Machines can't see each other on LAN

G'day all -

I have a home network of three machines with a wireless modem/router. Machine #1 is a desktop running W2K Pro SP4 Rollup 1, connected to the router by ethernet cable from an Intel Pro/100 VE NIC; #2 is a similar desktop with the same OS, but in another room and using a D-Link G DWA-510 wireless NIC; and #3 is an Acer laptop with XP Pro SP3, with an Intel Pro/Wireless 2200BG NIC. None of the machines has IRQ conflicts on their NICs. None of the machines has an active firewall -- on the Acer I disabled the Windows Firewall because whatever I was doing it always got in the way and was just bloody annoying. Besides, that's what MAC Address firewalls are for: to just do a job and don't bother me.

Our network settings are:
+ Client for Microsoft Networks
_+ (Network Locator);
+ File and Printer sharing;
+ NetBEUI protocol;
+ Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
_+ (Obtain IP address, DNS server address automatically)
_+ (IP settings: DHCP enabled)
_+ (DNS settings: Register this connection's addresses in DNS)
_+ (WINS settings: Disable NetBIOS over TCP/IP, see Gibson Research, Home of Gibson Research Corporation)
_+ (Options settings: bog standard)

All machines have had UpnP and DCOM disabled.

We used to have a D-Link G604T GenII wireless router/modem, but had to replace it when a Huawei DSLAM had a software upgrade and we couldn't connect to our ISP. (^%#! I liked that router!) We installed a Linksys WAG120N Annex A modem/router.

And that's when our woes and troubles began.

We did not change any computer settings for the Linksys -- what was the point? On the D-Link we had Internet and the LAN, and could even see ourselves in the Workgroup.

But when we put the Linksys in, while all machines could (and still can) access the internet, the LAN is a problem. #1 cannot map network drives at all -- no matter what settings I changed, it cannot see any other machine. #2 and #3 have iffy network drive mapping.

One setting I did change because it was causing so much drama was to disable the Computer Browser Service on #2 and #3, leaving #1 as the Master (and only) Browser. I think this is why the Workgroup has disappeared.

OK. To summarise:
#1, ethernet cable, cannot talk to #2 or #3 but has internet.
#2 & #3, wireless, can talk to #1 and use the printer (!), but not to each other, but each has internet.
All three machines can be found by Search (Computers).
Each machine can ping the other two, but dropouts do happen.

The Linksys settings (LAN):
+ DHCP server yes;
+ Wireless:Network mode mixed;
_+ Wide channel 9 (I have no idea!);
_+ Standard channel 11;
_+ Disable SSID broacast;
_+ Security Mode WPA Personal;
_+ Encryption "TKIP or AES" (no options visible);
_+ Wireless MAC filter: All 3 machines permitted to access the network;
+ Admin:UPnP and all forms of remote management disabled;
+ Status:Firmware=V1.00.12;
_+ DHCP client table has all machines;
_+ ARP/RARP table (at the moment - it changes, dynamically) has only machine #1 & #3.

So what have I done wrong? What do I need to (re)set?

Gordon.

I solved it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What I didn't know is that routers won't forward broadcast signals. So, get rid of NetBEUI (of course, behind a NAT firewall you don't really need it), and Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP.

We're back in business!

Gordon.