Home Network Questions

I used Netwrok Wizard to create a small home network last week that has 1
wired computer (via a D-Link DI-624 router) and 3 wireless computers. All
have XP Home Edition.

Question 1: Sometimes I can see and access all of the computers via My
Network Places ("View all workgroup computers") and sometimes I can't.

I'm confused as to why I can see and access the devices sometimes but not at
other times?

I know that the computers must be turned on for me to see them. Does a user
have to be logged on to the machine for me to access the shared folders
remotely? Does the user need to have an Internet connection open for me to
access the shared folders?

Question 2: Why does it take so long for the other computers to appear when
I use My Network Places? Sometimes I have to wait up to 10 minutes for them
to appear when I click "View other computers in the workgroup".

I heard there might be some REGISTRY fix that would allow me to access the
remote machines faster???

Please help. Thanks !!!
Tony V

You can access shares on a remote computer even though no user has yet
logged onto the remote computer. Internet connections are not relevant to
accessing LAN resources.

The browser service does not and is not intended to provide an
up-to-the-second map of network resources. There are various latentencies
built into the process coupled with the collision prone use of broadcasts
which account for this. And, the process has not changed significantly
since Window NT. See:

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;188001

The browser service should probably be viewed as primarily a tool to provide
information to users who are not familiar with the local network. For this
reason traditional network theory would recommend that small networks use
fixed IP addresses and lmhosts files with pre-loaded entries on small
networks. This technique enables quicker more reliable access; and you can
maintain such accesss even if DHCP, broadcasts, and the browser service all
fail. See:

http://www.comptechdoc.org/os/window.../wtcpname.html

Doug Sherman
MCSE, MCSA, MCP+I, MVP

"Tony V" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:952809DB-32C2-42B0-B91B-(E-Mail Removed)...
> I used Netwrok Wizard to create a small home network last week that has 1
> wired computer (via a D-Link DI-624 router) and 3 wireless computers. All
> have XP Home Edition.
>
> Question 1: Sometimes I can see and access all of the computers via My
> Network Places ("View all workgroup computers") and sometimes I can't.
>
> I'm confused as to why I can see and access the devices sometimes but not
at
> other times?
>
> I know that the computers must be turned on for me to see them. Does a
user
> have to be logged on to the machine for me to access the shared folders
> remotely? Does the user need to have an Internet connection open for me to
> access the shared folders?
>
> Question 2: Why does it take so long for the other computers to appear
when
> I use My Network Places? Sometimes I have to wait up to 10 minutes for
them
> to appear when I click "View other computers in the workgroup".
>
> I heard there might be some REGISTRY fix that would allow me to access the
> remote machines faster???
>
> Please help. Thanks !!!
> Tony V
>

"Diamontina Cocktail" wrote:

>
> "Tony V" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:952809DB-32C2-42B0-B91B-(E-Mail Removed)...
> >I used Netwrok Wizard to create a small home network last week that has 1
> > wired computer (via a D-Link DI-624 router) and 3 wireless computers. All
> > have XP Home Edition.
> >
>
> <snip>
>
> The simplest answer to all this is this:
>
> If you know the IP address of the computer or computers that you are trying
> to access, even though they don't yet appear in My Network Places (and
> supposing you have properly shared the areas you want open on the network),
> simply open a web browser and put in the IP number being sure to put the
> slashes the right way around.
>
> Eg, \\10.1.1.5 if that is the IP number of the computer you want to access.
>
> You see, XP can take quite a long time (it has been noted to be up to 30
> minutes sometimes) for shares to appear on some computers under "My Network
> Places". Doing what I said above gets you to those shares on that computer
> within seconds.
>
> One word of warning - if you put the slashes the wrong way around - eg
> //10.1.1.5 - then it wont work.
>
>
> Thanks for the reply. I tried your suggestion but my browser can't find my computer's IP address. I guess the NAT on the router is hiding it ???
Any suggestions???

I'm still trying to digest the repy before yours. I don't know if I'm at the
level that you folks are but I know I basically understand what you're
saying...

