(E-Mail Removed)ojunk (Hal) wrote in message news:<(E-Mail Removed)>...
> Hi This is my first attempt at networking.
>
> Running XP on 3 computers 1/2/3
> Workgroup "MSHOME"
> In MSHome on computers 2 and 3, all3 computers are on the screen.
> 2 can talk to 3 and 3 can talk to 2 .
> 2 and 3 CANNOT talk to 1.
>
> On computer 1 in My network places only a blank screen. Click on View workgroup
> computers and after 20/30 seconds error message "MSHome not
> accessible-------The list of servers for this workgroup is not available"
>
> Computer 1 is setup to Gill and mshome.
>
> Please can anyone give me step by step help
>
> Thanks Hal [Kent]
(E-Mail Removed)ojunk (Hal) wrote in message news:<(E-Mail Removed)>...
> Hi This is my first attempt at networking.
>
> Running XP on 3 computers 1/2/3
> Workgroup "MSHOME"
> In MSHome on computers 2 and 3, all3 computers are on the screen.
> 2 can talk to 3 and 3 can talk to 2 .
> 2 and 3 CANNOT talk to 1.
>
> On computer 1 in My network places only a blank screen. Click on View workgroup
> computers and after 20/30 seconds error message "MSHome not
> accessible-------The list of servers for this workgroup is not available"
>
> Computer 1 is setup to Gill and mshome.
>
> Please can anyone give me step by step help
>
> Thanks Hal [Kent]
Home networking on XP can be notorously patchy.
Assuming you've already checked for hardware faults.
On each PC check that:
1) The following are listed in the connection properties: Network
card, TCP/IP, Client for Microsoft Networks, File and Printer Sharing
(to get to connection properties goto My Network Places properties,
connection properties).
2) The IP addresses are in same IP address range (check IP addresses
and subnet masks*).
3) NetBIOS over TCP/IP is enabled (goto connection properties, TCP/IP
properties, Advanced, WINS)
4) They are all in the same workgroup (My computer properties,
computer name)
5) There is no firewall enabled eg. XP's ICF (goto connection
properties, advanced) or a thirdparty firewall such as Norton
Firewall.
* Type "ipconfig /all" at a command prompt. IP addresses should
normally be something like 192.168.0.x and the subnetmasks should be
255.255.255.0 where x is 1 to 254
That'll solve about 90% of problems.
If no luck:
To help diagnose the fault :-
Trying pinging* each PC from each PC (first with IP address then with
host name)
a) If IP any addresses don't work then it's a TCP/IP configuration
problem / firewall / hardware fault.
b) If IP addresses work and any hostnames don't then it's a NetBIOS
over TCP/IP problem.
c) If they both work but you still cannot see all the computers in the
workgroup list then it's a network browsing problem.
* To test IP connectivity to a remote PC goto a command prompt and
type "ping hostname" or ping "IP address".
(if you can see all the computers is the workgroup list but you cannot
access a computer when you double click on it then it's likely to be a
"file and print sharing" or firewall problem.)
If a) Check hardware (and check in device manager) and TCP/IP settings
on each PC.
If b) Check NetBIOS over TCP/IP is enabled (also check that "TCP/IP
NetBIOS Helper" service* is started) on each PC.
If c) Check that the "Computer Browser" service is started on each PC.
* To check if services are started goto My Computer properties,
Manage, Services.
Advanced use of nbtstat command
Also for b) and c) you can use the "nbtstat -a hostname" command to
check NetBIOS over TCP/IP statistics for each PC. Do it remotely (ie
from PC1 type "nbtstat -a PC2". You can use this to make sure NetBT is
working and also to see which PC has ended up as the Master Browser.
The Master Browser is the PC that maintains the list of PCs on your
network (eg. used when you browse the computers on the network
workgroup in network neighborhood).
Hope that helps and hope I haven't missed anything.
Thanks,
Bruce.
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