Network problems

[imported_nocturne]

First of all, the network hardware used is:

SMC 1255tx 10/100 ethernet adapter
DLink dwl-g510 54mbps wireless adapter
DLink di-514 11mbps router

The problem I am having is with getting the computers to access the workgroup they are in. The workgroup name is the same, and the names of each computer is unique. Simple shares are disabled, I have corresponding accounts set up on each computer, icf is disabled, the software firewalls are properly set up, all necessary network services seem to be running, the computer browser service is only running on one computer, and each seems to connect to the network alright. I have manually set the ip addresses of each adapter (192.168.0.100 for the wireless card, 192.168.0.101 for the wired; subnet 255.255.255.0; gateway 192.168.0.1) since the automatic assignment never seemed to assign an address. Upon first trying to access the workgroup from either computer, I received an error saying I did not have the proper permissions to access that workgroup.

Since then I have done many things to try to get the network up and running. After going through group policy settings (and then creating another user account since I normally used the administrator account), I was suddenly able to access the workgroup using the computer with the wireless card. I'm not sure exactly what triggered this (I also set up a static ip on the router's DHCP webadmin page for the MAC address of the wireless adapter), so I don't know how to fix it on the other computer.

It also should be mentioned that it seems the wired ethernet adapter doesn't have a MAC address (shows up as FF-FF-FF-FF-FF). The card is using a driver (v1.06) gotten off of driverguide (XP driver worked at first, but then stopped after a few boots). I have 2 other cards I could try, but one is a UMC UM9003F ISA card and the other is a Linksys lne100tx 10/100 PCI card which I couldn't get to work on my personal pc.

I don't really know how to fix this problem. I have a feeling it might have to do with group policy settings, but it as far as I can tell they are identical. Is there any easy way I can copy the group policy settings from when computer to another, perhaps as a registry string export? Or is there anything else you guys can recommend?

edit: it should be mentioned I have installed and enabled NetBEUI for file sharing on each machine, and the NETBIOS settings seems to be fine

 

[nweaver]

what is the exact problem? Without a wins server "Network Crappyhood" is worthless (and imho still is, even with a WINS server). Try to access devices with \\computername\share

also, if your wireless is failing to get a dhcp address, then it's probably not working, (bad key)

 

[imported_nocturne]

The exact problem is getting one of the stations to connect to the workgroup. When accessing the workgroup on the problem station, it claims that the user doesn't have the proper permissions to access that network share. It also can't ping the working station or the router, and accessing the share via \\compname doesn't work either.

Originally, I had the identical problem with the wireless card, but I somehow fixed it. It can access the workgroup and shares fine, but all that shows up on the network is itself. I somehow fixed it either by group policy settings, or by setting up a static DHCP ip for the wireless MAC address.

 

[spidey07]

"(192.168.0.100 for the wireless card, 192.168.0.101 for the wired; subnet 255.255.255.0; gateway 192.168.0.1"

you can't have this if both adapters are active, they are on the same IP network Turn off the wireless card and try.

 

[imported_nocturne]

that's not the problem.

For some reason, security settings (most likely GP) are getting in the way of the computer communicating with the network.

I have downloaded GPMC, and plan to try to copy the GPO from the working comp to the other. If this doesn't work, it's back to the drawing board.

 

[imported_nocturne]

Well... GPMC won't work, since for some reason I can't set up a domain user, and it seems I can use MS's script to restore the Domain Controller Group.

I'll try to double check all the GPO security settings, and hope for the best.

 

[KLin]

You don't need netbeui if you're using tcp/ip with netbios turned on. Are you running XP Pro or Home on your computers?

 

[RebateMonger]

Nocturne:
I'm confused. You mention "Workgroups". Those are used when you don't have a Domain. Then you mention GPOs and Domains. Do you have a Domain and a Domain controller or not?

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: spidey07
"(192.168.0.100 for the wireless card, 192.168.0.101 for the wired; subnet 255.255.255.0; gateway 192.168.0.1"

you can't have this if both adapters are active, they are on the same IP network Turn off the wireless card and try.

Spidey07:
What is the problem with a wired and wireless adapter on the same client PC on the same network at the same time? I do this all the time, and so do my clients. They frequently have laptops with WiFi connections to their server at the same time as they have a wired NIC plugged into the network, too. Nobody bothers to turn off their WiFi connection just because they are also plugged into a CAT5 cable.

Obviously it's a problem if those two networks are not the same (same DHCP Server, same DNS Server, and same access to all the other computers on the network). But I don't see the problem if both network connections are to the same network.

What am I missing?

 

[KLin]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger

Originally posted by: spidey07
"(192.168.0.100 for the wireless card, 192.168.0.101 for the wired; subnet 255.255.255.0; gateway 192.168.0.1"

you can't have this if both adapters are active, they are on the same IP network Turn off the wireless card and try.

