NetBios challege

[dmcowen674]

OK, I'm stumped. I have a machine that will not run NetBios. If I let VNBT.386 load it gets a VXD blue screen failure. TCP is running OK as the machine gets an IP address fine. Can even ping other machines but they cannot ping to this machine back.

Any ideas?

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

Maybe you could start with the operating system in use, and the other network components in the system, give us something to go on. I'm at a loss as to what "run NETBIOS" actually means here. Are you saying you can't get NETBIOS over TCP/IP to function? NETBIOS isn't a protocol in itself, it's an API for network services that rides on some other protocol, like TCP/IP, NETBEUI, or IPX.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: gunrunnerjohn
Maybe you could start with the operating system in use, and the other network components in the system, give us something to go on. I'm at a loss as to what "run NETBIOS" actually means here. Are you saying you can't get NETBIOS over TCP/IP to function? NETBIOS isn't a protocol in itself, it's an API for network services that rides on some other protocol, like TCP/IP, NETBEUI, or IPX.

It's Win98se on a machine that was plain Win98, upgraded it to se because only peer to peer was working. Now it is the opposite, get Internet but now no peer to peer.

Have TCP/IP loaded and added Netbeui but it didn't help. If I allow VNBT.386 to load it gives a VXD blue screen on boot up. If I delete VNBT.386 (Microsoft's Netbios over TCP) from the windows/system directory then it boots up fine but cannot see the other machines.

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

Well, the fact that you can't ping that machines indicates you have a TCP/IP stack issue of some sort. Have you tried removing all the networking components and reinstalling them? Also, could this be the infamous winsock bug that has broken a layer of the winsock? Do a Google scan on "winsock fix" and you'll find several versions, that might also help.

Getting a blue screen with a standard networking component also tells me you may have other thing corrupted in the installation, since I've never had to do anything but check the box for W98 to work.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: gunrunnerjohn
Well, the fact that you can't ping that machines indicates you have a TCP/IP stack issue of some sort. Have you tried removing all the networking components and reinstalling them? Also, could this be the infamous winsock bug that has broken a layer of the winsock? Do a Google scan on "winsock fix" and you'll find several versions, that might also help.

Getting a blue screen with a standard networking component also tells me you may have other thing corrupted in the installation, since I've never had to do anything but check the box for W98 to work.

Thanks, I'll try the Winsock fix, although it is able to get out on the Internet fine.

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

If it gets to the Internet, then I'd suspect you have a firewall on that machine. There's not much else that I can imagine is happening.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: gunrunnerjohn
If it gets to the Internet, then I'd suspect you have a firewall on that machine. There's not much else that I can imagine is happening.

No, there is no Firewall.

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

Take W98 system disk from drawer.
Boot and format system.
Install fresh copy of W98.

Problem solved.

 

[Need4Speed]

the obvious question..are you pinging by that machine from another box via hostname or IP? if u ping via IP then you have some TCP/IP stack problems or something is blocking ICMP packets along the way. If its not responding via hostname, than it could be a DNS issue or a direct result of the netbios not working...y would you even need netbios nowdays?

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

Well, the obvious reason for needing NETBIOS support is that computer browsing in workgroups doesn't work without it!

 

[Need4Speed]

Originally posted by: gunrunnerjohn
Well, the obvious reason for needing NETBIOS support is that computer browsing in workgroups doesn't work without it!

youre right about that....forgot about the workgroups network browsing....but my obvious question was the pinging via IP or hostname ...not y he's using it.

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

Yep, don't know why pinging by IP address doesn't work, for the name to work you need name resolution, i.e. NETBIOS.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: gunrunnerjohn
Take W98 system disk from drawer.
Boot and format system.
Install fresh copy of W98.

Problem solved.

This is most likely what I'll have to do unfortunately.

Thanks guys.