XP Pro Machine Can't Ping NT 4 Server

[owensdj]

There was an existing older network with an NT 4 Server and some Windows 95 client machines connected by a coaxial Ethernet segment. There was also a new XP Pro machine connected to a DSL modem. I wanted all of computers to share the DSL Internet connection and the XP Pro machine to be part of the NT 4 domain.

I added a Netgear EN104 4 port hub that has a coaxial BNC uplink port on the back and connected it by an unshieled twisted pair cable(RJ45) to the built-in 4-port switch on a new D-Link DI-604 router. The XP Pro machine is connected directly to the 4-port switch on the router.

The Win95 machines can still connect to the NT 4 Server, and all of the computers have Internet access through the router, but the XP Pro machine can't join the NT 4 domain. It says "domain controller not found" when I try to join the domain.

I can ping the NT 4 Server's IP address from the XP Pro machine, but I was unable to ping the server by its name. I tried adding the server to the XP Pro machine's lmhosts file, but I was still unable to join the domain. I'm thinking something is blocking NetBIOS broadcasts. Any ideas?

 

[netsysadmin]

Do you by chance have Windows XP SP2 loaded on the machine with the firewall running? Or any firewall on that machine at all. Try disabling it and see if you can join them since alot of firewalls will block netbios requests. My second suggestion would be to ask you are running WINS on the NT server? If so make the your XP machine has the WINS server specified in the network settings.

John

 

[owensdj]

John, I'll have to check for a software firewall the next time I'm on-site with that network. I know the XP Pro machine doesn't have SP2, but I need to look to see if it has some other firewall installed.

The NT server isn't running WINS. It didn't need it before.