Peer to Peer With Netgear Router

  • Thread starter Thread starter Randy C.
  • Start date Start date
R

Randy C.

I have a Netgear router connected to my broadband modem so
I can share my internet connection among all the computers
in my house. Typically I have a Windows XP Home computer
connected to the router via wireless ethernet and a
Windows XP Pro computer connected to the router via cabled
ethernet. Sometimes I add my Windows 98 laptop to the
router via cabled ethernet.

All of my computers have no problem using the shared
broadband modem via the Netgear router, it works just as I
had hoped.

I have also been able to share a laser printer that is
directly connected to the Windows XP Pro computer with the
other two computers.

However, I can't get simple file sharing to work between
any of the computers. When I open Windows Explorer and go
to search My Network Places/Microsoft Windows Network I
see the workgroup I defined all the computers to belong
to, but none of the computers show up in the workgroup.
If I use the search for Computers or People utility, no
computers are found.

How should I set up a peer to peer connection between
these 3 computers so that file sharing works properly?
 
"Randy C." said:
I have a Netgear router connected to my broadband modem so
I can share my internet connection among all the computers
in my house. Typically I have a Windows XP Home computer
connected to the router via wireless ethernet and a
Windows XP Pro computer connected to the router via cabled
ethernet. Sometimes I add my Windows 98 laptop to the
router via cabled ethernet.

All of my computers have no problem using the shared
broadband modem via the Netgear router, it works just as I
had hoped.

I have also been able to share a laser printer that is
directly connected to the Windows XP Pro computer with the
other two computers.

However, I can't get simple file sharing to work between
any of the computers. When I open Windows Explorer and go
to search My Network Places/Microsoft Windows Network I
see the workgroup I defined all the computers to belong
to, but none of the computers show up in the workgroup.
If I use the search for Computers or People utility, no
computers are found.

How should I set up a peer to peer connection between
these 3 computers so that file sharing works properly?
Click to expand...

Permanently disable XP's built-in Internet Connection Firewall on
local area network connections -- it's for use only on a direct modem
connection to the Internet. Disable and un-install all other
firewalls while troubleshooting.

Use only one protocol for File and Printer Sharing. If the network
needs more than one protocol, unbind File and Printer Sharing from all
but one of them.

Make sure that NetBIOS over TCP/IP is enabled on all computers.
--
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
 
-----Original Message-----
Permanently disable XP's built-in Internet Connection Firewall on
local area network connections -- it's for use only on a direct modem
connection to the Internet. Disable and un-install all other
firewalls while troubleshooting.

Use only one protocol for File and Printer Sharing. If the network
needs more than one protocol, unbind File and Printer Sharing from all
but one of them.

Make sure that NetBIOS over TCP/IP is enabled on all computers.
--
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
.
Click to expand...

I enabled NetBIOS over TCP/IP and made sure that TCP/IP is
the only protocol enabled. I also disabled the Windows XP
firewall on both computers. Still no luck getting the
computers to see each other. Thankfully, there is still
no problem getting each of them to access the broadband
modem via the router.

There is a subtle difference between the computers, maybe
you can explain why. The connection properties on the XP
Pro machine has Client for Microsoft Networks, File and
Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks, QoS Packet
Scheduler, and Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) listed in
the "This connection uses the following times:" box, but
Client for Microsoft Networks and File and Printer Sharing
for Microsoft Networks are not checked. If I attempt to
check them and click OK, I get a message indicating that
they will both be disabled.

The XP Home machine has the same items listed, and all are
checked.

Additionally, the XP Home machine has itself (so to speak)
listed in the workgroup when I use Windows Explorer to
search the network, but the XP Pro machine does not have
any computers listed in the workgroup.
Click to expand...
 
-----Original Message-----
Permanently disable XP's built-in Internet Connection Firewall on
local area network connections -- it's for use only on a direct modem
connection to the Internet. Disable and un-install all other
firewalls while troubleshooting.

Use only one protocol for File and Printer Sharing. If the network
needs more than one protocol, unbind File and Printer Sharing from all
but one of them.

Make sure that NetBIOS over TCP/IP is enabled on all computers.
--
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
.
Click to expand...

I uninstalled the NIC on the XP Pro machine and re-
installed it. As I hoped, this corrected the problem with
the Client for Microsoft Networks and File and Printer
Sharing that were listed but not checked.

Now the two computers are having no trouble seeing each
other.

I suppose the original install did something behind the
scenes with those two services. What with all the segment
bridging and service binding, and that useless SOHO
wizard, who knows why those services were scrogged.

Thanks for the help.
Click to expand...
 
"Randy C" said:
I uninstalled the NIC on the XP Pro machine and re-
installed it. As I hoped, this corrected the problem with
the Client for Microsoft Networks and File and Printer
Sharing that were listed but not checked.

Now the two computers are having no trouble seeing each
other.

I suppose the original install did something behind the
scenes with those two services. What with all the segment
bridging and service binding, and that useless SOHO
wizard, who knows why those services were scrogged.

Thanks for the help.
Click to expand...

Congratulations on finding and fixing the problem, Randy! The message
about network components being disabled when you try to enable them
indicates a corrupted network connection. Un-installing and
re-installing the NIC, which deletes the network connection and
creates a new one, is exactly the right fix.

I've seen the same problem, and I don't know what causes it.
--
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
 
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