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HELP! I cannot see the other computers

alexruiz

alexruiz

Platinum Member
I tried to setup a home network using 2 computers and a wireless router. Both computers belong to the same workgroup. However, comp 1 can't see comp 2. Because comp 2 has Norton internet security I assume the firewall is preventing comp 1 from accessing it, but even if I disable the firewall I still cannot see comp 2. In the best cases, it takes forever in comp1 to se the workgroup and then "see" that comp 2 is there.
I see the router is assigning both computers different IP addresses (192.168.0.100 to one, 192.168.0.102 to the other) as reported by each computer. Comp 2 has a folder to share.

Router:
D-Link DI-524 firmware 1.11

Comp 1:
M6805 laptop (Mobile Athlon 64 3000+, K8T800, broadcomm wireless)
Windows 2000 SP4 with roll update 1
Logged in as "administrator"
No firewall installed yet
I already triede both approaches "this computer belongs to a work network" and "is for home use"..... None of them work.

Comp2:
Biostar M7NCD Pro (NForce 2 ultra 400, Athlon XP 2500+)
Windows XP SP2
Logged in as "wife-user" who belongs to the administrators group. This computer can see the other one, but it also takes forever to display the list of computers in the network.
Norton firewall, but I already added the "network" to the trusted sites list in its settings.

Is this normal?

I know that even if no folder is shared, I should be able to see the rest of the computers in the network.
 
When I use windows sharing, I just type the hostname/IP in manually. It's much easier and faster than navigating through all the workgroups (which take like 10 minutes to load).

To see the shared stuff on 192.168.77.88 for example, type "\\192.168.77.88" in your windows explorer address bar.
 
Well, I tried that approach... still doesn't work. It tells me it cannot connect to the other computer. I am totally confused as even though both of them belong to the same workgroup, and both connect to the oruter, they cannot talk to each other. I will try connecting them both directly with a crossover cable or use a 10/100 switch that I have.

Thanks again.
 
I use Norton IS also. You have to go into the Home Networking setting in Norton's and set it up to allow access from certain IP address on the network. The wizard will set it up for you if you use a non-routable IP (ex. 192.168.x.y) for your network.

I'm at work so can't give you a full step-by-step but this should be able to get you close enough to set it up. Also, after you set up Norton, reboot all the computers on the network. It'll make Windows pick up all the computers on the network faster, at least that's been my experience!
 
Originally posted by: Dimicron
I use Norton IS also. You have to go into the Home Networking setting in Norton's and set it up to allow access from certain IP address on the network. The wizard will set it up for you if you use a non-routable IP (ex. 192.168.x.y) for your network.

I'm at work so can't give you a full step-by-step but this should be able to get you close enough to set it up. Also, after you set up Norton, reboot all the computers on the network. It'll make Windows pick up all the computers on the network faster, at least that's been my experience!
Click to expand...

Thanks, I already tried that one buty doesn't work either. I suspect there is no "true" communication between comp 2 (XP home) and the router. Why I suspect this? When I try to access the router (http://192.168.0.1) it doesn't load the page and takes for ever to even attempt!! The laptop (win2K) does it immediately.

I will prevent IS form loading at startup, delete all network connections and then restablish contact. Once I can see the machines in the network together, I will allow IS to load. But before:

I have always been against allowing windows establish the network instead of the broadcomm utility. Comp 2 has a belkin PCI 54g card with broadcomm chipset. I am using the HP drivers for broadcomm LAN instead of the belkin drivers. I will even uninstall it and try them both to see which ones work better. Once I can realy access the router, then I will work with IS.

By the way, does anyone know how to clean ALL the rules personal firewall has established?

Thanks for the help guys 🙂


Alex
 
UPDATE: Well, I found the cause, but I cannot fix it. The problem is the connection from comp 2 to the router.

I prevented ALL symantec products to load at startup (msconfig -> services, startup) Then, after the reboot I tried to establish contact. Even though the icon in the system tray says "connected: excellent" in the properties of the connection I could see the bytes exchanged were minimal (44 received). I then took the router cnext to comp 2, still nothing and still only a few bytes exchanged. Then, I changed the router from WPA-PSK to open. Still nothing. Finally, I uninstalled the "hacked" broadcomm drivers (3.70.22), removed the device form the device manager. Reboot. New hardware detected, skip it, install the belkin drivers (3.30.15). Reboot.

Card is seen and configured in the device manager. Try to connect to the router (still no encryption) but again only a few bytes are received by the computer. I connect it through the ethernet port to one of the router LAN ports, and connects immediately with tons of bytes exchanged. Reboot. Next time, wireless "connects" automaticaly to the router, but still only a few bytes exchanged. I decided to enable WPA again as I see this was not the problem. Have to use Win XP WZC utility as the belkin doesn't support WPA. After a few tried it "connects" to the router, but again only like 40 bytes received by the computer. Router still next to computer. I enabled all norton software again in msconfig, and it makes no difference. I take the router downstairs as distance was not the issue.

In all the cases (open or WPA, norton or not norton) the computer at startup takes a long time to "connect" with the router, and in all cases I never saw more than a few dozen bytes received by the computer. I have 3 hypothesis here:

1) PCI wireless card is not installed property despite the fac that is seen by the device manager as "enabled and working correctly"
2) Card is OK, but drivers don't really work
3) Card and drivers are OK, but windows XP for some reason refuses to accept the wireless connection.
4) Card, drivers and XP are OK, but I still have interference form Norton. I think I will uninstall it as last resort.

Summary: The problem is not with windows sharing, it is with the connection betwen the computer and the router I wonder if the fact that the router is not connected to a modem matters here, as it gets no WAN input.

I accept more suggestions

Edit: Silly question. In the majority of the cases, when comp 2 "connects" to the router I have XP wireless icon in the system tray as a computer radiating waves. In a few times howver it was an antenna radiating waves. What does it mean? Why different icons. I never checked connectivity when it was an antenna.


Alex
 
Well, it is fixed. To make the long story short the problem was at hardware level. No matter what version of drivers and what programs I had installed, the wireless was not exchanging data with the router. I took a previous ghost image, nothing. Another one even older, still nothing. I went as far as a clean install with only basic drivers and still nothing.

So, I then decided to change the wireless card form PCI slot. It was located in the last slot, so I moved it to the third PCI slot. It got an improvement, as a few more packet could be exchanged. Finally, my last attempt before dumping it and getting a USB adapter was to move it once again, this time to the slot closest to the AGP slot (it was open, and video card is a passive cooled radeon 9600) Reboot, install drivers and WOW! I could immediately see this time it was going to work as packets started coming and going. Installed the original Belkin drivers, detected card perfectly. Use WZC utility to configure, and it connected to the router in a snap even though it was WPA-PSK. Network nighborhood shows the other computer. I have even copied almost 10GB of ghost images from one computer to the other (overnight, large files through 54g is slow)

Moral of the story: Always make sure hardware is fine. As a bright side it made me clean her computer, and a clean install with only the applications she uses is good. Same functionality, 20% faster and 50% more disk space.

Thanks to everyone :beer:

Alex
 
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