New XP user trying to connect to network: Help!

[jblaven]

Well,

I went from Win98 to XP and am trying to set up my notebook to the network here at work. The problem is, I can't seem to figure out how to do it. I could swing it in Win98 but XP has me confused.

I am expecting to see a list of computers of others who are on the network. I see nothing now.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Joe

 

[Puer Aeternus]

Ya me too....my network is hit and miss...seems that i network them both by accident..I need a tutorial as well


How about a step by step so Jblaven and I can get our rigs connected respectively!

I have been using the: create a home/office netwokwork wizard!
thank you

BTW..I dont know about Jblaven but both my rigs are running xp pro.

 

[maddmaxx]

Yeah add me to the list except I had mine up and I reloaded XP and it disappeared. My other two comps on the lan see each other fine and so did my main rig until the re-install. WTF? The Wiz does Jack It says it has set up my network but my Net places are empty. Hell it doesn't see itself. All three are Xp Pro And I set them all up but now ??? Help me Obi-Wan , your my only hope.

 

[jblaven]

ha ha, I thought it was just me.

I am also using XP Pro. Sounds like this is a common "problem".

 

[DDR-PIII]

wow this is starting to get to be a big list hrmm....
i found networking to be alot easyer in xp pro than 98 se.... i would love to help but im not very good @ explaning things my self :/

 

[bdf24]

First make sure you've got the built in firewall in XP disabled. You will not be able to network with that enabled. When setting up a network in XP it likes to enable. So chech that first.
Also make sure the account's are the same on both machines. You must be logged in as an Admin to network on both PC's. Also make sure the work Group's are the same.
Then make sure whatever drives you wanna share you set them up for sharing. Oh, and I'm sure you already know this but make sure file and printer sharing are enabled.

I've been networking 2 XP Pro box's now for month's together. Iv'e reformated and reinstalled a few times and never have a problem getting my network back up after a reinstall. I don't use the network wizard. I set it up manually.

Although I'm using a Linksys 4 port Router. Maybe that's the difference for me. Seem's you guy's are using a direct connect between 2 PC's.

 

[Puer Aeternus]

Linkseys 5 port hub here.
I have had the two rigs networked before. Just seems after this last reformat they dont see each other...maybe logged on as admin might be the trick I missed?
I also use the wizard and when it asks "how do you connect to the internet"...I get confused about which to choose..my isp or nic card. Now of course isp is the corect answer but that does not get my two rigs networked.

 

[rogerdugans]

I have XP Pro on a laptop and one desktop at work: both had occasional problems with the network settings changing by themselves before SP1 but no trouble since, thankfully!

Avoid the network wizards: they screw things up more than they help!

Firewall (disabled) and File Sharing(enabled, at least one share defined) must be correct.

Unless you have to use it I recommend avoiding DHCP: it actually makes troubleshooting connectivity problems harder, and is more likely to cause errors.

Set for static IP, first three octets (192.168.0) MUST be the same, the fourth MUST be different on each pc. So with 3 computers you could have 192.168.0.0, 192.168.0.2, 192.168.0.3.

The subnet mask MUST be the same on all connected computers: most common is 255.255.255.0

Workgroup MUST be the same: doesn't matter what it is, bit all connected computers have to be in the same workgroup.

Set up an account with admin privileges using exactly the same username and password on each pc: when logged in with that account you should be able to see/use all the other computers and shares.

That should do it
After that it is best to set up regular user accounts as they will be used, remembering to mirror the username/password on the other computers.

 

[Puer Aeternus]

Ahhhhhh.finally, thank you!
I will set them up by tonite and report back


Edit: Just tried...one computer sees only itself and the other sees both computers on the network.
Now when I try to access the other computer on it I get an error that is asking me to contact system administrator?

firewalls(even ZA) turned off. Both are admin w/ same name and pass. File sharing is turned on.
I dunno what else to do?...this is the same prob I always seem to get!

 

[Kinerry]

type in command, then type in ipconfig

 

[Puer Aeternus]

help...
seems this xp networking thing a popular subject...someone oughta make a sticky just for xp users

 

[bdf24]

As long as everything is configured correctly you should'nt have any troubles networking. If you do everything on both PC's like rogerdugans suggested you should be in buisness. I also avoid using DHCP. I run static. I still leave DHCP enabled incase I need to quickly hook a PC I'm working on to get file's or fast internet access. But on my rig's I run a static IP.

 

[eab]

Make sure your patch cables are all good. I just used the networking wizzard and it worked fine for me...

 

[Puer Aeternus]

I am still getting a error that telling to "ask administrator for privilages"?

ZA is turned off...MS firewall is turned off...both rigs have admin priviliages and passwords?
cable is working fine since both rigs can easilly access the internet!

hub and modem are fine?
what step am i missing?(using the wizard)

 

[eliya]

Edit: Just tried...one computer sees only itself and the other sees both computers on the network.
Now when I try to access the other computer on it I get an error that is asking me to contact system administrator?

firewalls(even ZA) turned off. Both are admin w/ same name and pass. File sharing is turned on.
I dunno what else to do?...this is the same prob I always seem to get!

i had the same problem. solved very easily - there's just some checkbox that wasn't on in the share's properties. just forgot which one exactly
also, dont forget to make sure you have the guest account turned on (type in command prompt "net user guest /active:yes") since xp requires it to network.

finally, check out this site which will surely get you up and running:
www.practicallynetworked.com

good luck

 

[64026402]

The first thing I do on a Win XP install is add the Netbios protocol which is off by default. This helps me sort out the network when the tcp-ip is not cooperating. XP has always been very good at keeping connections but the Netbios comes of and you have to set the sharing properties on the drive you want to share and the folders you want to share.
However the computer and one share folder should show up anyway.
If every thing else fails run the network ID on the sytstem front tab.
XP has higher security so it doesn't automatically share everything like 98.

 

[Kinerry]

be sure to get netbuei (not installed by default, but on winxp cd)

 

[Puer Aeternus]

thanks guys!

Funny thing is...a while ago I had no probs getting a network...now a couple of reformats later and It is not so easy anymore?
basically i used to run the network wizard and turn off zone alarm...it was that easy.