Need help Home Network file sharing

[jlo mein]

So I used to have a setup where all three of my computers had folders that were shared, so on my laptop i could grab files from my desktop. The main ones i share between use WinXP, and I would access the other computer through My Network Places.

I haven't used it a couple weeks and today I went to use it and my laptop didn't see any other computers to get shared files from. I tried setting up the home network connection again and it doesn't make the other computers show up. I used my desktop, and I could see the other desktop computer on the network, so that part is working fine.

What do you think I should do?

 

[Kassem]

I think the "My Network Places" might need to refresh the icons. Sometimes for reasons I do not know, it takes forever.

Do you have a firewall? If so, and if you are using a router, you should check and see that your IP has not changed. Also.. if you have recently installed a firewall (zonealarm is what I use so I'm not familiar with others) you may try adding the other computers IP address to your "trusted zone".

Hope this helps a little


Jeremy

 

[jlo mein]

No firewall on my laptop besides WinXP built in, and I tried disabling it and it didn't change anything.

I am using a Dlink DI704P router, thats also connected to a Linksys WRT54GS wireless router that I have configured only as a wireless access point.

I recently signed up for DSL with a new provider, and this time have a Static IP. The Dlink router has all the static IP info in it (IP, gateway, subnet mask, DNS servers). I guess this could be causing the problem? How would i fix it?

 

[Snake]

Oh boy.

OK, first: check all 3 computers to see what IP address they have. Make sure they are on the same subnet

192.168.xxx.yyy

the xxx numbers must be the same on all 3. yyy will be different on all three.

After that go to one computer and ping the other 2. Go to the second computer and ping the other 2. Go to the third computer and ping the other 2.

Report back

 

[jlo mein]

ok.

I have my Dlink router setup to assign each computer specific IPs, which they are currently correct. Pinged all computers from each computer and all went successful, no lost packets or timeouts.

Desktop 1 and 2 can both go into My Network Places and see shared folders in the other. My laptop is not shown here and my laptop cannot see the shared folders on the desktops.

 

[asmox]

Is your laptop in the same workgroup as your desktops?

 

[Snake]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlo mein ok. I have my Dlink router setup to assign each computer specific IPs, which they are currently correct. Pinged all computers from each computer and all went successful, no lost packets or timeouts. Desktop 1 and 2 can both go into My Network Places and see shared folders in the other. My laptop is not shown here and my laptop cannot see the shared folders on the desktops.

First, make sure that the autoscan of network connections (Automatically search for network files and printers) is not turned off in your Tools / Folder Options / View options tab in My Network Places.

Test to see if you can add a network place manually. In My Network Places click Add a network place. Click Next, click Choose a specific location, then begin typing in the name of one of your desktops, after you type in a double backslash.

If you missed that, if your desktop is named "Frank" type in

\\Frank\

into the window. If Windows is connected properly to the other computer usually Windows will, after a few seconds, show you a drop down box containing any shared resources available on the network from the computer name you typed in (in this example, "Frank"). If Windows shows the drop down box then only My Network Places is not showing icons - if no drop down, no connection at all.

BTW, can you see your own computer in My Network Places? Use View workgroup computers if you must.

As Asmox noted, check your workgroup settings on the laptop. Believe it or not change the workgroup name to (just about) anything, then change it back again. Windows sometimes conveniently loses proper registration of this setting, driving you crazy in the process.

Then make sure your network client & File & Printer Sharing are still bound to the TCP/IP stack.

If those are correct and things do not work the first thing I would recommend is to remove the network stack, repair the WinSock stack:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/811259

then reinstall the Microsoft Network client.

Please report back, again

 

[jlo mein]

Sorry for the late reply, I had to work today.

I tried all the fixes Snake listed, plus both fixes that were in the microsoft link Snake provided. Still does not work (although I noticed all the sudden my upload bandwidth has increased...weird).

One thing I have noticed, is when I run the command "netdiag /test:winsock" under a dos prompt. One of the tests run is this, and it says:

"NetBT trasports test. . . . : Failed
List of NetBt transports currently configured:
[FATAL] Unable to retrieve transport list from Redir.
[ERROR_NETWORK_UNREACHABLE]"

Note that all the other tests it runs will pass, and even with this one failing, at the end it will report "Winsock test . . . : Passed".

This one "Failed" has occured both before and after I have tried all the fixes. Also, I can still ping the other computers on the network.

