obtain both IP Address and DNS Server Address automatically. In the Advanced tab , both machines have "DHCP Enabled" with "Automatic Metric" ticked.

IPCONFIG

DTOP(192.168.0.100)
pinging this machine is OK using both IP Adress and Name.

ltop1(192.168.0.101)
Same here.

If I attempt to ping DTOP from ltop1 using 192.168.0.100 , this times out.
If I attempt to ping DTOP from ltop1 using name "DTOP" it uses the address 192.168.0.101 instead of ....0.100 ! i.e. it thinks "DTOP" has the IP of the ltop1 !

If I attempt to ping ltop1 from DTOP using IP address 192.168.0.101 it times out. If I use name "ltop1" it gives "unknown address"

Computers Near Me shows "Workgroup" with nothing inside when clicked on DTOP and shows "Workgroup" with only "ltop1" inside when clicked from laptop.

Can anyone help me to get both these machines to share files and a printer please ?

 

[jmconsulting]

There are several items that you can start looking at...

1. Is you OS up to date with all SP's and updates? If not, get them both up to date.

2. I am asuming that you are getting your IP address from your Linksys router and that the settings have been set correctly to point to the ISP's DNS servers and your default gateway is set properly.

3. Make sure your NIC cards are set to announce themselves to the network. Normally, this is the default, but it not a bad item to check.

4. Run your ipconfig with the /all option. This will give you the entire contents of the IP settings. Verify that everything that appears on this screen agrees with the router's configuration.

5. Run your ipconfig with the /displaydns option. See what your two XP machines show in the local DNS Cache. If it looks strange, run with the /flushdns option to clear the local DNS cache and see if the resolver will find the proper MAC's with it's associated IP address.

Try this to start and post results. Will keep an eye on it.

 

[GlenLynam]

sounds to me like ipconfig /flushdns will resolve!

 

[thenoo]

Thanks for replies from jmconsulting and Glenlynam.

Unfortunately , since my post , the wireless link has dropped out and , as this should be the subject of a separate post , I will delay any reply to your kind replies here until such times as I sort out the latest glitch .

What a " pain in the arse " ! - in this PC business - it seems you have to run like hell just to stay still !!

 

[thenoo]

OK , I've got the wireless link back again , so I'll answer the points made by jmconsulting as best I can .

1. It is
2. I have the Web access setup by having the phone line connected to the DSL modem ( the ZyXEL Prestige )which is in "BRIDGE" mode and this modem is then connected to the router which is then connected to the PC NIC - so I suppose this means " Yes " to the assumptions you make in Point 2 .
3. Both DTOP and ltop1 NIC cards appear correctly to the network.
4. Everything appears OK when I do this.
5. This is the first time I've run "/displaydns" or , in fact , was even aware there was such a command so whether what I see is "strange" or otherwise I am not qualified to so describe it.I suppose what I see here is the result of recent surfing so , I am , therefore , supposing it is normal .
6.I'll now run "/flushdns" option and re-post any changes resulting from this here.

 

[thenoo]

OK , after running the "/flushdns" in ipconfig and repeating the ping tests described in my OP , the only difference in the results now is when I ping ltop1 from DTOP.

This time it times out when using name "ltop1" instead of giving "unknown address" It would now seem to associate the name "ltop1" with its correct IP address ( 192.168.0.101 )

"Workgroup" shows same as before , i.e. nothing on DTOP and "laptop(Ltop1)" on ltop1.

N.B. This result is slightly different here as "Workgroup" on ltop1 previously showed "ltop1" only . Whether the change here is significant I can't say.

 

[jmconsulting]

But now can you ping from one to the other using the IP addresses?

 

[thenoo]

No - both time out.

In addition , If I ping "DTOP" from ltop1 I get a time out but also it is again indicating that it thinks the IP address of DTOP is 192.168.1.101 ! ( this is the address of ltop1 )

 

[thenoo]

Just to avoid any confusion in my replies so far - here is a summary of the ping attempts to date:-

WITH Zone Alarm & AVG ON

DTOP to ltop1 "Could not find host ltop1"
DTOP to 192.168.1.101 "timed out"
ltop1 to DTOP " timed out"(pings ...1.101 -this is ltop1 IP)
ltop1 to ....1.100 "timed out"

WITH Zone Alarm & AVG OFF

DTOP to ltop1 OK
DTOP to ..1.100 OK
ltop1 to DTOP "timed out( again pings ...1.101 - ltop1 IP)
LTOP1 to ..1.100 OK

 

[Cwgunder]

Are you sure that File and Print sharing for Microsfot Networks is installed on both machines? I know it's a dumb qusetion, but it's often the dumbs questions that are overlooked.

