1st can see the 2nd, but the 2nd can't see the 1st

Please help me. I'm networking my sytems together at home. My W2K Pro system can see my Win98 system, and the Win98 system can see the W2K Pro system. Now when I disconnect my W2K system and hook up my WinMe system, the WinMe system can see the Win98 system and get files but the Win98 can't see the WinMe system, it does, just the workgroup name and I can't get files and everything is set up for sharing on all of the systems. What could be the problem?

W2K Pro to WinMe - OK. WinME to W2K Pro - OK.
W2K Pro to Win98 - OK. Win98 to W2K Pro - OK.
WinMe to Win98 - NG. Win98 to WinMe - OK.

The WinMe system works great with the W2K system, and the Win98 system works great with the W2K system. I can swap files from machine to machine accept on the Win98 machine, it won't see the files on the WinMe machine, Why? It can't be because I don't have the proper sharing because the WinMe system can share files with the W2K system, all of the systems are using the same protocols. Any ideas on what's going on?

Have you tried doing a "computer search" for thr missing machine as sometimes they fail to show up in network neibourhood.
Try rechecking the network bindings and that computer names are different.
Have you set IP and SUBNET addresses?

Do the Win ME and 2k systems have the same name on the network? or the same IP? Try changing them so that they're both different. Seen this before.

I'm not sharing internet resources, just files. All of my computers dial-up with their own modem. The WinMe can get files from the Win98 machine but the Win98 machine only sees the WinMe machine and cannot get any files. Weird. The reason I say this is because I can hook the W2K machine up to the WinMe and get files with no problem getting files from either machine. I can hook up the Win98 machine to the W2k machine and exchange files with no problem. The reason I say "I hook up this or that machine" is because I'm using a crossover cable to network two machines together. I got to find a 5 port HUB that's capable of doing 100Mega Bits per sec at a reasonable price ($35-$45). I can only find 10mbps HUBs in that price range. W2K share name is $IPC instead of $C. Like I said, W2K can get files from WinMe and Win98. WinMe can get files from W2K and Win98. Win98 can get files from W2K but not from WinMe, why? All setting are the same on all machines except the share names and workgroup names and the computer names.

If I do a "Find a computer" search, it sees the WinMe machine, it just won't allow me to see the files or get any files.

Thanks for all the replies so far, everbody here has been very helpful helping me set this network up. I just got to work some of the bloody bugs out, and now I just need some more help.

I am not sure - but try adding
"file and printer sharing service for Ms net works"
-and-
"Client for Ms networks"

on the WinME machine.

And also check the workgroup, IP setting on all the computers.

if internet access is not your concern on the Workgroup use the Netburi Protocol.

Good Luck
Gabriel

me thinks that ME is just a pain in the @ss. I've had similar probs and downgraded the machines to 98se.

The problem is the heirarchy of (there's that damn word again that just doesn't look right to me) Windows systems when it comes to browsing. In NetBIOS, (the protocol for Network Neighborhood to work) there must be a Master Browser for the subnet. This computer resolves the IP addresses of all the computers NetBIOS's names on the subnet. (There is also Domain Master Browser, Backup Master Browser, and Potential Master Browsers.) Anyway, when the 2K OS is up, it is the master browser, but, when it shuts down, it is supposed to force an election for a new master browser, in which case Win98 would pick this up. upon connection WinME, it's going to broadcast to find the master browser. That master browser will be the win98 machine, and it can take up to 36 minutes for the new master browser to remove the old master browser from its list of non-browsers. If you connect the WinME machine to the Win98 machine during that period, master browser won't timeout the entry for your (Win2K)computer name, and it's associated shares, and when the master browser asks the network if soandso computer name (your Win2K machine) is still here, WinME answers and says "Why yes, that's me" (You cause this BTW when you double click on the WinME computer name from the Win98 computer Network Neighborhood.) So it's expecting to see the shares from the Win2K machine on the WinME machine...so, to fix this, the best fix is to probably change the netbios name and IP address of the WinMe computer...
Let me know if this helps! :-)