2-user XP workgroup won't work

  • Thread starter Thread starter Pete S
  • Start date Start date
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Pete S

I'm seeking help, please, with a home networking problem?

I've set up Windows XP workgroups before with no problem,
using the 'Set up a home or small office network' wizard,
with no real problems.

Getting my home desktop and laptop to communicate,
however, has been unsuccessful. I'm connecting them with a
Cat 5 X-over cable. I can get things to work by using the
wizard, except that it doesn't work next time I connect or
restart.

I've been through the knowledge base, and found an
apparent IP address problem. I therefore set the gateway
(desktop) to 192.168.01, leaving the Default gateway and
Preferred DNS server entries blank. The laptop's IP
address is 192.168.0.2, with 192.168.01 as both the
Default gateway address and the Preferred DNS server. This
worked until a reset of both machines. In case it's
relevant, I use a dial-up connection to a pay-as-you-go
ISP via an internal modem.

I can ping the ICS gateway from the laptop, but not vice-
versa; the gateway can't even ping itself. I've reset the
gateway's TCP/IP stack (article 299357, as recommended in
308007) but to no avail. Despite this, the laptop connects
to the Internet via the ICS gateway machine absolutely
fine - although it can't print to the gateway's printer.

Any help or pointers you can offer would be much
appreciated.

Pete Stevens
 
I'm seeking help, please, with a home networking problem?

I've set up Windows XP workgroups before with no problem,
using the 'Set up a home or small office network' wizard,
with no real problems.

Getting my home desktop and laptop to communicate,
however, has been unsuccessful. I'm connecting them with a
Cat 5 X-over cable. I can get things to work by using the
wizard, except that it doesn't work next time I connect or
restart.

I've been through the knowledge base, and found an
apparent IP address problem. I therefore set the gateway
(desktop) to 192.168.01, leaving the Default gateway and
Preferred DNS server entries blank. The laptop's IP
address is 192.168.0.2, with 192.168.01 as both the
Default gateway address and the Preferred DNS server. This
worked until a reset of both machines. In case it's
relevant, I use a dial-up connection to a pay-as-you-go
ISP via an internal modem.

I can ping the ICS gateway from the laptop, but not vice-
versa; the gateway can't even ping itself. I've reset the
gateway's TCP/IP stack (article 299357, as recommended in
308007) but to no avail. Despite this, the laptop connects
to the Internet via the ICS gateway machine absolutely
fine - although it can't print to the gateway's printer.

Any help or pointers you can offer would be much
appreciated.

Pete Stevens
Click to expand...

Pete,

Please start by posting ipconfig for both computers. Start - Run -
"ipconfig /all >c:\ipconfig.txt" - Open c:\ipconfig.txt in Notepad,
copy and paste into your next post.

Make sure you have ICF disabled on the gateway connection to the
laptop. Un install any other firewalls.

Here's a good article to explain what you have to do. It's a lot
simpler than it looks - if you do it without confusing yourself with
the wizard.
http://www.cablesense.com/sharing/compare.php

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
 
"Pete S" said:
I'm seeking help, please, with a home networking problem?

I've set up Windows XP workgroups before with no problem,
using the 'Set up a home or small office network' wizard,
with no real problems.

Getting my home desktop and laptop to communicate,
however, has been unsuccessful. I'm connecting them with a
Cat 5 X-over cable. I can get things to work by using the
wizard, except that it doesn't work next time I connect or
restart.

I've been through the knowledge base, and found an
apparent IP address problem. I therefore set the gateway
(desktop) to 192.168.01, leaving the Default gateway and
Preferred DNS server entries blank. The laptop's IP
address is 192.168.0.2, with 192.168.01 as both the
Default gateway address and the Preferred DNS server. This
worked until a reset of both machines. In case it's
relevant, I use a dial-up connection to a pay-as-you-go
ISP via an internal modem.

I can ping the ICS gateway from the laptop, but not vice-
versa; the gateway can't even ping itself. I've reset the
gateway's TCP/IP stack (article 299357, as recommended in
308007) but to no avail. Despite this, the laptop connects
to the Internet via the ICS gateway machine absolutely
fine - although it can't print to the gateway's printer.

Any help or pointers you can offer would be much
appreciated.

Pete Stevens
Click to expand...

When a computer can't ping itself, the problem could be an improperly
configured or incompletely un-installed firewall program. Un-install
any firewall program. If you've previously un-installed one,
re-install it and un-install it. In either case, then go to Start |
Run | Msconfig | Startup and disable any remnants of the firewall,
such as ZoneAlarm's True Vector service.

