Connecting two PC's with Crossover Cable

Any help is appreciated since I am stumped. I'm connecting two PC's, which are both running XP, to transfer some files between the two. I connected the cable, configured the workgroup and turned off XP's firewall. On PC#1, both computers are recognized in the workgroup, but PC#2 only recognizes PC#2. And when I attempt to PING each computer from the other, PC#2 can ping PC#1 but PC#1 cannot ping PC#2. On both PC's, I have enabled Computer Browsing. Any thoughts on why this is not working? In the past, I have had these two connected with no problems, but now it won't work. Thanks.

 

Welcome to TSG!

You may have done this already... does both computers have TCP/IP enabled? Check under Control Panel > Network Connections > right click on Local Area Connection > click on Properties.

 

Sorry, I didn't mention that, but yes, they are enabled.

 

have you tried to access each comp by browsing to \\comp_name

 

If you can't ping both directions, then likely the networking is not going to work. TCP/IP is much lower on the "rung" of things. You need to eventually be able to ping by both IP and name from all computer to all computers before the network is going to get much farther.

If you cannot ping PC#2 there are some general things to try:

1. For testing purposes, make sure an firewall software (including XP's built in one) is disabled or uninstalled. Some anti-virus software also has firewall software included.

2. Make sure you are using know working network cards, cables, and ports on the hub. There have been recent posts here and elsewhere where this turned out to be the solution.

 

Thanks for the help. Another thing I didn't mention is that I have had these two PC's hooked together in the past with no problems. The only thing that I can think of that has happened since the last time I hooked them up is that I wiped and reformated the hard drive on PC#1.

 

Try mapping the drives "the old fashioned way." Open My Computer, go to Tools>Map Network Drive, type in the appropriate computer name and drive share name and see if that jogs things loose.