Home networking problem

  • Thread starter Thread starter zztop8970
  • Start date Start date
Z

zztop8970

Hope someone can help me here, with what is probably a simple newbie
question...

I have a small wireless home network consisting of 4 laptops and a wireless
access point (SMC barricade).

3 of the laptops can see each other on the network by name or IP address,
share files, printers, etc...
The 4th one, which runs Win2K Pro, is one that I also use on my corporate
network. All 4 machines are set up to be part of the same workgroup domain ,
which is the same as my corporate one, so I can move the 4th laptop easily
between home and work networks)

It used to work just like the other 3, but recently, can only recognize the
other 3 by Ip address and not by name (and vice versa - the other 3 can only
recognize it by IP address, not by name).

What do I need to do to make it behabe like the other machines?
 
Hope someone can help me here, with what is probably a simple newbie
question...

I have a small wireless home network consisting of 4 laptops and a wireless
access point (SMC barricade).

3 of the laptops can see each other on the network by name or IP address,
share files, printers, etc...
The 4th one, which runs Win2K Pro, is one that I also use on my corporate
network. All 4 machines are set up to be part of the same workgroup domain ,
which is the same as my corporate one, so I can move the 4th laptop easily
between home and work networks)

It used to work just like the other 3, but recently, can only recognize the
other 3 by Ip address and not by name (and vice versa - the other 3 can only
recognize it by IP address, not by name).

What do I need to do to make it behabe like the other machines?
Click to expand...

I'd bet the problem is the browser (not the program you surf the internet with).

Please provide ipconfig information for the fourth computer, and for one of the
three properly working computers.
Start - Run - "cmd". Type "ipconfig /all >c:\ipconfig.txt" into the command
window - Open c:\ipconfig.txt in Notepad, copy and paste into your next post.
Identify operating system (by name and version) with each ipconfig listing.

The Microsoft Browstat program will show us what browsers you have in your
domain / workgroup, at any time.
<http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=188305>

You can download Browstat from:
<http://www.dynawell.com/reskit/microsoft/win2000/browstat.zip>

Browstat is very small (40K), needs no install, and runs from the command
prompt. Just drop it onto a couple workstations, and run it.

Please provide browstat information for the fourth computer, and for one of the
three properly working computers.
Start - Run - "cmd". Type "browstat status >c:\browstat.txt" into the command
window - Open c:\browstat.txt in Notepad, copy and paste into your next post.

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
 
Chuck said:
I'd bet the problem is the browser (not the program you surf the internet with).

Please provide ipconfig information for the fourth computer, and for one of the
three properly working computers.
Start - Run - "cmd". Type "ipconfig /all >c:\ipconfig.txt" into the command
window - Open c:\ipconfig.txt in Notepad, copy and paste into your next post.
Identify operating system (by name and version) with each ipconfig listing.

The Microsoft Browstat program will show us what browsers you have in your
domain / workgroup, at any time.
<http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=188305>

You can download Browstat from:
<http://www.dynawell.com/reskit/microsoft/win2000/browstat.zip>

Browstat is very small (40K), needs no install, and runs from the command
prompt. Just drop it onto a couple workstations, and run it.

Please provide browstat information for the fourth computer, and for one of the
three properly working computers.
Start - Run - "cmd". Type "browstat status >c:\browstat.txt" into the command
window - Open c:\browstat.txt in Notepad, copy and paste into your next post.

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

Thanks for your help.
Here are the results:
Machine 1 (LT-ID-S2) - runs win2k professional, and works fine:
_______________________________________________________

Windows 2000 IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : LT-ID-S2
Primary DNS Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 4:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Siemens SpeedStream Wireless PC Card #2
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-02-DD-33-42-20
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 193.170.133.139
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 193.170.133.254
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 193.170.133.254
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 206.13.28.12
206.13.29.12
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, June 10, 2004 6:36:14 AM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, July 21, 2004 10:36:14 PM

Browstat status:

Status for domain RC-NET on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{4808AC50-477D-463F-

8C4B-640FF52EC749}

Browsing is active on domain.

Master browser name is: LT-ID-S2

Master browser is running build 2195

1 backup servers retrieved from master LT-ID-S2

\\LT-ID-S2

There are 2 servers in domain RC-NET on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{480

8AC50-477D-463F-8C4B-640FF52EC749}

There are 1 domains in domain RC-NET on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{480

8AC50-477D-463F-8C4B-640FF52EC74

____________________________________________________________________________
______



Machine 2 (ID-S-LT) - runs win2k professional, but can't see other machines
by name,only by IP:


Windows 2000 IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : ID-S-LT
Primary DNS Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Peer-Peer
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No


Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 3:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Siemens SpeedStream Wireless PC Card
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-02-DD-41-E1-10
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 193.170.133.140
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 193.170.133.254
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 193.170.133.254
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 206.13.28.12
206.13.29.12
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Monday, June 07, 2004 2:53:58 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Monday, July 19, 2004 6:53:58 AM

Browstat status:

Status for domain RC-NET on transport \Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{924
A0A8-02C483A51DB5}
Browsing is NOT active on domain.
Master name cannot be determined from GetAdapterStatus.

____________________________________________________________________________
_____

So, it looks like browsing is not enbaled on the machine that can't see
others by name- and that's probably it. How do you enable browsing?
 
So, it looks like browsing is not enbaled on the machine that can't see
others by name- and that's probably it. How do you enable browsing?
Click to expand...

Try and start the Browser service (Administrative Tools - Services - "Computer
Browser"). If it's that simple. If it's turned off, it may be by design for
your corporate network.

Two more articles for you to read (may need a large pot of coffee to get thru
both):
<http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=188305>
<http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winntas/deploy/prodspecs/ntbrowse.mspx>

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
 
Chuck said:
Try and start the Browser service (Administrative Tools - Services - "Computer
Browser"). If it's that simple. If it's turned off, it may be by design for
your corporate network.
Click to expand...


It has been urned off - it shows as "Disabled" - and won't let me
turn it on. I tried setying the Registry key to "Yes" (as recommended
by http://www25.brinkster.com/ChicagoTech/browser.htm#How to enable servers becoming browser servers)
- but that didn't fix it.

Interestingly, when I'm on the cororate network, browsing is enabled.

So I guess my new question is how do I enable browsing for my home
network?
 
It has been urned off - it shows as "Disabled" - and won't let me
turn it on. I tried setying the Registry key to "Yes" (as recommended
by http://www25.brinkster.com/ChicagoTech/browser.htm#How to enable servers becoming browser servers)
- but that didn't fix it.

Interestingly, when I'm on the cororate network, browsing is enabled.

So I guess my new question is how do I enable browsing for my home
network?
Click to expand...

That is an interesting article, with a lot of possible tweaks. AFAICT, all the
tweaks there are to control the browser service, which is useless unless the
service is running.

What does "won't let me turn it on" mean? What error / un resolvable condition
are you experiencing?

Are you logging in as a local administrator when trying to turn the service on?

Is it possible that your domain admins set this restriction when the computer
was setup?

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