Networking Issues

[TFM]

I have a D-Link 524 router
Wired Desktop connected to router
Wireless Laptop connected to router

For some reason, i have never been able to get these two computers to see each other. I can get them both on the internet, which has been fine up til now, but i'd really like to begin sharing files and printers with them. I can get them both to ping the router just fine. But they won't ping each other. It's almost as if the laptop is strictly looking for a wireless computer to play with, and the desktop is strictly looking for a wired computer to play with.

I know next to nothing about networking, so please excuse my noobishness. But i've spent the last 5 hours fiddling with this network, googling networking, and reading all the posts in this section here in Anandtech that looked like they remotely have something to do with my situation. So i have put some time and effort into this before bringing it here.

Just let me know if you need any more info about the network. Thanks!

 

[SaintTigurius]

Well if they are able to ping each other..
Uninstall or disable your firewalls
thats a good start

 

[Kelemvor]

Did you put them into the same Workgroup? If so, that's all you should have to do. Also like ST said, if you have a firewall (zone alarm, etc) you have to configure that to allow the connection from the other computer.

Trying pining the other computer by name and by IP address and see what works and what doesn't.

 

[Wizkid]

If you can't ping eachother then its quite likely a firewall issue.

 

[TFM]

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

Like i said in the original post - they won't ping one another. The requests time out when i try to use the IP addresses to ping. But they both will ping the router and they both will access the internet through the router with no problem. I have tried turning off the firewalls on both machines to see if it was firewall interference, and that does not alleviate the problem.

Here is what it says with each computer when looking at the network connections...

(Desktop)
WorkgroupName
LAN or High-Speed Internet
Connected
Davicom 1/10/100 PCI Fast
Ethernet Adapter
IP Address: 192.168.0.100
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Assigned by DHCP

(Laptop)
WorkgroupName
Enabled
IP Address: 192.168.0.101
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Assigned by DHCP

Access Point
Network: WorkgroupName
Encryption: Disabled (Disabled while trying to get the network configured)
Signal Strength: Good

I have the firewalls shut off on both computers and i disabled the encryption on the wireless to take down possible snags. They both show the same workgroup name with the exact same spelling. They are both receiving their IP addresses from DHCP with no problem. I just don't understand why they aren't seeing each other.

 

[Kelemvor]

Have you tried using them both WIRED to see if that works? Might be something with the wireless client.

 

[TFM]

K - just tried to connect them wired... same problem.

This might help - here's the message i get on my desktop when i try to view the workgroup computers in my network places...

"WorkgroupName is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you have access permissions.
The list of servers for this workgroup is not currently available."

I meant to add this earlier, but forgot. Is this message indicative of anything?

Thanks again!