Stonegiant Posted August 20, 2003 Share Posted August 20, 2003 A fairly minor problem that is getting annoying.Let me start this off by saying I have no firewall or anything like that (this isn't the purpose of the thread so please don't make it that way).The first one I'll call Main and the 2nd I'll call Backup. Both running XP pro and are fully updated. I've disabled simple filesharing on both. I have shared (giving full control to everyone) the Documents and Settings folder on both machines. Backup is able to access Main's folders (favorites, desktop, etc) by going through My Network Places. However, going through My Network Places from Main shows no icons at all. Nothing. I've rebooted several times. I've shut down both machines and then turned off my router for about half an hour and restarted the router then the computers. Still nothing. I've searched Microsoft KB <shudders> and discovered the "refresh" time for folders that don't exist anymore is 48 hours. This has been going on for a week or more. I have viewed network computers on both machines. Both sees itself and the other computer. Accessing main via backup results in seeing my shared folders. Attempting to access backup via main gets me a "Connect to Backup" popup. So, I thought I need to setup a network login of some sort (strange to have to do that since I'm in a workgroup and not a domain). I couldn't find how to do that at all. I have verified all settings between the 2 computers (network settings) as exactly the same after every reboot.ThanksEDIT Oh, yes. Something I forgot to mention. I used the Network Troubleshooter from within "View Network Connections". After the first step, the troubleshooter says: Are you using a computer name that already exists on the network? The troubleshooter detected that you might be using a computer name that already exists on the network. This might be the cause of the problem. Follow the steps below to change the computer name. I made sure the computer names and even the logins were different between the two computers. This was the reason for turning off the computers and router for and extended time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marsden11 Posted August 20, 2003 Share Posted August 20, 2003 Turn off "simple file sharing." Make sure NetBIOS is turned On because it is Off by default.Can both machines "ping" each other? You may have to setup static IPs on each machine to test this.Your workgroup name should be identical. The seperate machines should have different names. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonegiant Posted August 20, 2003 Author Share Posted August 20, 2003 I turned off simple file sharing last week first thing. I'm not entirely sure how to turn on NetBIOS. I also do not know how to ping one computer from another. Is that pinging the IP Address that is the other computer?Workgroup name is identical. Computer names are different.I just remembered something else. My older brother (tbird9768) had me install NetBEUI and configure it as my File and Print Sharing and Client for Microsoft Networks protocol.EDIT I turned on NetBIOS for TCP/IP, but I couldn't figure out how (and if it's possible) to enable it for NetBEUI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peachy Posted August 21, 2003 Share Posted August 21, 2003 You don't turn on NetBIOS for NetBEUI. NetBIOS is the NetBEUI protocol carried by a TCP/IP packet. Having either protocol should suffice. To ping you need to open a command line window (click Start > Run and then type cmd). Yes, you ping the other computer's IP address. Make sure as said above to set the IP address manually. Go into the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties page and set it to Use the following IP address and assign something simple like 192.168.1.100 for one machine and 192.168.1.101 for the other. Make sure the Subnet Mask is 255.255.255.0 and the Gateway can be left blank or set to your router's IP address. Workgroup doesn't have to be the same. In fact, maybe set them differently. When you browse Network Neighbourhood, both workgroups should appear if everything works. Make sure you share at least one folder on each machine. The other trick would be to go into Windows Explorer and click on the menu Tools > Map network drives... and assign a drive letter and a path to the other computer. The path would be the IP address of the other computer and the name of a shared folder. e.g. \\192.168.1.101\share if that was the share name of a shared folder. Sometimes it helps to remove all network protocols and then re-install them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonegiant Posted August 21, 2003 Author Share Posted August 21, 2003 Confusion is setting in.I changed Main's workgroup to something different and restarted both machines. Backup is still able to access Main's shared folder, while I still have the same problems with Main accessing Backup's shared folder. Here's the kicker: I can ping Backup from Main, but I time out trying to ping Main from Backup...I am unable to map Backup's shared folder as a network drive because there is nothing within the the Backup tree (in the Browse interface). If I manually go to Backup via it's workgroup, I still get the "Connect to Backup" login screen. I do not have this problem going the other way (from Backup to Main, that is) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peachy Posted August 21, 2003 Share Posted August 21, 2003 Does one machine have the Guest account disabled and the other enabled? Also, make