Help Needed: 2 XP computers networked, can't see each other

[Nascar2005]

I have to computers with Microsoft Windows XP on it. They are connected using a Linksys Wireless router and a wireless USB card on the 2nd computer. I am able to connect to the internet from both computers successfully without any problems. I can ping each of the computers from one another using their IP address.

The problem I am having is trying to connect using the server names/share names. I've tried NET VIEW MRSDEE (MRSDEE is the other computer name) and I get System Error 53. I'm very puzzled and not sure where to go next. Here's some information that may help. I think it has something to do with WINS/DNS but I am not sure how to fix it.

Here is IP Config from Computer 1:

C:\Documents and Settings\Mrs Dee>ipconfig /all
Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : MrsDee
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/100 VE Network Connecti
on
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-07-E9-AA-75-67
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.100
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : fe80::207:e9ff:feaa:7567%4
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 68.94.156.1
68.94.157.1
fec0:0:0:ffff::1%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::2%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::3%1
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, March 18, 2006 4:13:12 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Sunday, March 19, 2006 4:13:12 PM
Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : fe80::5445:5245:444f%5
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled
Tunnel adapter Automatic Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Automatic Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : C0-A8-01-64
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : fe80::5efe:192.168.1.100%2
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : fec0:0:0:ffff::1%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::2%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::3%1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled


Here is IPCONFIG from computer 2 with the wireless USB card:

C:\Documents and Settings\Carl>ipconfig /all
Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : DADS-DELL
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/100 VE Network Connecti
on
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-13-20-91-8C-F0
Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Linksys Wireless-G USB Network Adapt
er
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0C-41-6B-23-2B
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.101
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 68.94.156.1
68.94.157.1
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, March 18, 2006 3:46:38 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Sunday, March 19, 2006 3:46:38 PM


Thanks for your assistance.

[flawedreality5]

Do you have software firewalls on both? I had to add my parent's IP address to my firewall to be able to connect to them.

[Nascar2005]

I do not have any software firewalls. I had turned them off.

[glc]

NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

That's the problem. This has to be enabled or you have to install NetBEUI to fileshare.

[Nascar2005]

How do I enable Netbios on TCP/IP and do I have to do this on both computers? Both computers have Windows XP.

Thanks.

[glc]

Yes, it has to be enabled on both.

Properties of the connection, TCP/IP properties. Advanced, WINS tab.

[Nascar2005]

I enabled that on both PC's. Now from computer 1, I can see the other computer. I checked it using net view computer 2 and it worked.

It does NOT work from computer 2 to computer 1. I've rebooted both computers and tried it and it still doesn't work.


Carl

[glc]

Install NetBEUI.

http://support.microsoft.com/default...301041&sd=tech

[Nascar2005]

THis is a DELL PC and I don't recall getting the Windows XP CD in order to install the netbeui. If I didn't get the original CD with the PC, how do I go about installing it?

I think I just have to install it on the computer that is not working, correct?

The other thing that is puzzling to me is I have a similar setup at my house with 2 PC's and I looked and it does not appear that NETBEUI is installed. Plus I don't understand why I would need to install something that is un-supported NETBEUI in order to get this to work.

Sorry for asking so many questions, this just doesn't seem right to me, but then again that's why I'm asking for help.

Some updates:

Computer 1: (works to see computer 2)

C:\Documents and Settings\Mrs Dee>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : MrsDee
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/100 VE Network Connecti
on
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-07-E9-AA-75-67
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.100
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : fe80::207:e9ff:feaa:7567%4
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 68.94.156.1
68.94.157.1
fec0:0:0:ffff::1%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::2%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::3%1
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Monday, March 20, 2006 4:40:10 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, March 21, 2006 4:40:10 PM


Computer 2 (does not work to see computer 1)

:\Documents and Settings\Carl>ipconfig /all
indows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : DADS-DELL
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
thernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/100 VE Network Connecti
n
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-13-20-91-8C-F0
thernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Linksys Wireless-G USB Network Adapt
r
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0C-41-6B-23-2B
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.101
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 68.94.156.1
68.94.157.1
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Monday, March 20, 2006 8:21:42 AM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, March 21, 2006 8:21:42 AM


Thanks.

[Rossua]

Since you can ping each computer from the other computer, and access the internet via the wireless router, TCP/IP must be configured properly. There shouldn't be a need for NetBEUI, especially as its now a legacy product on XP.

On each computer check within the network settings that "File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks" is both installed and checked for all network connections that you have, wired and wireless. When this is not done on a computer, the other computers on the network will not see it under My Network Places.

Also you need to ensure the folders you want to share are set up as shared within Explorer. To check this on computer 1 do "net view MrsDee" at a command prompt, and a list of shared resources should appear (folders and printers). Likewise do "net view DADS-DELL" on computer 2. Or alternatively just look for the icon with the hand on it in Explorer to see which folders are set up as shared.

HTH

[glc]

If you install NetBEUI, it has to be installed on both. You can use ANY XP CD to get the 2 files that are required, it doesn't have to match the machine. Borrow one from a friend if you have to.

EDIT: It looks like IPv6 is installed on Computer 1. Is it being used to access a VPN or something? This could possibly be causing your issues.

As far as NetBEUI goes, yes, it's "legacy" but it WORKS, requires NO configuration, and there are no adverse effects in using it till you get up to several machines on the network. For simple 2 machine file sharing, it can be just what the doctor ordered to get around TCP/IP configuration issues and firewall configurations. If it doesn't work, it's very simple to uninstall.

[Nascar2005]

No VPN connections are needed on computer 1. Please tell me how to un-install it so I can try that ipV6. I'm not sure how it got there, but I think when I was going through something I may have done it or something.

I'm troubleshooting and working this for my Mom. For my computers at home, it works and I don't think I have netbuie installed. How can I check?

Thanks.

[glc]

Please humor me and install NetBEUI. It is not installed by default on XP or any other OS since Win95. If it's installed, you will see it in the properties of the connections, right next to TCP/IP.