Re: Home LAN : XP Pro SP2 - passwords ? Master browser ?

On Mon, 2 May 2005 23:28:36 +0200, "Pete" <no@xxxxxx> wrote:

>
>"Chuck" <none@xxxxxxxxxxx> a écrit dans le message de news: gkoc71l7bot8ambd7nasd6ckasfakh6us9@xxxxxxxxxx
>> On Mon, 2 May 2005 19:18:24 +0200, "Pete" <no@xxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>"Chuck" <none@xxxxxxxxxxx> a écrit dans le message de news:
>>>jijc71lnkrtvkfrq7ov4phoqp39tdohc5a@xxxxxxxxxx
>>>> On Mon, 2 May 2005 13:57:38 +0200, "Pete Kennedy"
>>>> <peterkennedy@xxxxxxxxxx>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>Hi,
>>>>>
>>>>>I recently connected a new laptop running XP Pro SP2 to an existing
>>>>>network
>>>>>with the host desktop running XP Pro SP2 and a client running XP Home SP2.
>>>>>I
>>>>>have a very common problem in that the host can't see the new laptop in my
>>>>>network places. Sometimes, the other laptop, running XP Home SP2, can see
>>>>>the new laptop, and sometimes it can't. The new laptop can access the
>>>>>other
>>>>>computers' files. I think the problem was initially caused when the
>>>>>network
>>>>>cable was plugged into the new laptop for the first time - DHCP attributed
>>>>>an IP address and the (third party) firewall immediately thought an attack
>>>>>was coming from the host and blocked it. So, an election was held and the
>>>>>new laptop designated itself as the master browser. So now the LAN has
>>>>>perhaps two master browsers and, chaos.
>>>>>
>>>>>I've read that you can disable the browser service but that its not
>>>>>necessarily a good idea to do so. I wonder therefore whether it wouldn't
>>>>>be
>>>>>a better idea to reinstall the network connnection on the new laptop
>>>>>without
>>>>>running the firewall at the same time. I can then configure the firewall
>>>>>on
>>>>>each PC manually to stop false "attacks". Is this advisable or is there a
>>>>>better solution ? And what would happen when the laptop was opened without
>>>>>being connected to the LAN - another election ?
>>>>>
>>>>>Also, I have seen that user account passwords must be used on XP Pro
>>>>>machines with simple file sharing enabled. However, the desktop XP Pro and
>>>>>the old laptop running XP Home see each other just fine without passwords
>>>>>and can access each others files. So, is it really necessary or is the
>>>>>current situation a reflection of a duff network configuration ?
>>>>>
>>>>>Thanks for your advice.
>>>>>
>>>>>Cheers
>>>>
>>>> Pete,
>>>>
>>>> The complaint "Sometimes, the other laptop, running XP Home SP2, can see
>>>> the new laptop, and sometimes it can't" is likely a browser problem.
>>>> Please
>>>> read my browser article:
>>>> <http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/04/nt-browser-or-why-cant-i-always-see.html>
>>>>
>>>> The problem is not false "attacks" that can be blocked by a firewall. The
>>>> problem is the master browser election process.
>>>>
>>>> If the laptop is running the browser service, and you start it without
>>>> connecting it to the LAN, then yes, it will quite likely elect itself a
>>>> master
>>>> browser. Connect it, and you will have chaos again.
>>>>
>>>> If you're running Simple File Sharing on all computers (XP Home and Pro),
>>>> the
>>>> Guest account is used for authorisation. You need to either have an
>>>> identical
>>>> password, or no password, on all computers.

>>>Thanks,
>>>
>>>I've disabled the Browser Service on the new (problem) laptop. However, it
>>>doesn't appear possible to give the guest account a password, either real,
>>>or blank. How am I supposed to do it ? Or am I supposed to give the same
>>>password to all the other accounts on each machine.
>>>
>>>Confused
>>>
>>>Peter
>>>
>> Peter,
>>
>> On each computer, enable the Guest account, using Start - Run - "cmd" - type
>> "net user guest /active:yes" in the command window. Set the password with Start
>> - Run - "control userpasswords2"; select Guest, click Reset Password.

>Ok, identical passwords set on all accounts, guests included, on all computers. The old XP Home laptop can now see the new XP Pro laptop in the workgroup area and also in my network places. Progress! However, the desktop (host) XP Pro computer cannot see the new laptop in my network places but can see it in the workgroup area. I've disabled the master browser on the new laptop. What can the problem be ?
>
>This is the config on each machine (sorry, my versions of Windows are in French - I've translated some of it - but I daresay you'll understand what's going on) :

Peter,

How about browstat and ipconfig for the third computer? Might be a clue there.

Did you disable the browser on the old laptop too? Are you running Simple File
Sharing on both XP Pro systems?

What do you mean by the workgroup area?

The browser requires anonymous access, so look at registry key
[HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa], value restrictanonymous, on all
computers.
<http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/en-us/default.asp?url=/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/en-us/regentry/46688.asp>
<http://www.jsifaq.com/subf/tip2600/rh2625.htm>
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=246261
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=296403

For browsing to work (for each computer to be listed by a browser), each
computer must have a restrictanonymous value of "0".

The above articles refer to Windows 2000. Remember Win2K is NT V5.0, and WinXP
is NT V5.1.

Have you used the Registry Editor before? If not, it's a scary tool, but it's
pretty simple once you get used to it. Here are a couple articles that might
help:
<http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/using/productdoc/en/default.asp?url=/windowsxp/home/using/productdoc/en/tools_regeditors.asp>
<http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/registry>

Just remember to backup the key (create a registry patch) for
[HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa] before making any changes, if
appropriate.

--
Cheers,
Chuck
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
Paranoia is not necessarily a bad thing - it comes from experience.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck sonic net.
.

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