Computer can be accessed but cannot access other network entities

I have a Windows98 machine on a home network that includes another 98 plus
two WindowsXPs. However this particular 98 machine does not show other
computers on Network Neighborhood most times. When I use a utility to have
it scan IP addresses, it displays all the other computers, yet it doesn't
show them in Network Neighborhood. When in this state, I can access this 98
machine's files from the other computers. However, you cannot get to the
other computers from this 98 machine. If you type in another computer's
network address it says there is no such entitiy out there.

At times, one or more of the other computers will show up in Network
Neighborhood however when you dbl click on them, it was say not the
computer is not out there.

I don't have a firewall. I have printer and file sharing turned on.

What are the possible causes of this condition?

TIA

"T. Duprex" <tduprexATlandmark.net> wrote in message
news:Xns98EBA9115E2Fpinger@207.46.248.16...
>I have a Windows98 machine on a home network that includes another 98 plus
> two WindowsXPs. However this particular 98 machine does not show other
> computers on Network Neighborhood most times. When I use a utility to have
> it scan IP addresses, it displays all the other computers, yet it doesn't
> show them in Network Neighborhood. When in this state, I can access this
> 98
> machine's files from the other computers. However, you cannot get to the
> other computers from this 98 machine. If you type in another computer's
> network address it says there is no such entitiy out there.
>
> At times, one or more of the other computers will show up in Network
> Neighborhood however when you dbl click on them, it was say not the
> computer is not out there.
>
> I don't have a firewall. I have printer and file sharing turned on.
>
> What are the possible causes of this condition?
>
> TIA

along with MEB's suggested reading ...

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/188001 have a look at the section
"Registration And Propagation Time"

Solved the problem:

I had two Ethernet cards installed. Windows98 machine was, for reasons
unknown to me, assigning a conflicting address to the older card that did
not have a cable attached. The conflicting address was an address assigned
by the router, I presume, to another of my computers that was running XP.
I only discovered this by using a utility that scans IP addresses and only
when I had it display Hosts names did I realize that the 98 computer was
being assigned two ports/IP Addresses. The host name for the XP machine
never appeared on the 98 when scanning from the 98 machine.

I removed the network card that did not have a cable attached in
Network/Configuration. And trouble cleared.

I do not have any idea at this time why there was an address conflict being
generated with the 98 having two NICs installed.

If anyone has any idea what might have been going on I'd be interested in
checking out what might have been wrong with the two cards in.

"T. Duprex" <tduprexATlandmark.net> wrote in message
news:Xns98EB9663F9E0Epinger@207.46.248.16...
> Solved the problem:
>
> I had two Ethernet cards installed. Windows98 machine was, for reasons
> unknown to me, assigning a conflicting address to the older card that did
> not have a cable attached. The conflicting address was an address assigned
> by the router, I presume, to another of my computers that was running XP.
> I only discovered this by using a utility that scans IP addresses and only
> when I had it display Hosts names did I realize that the 98 computer was
> being assigned two ports/IP Addresses. The host name for the XP machine
> never appeared on the 98 when scanning from the 98 machine.
>
> I removed the network card that did not have a cable attached in
> Network/Configuration. And trouble cleared.
>
> I do not have any idea at this time why there was an address conflict
> being
> generated with the 98 having two NICs installed.
>
> If anyone has any idea what might have been going on I'd be interested in
> checking out what might have been wrong with the two cards in.

when using two cards "I" normal use static IP's ...DHCP from the router
seems to have been confused...

glad you got it sorted out!