Why Can't My Computers "See" Each Other?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Totally Baffled
  • Start date Start date
T

Totally Baffled

I have 2 computers running Windows XP Home Edition. They
are connected to my cable modem by way of a router. Both
machines can access the internet, but they can't see each
other. Each machine can ping itself, the other machine and
the loopback address.

Both machines are running Zone Alarm Pro 4 and all of the
settings appear to be correct. The Windows firewall is
disabled. The workgroup name is the same on both computers.

I think all of the obvious settings are correct. When I
attempt to browse the network one of the machines shows
the workgroup folder to be empty and the other machine
gives the following error message when I click the
workgroup folder: (Workgroup Name) is not accessible. You
might not have permission to use this network resource.
Contact the administrator of this server to find out if
you have access permissions. The network path was not
found. My printer sharing doesn't work either.

My system needs to work as follows: 1) Each computer needs
to be able to access the designated shared folder on the
other computer. 2)My second computer needs to be able to
print to the printer on the first computer. 3) Under no
circumstances is there to be access to my network by way
of the internet.

Any help in resolving these problems would be greatly
appreciated. Thank you.
 
I read somewhere that Zone Alarm or any Firewall may cause
a problem with networking under XP.

Hope it helps.
 
Thanks for the reply, but I have the same problem even
with the firewall disabled.
 
Hi, Sly:
I spent all day trying to get my wife's computer to use
the printer on my computer. It used to work fine for two
years - until I updated my wife's Windows 98SE to Windows
XP for her birthday last Friday. Totally frustrated I
finally looked at the MS Newsgroup where "Totally Baffled"
had just posted his "cry for help". A few minutes later
your suggestion appeared - and the famous lightbulb
appeared over my head. Even though my home network is
protected from incoming intruders by my router, I still am
running the Norton firewall on my computer to watch for
outgoing stuff. I turned the firewall off - and everything
worked. Sly, you have done your good deed for the day! Thanks.
Erich in Irvine
PS: I hope it works for "Totally Baffled" too
 
It seems to me that the problem has something to do with
Windows XP. If I disable Zone Alarm it makes no
difference. I previously was using Norton Internet
Security 2003 and disabling that made no difference
either. In the transition between the 2 firewalls, file
sharing and printer sharing didn't work in the absence of
any firewall. So there is something going on here that has
nothing to do with the firewalls. I am on the verge of
doing a repair installation of Windows out of desperation.
Any further help would be very welcome. Thank you.
 
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