Re: Network and XP

Tech Tip: Click here to run a free scan for Windows Errors and optimize PC performance

From: murraymr (murray(removethis)_at_geodesia.com)
Date: 11/30/04 

Date: Tue, 30 Nov 2004 03:39:04 -0800

Thank you for the prompt reply. I have just tried \\'ip-address and the
result has displayed the shared items on the printer host, including the
printer I want to add to my PC. The tips you gave I put in place yesterday. I
removed DhcpNodeType from all 3 PCs to which I had access - none of them had
an entry for NodeType - and tried adding DWORD NodeType for each of 1, 4 and
8 in turn. Finally I left my PC with NodeType 4 and removed it from the other
two.

A lot seems to depend on which PC runs the Network Setup wizard. The latest
state is that it was run from my PC this morning, which can now see the 3
other PCs that are signed on, but at least one of them gets a message to say
that the Office workgroup is not accessible. I am beginning to think that the
only solution to this problem is to give fixed addresses to all the
'resident' PCs and to create a LMHOSTS file for each one to point the
addresses at the names. This ties in with a recommendation from a specialist
in another forum to give fixed addresses to all the local PCs and leave the
DHCP address pool for 'visitors'.

I have been running tests from home via VPN and RDS - waiting for the gasman!

"Steve Winograd [MVP]" wrote:

> In article <8F32A1FF-BF9C-4F05-B96C-04AAC4DE18E5@microsoft.com>,
> "murraymr" <murray(removethis)@geodesia.com> wrote:
> >May I report on the result of the tests you requested: -
> >1.\\'computername - Windows cannot find
> >2. Ping computername - cannot find
> >3. Ping address - successful
> >
> >All PCs on the LAN are running WinXP Pro at Service Pack 2, with file and
> >printer sharing enabled (in the firewall as well).
> >Both the user accounts with administrator status exist on both the printer
> >host PC and my work PC.
> >In 'My Network Places' viewing workgroup computers displays the four PCs
> >currently powered up on the LAN, including my work PC.
> >It is still not possible to add the printer to my work PC, even with the
> >firewall off on the host PC. The 'Add a printer' process shows the workgroup
> >and the printer host PC but does not show the printer.
>
> Thanks for the report. I should have asked you to make one more test:
>
> \\IP-address
>
> When computer access by IP address succeeds but computer access by
> name fails, it indicates a problem with NetBIOS name resolution.
> These tips should help fix the problem:
>
> 1. Make sure that NetBIOS over TCP/IP is enabled on all computers, as
> shown here:
>
> Enable NetBIOS Over TCP/IP (NetBT)
> http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/troubleshoot/netbt.htm
>
> 4. Run "ipconfig /all" on the XP computers and look at the "Node Type"
> at the beginning of the output. If it says "Peer-to-Peer" (which
> should actually be "Point-to-Point") that's the problem. It means
> that the computer only uses a WINS server, which isn't available on a
> peer-to-peer network, for NetBIOS name resolution.
>
> If that's the case, run the registry editor, open this key:
>
> HLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Netbt\Parameters
>
> and delete these values if they're present:
>
> NodeType
> DhcpNodeType
>
> Reboot, then try network access again.
>
> If that doesn't fix it, open that registry key again, create a DWORD
> value called "NodeType", and set it to 1 for "Broadcast" or 4 for
> "Mixed".
>
> For details, see these Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:
>
> Default Node Type for Microsoft Clients
> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;160177
>
> TCP/IP and NBT Configuration Parameters for Windows XP
> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314053
> --
> Best Wishes,
> Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)
>
> Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
> for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
> addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.
>
> Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
>