Question on Windows Networks

[SCHTUDE]

This may be easy to answer, but I have no idea...

I have a number of PCs and a handful of servers. The PCs are mostly XP Pro and the servers are all Winows 2003 Server. All of these systems are on (joined to) the same domain. When I go into EXPLORE, some of the sytems see all of the other systems on the domain when I browse through My Network Places, Microsoft Networks, then my domain. Some of the systems can only see some of the other systems out there. A couple, like my laptop, doesn't even have the Microsoft Networks under Network places so I can't browe to the other systems at all. I am logged in to the systems with my account which has Domain Admin rights. Any idea why this is and how I can fix it so that ALL machines will be able to browse in Explorer to all of the other machines? Thanks!!

[3fingersalute]

1st of all, are the Windows XP machines running the SP2 firewall? If so and its enabled, it will block some of the network traffic.

[SCHTUDE]

No Windows Firewall runnning (I have it running on my laptop, but I had tried taking it off before...no change).

Another note: If I go to Start-Run I can type in the name of any systme on the network (from any system) and it aloways works.

[CrazyArian]

Sounds like WINS/DNS needs to be reviewed in Win2K3. Also, if it is a domain environment, make sure all the computers are authenticated through the servers Domain Controller.

[imagoon]

Sounds like WINS/DNS needs to be reviewed in Win2K3. Also, if it is a domain environment, make sure all the computers are authenticated through the servers Domain Controller.

I agree, WINS is easy just set it up on a server some where and role it out using DHCP or settings in the TCP/IP stack.

DNS must work correctly in an AD domain. Make sure to remove and DNS entries from every machine that is not one for the Domain. Then configure the DNS servers to either forward or grab from the root domains. In a small network you are safe to point the machines DNS at the Domain Controller (including the domain controller's DNS settings) and then have a secondary someplace for backups ( a second domain controller works well as does a random member server). Make sure the computers do not have incorrect DNS suffixes as well. If they do they might work randomly. This was an issue I had at work, the single DNS server had gone down in an NT4 network so people had typed in random ones all over the web. When I moved to 2003 this causes a nightmare of machines not being able to contact the domain controller depending on which DNS server is was looking for and which suffix it was using.

~Chris

[zelda94553]

I used to be a techie, but have not kept up. I bought a Dell Desktop and Laptop that I want to network in my office. They are both running Media Center. I want to have the desktop be the server and print server. I will only have 3 users at a time.
I have set up my wireless network with DSl and have no problems. However, when I want to set up the printer I can not see the networked printer. It is connected by a USB cable and I have set up sharing.

Is there a way I can have XP Media Center Promoted to a domain controller? That way I can log in as an administrator and see the network? I can not view the workgroups - it says I don't have permission to access the network.

Also where do I disable the XP service pack 2 firewall -- if that maybe the issue?

Thanks for your help.