Windows 98 network not working

I hve a network of 2 win98 machines connected via a switch and a broadband
connection out to the internet. Both machines can connect to the internet,
but they can't see each other.

They both have file sharing turned on and are sharing resources. I can ping
the network address of the other machine on both.

On one machine 1 in the network neighbourhood folder, I get the entire
network icon and the icon for itself, sometimes this one can see machine 2
and share the resources.

On machine 2, I see the entire network icon but nothing else, not even itself.

I have gone over all the settings numerous times and as far as I can see
they are correct and I can't see why the network isn't working

Any suggestions?

"Fatso" wrote:

> I hve a network of 2 win98 machines connected via a switch and a broadband
> connection out to the internet. Both machines can connect to the internet,
> but they can't see each other.
>
> They both have file sharing turned on and are sharing resources. I can ping
> the network address of the other machine on both.
>
> On one machine 1 in the network neighbourhood folder, I get the entire
> network icon and the icon for itself, sometimes this one can see machine 2
> and share the resources.
>
> On machine 2, I see the entire network icon but nothing else, not even itself.
>
> I have gone over all the settings numerous times and as far as I can see
> they are correct and I can't see why the network isn't working
>
> Any suggestions?

As a followup, if I unplug one from the swtich then each machine sees the
entire network and itself, once i replug into the network after a bit machine
2 is unable to browse the network,

Any suggestions as to what the conflict might be?

If they're connected to a switch and not a router, they're almost surely
getting different network addresses from your ISP - and are 100% exposed to
the Internet for any passing hacker or cracker to get into. Put a router
with a firewall between your broadband Internet connection and the two
computers.

--
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"Fatso" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:A10EA86F-D507-4D8F-ACE3-(E-Mail Removed)...
>I hve a network of 2 win98 machines connected via a switch and a broadband
> connection out to the internet. Both machines can connect to the internet,
> but they can't see each other.
>
> They both have file sharing turned on and are sharing resources. I can
> ping
> the network address of the other machine on both.
>
> On one machine 1 in the network neighbourhood folder, I get the entire
> network icon and the icon for itself, sometimes this one can see machine 2
> and share the resources.
>
> On machine 2, I see the entire network icon but nothing else, not even
> itself.
>
> I have gone over all the settings numerous times and as far as I can see
> they are correct and I can't see why the network isn't working
>
> Any suggestions?

Sorry, they are connected together via a switch, the modem/router is also
connected through the swtich, so it would be the same network address to the
ISP.

The security isn't ideal with the NAT and I'll review that soon, but my main
concern at present is trying to get the 2 machines seeing each other

"Richard G. Harper" wrote:

> If they're connected to a switch and not a router, they're almost surely
> getting different network addresses from your ISP - and are 100% exposed to
> the Internet for any passing hacker or cracker to get into. Put a router
> with a firewall between your broadband Internet connection and the two
> computers.
>
> --
> Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (E-Mail Removed)
> * PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
> * for the benefit of all. Private mail is usually not replied to.
> * My website, such as it is ... http://rgharper.mvps.org/
> * HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
>
>
> "Fatso" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:A10EA86F-D507-4D8F-ACE3-(E-Mail Removed)...
> >I hve a network of 2 win98 machines connected via a switch and a broadband
> > connection out to the internet. Both machines can connect to the internet,
> > but they can't see each other.
> >
> > They both have file sharing turned on and are sharing resources. I can
> > ping
> > the network address of the other machine on both.
> >
> > On one machine 1 in the network neighbourhood folder, I get the entire
> > network icon and the icon for itself, sometimes this one can see machine 2
> > and share the resources.
> >
> > On machine 2, I see the entire network icon but nothing else, not even
> > itself.
> >
> > I have gone over all the settings numerous times and as far as I can see
> > they are correct and I can't see why the network isn't working
> >
> > Any suggestions?
>
>
>

