XP Home Network *sigh*

[DaveU]

have had an home network for quite a few years now. running fine on
Win 98 / ME under an IPX setup
Recently changed over some PC's all now running
Win XP Pro, and I can't seem to get the pc's to see each other for file sharing.
I can game between them without any problems, but i can't get them to show up in the
connections window, so i can browse shared folders or drivers from one PC on another.

All running Norton Internet Security
I have created identical users (3) on each PC
All have the same workgroup name (Urbanet)
and unique pc names
also have disabled simple file sharing
also disabled limit local account use of blank passwords to console login only.

When i try to "view workgroup computers"
i get the following message after a long lag....

Urbanet 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.
A List of servers for this workgroup is not currently available.

I am also unable to "PING" another computers IP

I'm CAT 5 cabled running through a switch (cable Modem)
I have 3 IP addy's from my ISP so
I have no problem surfing from any machine either

thanks for any info, I can't believe it's this hard to get the network seeing each other under XP
*Sigh* maybe it's something simple =o)

 

[JackMDS]

Log to this page it has a lot of links to instructions to Windows Network Setting and Sharing.

Link: Installing & Sharing

 

[JustMike]

I'm CAT 5 cabled running through a switch (cable Modem)
I have 3 IP addy's from my ISP so
I have no problem surfing from any machine either

Why? This is the ultimate cause of your problem. If you used a router and NAT, you'd have no problems connecting between machines, but instead you're firewalling all traffic from each machine and making headaches for yourself.

At the very least, ensure that your firewall software "trusts" all traffic from each of your IP addresses. I don't like this solution one bit, but it's your setup...

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

You can also use NETBEUI to bypass the problem, but I'd be somewhat concerned exposing my computers to the outside like that...

 

[JustMike]

If it's not necessary for each machine to have it's own IP address, then use NAT and a router w/firewall. That will fix all of your problems connecting between machines and alleviate the need for firewall software on the individual PCs.

 

[RideFree]

Originally posted by: JustMike
If it's not necessary for each machine to have it's own IP address, then use NAT and a router w/firewall. That will fix all of your problems connecting between machines and alleviate the need for firewall software on the individual PCs.

This might be a recipie for disaster across an "always-on" connection.
Current security thoughts lie along the lines of enabling multiple layers of firewall protection behind the router(s).
Those Russian programmers are very hard workers.

Oops! I missed the router "w/firewall". You mean like the solution from Linksys when they first teamed with ZAP...and others.

 

[JackMDS]

Originally posted by: JustMike
And alleviate the need for firewall software on the individual PCs.

Absolutely Not True.

You need to understand what the Firewall is providing and supplement it with what ever you deem necessary to your style of using the Internet.

All Entry Level Cable/DSL Routers by default are NAT-Firewall. Some have additional protection like Statefull Package Inspection (SPI).

When you use few computers to share one Internet connection, the information that comes from the Internet needs to know to which computer it belongs. The main function of Cable/DSL Router is to Route the Internet signal to the requesting computer. This function is called Network Address Translation (NAT).

As result information that comes from the Internet and was not requested by one of you LAN?s computers (e.g. hacking attempts) does not know where to go, and it is blocked, hence NAT Firewall.

When you are connected to a Website or downloading files, a lot of junk can get to your Hard Drive. Since you requested the pages for the site the NAT Firewall will not block what comes in from this page. If the ?Site Keeper? loaded the page with ?Junk? it will get to your computer.

[/i]So you have NAT-Firewall but you can end up with Viruses, Zombies, Trojan etc. "Dished" to you by sites that you visited on your own volition.[/i]

Since the NAT-Firewall blocks only Incoming, any communication initiated from any of your LAN?s computers will go out to the Internet, and will be answered. As a result programs calling home, spywares, ?zombies? etc. can communicate freely in lieu of the NAT Firewall. You will not be aware of these activities unless you monitor the communication locally with a software Firewall.

Most decent software Firewalls will alert you to existence of this communication, and will allow controlling it in various ways.

In addition using programs like Ad-ware, and Trojan Blocker, will further secure the Network.

How much safety you need? It is a matter of Surfing habits and personal preference.

More here:

Link: Basic Protection for Broadband Internet Installation.

Link: What is the Best Firewall?

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

Jack, are you a shill for EzLAN? I notice that most of your links are to their site. No insult intended, you are almost always right on target, just wondered if you had any connection to them.

 

[tooltime]

disable nis and i bet you'll be able to ping all. there is a tab called home networking, it's in personal firewall. use the wizard to setup the private side your lan

 

[JustMike]