Tony V wrote:
>
> "Diamontina Cocktail" wrote:
>
>
>>"Tony V" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>news:952809DB-32C2-42B0-B91B-(E-Mail Removed)...
>>
>>>I used Netwrok Wizard to create a small home network last week that has 1
>>>wired computer (via a D-Link DI-624 router) and 3 wireless computers. All
>>>have XP Home Edition.
>>>
>>
>><snip>
>>
>>The simplest answer to all this is this:
>>
>>If you know the IP address of the computer or computers that you are trying
>>to access, even though they don't yet appear in My Network Places (and
>>supposing you have properly shared the areas you want open on the network),
>>simply open a web browser and put in the IP number being sure to put the
>>slashes the right way around.
>>
>>Eg, \\10.1.1.5 if that is the IP number of the computer you want to access.
>>
>>You see, XP can take quite a long time (it has been noted to be up to 30
>>minutes sometimes) for shares to appear on some computers under "My Network
>>Places". Doing what I said above gets you to those shares on that computer
>>within seconds.
>>
>>One word of warning - if you put the slashes the wrong way around - eg
>>//10.1.1.5 - then it wont work.
>>
>>
>>Thanks for the reply. I tried your suggestion but my browser can't find my computer's IP address. I guess the NAT on the router is hiding it ???
>
> Any suggestions???
>
> I'm still trying to digest the repy before yours. I don't know if I'm at the
> level that you folks are but I know I basically understand what you're
> saying...

No, your router is not "hiding" your IP address -- at least not if you
have a working network.

The default range of IP addresses assigned by D-Link home wifi routers
is 192.168.0.100 through 192.168.0.199. So, if on your wired computer
you open a command prompt and
type "ipconfig /all" (without quotes) and press Enter,
you will most likely find out that your wired computer has an IP address
of 192.168.0.100 (or perhaps 192.168.0.101).

The default IP address for the router itself is 192.168.0.1. If you
type this in the address box of your browser, you will access the
configuration pages of the DI-624. You can use this to see the "DHCP
Client Table" which lists all of the IP addresses currently assigned by
the router (see documentation for details). Since this gives only the
MAC address of each computer, you may not find it easy to determine
which one is which. It's probably easier to go to each of the wireless
computers, open a command prompt, and use the ipconfig /all command to
find out the individual IP addresses.

Even though the IP addresses are not fixed, and are released when you
disconnect (turn off) the wifi-connected computers, typically, the DHCP
server will assign the same IP address to the same MAC address when it
becomes active again.

Tony:

I set up a "wired" network for the business operating now for several years.
Got a "wireless" one going at home now since the beginning of the year.

I also noticed this very same problem when the networks were first set up,
other computers, resources does not appear immediately, but over a period of
time, each PC seem to remember the others in the network from before.

In the beginning, when I had to get to use resources in the other machines
in a hurry, I find I can go to "networK neighborhood", and use "Add a
NetworkPlace". In this setup, you browse the network resources available,
find it there, and you can add the resource needed, even before the system
gets to recognize it.

The downside of this is that when the system itself recognizes the same
resource, the item appears TWICE.

There is a command a came across called NBTSTAT (check it out via NBTSTAT/?
in a DOS window), and I found it useful to diagnose whether machines in the
network are seeing each other.

I actually went crazy checking this issue out initially, and know more than
I want to know about the subject. Right now, having the items appear twice
seems just as frustrating as not having it show up at all.

Frank Chin




"Tony V" wrote:

> I used Netwrok Wizard to create a small home network last week that has 1
> wired computer (via a D-Link DI-624 router) and 3 wireless computers. All
> have XP Home Edition.
>
> Question 1: Sometimes I can see and access all of the computers via My
> Network Places ("View all workgroup computers") and sometimes I can't.
>
> I'm confused as to why I can see and access the devices sometimes but not at
> other times?
>
> I know that the computers must be turned on for me to see them. Does a user
> have to be logged on to the machine for me to access the shared folders
> remotely? Does the user need to have an Internet connection open for me to
> access the shared folders?
>
> Question 2: Why does it take so long for the other computers to appear when
> I use My Network Places? Sometimes I have to wait up to 10 minutes for them
> to appear when I click "View other computers in the workgroup".
>
> I heard there might be some REGISTRY fix that would allow me to access the
> remote machines faster???
>
> Please help. Thanks !!!
> Tony V
>