I think you are incorrect - if you check the IP addresses on the two
computers I'll bet they're in completely different address ranges. A switch
does not do NAT, so each PC is being assigned an IP address by your ISP.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (E-Mail Removed)
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* for the benefit of all. Private mail is usually not replied to.
* My website, such as it is ... http://rgharper.mvps.org/
* HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


"Fatso" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:B9FFAE28-B847-41EB-91D0-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Sorry, they are connected together via a switch, the modem/router is also
> connected through the swtich, so it would be the same network address to
> the
> ISP.
>
> The security isn't ideal with the NAT and I'll review that soon, but my
> main
> concern at present is trying to get the 2 machines seeing each other
>
> "Richard G. Harper" wrote:
>
>> If they're connected to a switch and not a router, they're almost surely
>> getting different network addresses from your ISP - and are 100% exposed
>> to
>> the Internet for any passing hacker or cracker to get into. Put a router
>> with a firewall between your broadband Internet connection and the two
>> computers.
>>
>> --
>> Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (E-Mail Removed)
>> * PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
>> * for the benefit of all. Private mail is usually not replied to.
>> * My website, such as it is ... http://rgharper.mvps.org/
>> * HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
>>
>>
>> "Fatso" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:A10EA86F-D507-4D8F-ACE3-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> >I hve a network of 2 win98 machines connected via a switch and a
>> >broadband
>> > connection out to the internet. Both machines can connect to the
>> > internet,
>> > but they can't see each other.
>> >
>> > They both have file sharing turned on and are sharing resources. I can
>> > ping
>> > the network address of the other machine on both.
>> >
>> > On one machine 1 in the network neighbourhood folder, I get the entire
>> > network icon and the icon for itself, sometimes this one can see
>> > machine 2
>> > and share the resources.
>> >
>> > On machine 2, I see the entire network icon but nothing else, not even
>> > itself.
>> >
>> > I have gone over all the settings numerous times and as far as I can
>> > see
>> > they are correct and I can't see why the network isn't working
>> >
>> > Any suggestions?
>>
>>
>>

Richard G. Harper wrote:
> I think you are incorrect - if you check the IP addresses on the two
> computers I'll bet they're in completely different address ranges. A switch
> does not do NAT, so each PC is being assigned an IP address by your ISP.
>
He said he's using a router.

--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form che...@prodigy.net.

Fatso wrote:
> I hve a network of 2 win98 machines connected via a switch and a broadband
> connection out to the internet. Both machines can connect to the internet,
> but they can't see each other.
>
> They both have file sharing turned on and are sharing resources. I can ping
> the network address of the other machine on both.
>
> On one machine 1 in the network neighbourhood folder, I get the entire
> network icon and the icon for itself, sometimes this one can see machine 2
> and share the resources.
>
> On machine 2, I see the entire network icon but nothing else, not even itself.
>
> I have gone over all the settings numerous times and as far as I can see
> they are correct and I can't see why the network isn't working
>
> Any suggestions?

For whatever reason, WINS (Windows Name Service) isn't doing what it
should. Check in the TCP/IP "Properties" menu that there's either
a WINS server (probably not, or you would have mentioned it) or you're
using DHCP for WINS resolution. Perhaps your DHCP server (probably
built into your router) isn't cooperating, or you have it turned off.

I've found the most reliable solution to such problems is to let SAMBA
on a Unix (or Linux) box provide the service -- but I use SAMBA for file
services generally, so flipping on the WINS service is trivial.

--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form che...@prodigy.net.

re: the router, yes, my external IP is a 210.XXX.XXX.XXX and the internal IPs
are in the 10.XX.XX.XX range.

I am using DHCP for WINS resolution, would the way that my router uses the
10.X.X.X range affect WINS, i.e. would if prefer the 192.168.x.x range?

