Help - new XP machine wont connect to network

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jean
  • Start date Start date
J

Jean

I just got a new Windows XP machine that won't
communicate with my network. I have two other machines
on the network, one running Windows 98 and one running
windows ME. They share files with each other through
explorer just fine (but won't PING each other from the
command prompt). The new XP machine will ping the ME
machine, but won't see it through explorer. The XP
machine won't even ping the 98 machine. Each machine is
connected to a hub, which in turn is connected to a DSL
modem. The hardware is working fine, as each machine
connects through the modem to the internet with no
problem. All three machines are set up with the same
workgroup name. The folks at DELL have not been helpful
at all, so I'm hoping someone here can help me.

I have disabled the XP firewall on that machine. The
windows 98 machine has Norton Firewall, and I tried
turning it off, thinking it might be causing trouble, but
having it off had no effect, so I turned it back on.

Thanks,
Jean
 
"Jean" said:
I just got a new Windows XP machine that won't
communicate with my network. I have two other machines
on the network, one running Windows 98 and one running
windows ME. They share files with each other through
explorer just fine (but won't PING each other from the
command prompt). The new XP machine will ping the ME
machine, but won't see it through explorer. The XP
machine won't even ping the 98 machine. Each machine is
connected to a hub, which in turn is connected to a DSL
modem. The hardware is working fine, as each machine
connects through the modem to the internet with no
problem. All three machines are set up with the same
workgroup name. The folks at DELL have not been helpful
at all, so I'm hoping someone here can help me.

I have disabled the XP firewall on that machine. The
windows 98 machine has Norton Firewall, and I tried
turning it off, thinking it might be causing trouble, but
having it off had no effect, so I turned it back on.

Thanks,
Jean
Click to expand...

I've written a web site that should help you solve the problem:

Adding Windows XP to an Existing Network
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp/addxp.htm

I suspect that your network uses a protocol other than TCP/IP for file
and printer sharing.
--
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
 
This article was awesome, thanks!

The problems were as follows:

1. My lynksys router, which I was identifying as a "Hub"
is really a "residential gateway" (I'm seriously new at
this!).

2. My 98 machine was getting it's IP address
automatically assigned, so I needed to manually assign it
one in the same range as the others.

3. I needed NetBEUI because all of the machines are
using a single DSL modem to access my ISP.

4. Both the existing machines had Microsoft Client
Services and File and Print Sharing bound for both
NetBEUI and TCP/IP.

After investigating all this, I think it's somewhat
amazing that the other two machines had been talking to
each other at all all this time!

One thing intrigues me about the article you referred me
to. It suggests that if I conclude that I do need
NetBEUI, I should consider using IPX/SPX, but it doesn't
discuss this further. Will IPX/SPX replace NetBEUI,
giving me the same functionality but more security? Can
you point me to some more reference material about this?

Thanks so much for your help!

Jean
-----Original Message-----
Click to expand...
 
Back
Top