Computer Disappears from Home Network

  • Thread starter Thread starter Joseph Carrier
  • Start date Start date
J

Joseph Carrier

I use a three computer, wireless "Home Network" to connect my desktop and
two laptops -- all with WinXP(SP2) -- so that I can keep key files
synchronized. All of a sudden, my desktop disappeared from the view of the
two laptops, which can see each other, but the laptops also cannot be seen
by the desktop.

When that happened to me once before, I was able to correct the problem by
using Network Setup Wizard to redo the network setup on the desktop, but it
won't work this time -- and in my fumbling around, I seem to hints that
using my desktop's old name in the new setup may be the problem. Could that
be it? I hate to rename my desktop as that might foul up something else.

The three machines are connected to a DSL modem through a router (the
desktop by
Ethernet cable, the laptops by wireless pc card.) That direct internet
connection works well on all three of the machines.

I would greatly appreciate suggestions about what I should try to get
desktop reunited into my
home network.

Many thanks.
 
Joseph said:
I use a three computer, wireless "Home Network" to connect my desktop and
two laptops -- all with WinXP(SP2) -- so that I can keep key files
synchronized. All of a sudden, my desktop disappeared from the view of the
two laptops, which can see each other, but the laptops also cannot be seen
by the desktop.

When that happened to me once before, I was able to correct the problem by
using Network Setup Wizard to redo the network setup on the desktop, but it
won't work this time -- and in my fumbling around, I seem to hints that
using my desktop's old name in the new setup may be the problem. Could
that
be it? I hate to rename my desktop as that might foul up something else.

The three machines are connected to a DSL modem through a router (the
desktop by
Ethernet cable, the laptops by wireless pc card.) That direct internet
connection works well on all three of the machines.

I would greatly appreciate suggestions about what I should try to get
desktop reunited into my
home network.

Many thanks.
Click to expand...
FWIW, Usenet seems to be awash with people having similar problems.
I've never seen a good explanation of what is happening or how to
fix it. Often the threads seem to end with a posting along the lines
of, "... so I re-installed everything and now it works ... "
 
Thanks for the response.

I think unin- and re-installing will be my solution, too.

I've now verified that my Firewall program is the culprit: the ability to
allow Microsoft Sharing to go through the barrier has somehow vanished from
its options and can't be reconfigured.

So I guess my next step will be to uninstall and reinstall the Firewall
Program -- but not all of Windows XP as I've read some have done out of
frustration.
 
Joseph Carrier said:
Thanks for the response.

I think unin- and re-installing will be my solution, too.

I've now verified that my Firewall program is the culprit: the ability to
allow Microsoft Sharing to go through the barrier has somehow vanished from
its options and can't be reconfigured.

So I guess my next step will be to uninstall and reinstall the Firewall
Program -- but not all of Windows XP as I've read some have done out of
frustration.
Click to expand...

Umm, any chance you're using DHCP and the IP address of your machine
changed? If you set your firewall up to allow "IP address X through" and
then the IP address changes to "Y" because DHCP expires and assigns you a
new address, you might see this.

If you suspect this, you could try either of the following...

1. Modify your firewall settings to allow a subnet through e.g. 192.168.0.X
2. Get your router/DHCP server to reserve a specific IP address for each
machine (MAC address) and then no matter what happens, each machine gets
give the same IP address every time.

Paul DS.
 
Many thanks for your response. You've opened up a new world to me -- but
I've come to a roadblock again.

First, let me clarify that I can view both the Desktop's and the Laptop's
Alpha folder side-by-side in either computer. I can't do that with the Beta
folder, though. (In real life, there is only one Alpha folder and about
eight Beta's.)

I'm the only user of both computers, so I guess I'm the Administrator, and I
log in as the only named user. (I use the Home Edition of WinXP SP2 and
both computers connect directly to the internet via a DSL modem/router.

In trying to follow your suggestions, the first thing I did was to
START>SEARCH>COMPUTERS on each machine. On Desktop, there are two entries
for Laptop, and on Laptop, there are two entries for Desktop. Why are there
double entries, I wonder? Need I do something about that? If so what --
just delete one of the entries?

Next, I did a search on "permissions" in the START>HELP window and
discovered a new world. I got a long list of hits. I then clicked on
"Grant incoming connection access rights to your computer." That brought
up instructions that began with "Open Network Connections," which I did.
The instructions then say to click on "change settings of this connection"
but I don't have such an item listed under network tasks, so I'm at a dead
end.

Could it be that such an entry exists only in WinXP Pro?

Your last sentence presents a very appealing solution, but I'm a bit
confused about how I can get the computers to treat the newly created
"Network" folder like Alpha rather than Beta -- so that I can do side by
side comparisons of the files and folders in the two Network folders on
either machine.

I would very much appreciate you continuing comments.
 
My Previous response to your posting is probably puzzling you no end. I
posted it in the wrong place -- Sorry!"
 
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