Networking Diff OS

Hey, I am trying to network 2 computers (which have everything they need)

I hooked them up to each other using 2 network cards (one per computer) and a Cat-5 cable connecting them both together..

I set the Workgroups the same, and gave them identities..

Now, one computer has a fresh copy of Windows 2000.. the other one has win98SE.

They don't seem to want to network. I installed file and printer sharing, and they are turned 'on'. and the cards and everything are working.

I'm not sure what's wrong.. does anybody know? also... if i format that computer wiht Win98... and install windows 2000.. do you think they would automatically setup each other and connect ?

they were connected together when i installed win2000 on the first one..

soo.. i need some input on what anybody thinks, that could be wrong?

The CAT-5 cable that you have connecting the two machines - is it a crossover or a straight patch cable? If yer networking without a hub, you need a crossover cable, which involves switching some wires. Your local computer shop should be able to turn the cable you have now into a crossover.

it was hooked up to a HUB before.. so ...

hmm.. should i plug them into the hub and play with it then to see if i can get it to work.. or should i stick to the connecting them together

Either you have to use a hub, or you'll have to get a crossover cable.

Ok. thanks

Once you get them seeing each other the next thing you will run into is the windows 98 computer accessing a share on the windows 2000 machine. It won't be able to, but the windows 2000 computer will be able to access a share on the windows 98 computer. In order to get the 98 computer to play with the 2k computer you just have to add the username and password that is used to log into the 98 computer to the 2k computer.

So lets sum this up with an example: the Windows 98 computer logs in with the username Bob while the win2k computer uses adminstrator. In order for Bob to access the 2k machine you must add Bob to the 2k machine.

Some ppl enable the guest account in order to do this but i don't like doing that. All of Microsoft's operating systems can interact with each other over the network, they just have to configured to, even Mac, Unix, Linux, and other OS's can interact with each other and Microsoft OS's. Setting up the second computer as 2k also will not fix your problem or configure the network itself.

Hmmm....
first thing I would do is simply check it out with a hub.
on the networking side, one thing I've found, as odd as it sounds...is when you do fresh installs of OS's you have to refresh the network protocol drivers...
erase what you have already and then install the IPX protocol on both then add in Share printers and files...
make sure your drives are shared..this really important..you can find the info by right clicking on the HDD in "My computer" and looking into the properties.
On the 2000 machine you have to setup a new Share drive for it, just click on the button "New Share" and label it.
Win98 should have just the option of share drive and a Hand will show up underneath the icon of it. When all thats done reboot both machines..login and it should work...good luck
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