Intermittent problem with home network

I have a home network of three PCs: desktop running XP Pro SP1, desktop
running Win2000, SP2 and work laptop running NT4, SP 6a. It's been working
fine for a while. IP addresses are allocated from a D-Link 504 DSL
modem/router/switch. All machines can access the web, all are on the same
workgroup.

BUT once in a while some of the PCs just disappear from network
neighbourhood. The strange thing is that you can still see the machines in
a DOS session if you do a 'net view' and map to the individual shares if you
do a 'net use' command. But in XP Pro, the target machine has disappeared
from 'My Network Places' and from 'View Workgroup Computers'. And the same
is true for the other machines.

Needless to say I have made NO changes in the configuration of any of the
machines. This thing just happens and then goes away and the machines are
visible again from network neighbourhood.

Any ideas?

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>,
(E-Mail Removed) says...
> I have a home network of three PCs: desktop running XP Pro SP1, desktop
> running Win2000, SP2 and work laptop running NT4, SP 6a. It's been working
> fine for a while. IP addresses are allocated from a D-Link 504 DSL
> modem/router/switch. All machines can access the web, all are on the same
> workgroup.
>
> BUT once in a while some of the PCs just disappear from network
> neighbourhood. The strange thing is that you can still see the machines in
> a DOS session if you do a 'net view' and map to the individual shares if you
> do a 'net use' command. But in XP Pro, the target machine has disappeared
> from 'My Network Places' and from 'View Workgroup Computers'. And the same
> is true for the other machines.
>
> Needless to say I have made NO changes in the configuration of any of the
> machines. This thing just happens and then goes away and the machines are
> visible again from network neighbourhood.
>
> Any ideas?
>
>
First thing I'd check is the DHCP lease expiry time.

"Rob Morley" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> In article <(E-Mail Removed)>,
> (E-Mail Removed) says...
> > I have a home network of three PCs: desktop running XP Pro SP1, desktop
> > running Win2000, SP2 and work laptop running NT4, SP 6a. It's been
working
> > fine for a while. IP addresses are allocated from a D-Link 504 DSL
> > modem/router/switch. All machines can access the web, all are on the
same
> > workgroup.
> >
> > BUT once in a while some of the PCs just disappear from network
> > neighbourhood. The strange thing is that you can still see the machines
in
> > a DOS session if you do a 'net view' and map to the individual shares if
you
> > do a 'net use' command. But in XP Pro, the target machine has
disappeared
> > from 'My Network Places' and from 'View Workgroup Computers'. And the
same
> > is true for the other machines.
> >
> > Needless to say I have made NO changes in the configuration of any of
the
> > machines. This thing just happens and then goes away and the machines
are
> > visible again from network neighbourhood.
> >
> > Any ideas?
> >
> >
> First thing I'd check is the DHCP lease expiry time.
>
Thank you very much! I do believe you're right. The lease on the XP
machine was renewed this morning & now I can see everything again. It still
seems weird as IP must have been working before because I could acces the
other machines (via mapping with 'net use') but just couldn't see them
through network neighbourhood in windows.

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>,
(E-Mail Removed) says...
> "Rob Morley" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> > In article <(E-Mail Removed)>,
> > (E-Mail Removed) says...
> > > I have a home network of three PCs: desktop running XP Pro SP1, desktop
> > > running Win2000, SP2 and work laptop running NT4, SP 6a. It's been
> working
> > > fine for a while. IP addresses are allocated from a D-Link 504 DSL
> > > modem/router/switch. All machines can access the web, all are on the
> same
> > > workgroup.
> > >
> > > BUT once in a while some of the PCs just disappear from network
> > > neighbourhood. The strange thing is that you can still see the machines
> in
> > > a DOS session if you do a 'net view' and map to the individual shares if
> you
> > > do a 'net use' command. But in XP Pro, the target machine has
> disappeared
> > > from 'My Network Places' and from 'View Workgroup Computers'. And the
> same
> > > is true for the other machines.
> > >
> > > Needless to say I have made NO changes in the configuration of any of
> the
> > > machines. This thing just happens and then goes away and the machines
> are
> > > visible again from network neighbourhood.
> > >
> > > Any ideas?
> > >
> > >
> > First thing I'd check is the DHCP lease expiry time.
> >
> Thank you very much! I do believe you're right. The lease on the XP
> machine was renewed this morning & now I can see everything again. It still
> seems weird as IP must have been working before because I could acces the
> other machines (via mapping with 'net use') but just couldn't see them
> through network neighbourhood in windows.
>
I suspect that's a problem with Explorer failing to refresh the net
browser, but you know how to get around that anyway :-) Have you tried
just entering the address of the shared resource in the Explorer address
bar or Run dialogue, in the form \\machine\resource? That might force
it to look even though it doesn't think there's anything there.