Win2K Peer-To-Peer Network problem..

[BladeRnR]

I finally put Win2K on my machine duel booting with WinME. My Brother's PC runs WinME and with the 2 WinME OS on each system our little Network runs just fine.

For all intents and purposes Win2K went on without a hitch. All Drivers on, Network components, Hardware checks out. I logon to the box as Admin. I setup the workgroup as BORG and shared my drives as per normal. I can see myself on the BORG Workgroup no problem (PC Name Bladernr). I can ALSO see my Bro's PC on the Network (Sithlord). He can also see me on the Network. As soon as we try and access each other's PC via Network Places - BORG - Sithlord/Bladernr we get the following error-:

\\Sithlord is not accessible
The Network path was not found

My Bro gets the same message when trying to access my PC.

If there are any Networkers out there who know what this error means please assist as this is driving me nuts. TCP/IP Addresses are explicit on both machines (198.162.0.1 & 192.168.0.2). TCP/IP and IPX Protocols are installed as is File Sharing.

What could be the problem?

Kind regards

BladeRnR

[BladeRnR]

I forgot to add. I also trying to ping the other Peer PC at 192.168.0.2 and also with the PC name Sithlord. No luck. Strangely when I use the 'Fine another Computer' I can find Sithlord. DOH this makes no sense.

[Ron Prestenback]

Step1 - First of all, remove IPX/SPX. Unless you know exactly what you're doing with this protocol, it will prevent your computers from talking.

Next, uninstall all networking components by going into Network Setup, selecting each entry and clicking on uninstall. You don't need to reboot until all componenets have been uninstalled. (The machine will want to reboot after you remove each of the default network components.) While TCP/IP, File and Printer Sharing, and Client for Microsoft Networks are uninstalled, remove all references to the other computer from each computer. This includes typing "ipconfig /flushdns" (no quotes) at the command prompt for each computer. Unshare any shared printers, any shared files, etc. from each computer as well. Reboot.

Now install only these components: Client for Microsoft Networks, File and Printer Sharing, and TCP/IP. Once these are installed, if you have an internet connection, you will want to unbind File and Printer Sharing from that connection. Do this by clicking on the Tools, Advanced menu item on your network properties screen. Click on the interface going to the internet, the click to clear the check mark next to File and Printer Sharing FOR THIS COMPONENT ONLY. Now go into the properties for that interface, clear the check next to File and Printer Sharing, and also next to Client for Microsoft Networks (note: only clear the check next to Client for MN on the properties page of the interface itself, not on the advanced network properties page). If both computers are connected directly to the internet, you will need to do this on both computers. If not, just on the one that is connected to the internet. Re-assign the IP numbers, reshare what you had shared, setup your user accounts properly, and you should be good.

This is a little bit overkill, but if you do everything exactly as written, and it doesn't work, you know you have a hardware problem, and you will need to then start checking cables, NIC's etc.

[Budster64]

Also, take into account that to access a win2K drive form 9X/ME you have to create a user account on the win2K box for the ME box.
This sounds more like a securities issue than a hardware or protocol issue. But I may be wrong.

[BladeRnR]

Thanks gents. I'll try both routes and see how I go. The error does seem to be more Security related to me but then I get the exact same error on both PC (Win2K & WinME).

Thanks for the input.

[Ron Prestenback]

If it was stricly a security issue, you would still get a response when you ping the other computer. For a time-out response, you would either have to be having hardware/protocol issues, or a firewall misconfigured. (or properly configured, depending on how you want to look at it.)