One PC, one laptop and one wireless router. The PC is wired to the router. The laptop is connected wirelessly. Both are Windows XP SP3 Both are on the same workgroup both have static IP's in the routers range both have sharing enabled folders Both can ping each other the laptop can map shared drives on the PC with no problem The PC can't find the shared drives on the laptop, or for that matter can't find the laptop itself on the workgroup network.
I've tried dozens of IP, sharing, firewall, network settings, and more than a little prayer. It's driving me nuts.
OK it has just come back to me so try this if the Simple File Sharing box is already ticked
Open Windows Explorer, from the drop down select Tools, Folder Options then the View tab. Scroll to the bottom and make sure the Simple File Sharing box is NOT ticked.
Now in Windows Explorer, RMC a shared folder and select Sharing and Security. You will now see a Security tab. This tab is only visible when the Simple File Sharing box is NOT ticked. Select that tab. In Group and user names Add 'Everyone'. In the lower box Permissions for Administrators tick the appropriate boxes, all if you are not sure. Select OK.
Now try File Sharing.
If it works, go back to Tools, Folder Options, View tab. Scroll to the bottom and now tick the Simple File Sharing box.
Again now try File sharing.....you might have to do a restart on both comps for this to take effect.
okay, so you have an unamed wap/router, running unknown software, you aren't running a dhcp server (why static?), one wired and one wireless right? using windows firewall or something else? turn em off for now...
can they see themselves? both directly and by the network?
free thing to try (many other ways, i just happen to do it this way), windows FILE explorer (not the internet explorer, FILE explorer comes free with windows, but icon is not installed due to people confusing it with IE) right click on the desktop, select new/shortcut/browse (windows directory/find explorer.exe, and left click on it next screen name it or leave it named explorer).....
now from that shortcut start it (left side/my computer/local disk, right click on drive/select sharing and security.... verify its shared and named) and again, on left side, my network places/entire network/microsoft windows network/....should be only one workgroup, and you should be able to see your puter/shared directory/etc, (you may/may not be able to see the other one too)
if they can see themselves reliably both direct and over the network, post here again and we can continue on (suns coming up, this vampire is going to bed) good luck...
well, you have it narrowed way down, not the wired network machine, nor the router, nor the hardware part of the wireless machine, so it appears it's a network/software problem on the wireless machine.... (you can see the other machines on your network, but not yourself)
two suggestions, on the wireless machine, on your start menu do you have a connect to?or in your control panel select network connections, and just do a 'set up home or small office network"... sounds silly, will whack any intentional changes, but it restores/redoes anything that may have gotten whacky, and gives you a known point.... and you can always apply any intentional changes again... What good is keeping changes in if it doesn't work in the first place?
does your wireless machine have a wired port? if so, can you plug it in temporarily (for testing, that will force it to use different stuff, but let you know if it is the network itself or just the wireless network stuff) ...
will narrow the prob down even further (ie wireless/network/driver stuff on the wireless machine) trick now is to determine if it is wired/wireless/ or network problems, much easier to fix when you narrow down the problem to one thing to focus on....
as always, good luck, and hope this debugging stuff doesn't drive you over the edge, but if it's getting close, look at alt.suicide.... trust me, puter problems are nothing compared to what they face, and most people like the "it could be worse" comparison to their own problems.....
Peter Pan, Thank you for your knowlegable and patient assistance. After enableing and diableing a pot-load of stuff, wireing and unwireing myriad systems, racking my and your brains for a solution, I finally noticed that I had a blank "Use the following DNS Address" box.
for use probably, but the file explorer/my network stuff only cares about what the network/software sees, not caring about the folders/userid's under that, course ping just does the hardware address thing, and doesn't much care about the software... at any rate, been using it (file explorer) for years and it's handy (already on most systems, and free) so why not check the next level up when debugging?
Cabling-Design.com Forums website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.