Diamontina Cocktail wrote:
> "Lem" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Tony V wrote:
>>> "Diamontina Cocktail" wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> "Tony V" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>> news:952809DB-32C2-42B0-B91B-(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>
>>>>> I used Netwrok Wizard to create a small home network last week that has
>>>>> 1
>>>>> wired computer (via a D-Link DI-624 router) and 3 wireless computers.
>>>>> All
>>>>> have XP Home Edition.
>>>>>
>>>> <snip>
>>>>
>>>> The simplest answer to all this is this:
>>>>
>>>> If you know the IP address of the computer or computers that you are
>>>> trying to access, even though they don't yet appear in My Network Places
>>>> (and supposing you have properly shared the areas you want open on the
>>>> network), simply open a web browser and put in the IP number being sure
>>>> to put the slashes the right way around.
>>>>
>>>> Eg, \\10.1.1.5 if that is the IP number of the computer you want to
>>>> access.
>>>>
>>>> You see, XP can take quite a long time (it has been noted to be up to 30
>>>> minutes sometimes) for shares to appear on some computers under "My
>>>> Network Places". Doing what I said above gets you to those shares on that
>>>> computer within seconds.
>>>>
>>>> One word of warning - if you put the slashes the wrong way around - eg
>>>> //10.1.1.5 - then it wont work.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Thanks for the reply. I tried your suggestion but my browser can't find
>>>> my computer's IP address. I guess the NAT on the router is hiding it ???
>>> Any suggestions???
>>>
>>> I'm still trying to digest the repy before yours. I don't know if I'm at
>>> the level that you folks are but I know I basically understand what
>>> you're saying...
>> No, your router is not "hiding" your IP address -- at least not if you
>> have a working network.
>>
>> The default range of IP addresses assigned by D-Link home wifi routers is
>> 192.168.0.100 through 192.168.0.199. So, if on your wired computer
>
> Untrue. D-link's normal range is in the 10.*.*.* area. Of course if you want
> to change factory condition to 192.168.0.* you can.
>
>
>
Diamontina --

Perhaps the default IP range depends on the particular model or perhaps
on the country in which you are located. According to the manual for
the DI-624 Mod C (rev 106)
ftp://ftp.dlink.com/Gateway/di624_re...manual_106.zip
the default IP of the router is 192.168.0.1 (see page 12) and the
default IP address range assigned by the DHCP server is
192.168.0.100-199 (see p. 18).

Further on p. 68 of that manual, it says "most D-Link devices use the
192.168.0.X range."

I usually check the relevant documentation before I post.

No, Lem was exactly correct. The DI-624 rev.C and other router models
default to the 192.168.0.x address range.

Tony V could set up Static DHCP addressing in the router if he prefers to
always use the same IP for each PC.

"Diamontina Cocktail" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "Lem" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Tony V wrote:
>>>
>>> "Diamontina Cocktail" wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>"Tony V" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>>news:952809DB-32C2-42B0-B91B-(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>
>>>>>I used Netwrok Wizard to create a small home network last week that has
>>>>>1
>>>>>wired computer (via a D-Link DI-624 router) and 3 wireless computers.
>>>>>All
>>>>>have XP Home Edition.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>><snip>
>>>>
>>>>The simplest answer to all this is this:
>>>>
>>>>If you know the IP address of the computer or computers that you are
>>>>trying to access, even though they don't yet appear in My Network Places
>>>>(and supposing you have properly shared the areas you want open on the
>>>>network), simply open a web browser and put in the IP number being sure
>>>>to put the slashes the right way around.
>>>>
>>>>Eg, \\10.1.1.5 if that is the IP number of the computer you want to
>>>>access.
>>>>
>>>>You see, XP can take quite a long time (it has been noted to be up to 30
>>>>minutes sometimes) for shares to appear on some computers under "My
>>>>Network Places". Doing what I said above gets you to those shares on
>>>>that computer within seconds.
>>>>
>>>>One word of warning - if you put the slashes the wrong way around - eg
>>>>//10.1.1.5 - then it wont work.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Thanks for the reply. I tried your suggestion but my browser can't find
>>>>my computer's IP address. I guess the NAT on the router is hiding it ???
>>>
>>> Any suggestions???
>>>
>>> I'm still trying to digest the repy before yours. I don't know if I'm at
>>> the level that you folks are but I know I basically understand what
>>> you're saying...
>>
>> No, your router is not "hiding" your IP address -- at least not if you
>> have a working network.
>>
>> The default range of IP addresses assigned by D-Link home wifi routers is
>> 192.168.0.100 through 192.168.0.199. So, if on your wired computer
>
> Untrue. D-link's normal range is in the 10.*.*.* area. Of course if you
> want to change factory condition to 192.168.0.* you can.
>
>
>

