XP Home Networking

[sparky_t]

Hi All.

This should be easy. Especially for me, I'm a network administrator for a large company. Do MS ever make it easy?

I need to network two XP Home machines, one laptop, one tower together.

I have setup TCP/IP, made a Xover cable, and have a connection icon telling me that they are connected together. They won't ping - with a time out error, not an unreachable error.

Does anybody have any idea what I am doing wrong?

On my browsing of the web, the general conclusion is to install Netbeui, but it is not in the protocol installation list.

If anyone could help that would be great.

Thanks


Sparky

[Dragonsi]

I'm not sure if this will help but I had a similar problem a few months ago.

I was asked to install a basic network at a clients office, they had a PC which was about 18months old and I supplied another for the job. Their PC had no network card, so I purchased a standard 10/100 NIC. I ran about 14 meters of CAT5 and set-up the IP/TCP etc.

On both units, everything appeared to be working ok, the hardware was installed, power LED's were lit on both NIC's and I tested the cable for continuity - but they would not ping each other.

After hours of testing and pluging my laptop into the network, I still had no joy - so as a last resort, I swapped the NIC cards around - hey presto, once both units had booted up, the network, file/print shareing and internet worked absolutly fine with no problems..

It can be a case of some NIC cards are not compatible with certain motherboards.. Both units used AMD cpu's but their original PC had a Soltek motherboard, and from experiance - these can be a right pain in the but..

Best of luck - hope you get it sorted, let us know how you get on..

[redcircle]

you've set each computer for static ip. 192.168.1.1 and 192.168.1.2? Also make sure they're on the same workgroup to make filesaring easier. If you have any firewall software installed be sure to disable it.

You are not getting pings so it's not a netbeui issue

XP integrates netbeui in tcp/ip anyways.


I have setup TCP/IP, made a Xover cable,

did you make the cable or buy it.

[mikmik]

Can't switch the NICs. Laptop = PCMIA. Tower = PCI.

I would just use the network setup wizard.
Also, try netstat -an to see if there are IPs assigned.

Also try ipconfig /renew at command prompt. (this is the same as the repair in network connections.

[sparky_t]

Thanks All.

Still stuck. The Networking Wizard doesn't seem to help. I made the cable - but I've made hundreds b4.

MikMik is quite correct, I can't switch the cards.

Using the Ipconfig /all command I can confirm the IP addresses are correct, and yes, they are on the same work group.

I'm beginning to think that one of the OS's may need reinstalling.

Sparky

[redcircle]

new net cards would be my next options.. wait a minute.. try this. change pci slots.. then new nics

[jackhands]

I know this is a very basic suggestion but have you disabled the firewall that is built into XP and any other firewalls you may have installed?

[pedstersplanet]

Try this page (http://www.tipsdr.com/windows-xp-networking.html)

Also, have you installled NetBEUI, and ticked ICS (will auto assign I.P's) in your modem properties under "Sharing"?

[Jubjub]

Netbeui is available on the Windows XP install disk.

Open the following folder in the Windows XP CD: ValueAdd\Msft\Net\Netbeui.

Copy nbf.sys into the %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\directory.

Copy netnbf.inf into the %SYSTEMROOT%\INF\ directory.

Once this is done, you should be able to install netbeui and set up a workgroup so that the share folders are visible.

[neilw_uk]

Like He said! Firewall!

I was pulling my hair out for weeks with this problem and it was the firewall.

[talana43]

I suffer from the dreaded lurgi, otherwise known as service pack 2

It sees my wireless network card fine and the firewall is disabled but it complains that the radio is disbaled

HELP