Also, Windows XP SP2 comes with built in firwall that will block file and print sharing until by defualt. In control panel, you can turn it off, or set file and print sharing as an exception. You will need to check this on both computers.

I see you are using Zone Alarm. For the time being, I'd test with it off, and if this does work, I'd disable the MS firewall on the laptop and only use Zone Alarm, but that's just y personal preferance.

let me know how this works,

Hope this helps

Good Luck!

Chris

 

[thenoo]

Reply to Cwgunder:-

Yes File and Printer sharing are installed on both machines.

The XP firewall is OFF on both machines and ZA is only one used on both also.

My last post detailed results given with ZA and A/V both ON and OFF.

 

[jmconsulting]

See if you can force a network connection using the

net use (drive letter): \\ip address\shared folder name

also see if you can attach the desired printer to the l/t by addressing it with the ip address of the d/t and then the shared printer name.

This will at least get your original request resolved.

 

[thenoo]

I'm not too sure exactly how to follow your suggestion here but what I did was :-

1. Made the DTOP folder c:\Documents and Settings\..my name\Desktop a shared folder ( hand symbol )
2. From START>RUN on ltop1 typed "c:\\192.168.1.100\Dtop

Is this the procedure you wanted me to do ?

When I pressed ENTER I now get a message :-

"c:\\192.168.1.100\Dtop" refers to a location that is unavailable...etc.

However , now when on ltop1 , I navigate to Workgroup , this time as well as showing "laptop(ltop1)" it shows in addition "Desktop(Dtop)" . This is different from before but , if clicked does not show contents of the shared Dtop Folder on DTOP.

I'm afraid I don't know how to follow your paragraph about attaching the printer.
Does the printer also have an IP address ?
If so , where do I find it ?
Do I have to type a command on ltop1 to force a printer share also ?
Must I do some operation to make the printer a shared printer in the same way one makes a folder or a file a shared file ?

 

[jmconsulting]

No, first you need to set up the folders that you want available to the other machine by enabling the file sharing feature. Highlight the folder that you want to share, right mouse and select sharing. Enable the share and for now, all everyone to see the share, i.e. you have a folder called applications, and you create the share name as applications.

Go to the other PC and enter the net use command as follows:

net use (available drive letter): \\192.168.1.100\applications

As far as the printer, when you add a new printer, select to add one from the network, under the name, enter the ip address\printer share name. Again, you must first set the printer up to be shared on your network.

 

[thenoo]

Reply to jmconsulting:-

"No, first you need to set up the folders that you want available to the other machine by enabling the file sharing feature. Highlight the folder that you want to share, right mouse and select sharing."

This I have done with the folder c:\Documents and Settings\..my name \ Desktop

Enable the share

"This I have also done - this folder now has the "hand" symbolI .

I'll take a "rain check" on the printer until such time as I can see the contents of one folder on one PC displayed on the other!"

Go to the other PC and enter the net use command as follows:

net use (available drive letter): \\192.168.1.100\applications

In my case I entered "c:\\192.168.1.100\Desktop" with the result mentioned in my lasst post.

 

[thenoo]

Something I forgot to mention here in my OP. Both DTOP and ltop1 have TCP/IP Filtering running .

Is this significant ?

Also the Account Name is slightly different in each case.
In DTOP it is My First Name + Last Name
In ltop1 it is My First Name.

Is this also significant ?

 

[PhilBlyth]

sounds daft but are you running SP2 on any of the computers if so turn it off

 

[thenoo]

Yes - SP2 is running on both computers - I'm not sure how to turn that off - I suppose I'll get that answer from an appropriate XP Forum - I've seen posts on that operation in the "microsoft.public.windowsxp.general" NG I think - I'll have a look and try that - I'll try anything at this stage !!