sure that whatever username you logon with on one computer has the same user account name on the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonegiant Posted August 21, 2003 Author Share Posted August 21, 2003 Neither had a guest account enabled. I enabled the guest account on both machines. I restarted both machines just for good measure. Then I found that I couldn't access the Main via Backup. I switched Backup back to Main's workgroup and that part works fine again. Now I am unable to even bring up the "Connect to Backup" login popup while trying to access Backup via Main... <sigh> These 2 computers have exactly the same network card, too... Perhaps I'll try to remove the protocols and the NICs and start from scratch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marsden11 Posted August 21, 2003 Share Posted August 21, 2003 Check your cables... sometimes cables work one way only. Swap them and run the ping again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonegiant Posted August 21, 2003 Author Share Posted August 21, 2003 Completely uninstalled the protocols and NICs on both machines. Rebooted. Installed the NICs, File and Print Sharing, Client for MS Networks, NetBEUI. Enabled NetBIOS. Bound File and Print Sharing and Client for MS Networks to NetBEUI. Verified Workgroup name, Computer names and Account names. Verified not using simple file sharing. Was able to ping each computer from the other (finally). Now, instead of getting the "Connect to Backup" logon popup when Main tries to access Backup, I get the error popup that says"\\Backup is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this network resourse. Contact the administrator of the server to find out if you have access permissions. Logon failure: the user has not been granted the requested logon type at this computer."Ok. How do I grant this computer the requested logon type? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonegiant Posted August 21, 2003 Author Share Posted August 21, 2003 The cables are fine. I am using the same cable to connect to the web. I can also see Backup when viewing workgroup computers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marsden11 Posted August 21, 2003 Share Posted August 21, 2003 I always check cables first. You would be surprised how many network problems are due to funky cables. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peachy Posted August 21, 2003 Share Posted August 21, 2003 What account name are you using to logon to each computer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonegiant Posted August 22, 2003 Author Share Posted August 22, 2003 Main is StanBackup is Mongolio Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peachy Posted August 22, 2003 Share Posted August 22, 2003 Main is StanBackup is MongolioOkay,So create a user account on Main called Mongolio and create a user account on Backup called Stan. And make sure the both have passwords or they won't be able to connect across the network. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siebkens Posted August 22, 2003 Share Posted August 22, 2003 I've run into this problem in my network, including the same name in the network troubleshooter. I think that is the default first step for the Windows network troubleshooter. I found that if I assigned IP addresses to each computer (I'm using the 192 range), Windows networking is a LOTS easier with less bugs. I also ran into a problem on my XP machine when I made changes to the My Documents folder & I had to "take ownership" of the folder that I wanted to share & then assign permissions to (allow) everyone to be able to access & modify the folder that I was trying to share. I am dealing with this issue with one folder right now that I am trying to access across the network.Definitely find out if you can ping. If you can, your network is actually talking, whether your other computers show up in network neighborhood or not. I think that the same name suggestion just makes things worse, because every time you change the network name on your computer, it takes longer for the network to set itself up correctly so you can see everything. I changed mine so much following that advice at one time that it took days for everything to show up. Right now I am trying to give my network a couple of days to find itself & the folder that I'm trying to share. Hopefully it will show up soon! Lots of great info at practicallynetworked.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonegiant Posted August 24, 2003 Author Share Posted August 24, 2003 Okay,So create a user account on Main called Mongolio and create a user account on Backup called Stan. And make sure the both have passwords or they won't be able to connect across the network.Awesome. That worked like a charm. Thanks very much, Peachy Now the real question: Why did I have to do that for one computer but not the other? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted August 24, 2003 Share Posted August 24, 2003 I think you should format both machines and reinstall Windows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonegiant Posted August 24, 2003 Author Share Posted August 24, 2003 Ok. I'll be over head over to your place to do just that when you are at church. I have a key, remember? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcubed1974 Posted August 25, 2003 Share Posted August 25, 2003 You "crossed the streams"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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