[brilumb]

I have a problem with the workgroup I have just set up.

The network set-up is as basic as you can get, one desk top PC and one
laptop with a wireless connection. No encryption at present.

I have Windows XP Home Edition plus SP2. The PC is connected to broadband with a BT Voyager 105 modem.

The wizard named my workgroup "MSHOME” The set-up is peer to peer working.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

With regard to the PC when I click NETWORK PLACES/VIEW WORKGROUP COMPUTERS I get the error message:
"MSHOME is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this network
resource."

With regard to the laptop when I click NETWORK PLACES/VIEW WORKGROUP COMPUTERS the laptop displays the laptop computer description name. When I left click the laptop name a list of shared folders is displayed.
When I click the PC name the message “\\lumbco is not accessible is displayed”. (lumbco is the name I gave to my network).

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Running NET DIAGNOSTICS on the PC produces the following error messages:

BELKIN WIRELESS CARD
IP address = 192.168.0.2 (FAILED)

WAN Miniport
DefaultIPGateway = 86.144.170.151 (SAME SUBNET)(FAILED)
DNSServerSearchOrder (FAILED)
IPAddress = 86.144.170.151 (FAILED)

Running Net DIAGNOSTICS on the laptop produced no errors.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Can you tell me what the WAN Miniport is? Is the reported IPaddress 86.144.170.151 significant?

Can someone please help?

Brian Lumb

[TerryNet]

Describe your network, please. It sounds like maybe you have an ethernet or USB connection to a DSL modem on one PC and a wireless ad-hoc network between the 2 PCs. Yes? If so, are you using static IPs or Dhcp on the LAN?

Can you ping each PC from the other by IP address? By Computer Name?

[brilumb]

Thanks for replying.

You are right. The DSL modem is connected to the PC by USB and there is a wireless ad-hoc network between the PC and the laptop.

I have static IP addresses, 192.168.0.2 on the desktop PC and 192.168.0.3 on the laptop.

I am new to networking, can you advise me how to ping each PC by IP address and computer name ?

[TerryNet]

"Can you tell me what the WAN Miniport is? Is the reported IPaddress 86.144.170.151 significant?"

As best I can understand it the WAN Miniport is a special driver for your USB connection to the DSL modem. That IP address is significant in that when the computer does not know what connection to use for an address, it goes to the Gateway address (which is supposed to be a router or computer that knows what to do next). In your case that is one of your ISP's computers; I don't get replies back when I ping it, so they must have that turned off to cut down traffic. So the FAILED you got is probably not important. If it were a true failure, you would not really have internet access.


"can you advise me how to ping each PC by IP address and computer name ?"

Sure. Open a Command Window (e.g., Start - Run - cmd - OK) and type
ping 192.168.0.2 (to ping the desktop), and
ping desktop_name (where "desktop_name" is the computer name you assigned to the desktop)

Summarize the results as Success = got 4 replies,
Failure = all packets lost or timed out,
Partial = 1, 2 or 3 replies (you seldom get this).

[brilumb]

I finally found the solution - the firewalls were blocking everything.

With both firewalls disabled the PC and the laptop were able to see each other.

The error messages were not at all helpful and they sent me in every direction but the right one.

Thanks for your patience and helpful advice.

Bri

[TerryNet]

Congrats on your solution.

Remember the ping information for your future adventures. The reason I asked about ping results is because if ping by IP address fails there's about a 99% probability that you are not connected or that a firewall is doing its blocking job, and there is no need to look for anything more complicated.