Back with yet another strange LAN problem

[Gustavus]

Bottom line: I have five computers on a powerline LAN, all using the LinkSys PLEBR10 ethernet bridge to connect to the LAN. Three of those machines have the D-Link TFE-530TX+ ether net adapter in them and two have an onboard Intel Gigabyte LAN chipset (ABIT IC7-G motherboards). The other relevant equipments that I have are a Best Data CMX300V2 cable modem and a D-Link DI-604 router. I measure 6 Mbps bandwidth plus or minus just a small variation -- as confirmed by the fact that I can download from the best sites at 750 MBps, All five machines access the internet with no problem. So far so good.

Now for the LAN. Four of the machines see each other and can transfer files at high speed. In other words each of these four machines can see shared information on any of the other three so I have a fully operational LAN between all four of these machines. The other machine (named Laboratory) which is the gateway computer connected diredtly to the router by an ethernet connection can see any of the other four -- meaning I can download shared information from any of them to Laboratory, but none of the other four can see any of the files I have marked for sharing on Laboratory, Furthermore when I show workgroup computers Laboratory shows all five of the computers on the LAN while any of the other four only show themself and the three they can exchange files with. The assymetry is what baffles me: Laboratory sees everything, nothing sees Laboratory.

I have of course checked to make sure that Laboratory is not firewalled -- I have even disabled my ZoneAlarm firewall and made sure Windows' firewall is turned off. No effect. I have reinitialized the router many times -- with no effect. I have verified the IP in all machines and even set it manually -- just in cast the router was not assigning an IP properly. All of the machines have been rebooted so many times I have lost count.

Any ideas?

 

[wanderer27]

All are in the same Workgroup ?

I'm thinking there are some filter settings (I have a DLink) that you may need to unlock/program for the one that is directly hooked to the router.

There may be some other tables/setting to look at in your router for this type of functionality as well.

 

[Gustavus]

Thanks for the reply.

Yep, they are all in the same workgroup. I wasn't too clear above, but it was when I clicked on view workgroup computers that Laboratory shows all five of the computers in the workgroup, but the other four show four with Laboratory left out. The LinkSys passwords are the same of course, else Laboratory could not see the other four computers.

 

[wanderer27]

With XP, there are some Remote Access options for sharing/allowing access to your Computer. If it's not a filter option in your router, then this is the only other thing I can think of right now that would cause it.

 

[Gustavus]

wanderer27

Thanks again.

The router manual had very little information on the filters, but on net I found quite a bit. Seems they are for limiting the internet access for computers on the LAN. At least I did not find anything that seemed applicable to the problem I am having.

I wrote a very careful description of the problem and sent it to D-Link tech support(?) The answer from Thai Quach was to suggest I download the latest drivers -- meaning he had not even read what I wrote.

Still trying.