Re: two winxp home machines, varied results

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

On 25 Aug 2005 21:42:37 -0700, briansmccabe@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

>Hello all -
>
> I have two win xp home machines that, up until yesterday, were
>networking beautifully together. Both machines have shared directories
>and mapped drives etc, and one has a printer that the other also uses.
>
> Starting some time yesterday, one machine ("brian" is its name) was
>able to see the other's (named "heidi") shared dirs, but "heidi" was no
>longer able to see "brian"'s shared dirs or "brian"'s printer. I did
>absolutely nothing to cause this that I am aware of - I wasn't even
>home when this stuff stopped working.
>
> I have tried everything online that I can find. I ran through a list
>of ping commands from each machine to the other. Brian can ping
>everything just fine; heidi cannot ping brian by name nor by IP. I have
>verified that "enable netbios over tcp/ip" is set to "enable" on both
>machines. I have checked done "ipconfig /all" on both machines and have
>found that the node type for each machine is "unknown." I verified this
>by looking in the registry for both machines.
>
> I am virtually certain that the problem lies within "brian" and not
>"heidi" because port requests that my router is supposed to forward to
>"brian" stopped working some time yesterday as well. They continue to
>not work. I thought perhaps the network card (which is built into the
>motherboard) needed a driver upgrade, so I installed the latest driver
>I could find for it. That did nothing.
>
> this is not the first time this has happened (i.e., everything
>networking swimmingly, and then POOF - out of nowhere, everything goes
>to hell). The last time it happened, I caved and simply reformatted
>both machines. Needless to say, I have no interest in doing that again.
>There's got to be a better way.
>
> One other thing that is worth pointing out is that the last time this
>happened, the same scenario unfolded - "brian" could utilize shared
>resources on "heidi" but not vice versa; and the router stopped
>forwarding port requests to "brian" as outlined in the router's
>configuration. "brian" also has a VPN adapter (cisco's latest) so that
>I can VPN into work. I don't know if this is relevant or not.
>
>ANY help would be tremendously appreciated. My printer and several
>vital shared files are on my machine that my wife has to be able to
>access so this is actually pretty important.
>
>Thanks in advance -
>
>Brian Mc

Brian,

You, quite likely, have a browser problem. Now I AM NOT Talking about the
program that you use to surf the web. The browser is the subsystem that
provides the content of Network Neighborhood.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/04/nt-browser-or-why-cant-i-always-see.html>

Check each computer for misconfigured / overlooked firewalls, and for registry
setting restrictanonymous.
Misconfigured / overlooked firewalls (maybe packaged with the VPN?):
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/your-personal-firewall-can-either-help.html>
Registry setting restrictanonymous:
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/07/restrictanonymous-and-your-server.html>

If no help yet, provide "browstat status" and "ipconfig /all" from each
computer, and we'll diagnose the problem. Read this article, and linked
articles, and follow instructions precisely:
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighborhood.html#AskingForHelp>

--
Cheers,
Chuck, MS-MVP [Windows - Networking]
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
Paranoia is not a problem, when it's a normal response from experience.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck mvps org.
.

Relevant Pages

  • two winxp home machines, varied results
    ... I have two win xp home machines that, up until yesterday, were ... networking beautifully together. ... one machine ("brian" is its name) was ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.network_web)
  • Re: Security
    ... > User "Brian" logs onto machine #1. ... machines have the client app. ... instance of the server app on the server machine. ...
    (microsoft.public.vc.atl)
  • Re: linksys wireless b
    ... Brian wrote in ... My work around for this was to use the NWlink NetBios and NWlink IPX/SPX ... NetBios protocols on the NIC's. ... wireless machines to see each other on the network with WEP enabled. ...
    (comp.security.firewalls)
  • Re: Scanner problem
    ... Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: ... > machines, but they are fine in most respects. ... > I have an old Primax Scanner which, with Win 2000 drivers works well on ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware)
  • Re: File transfer
    ... It shouldn't be any slower than other file ... Network Client" and "File and Print Sharing" selected in Network properties. ... >> have to manually assign IPs so that both machines are in the same ... Brian Sullivan ...
    (microsoft.public.internet.netmeeting)