"CJT" wrote:

> Fatso wrote:
> > I hve a network of 2 win98 machines connected via a switch and a broadband
> > connection out to the internet. Both machines can connect to the internet,
> > but they can't see each other.
> >
> > They both have file sharing turned on and are sharing resources. I can ping
> > the network address of the other machine on both.
> >
> > On one machine 1 in the network neighbourhood folder, I get the entire
> > network icon and the icon for itself, sometimes this one can see machine 2
> > and share the resources.
> >
> > On machine 2, I see the entire network icon but nothing else, not even itself.
> >
> > I have gone over all the settings numerous times and as far as I can see
> > they are correct and I can't see why the network isn't working
> >
> > Any suggestions?
>
> For whatever reason, WINS (Windows Name Service) isn't doing what it
> should. Check in the TCP/IP "Properties" menu that there's either
> a WINS server (probably not, or you would have mentioned it) or you're
> using DHCP for WINS resolution. Perhaps your DHCP server (probably
> built into your router) isn't cooperating, or you have it turned off.
>
> I've found the most reliable solution to such problems is to let SAMBA
> on a Unix (or Linux) box provide the service -- but I use SAMBA for file
> services generally, so flipping on the WINS service is trivial.
>
> --
> The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
> minimize spam. Our true address is of the form che...@prodigy.net.
>

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, CJT <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:
>Fatso wrote:
>> I hve a network of 2 win98 machines connected via a switch and a broadband
>> connection out to the internet. Both machines can connect to the internet,
>> but they can't see each other.
>>
>> They both have file sharing turned on and are sharing resources. I can ping
>> the network address of the other machine on both.
>>
>> On one machine 1 in the network neighbourhood folder, I get the entire
>> network icon and the icon for itself, sometimes this one can see machine 2
>> and share the resources.
>>
>> On machine 2, I see the entire network icon but nothing else, not even itself.
>>
>> I have gone over all the settings numerous times and as far as I can see
>> they are correct and I can't see why the network isn't working
>>
>> Any suggestions?
>
>For whatever reason, WINS (Windows Name Service) isn't doing what it
>should. Check in the TCP/IP "Properties" menu that there's either
>a WINS server (probably not, or you would have mentioned it) or you're
>using DHCP for WINS resolution. Perhaps your DHCP server (probably
>built into your router) isn't cooperating, or you have it turned off.
>
>I've found the most reliable solution to such problems is to let SAMBA
>on a Unix (or Linux) box provide the service -- but I use SAMBA for file
>services generally, so flipping on the WINS service is trivial.

A Windows 98 workgroup network doesn't use WINS for name resolution.
WINS requires a server computer and a domain network.

"Use DHCP for WINS resolution" doesn't mean that a DHCP server is
resolving computer names to IP addresses. It means that a DHCP server
is providing the address of a WINS server on the network. There's no
WINS server on a Windows 98 network.

Make sure that File and Printer Sharing is enabled on machine 2.

It can take up to 15 minutes after a computer starts up before network
browsing works. During that time, you should be able to access
another computer by typing the other computer's name in the Start |
Run box preceded by two backslash characters:

\\computer

It might help to enable Browse Master on one computer and disable it
on the other computer. That setting is in Control Panel | Network |
File and Printer Sharing | Properties.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional - Windows Networking
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

Steve Winograd's Networking FAQ
http://www.bcmaven.com/networking/faq.htm

I think what is driving me nuts the most it the almost random way that the
problem presents itself, I have tinkered with settings most of the morning
and reverted back to the settings I had this morning apart from a browse
master setting for machine 1 which is enabled rather than auto.

I now can see both machines from machine 1 and access all machines but from
machine 2 I can see machine 1 but not access it

Using the exact settings before I getting variable results!?!

"Fatso" wrote:

> I hve a network of 2 win98 machines connected via a switch and a broadband
> connection out to the internet. Both machines can connect to the internet,
> but they can't see each other.
>
> They both have file sharing turned on and are sharing resources. I can ping
> the network address of the other machine on both.
>
> On one machine 1 in the network neighbourhood folder, I get the entire
> network icon and the icon for itself, sometimes this one can see machine 2
> and share the resources.
>
> On machine 2, I see the entire network icon but nothing else, not even itself.
>
> I have gone over all the settings numerous times and as far as I can see
> they are correct and I can't see why the network isn't working
>
> Any suggestions?