Spidey07:
What is the problem with a wired and wireless adapter on the same client PC on the same network at the same time? I do this all the time, and so do my clients. They frequently have laptops with WiFi connections to their server at the same time as they have a wired NIC plugged into the network, too. Nobody bothers to turn off their WiFi connection just because they are also plugged into a CAT5 cable.

Obviously it's a problem if those two networks are not the same (same DHCP Server, same DNS Server, and same access to all the other computers on the network). But I don't see the problem if both network connections are to the same network.

What am I missing?

I agree. I don't think that's the issue. Windows XP can have more than one active network connection to the same subnet. You can set the order of which connection is used primarily under network connections/advanced/advanced settings.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger

Originally posted by: spidey07
"(192.168.0.100 for the wireless card, 192.168.0.101 for the wired; subnet 255.255.255.0; gateway 192.168.0.1"

you can't have this if both adapters are active, they are on the same IP network Turn off the wireless card and try.

Spidey07:
What is the problem with a wired and wireless adapter on the same client PC on the same network at the same time? I do this all the time, and so do my clients. They frequently have laptops with WiFi connections to their server at the same time as they have a wired NIC plugged into the network, too. Nobody bothers to turn off their WiFi connection just because they are also plugged into a CAT5 cable.

Obviously it's a problem if those two networks are not the same (same DHCP Server, same DNS Server, and same access to all the other computers on the network). But I don't see the problem if both network connections are to the same network.

What am I missing?

It's really, really, really bad practice. Especially for the broadcast nature of MS.

look at the routing table on the PC to see why.

If you take a sniffer and see what is going on you'll see it. Sending out one interface at layer2 and 3 and receiving it on another.

 

[imported_nocturne]

Just wanted to tell you guys it seems like I got everything fixed. I would have posted sooner, but my dialup service has been crap lately. After editting the GP of the problem system and replacing the ethernet card, everything started working. Seeing as I had fixed the same problem on my personal pc without switching cards, I can only assume that there was some mundane GP setting that was keeping it from having the proper permissions to access the network. Now I can only hope that it keeps working when I get aDSL next month.

Originally posted by: KLin
You don't need netbeui if you're using tcp/ip with netbios turned on. Are you running XP Pro or Home on your computers?

I set Netbeui as the primary sharing protocol since it doesn't transfer internet data, which helps keep the shared files from being accessed by somebody via the internet.

Originally posted by: RebateMonger
Nocturne:
I'm confused. You mention "Workgroups". Those are used when you don't have a Domain. Then you mention GPOs and Domains. Do you have a Domain and a Domain controller or not?

Honestly, I know a lot about pc's, but next to nothing about networking (first time for everything). I was trying to copy the GPO's of the working computer to the non-working one, and the only 'free' way I found to do this was with the MS GPMC tool, which only works when using a domain-based network. In order to use the program, I was try to 'trick' windows into thinking I had domain rights but found out that it is impossible.

 

[TG2]

Wehn it says the 'workgroup' is in accessible, Im guessing your using the network neighborhood to rbowse for the other computers.

Dont do that because as posted previously, it never works right, all the time, maybe if your lucky sometimes it works.

from wired computer, go to start, run and type in \\OtherComputersIP\SharedResource

As in "\\192.168.0.100\Share1" IF on the wireless computer you have some folder or drive shared out as "Share1"
- you have to have something shared out on the PC your trying to connect to
- Im guessing your using a router to do DHCP
DHCP is numbers and DNS is name resolution, routers have problems converting \\PCNAME\SharedResource to \\192.168.0.x\ShareResource as they dont do DNS, only DHCP

If you try accessing the IP of one computer from another computer, that should work, provided the shared folders are shared out correctly on the PC your trying to connect to.

 

[spidey07]

nocturne, you can't apply the same troubleshooting methodolgy to network as you can to PCs. Totally and completely different.

Start with the basics...
Get rid of the routing prolbem you have (wired and wireless on the same network)
See if you can ping each computer.
Move up the stack and see if you can access shares with "\\ipaddress\sharename"
Never, ever, ever rely on network neighboorhood. Especially if you have more than one protocol loaded on any machine on the network.

 

[imported_nocturne]

Originally posted by: spidey07
nocturne, you can't apply the same troubleshooting methodolgy to network as you can to PCs. Totally and completely different.

Start with the basics...
Get rid of the routing prolbem you have (wired and wireless on the same network)
See if you can ping each computer.
Move up the stack and see if you can access shares with "\\ipaddress\sharename"
Never, ever, ever rely on network neighboorhood. Especially if you have more than one protocol loaded on any machine on the network.

Done and done (see first post). I understand the fallability of network neighborhood, so I just used the permissions error to help explain the problem of the computers being able to properly connect to the network.

I don't know if you guys saw my last post, but I seem to have fixed the problem via the group policy settings. It seems that by setting them up for the best security for not being networked, I inadvertently changed a setting that blocked network access.