The router specifically being discussed is a DI-624, which does use the
192.*.*.* range and is the one you contradicted Lem about. When I said other
models I only had in mind the DI-604 and DI-524, which also use the same
address range. A quick check in Dlink's knowledgebase turns up D-Link's
general router instructions for accessing the web based configuration pages,
which gives the default address 192.168.0.1 for models DI-784 / DI-514 /
DI-524 / DI-514_revC / DWL-900AP _revB / DWL-900AP _revC / DI-624_revC /
DI-624_revB / DWL-G800AP / DWL-G810 / DI-624S / DI-524_revC. I'm sure there
are others as well but the most common consumer models found on store
shelves in this area are already included among those listed above.



"Diamontina Cocktail" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "RalfG" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> No, Lem was exactly correct. The DI-624 rev.C and other router models
>> default to the 192.168.0.x address range.
>>
>
> No, sorry, that isnt right. I understand SOME D-Link may be in the
> 192.*.*.* range but the majority are in 10.*.*.* range.
>
>
>

RalfG wrote:
> The router specifically being discussed is a DI-624, which does use the
> 192.*.*.* range and is the one you contradicted Lem about. When I said other
> models I only had in mind the DI-604 and DI-524, which also use the same
> address range. A quick check in Dlink's knowledgebase turns up D-Link's
> general router instructions for accessing the web based configuration pages,
> which gives the default address 192.168.0.1 for models DI-784 / DI-514 /
> DI-524 / DI-514_revC / DWL-900AP _revB / DWL-900AP _revC / DI-624_revC /
> DI-624_revB / DWL-G800AP / DWL-G810 / DI-624S / DI-524_revC. I'm sure there
> are others as well but the most common consumer models found on store
> shelves in this area are already included among those listed above.
>
>
>
> "Diamontina Cocktail" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> "RalfG" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> No, Lem was exactly correct. The DI-624 rev.C and other router models
>>> default to the 192.168.0.x address range.
>>>
>> No, sorry, that isnt right. I understand SOME D-Link may be in the
>> 192.*.*.* range but the majority are in 10.*.*.* range.
>>
>>
>>
>
>
Thanks, Ralf.

Thanks for the help. I'll close this posting in a couple of days. I found all
of the postings to be informative and thank all involved.

Specifically, I'm going to use the suggestions about accessing the computers
on the network via "\\IPAddress" in my browser rather than via My Network
Places.

I also found the tip about adding the shares via "Add a network place" a
great time saver. This will help my kids access the shares rather than having
to remember the exact IP address.

Follow up Questions:
1) What would I gain by making the IP address of the computers on the
network "static" by following the directions/instructions for my router
(DI-624)??

Would I make the network any less secure by doing this?? I assume the NAT
that the router does prevents out of netwrok users from seeing the individual
computers behind the router. Correct???

2) If I did assign static IP addresses to the networked computers this is
different issue from the DHCP (dynamic) IP address that is assigned to me by
my ISP? Correct??

Thanks again!


Tony V" wrote:

> I used Netwrok Wizard to create a small home network last week that has 1
> wired computer (via a D-Link DI-624 router) and 3 wireless computers. All
> have XP Home Edition.
>
> Question 1: Sometimes I can see and access all of the computers via My
> Network Places ("View all workgroup computers") and sometimes I can't.
>
> I'm confused as to why I can see and access the devices sometimes but not at
> other times?
>
> I know that the computers must be turned on for me to see them. Does a user
> have to be logged on to the machine for me to access the shared folders
> remotely? Does the user need to have an Internet connection open for me to
> access the shared folders?
>
> Question 2: Why does it take so long for the other computers to appear when
> I use My Network Places? Sometimes I have to wait up to 10 minutes for them
> to appear when I click "View other computers in the workgroup".
>
> I heard there might be some REGISTRY fix that would allow me to access the
> remote machines faster???
>
> Please help. Thanks !!!
> Tony V
>