Intermittent one way sharing baffler? XP

2 PCs connected through a Linksys Wireless G router

PC 1 is running XP Home (SP2) (direct RJ45 connection)
PC 2 is running XP Pro (SP2) (Linksys wireless card connection) (signal
strength is excellent)

Yesterday I successfully set up shared folders on each PC and it all
appeared to be working like a charm. However, I've turned it on this morning
and ....

PC 1 can only intermittently see PC2 in 'My computer' or My Network Places.
I can't see a pattern. If I mess with it for a while it may eventually
appear. If I try to open the shared drive on PC2 from PC1 it tells me the
network path cannot be found. I can intermittently ping PC2, though it takes
a few attempts and once it does it once, it keeps doing it but this makes no
difference to being able to access the shared folder. Both PCs can access
the Internet and the signal strength on PC2 is 'excellent'.

PC 2 can see PC1s shared folder all the time. It is working perfectly,
exactly as it was yesterday. Fast internet, no problem.

Perfect example here - A few seconds ago I went into 'my computer' places
and attempted to map to the shared drive on PC2 . I could see PC2 and I
could see the shared folder. I selected it and got an error message saying
'path could not be found. 10 seconds later I did exactly the same thing and
it successfully mapped the drive?

What's going on and how can I make PC1 see the shared drive on PC2 properly?



Thanks

Update to this problem. The problem is bigger than I thought. I'm now losing
connection from both PCs to each other's shared drives. Both can still use
the internet perfectly though. I've sat and pinged one PC from the other and
I've pinged successfully, then nothing, then successfully again, then
nothing, and once I hit twice and missed twice in the same ping! I've swoped
the cable on the wired PC. If its a faulty network card how come I can see
the Internet OK? Can't seem to connect either PC to the other at all now.

Totally baffled.....


"Carl Young" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:cmnrqo$35h$(E-Mail Removed)...
>2 PCs connected through a Linksys Wireless G router
>
> PC 1 is running XP Home (SP2) (direct RJ45 connection)
> PC 2 is running XP Pro (SP2) (Linksys wireless card connection) (signal
> strength is excellent)
>
> Yesterday I successfully set up shared folders on each PC and it all
> appeared to be working like a charm. However, I've turned it on this
> morning and ....
>
> PC 1 can only intermittently see PC2 in 'My computer' or My Network
> Places. I can't see a pattern. If I mess with it for a while it may
> eventually appear. If I try to open the shared drive on PC2 from PC1 it
> tells me the network path cannot be found. I can intermittently ping PC2,
> though it takes a few attempts and once it does it once, it keeps doing it
> but this makes no difference to being able to access the shared folder.
> Both PCs can access the Internet and the signal strength on PC2 is
> 'excellent'.
>
> PC 2 can see PC1s shared folder all the time. It is working perfectly,
> exactly as it was yesterday. Fast internet, no problem.
>
> Perfect example here - A few seconds ago I went into 'my computer' places
> and attempted to map to the shared drive on PC2 . I could see PC2 and I
> could see the shared folder. I selected it and got an error message saying
> 'path could not be found. 10 seconds later I did exactly the same thing
> and it successfully mapped the drive?
>
> What's going on and how can I make PC1 see the shared drive on PC2
> properly?
>
>
>
> Thanks
>

Now I can't even ping the router 'timed out'. But can still access the
Internet through it! Doh!

"Carl Young" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:cmnrqo$35h$(E-Mail Removed)...
> 2 PCs connected through a Linksys Wireless G router
>
> PC 1 is running XP Home (SP2) (direct RJ45 connection)
> PC 2 is running XP Pro (SP2) (Linksys wireless card connection) (signal
> strength is excellent)
>
> Yesterday I successfully set up shared folders on each PC and it all
> appeared to be working like a charm. However, I've turned it on this
morning
> and ....
>
> PC 1 can only intermittently see PC2 in 'My computer' or My Network
Places.
> I can't see a pattern. If I mess with it for a while it may eventually
> appear. If I try to open the shared drive on PC2 from PC1 it tells me the
> network path cannot be found. I can intermittently ping PC2, though it
takes
> a few attempts and once it does it once, it keeps doing it but this makes
no
> difference to being able to access the shared folder. Both PCs can access
> the Internet and the signal strength on PC2 is 'excellent'.
>
> PC 2 can see PC1s shared folder all the time. It is working perfectly,
> exactly as it was yesterday. Fast internet, no problem.
>
> Perfect example here - A few seconds ago I went into 'my computer' places
> and attempted to map to the shared drive on PC2 . I could see PC2 and I
> could see the shared folder. I selected it and got an error message saying
> 'path could not be found. 10 seconds later I did exactly the same thing
and
> it successfully mapped the drive?
>
> What's going on and how can I make PC1 see the shared drive on PC2
properly?

Sounds like a 'master browser election' problem. Does this help?:
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/Secti...le64-page1.php
HTH
--
Rob

Rob, you're a star! Not sure at what point this started working as I went
through the check list, but it works, and it works without any of the
'thinking' it did before. I really don't care why it works now but if you're
ever in Derby you're on for a few free pints and a Ruby : )

Thanks mate.

Carl

Well that's going to teach me to jump the gun! Just closed everything down,
rebooted and guess what... unmapped drive when I got back in to Windows.
Successfully remaped it after some messing around but no, problem is still
there. I think I'll go and have a brandy or lots : (


"Carl Young" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:cmongj$52g$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Rob, you're a star! Not sure at what point this started working as I went
> through the check list, but it works, and it works without any of the
> 'thinking' it did before. I really don't care why it works now but if
> you're ever in Derby you're on for a few free pints and a Ruby : )
>
> Thanks mate.
>
> Carl
>

"Carl Young" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:cmoqs9$7th$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Well that's going to teach me to jump the gun! Just closed everything
down,
> rebooted and guess what... unmapped drive when I got back in to Windows.
> Successfully remaped it after some messing around but no, problem is still
> there. I think I'll go and have a brandy or lots : (

Perhaps you've got two problems m8. Can you try temporarily
connecting PC2 using RJ45 instead of wirelessly, as it could be some sort
of interference or even a faulty wireless card? Other than that, I'm pretty
much out of ideas.
HTH
--
Rob