Home Networking Issues

[DigitalCancer]

So...I want to make my home network where I can access any computer from any computer...in the house.

I have 2 laptops and 2 desktops.

2 Laptops = XP Pro, wireless.

1 Desktop (MediaStation) = XP Pro, Wireless

1 Desktop = Vista, Wired

now...all of the xp machines are good to go...can access/ping each other fine...access the shared folders that I have setup.

NONE of the computers can ping the Vista machine, nor can the Vista machine ping any of them.

All machines are SP3 and the Vista is SP1 so we should be good to go.

When I got to "My Network Places" on the XP machines, they do 'see' the vista machine, but do not have access to it.

The vista machine's 'Network Places' doesn't even show the XP machines.

Any ideas? They're all on a Netgear router using WEP, pretty standard. I've tried putting a password on the Vista machine and one of the XP machines for testing purposes, but that didn't help.

I've also disabled the firewalls on everything (no other security is on) and it also does NO good.

 

[Pantlegz]

make sure they're on the same workgroup, I think the vista default is different from xp. You also have to turn on file sharing in vista, in the network and sharing center. I've found that using password protected sharing can help solve some cross platform(OS) issues with permissions.

 

[barney5]

I like to change all workstations to a certain node type ? Hybrid.

In your registry you may have or not have a DhcpNodeType Key
you can create one if you want. Set the HEX parameter to 8 for Hybird

location
My Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NetBT\Parameters

This will also help your network discovery.

PS disable simple file sharing.

 

[barney5]

go to run enter "cmd" press enter in your dos prompt window type "ipconfig /all" at the top you will see nodetype this will tell you what you have it set to you want them to be the same.

Hybird works best to me.

 

[JackMDS]

Make sure that the Software Firewall on each computer allows free local traffic. If you use 3rd party Firewall On, Vista/XP Native Firewall should be Off, and the active Firewall has to adjusted to your Network IP numbers on what is some time called the Trusted Zone (consult your 3rd Party Firewall instructions.
General example, http://www.ezlan.net/faq#trusted

Vista File and Printer Sharing- http://technet.microsoft.com/e.../library/bb727037.aspx

Windows XP File Sharing - http://support.microsoft.com/d...x?scid=kb;en-us;304040 http://support.microsoft.com/d...x?scid=kb;en-us;304040

Printer Sharing XP - http://www.microsoft.com/windo...t/honeycutt_july2.mspx

Windows Native Firewall setting for Sharing XP - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/875357

Windows XP patch for Sharing with Vista (Not need for XP-SP3) - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922120

 

[Surfasb]

If they can access file shares by NETBIOS name, they are in the same workgroup. This sounds like a firewall issue, since neither one can ping the other, but other services are clearly getting through.

 

[DigitalCancer]

I'm at work now...so i'll check the 'NODE' stuff when I get in tonight.

They are all in the same workgroup (DIGITALHOME) and vista is set to share w/ the password protection on, only thing not checked is 'Media Sharing'...its also set to Private (from default Public).

THERE IS NO FIREWALL ENABLED. ^_^ This kinda confuses me since I can't ping it from any of the machines and the machines can't ping it...but all XP machines ping one another just fine.

 

[DigitalCancer]

ok, tried the Node stuff...didn't work. The one XP machine i'm working with has 'Uknown', Vista has 'Hybrid'

I played around some more w/ the network and noticed that Vista can ping one of the XP machines, but not the other 2, for whatever reason. Some progress is being made...but, its very..sporadic like its dropping the connection. Typically pings twice and drops out 3 or 4 lines.

 

[DigitalCancer]

Now i'm at wits end with this thing...

I've gotta NetGear WPN824v3 w/ latest firmware.

I have...4 XP Pro w/ SP3 machines (so they don't need the XP Patch) and 1 Vista machine.

All of the XP Machines are Wireless w/ WEP and the Vista machine is wired.

I've assigned a specific IP for each one, i've put them in a specific workgroup (DigitalHome)

All of the XP machines can ping each other but none can ping vista. Vista...can't ping any of the XP machines.

All are internet capable and doing fine in that area.

I have Vista setup for Network Discovery and File Sharing as well as a Private Network.

I have only one folder that I want to share on each computer (just for ease of getting files back and forth between them)

I have shared said folder on each machine w/ permissions for EVERYONE.

The XP machines were ok, I could go to Network Places and access each one fine from the other XP machines, until...I tried to change the nodes.

All were different nodes, now...they're all Hybrid, they still ping...but can't locate each other in Network Places. Vista is still broken.