 

[Guild]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlo mein Sorry for the late reply, I had to work today. I tried all the fixes Snake listed, plus both fixes that were in the microsoft link Snake provided. Still does not work (although I noticed all the sudden my upload bandwidth has increased...weird). One thing I have noticed, is when I run the command "netdiag /test:winsock" under a dos prompt. One of the tests run is this, and it says: "NetBT trasports test. . . . : Failed List of NetBt transports currently configured: [FATAL] Unable to retrieve transport list from Redir. [ERROR_NETWORK_UNREACHABLE]" Note that all the other tests it runs will pass, and even with this one failing, at the end it will report "Winsock test . . . : Passed". This one "Failed" has occured both before and after I have tried all the fixes. Also, I can still ping the other computers on the network.

That's probably just because you don't have netbios installed. It's really not necessary these days, but couldn't hurt to install it for testing if the other machines are using it. It's a protocal like TCP/IP. In a command prompt type: nbtstat -n (to see if you can see local computer and workgroup.)

Snake's suggestions are excellent. I can only restate it in a different way: go all the way and completely uninstall all network components and reinstall them: Remove TCP/IP, client for microsoft networks, file and printer sharing, etc. until the item list is empty; Uninstall all network adapters from device manager; delete the winsock and winsock2 reg entries; reboot; add TCP/IP, client for microsoft networks, file and printer sharing; verify workgroup name (change it to something else, apply, change it to what it should be, apply); reboot. Test it out. Share a folder. Let it sit for a while and test again.

If nothing seems to allow network browsing, try to map to the shared folder (one created above) from another machine using IP's. If you can map a drive, I'd just be happy with that (you'll have to give it a static IP though.) Otherwise, report the error you get here. You could look into master browser settings too, although defaults in XP should all be fine. Sometimes this is just more trouble than it's worth, as I've never come up with a definitive fix for all possible situations.

Which machines are XP pro/home?

 

[Guild]

I was wrong. Not having netbios installed will just give "no devices configured", not an error like you got. Also disabling netbois over tcp/ip results in not seeing any computers, on my home network at least.

 

[Snake]

(A) What does the Event Viewer say? Please clear all events then reboot the computer to read only the most recent errors.

(B) What are the IP details of the laptop? IP, subnet, gateway, DHCP, DNS?

Connect the laptop to the network via wire to check wireless operation. Have you rebooted the Linksys yet? Routers do crash.

(C) Can you ping based upon name resolution (ping -a)?

Please make sure NetBIOS over TCP/IP is turned on. Right click on your network adapter in Network Connections and click on Properties. Double click on Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). Click Advanced button. Click WINS tab. Check Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP. Click OK everywhere to close windows.

(D) Make sure that TCP/IP is the only protocol installed on the laptop - only TCP/IP can be routed via wireless 802.11 systems.

(E) Are all proper Services started? The TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper?

(F) Do you know how to use RegEdit? If so do these registry keys exist?

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\Lsa\restrictanonymous

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\OLE\EnableDC OM= "N"

You may have a virus blocking your NetBIOS subsystem even if those registry keys do not exist. Can you post all the startup programs running in your system? (in case you don't know, Windows will tell you about (most) of them by using MSConfig, which you can find in

%systemroot%\pchealth\helpctr\binaries\msconfig.exe

 

[Snake]

If connecting to your network via wire works, but wireless does not - or, conversely, both wired and wireless do not work at all:

I would like you to turn off the network card if you have a ACPI wireless power button.

Go to your Network Connections and uninstall all components you can in both wired and wireless networks. Do not reboot at any time if you are asked.

Delete all network cards from the Device Manager - both the wired and wireless cards - that may show up there. Do not reboot at any time if you are asked.

Go back to the Microsoft instructions I directed you to in order to delete both the WinSock and WinSock2 registry keys.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\Winsock
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\WinSock2

Remove the entire subkey structures.

Reboot machine.

If you are asked at any time after the reboot to restart the computer answer "No".

After Windows rediscovers all the network adapters and installs a basic network go into Network Connections and check both wired and wireless systems for full installs. You should have

Client for Microsoft Networks
QoS Packet Scheduler
File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks
Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)

If you are missing any of those components add them using the Install button. Check to make sure TCP/IP is being properly installed by attempting to reinstall it again at this point (but do NOT install TCP/IP verison 6).

Only after BOTH the wired and wireless networks check for all those pieces restart Windows.