Networked PC can be seen but not accessed by host name

[ThomasKMC]

I have been struggling with this problem for too long now and hope somebody knows how to solve this problem:
My file server with the same host name running XP has a static IP address. My laptop running XP Pro as well can see the machine on the network, I can ping it by host name and IP address. But when using Windows Explorer, I cannot browse it. I get an error message saying "\fileserver is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this network resource... The user name could not be found.". However, when I type in the IP address instead, all shared folders show up!
First I thought, it might be a name resolution problem but I can ping the server with its host name. I can even remote control the machine using Remote Desktop Connection. Both machines are on the same subnet but belong to different workgroups.
I also have a Windows 98 machine running on the network. I only mention this because I read the mixed-OS networks can cause browsing problems.

Any ideas why I can't access the server in Windows Explorer by host name?

Thanks for you help,
-tom

 

[cleverhandle]

Does the username/password you're using on the client match an account on the server? (I'd think it would, since you can get in by IP, but just to check...)

Other than, I don't know. All I can guess is that Windows maybe handles cross-workgroup authentication differently than it would if you were in the same workgroup, and that your credentials are not being properly forwarded to the fileserver. But that's not really any help...

 

[PELarson]

Originally posted by: ThomasKMC
I have been struggling with this problem for too long now and hope somebody knows how to solve this problem:
My file server with the same host name running XP has a static IP address. My laptop running XP Pro as well can see the machine on the network, I can ping it by host name and IP address. But when using Windows Explorer, I cannot browse it. I get an error message saying "\fileserver is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this network resource... The user name could not be found.". However, when I type in the IP address instead, all shared folders show up!
First I thought, it might be a name resolution problem but I can ping the server with its host name. I can even remote control the machine using Remote Desktop Connection. Both machines are on the same subnet but belong to different workgroups.
I also have a Windows 98 machine running on the network. I only mention this because I read the mixed-OS networks can cause browsing problems.

Any ideas why I can't access the server in Windows Explorer by host name?

Thanks for you help,
-tom

Is file and print sharing enabled on the problem PC?

 

[fAlCoNNiAn]

do you have the server and/or laptop running DNS?

 

[ThomasKMC]

yes,file and print sharing is enabled and all machines are running DNS.

 

[ThomasKMC]

 

[ThomasKMC]

could it have something to do with permission rights? one of the error messages was the user name could not be found. I am using a different login name for the laptop. If that is the case, why does it work when I use the IP address instead of the host name? And I cannot give specific user access rights on the file server because I'm using a workgroup and not a domain controller.

 

[cleverhandle]

Originally posted by: ThomasKMC
could it have something to do with permission rights? one of the error messages was the user name could not be found. I am using a different login name for the laptop.

That's the problem. As I already stated, you should have the same username and password on all machines in a workgroup.

If that is the case, why does it work when I use the IP address instead of the host name?

Dunno. Windows authentication can be a strange thing, especially in workgroup scenarios. Maybe you connected at some point via the IP address and entered the appropriate credentials which are now being cached at the client.

And I cannot give specific user access rights on the file server because I'm using a workgroup and not a domain controller.

Sure you can, just make sure your accounts match.

 

[ThomasKMC]

cleverhandle, you da man. your tip worked. As soon as I added the user login information of the file server to my laptop and logged off and back in, I was able to browse the server with its host name. As a lessons learned, do you have to add each user of any machine with shared resources you want to access?

thank a lot for you help, i appreciate it!

 

[skyking]

That is the easiest and the best way to do it.

 

[cleverhandle]

Originally posted by: ThomasKMC
As a lessons learned, do you have to add each user of any machine with shared resources you want to access?

Like skyking said, that's what you should do if you want to keep things simple. IIRC, there's a list of possible credentials that the client will try if the initial username/password doesn't work. So maybe it's not strictly necessary. But definitely, keeping the same username/password on every machine is what you generally want. Which is why having domain controller becomes such an advantage once you have more than a few machines...

 

[ThomasKMC]

well, guys, I'm not sure if I completely understand the solution. I added the user of the fileserver to my laptop and when I use this user I can connect to the fileserver. But when I use my usual login name which is different, it doesn't work anymore. Do I have to use the same login? I cannot imagine that a network with several users have to use the same login. And what if my wife wants to login on her laptop, does she have to use the server login as well?

 

[cleverhandle]

Originally posted by: ThomasKMC
Do I have to use the same login? I cannot imagine that a network with several users have to use the same login. And what if my wife wants to login on her laptop, does she have to use the server login as well?

You're not getting it. Have as many users on your network or on individual machines as you like, each with their own login. Just make sure that your fileserver also has accounts for each one of those users, with the same username and password as they use on the client machines.

I don't really know how else to explain it...