Please....I need help, this is driving me insane! ^_^

 

[Athena]

Originally posted by: DigitalCancer

I have Vista setup for Network Discovery and File Sharing as well as a Private Network.

I have only one folder that I want to share on each computer (just for ease of getting files back and forth between them)

I have shared said folder on each machine w/ permissions for EVERYONE.

"Everyone" mean's everyone in the user list. If you want to share the public folder tree with [/]anyone on the network, enable the Guest Account on the Vista Machine and add Guest to the authorized user for the Public tree.

Athena

 

[DigitalCancer]

but 'everyone' was accessing just fine previously...only the vista machine was an annoyance, the XP machines were working fine until I jacked around with the network yesterday, but...I think I may have just been knocked out of the workgroup and didn't know it, but...will have to look more in depth tonight, should be an easy fix.

As for the vista machine though, it won't share or ping the other computers...meaning, its acting like its not there. I've got every firewall disabled (3 of these are fresh XP installs so I know there's no 'hidden' software firewalls).

 

[Athena]

Home networking on Vista can be a pain to get working but it can work. In some cases, you have to go back and start from scratch -- set it up on the Vista machine and copy the settings on a USB drive to the others.

Are you using passwords on your machines?

 

[DigitalCancer]

Originally posted by: Athena
Home networking on Vista can be a pain to get working but it can work. In some cases, you have to go back and start from scratch -- set it up on the Vista machine and copy the settings on a USB drive to the others.

Are you using passwords on your machines?

Nope.

I've read in some places that you need to have the same accounts on each machine (which I don't understand, i've always networked fine w/o this).

All i'm needing to do is take a folder (actually the same folder on each computer) and share it. I'm not using simple file sharing either.

 

[DigitalCancer]

UPDATE:

I finally manage to get this PITA working!

So, I reset my router back to defaults, just in case. Then I set the network up again using my 'custom' workgroup name. Vista is found, no idea why...but it is. Turned on Simple File Sharing and setup the folders and they're perfect now....very odd since I didn't mess w/ the router too much.

 

[JackMDS]

People are usually proud to report that they can keep their Router On forever and every thing is OK.

The Router is a Small Slow computer with Limited memory. Every computing deivce in time accumulates GIGO (Garbage In Garbage Out)

I.e., stray bits and Bytes that go No where and accumulate in memory. It only a matter of time before this useless clogging of memory effects the Router.

Thus (macho Techno. aside) it is a very good idea to switch Off thes entry level Routers once a week for few minutes.

 

[DigitalCancer]

yea, last night after i'd gotten everything setup and running...I was tranferring roughly 800MB from one computer to the vista machine via 3 different files and had one of the laptops transferring a small 50MB file to one of the other laptops when all of a sudden it fails out after about 15mins. All 3 laptops (had them surrounding me) and the 1 wireless desktop (emustation) all lost connection. I went to check the vista machine and it was still going strong (wired). I checked the wireless devices again and turned off/restarted...they couldn't find my router for nothin'! I had to restart the router again to get it to find the wireless again. I thought it might be due to to the multiple files going through, but...it was nearly enough to overload it....stupid NetGear. =/

There's not any problems w/ 6 devices sharing the same WEP key is there? I can't use WPA due to the Ps3 not being ready for that yet as far as I know.

 

[WildHorse]

Originally posted by: barney5
I like to change all workstations to a certain node type ? Hybrid.

In your registry you may have or not have a DhcpNodeType Key
you can create one if you want. Set the HEX parameter to 8 for Hybird

location
My Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NetBT\Parameters

This will also help your network discovery.

PS disable simple file sharing.

barney5

is Hybrid just a name you give it, or does Hybrid have a defined-by-Microsoft specific meaning?

does this work for windows xp or is this only for vista?

what does the node type do?

 

[spidey07]

Node type is a netbios over TCP name resolution setting. It should NOT be hybrid on a home network unless you are running your own netbios name resolution server. It should be a broadcast node.

 

[WildHorse]

Originally posted by: spidey07
Node type is a netbios over TCP name resolution setting. It should NOT be hybrid on a home network unless you are running your own netbios name resolution server. It should be a broadcast node.

spidey07

Well this laptop sees internet just fine, and can ping other computers on home network, but can't see them in Windows (can't exchange files, can't reach the printer).

I just now noticed the node type says 'broadcast' on my desktop pc, but says 'unknown' on my laptop.

is that the source of the problem?

how can I fix...by following barney5's post above???

All home networked computers are Windows XP Pro SP3 fully updated.