Any Network Gurus Out There?

[florida_guy]

I have two computers at home networked through a Linksys firewall/router. One is a 2.6Ghz Dell with 512 RAM running XP Pro. The other is a 300 MHz Dell with 128 RAM running Win2K.

The main (XP) computer can see itself and it's files in Network Neighborhood and it can see the other computer (Win2K) but I can not get farther than seeing the work group in Network Neighborhood.... "permissions error".

The Win2K computer won't let me get farther than seeing the Workgroup in Network neighborhood.

Here's the rub. If I turn the XP computer off then on the Win2K computer I can drill through the workgroup see both computers and then see the files on itself but not (of course) on the XP which is turned off. :-)

If I give each computer different workgroup names then they can each see both computer and their own files but they can't see the files on the other computer.

I do have the drives shared.

Prior to me working on this the Win2K computer could see itself and it's files in Network Neighborhood and see the XP computer but not it's files. The XP computer wouldn't let me get farther than seeing the workgroup.

EDITED: I just remembered something important. If I boot up the Win2K machine first then it can see both computers and the XP machine is locked out. So the paragraph above may have just been a function of which machine I booted first before I realized that mattered.

Here is what I've tried so far:
1) Running the XP Network Wizard

2) Uninstalling and reinstalling Client for Microsoft Networks and Filesharing on both computers.

3) Running Network ID from "Computer Name" on both computers and leaving the Workgroup at the default "Workgroup".

4) Same as above but changing the Workgroup to "Home" which is it's current state.

5) Changing the name of the XP computer (because XP's network trouble shooting tool said it already detected a computer with the same name on the network). That didn't work so I changed it back.

6) The computers are currently named DELL8300-26 and DELLXPS-300.

7) Rebooting in between all changes

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[LChisum]

florida_guy, do you have a software firewall active in one or both of your PCs? If so, have you enabled the network traffic in the firewall?
Just a thought.

Larry

[florida_guy]

Originally posted by LChisum
florida_guy, do you have a software firewall active in one or both of your PCs? If so, have you enabled the network traffic in the firewall?
Just a thought.

Larry

I was just about to edit my post again. Both machines have had no trouble accessing the internet through the router during any of this. I have just one I.P. that both computers share through the router.

But to answer your question: I am using the free version of Zone Alarm on both computers.

However, this network has worked fine in the past with Zone Alarm on. I haven't done anything across the network for a while and I did do some system maintenance in between so I'm not exactly sure when it stopped working.

I have however upgraded Zone Alarm recently and told it to start fresh. Do I have to set something in Zone Alarm to tell it to let the other computer in??

[LChisum]

You probably need to set up Zone Alarm. I have run into this same problem. Look at your Zone Alarm log, and you should be able to spot the rejected network messages, select them, and allow them.

Larry

[florida_guy]

Originally posted by LChisum
You probably need to set up Zone Alarm. I have run into this same problem. Look at your Zone Alarm log, and you should be able to spot the rejected network messages, select them, and allow them.

Larry

If you new how many hours I spent on this since discovering the problem on Wednesday.

Why oh why didn't I ask here first!

The network guys at work didn't have a solution for me!

Thank you very much!!! I disabled Zone Alarm and the network is working fine!!

Now all I have to do is figure out what configuration changes I have to make in Zone Alarm to allow the other computer in and I'll be all set.

I'll try your suggestion.

I don't understand why I wasn't getting an alert from zone alarm telling me that such and such is requesting access do you want to allow it though.

[john802]

Originally posted by florida_guy

If you new how many hours I spent on this since discovering the problem on Wednesday.

Why oh why didn't I ask here first!

The network guys at work didn't have a solution for me!

Thank you very much!!! I disabled Zone Alarm and the network is working fine!!

Now all I have to do is figure out what configuration changes I have to make in Zone Alarm to allow the other computer in and I'll be all set.

I'll try your suggestion.

I don't understand why I wasn't getting an alert from zone alarm telling me that such and such is requesting access do you want to allow it though.

Don't disable the software firewall. Instead, go to the control center of zone alarm and click the firewall header. Adjust the trusted zone security to low.

-john

[florida_guy]

Originally posted by john802


Don't disable the software firewall. Instead, go to the control center of zone alarm and click the firewall header. Adjust the trusted zone security to low.

-john

I've got it working with Zone Alarm operating, HURRAY!!

However, I'm a little confused. I did what LChisum suggested and viewed the Zone Alarm log on the XP machine and set the connection to the Win2K machine to trusted and everything works now.

I would have expected to have to do something to the Win2K machine as well but I didn't.

I want to know exactly what the solution to this problem is so that if I update Zone Alarm again I don't have the headaches I had this time.

Right now I'm at "O.K. I futzed with it and it works, don't mess with it mode."

When I viewed the log on the Win2K machine I didn't see any rejected entries.

[Scoobs]

I had the same problem when I did my network install last fall. It was Zonealarm that was interfering. I assigned separate IP addresses to each of the three computers on the network and then set each of them up on each of the other computers' trusted zones so that they would recognize each other through the firewall. Each of the computers has the Internet Security Zone set at high and the Trusted Zone Security set at medium. May be more security than I need but it works,

[tim.s]

WinXP seems to be more fussy when it comes to home networks. The XP machine always wants to be the gateway and firewall while having the other PCs network through it. I think Microsoft set it up this way so the XP machine can protect the older, more vulnerable operating systems.

[jay]

Originally posted by tim.s
WinXP seems to be more fussy when it comes to home networks. The XP machine always wants to be the gateway and firewall while having the other PCs network through it. I think Microsoft set it up this way so the XP machine can protect the older, more vulnerable operating systems.

XP seems to be pretty stable. I've only had to address one trouble call from my Mom since she got a machine with XP. Good thing too, since I moved back to Apple 26 months ago, and left all those problems behind.