To protect your network while the firewall is un-installed. enable
XP's built-in Internet Connection Firewall on the dail-up Internet
connection.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
 
Hi, Chuck & Steve

Thanks for the quick replies.

I uninstalled Norton Internet Security 2004, as suggested
by Steve, and found both machines ping OK and, praise be,
the network connection was restored.

Do you think I'd be OK to reinstall NIS and just disable
the firewall while I'm using the network connection? I'm a
bit nervous about reinstalling NIS in case it screws the
whole thing up, but also nervous about not reinstalling
it, for obvious reasons! Is this a Symantec support issue?

Chuck - you asked for the settings for both machines, from
ipconfig. Here they are, in case there's something you can
suggest that would stabilise things and let me use NIS :

Computer_1 (ICS Gateway, desktop, previously unpingable)
Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : COMPUTER_1

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No



Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek
RTL8139 Family PCI Fast Ethernet NIC

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-40-2B-2E-37-
BB

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

Computer_2 (laptop)
Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : COMPUTER_2

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Mixed

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : mshome.net



Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : SiS 900 PCI
Fast Ethernet Adapter

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-40-D0-4D-B6-
03

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.2

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1



Really grateful to you guys for the help - seems like a
solution is on the horizon.

Regards,

Pete
 
Hi, Chuck & Steve

Thanks for the quick replies.

I uninstalled Norton Internet Security 2004, as suggested
by Steve, and found both machines ping OK and, praise be,
the network connection was restored.

Do you think I'd be OK to reinstall NIS and just disable
the firewall while I'm using the network connection? I'm a
bit nervous about reinstalling NIS in case it screws the
whole thing up, but also nervous about not reinstalling
it, for obvious reasons! Is this a Symantec support issue?
Click to expand...

Pete,

Congrats, looks like you almost have it solved.

Now that you know NPF was the problem, re installing NIS would be the
next step. AFAIK, NPF allows you to setup trusted addresses like Zone
Alarm. That would be my recomendation - you need protection whenever
you are connected. Be sure to only trust 192.168.0.1 from 192.168.0.2
and vice versa.

If you can't get trusted ip addresses to work, than disabling only
when necessary would be the next solution. But only if you can't get
trusted addresses to work. And this solution only if disabling NPF
works - I've learned from experience that disabling firewalls isn't
always successful - sometimes you have to un install entirely.

Regardless how you fare, I hope you can update us by replying to this
post - not start another thread. It took me a few minutes of
searching, to find your original post, so I could get the background
on your problem.

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
 
"Pete" said:
Hi, Chuck & Steve

Thanks for the quick replies.

I uninstalled Norton Internet Security 2004, as suggested
by Steve, and found both machines ping OK and, praise be,
the network connection was restored.

Do you think I'd be OK to reinstall NIS and just disable
the firewall while I'm using the network connection? I'm a
bit nervous about reinstalling NIS in case it screws the
whole thing up, but also nervous about not reinstalling
it, for obvious reasons! Is this a Symantec support issue?
Click to expand...

A disabled firewall doesn't protect your computers.

The best solution is to re-install NIS and configure it to allow
network access by your own computers in the 192.168.0.x subnet while
blocking access by all others. However, I've had trouble getting that
to work in NIS. One possibility is to contact Norton/Symantec for
help.

Another solution is to abandon NIS and use a different firewall.
Enabling XP's built-in Internet Connection Firewall on your Internet
connection will protect against undesired incoming access by other
Internet users. If you also want protection against undesired
outgoing access by spyware, Trojan horses, etc, disable ICF and
install another firewall that has that ability.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
 
Hi, Chuck & Steve

Sorry this reply has been a while coming. Just to let you
know that your input has solved the problem - I now have
two machines that talk to each other, access the Internet,
and print.

Also, the reinstalled NIS doesn't get in the way except
that the desktop (ICS gateway) still can't ping itself
even with its own IP in the firewall exceptions list.
Everything else pings fine. Still, if it's all working I
guess it doesn't matter.

So I'd just like to thank you guys a million for your help.

Best regards,

Pete
 
Hi, Chuck & Steve

Sorry this reply has been a while coming. Just to let you
know that your input has solved the problem - I now have
two machines that talk to each other, access the Internet,
and print.

Also, the reinstalled NIS doesn't get in the way except
that the desktop (ICS gateway) still can't ping itself
even with its own IP in the firewall exceptions list.
Everything else pings fine. Still, if it's all working I
guess it doesn't matter.

So I'd just like to thank you guys a million for your help.
Click to expand...

Pete,

Thanks for the update. It;s useful to know that NIS may be another
badly behaved firewall. Mabe Symantec will take an interest in this.

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
 
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