XP and 98SE limitations

All references below to networking software refers
to standard Microsoft Networking software that
came with each computer.

All-98SE home network was easy to install and worked
fine. Networked computers showed up in Network
Neighborhood after one second delay during initial
network access (after warm or cold boot), and NO
apparent delay during subsequent network accesses.

Two years ago I added first XP computer to said
network. Initial result was to completely disable the
entire network. As there were other things about XP
I didn't like, I reformatted the XP machine's hard disk
and installed 98SE instead. After uninstalling/reinstalling
98SE networking on older computers, All-98SE
network again working fine.

18 months ago a professional fellow installed network
hardware & software in our five office computers. He
networked the four 98SE machines first, and the
network was working fine. He networked the XP
machine last, and left the office unaware that file and
printer sharing no longer functioned on the four 98SE
machines. We called him back the next day, he added
the NetBUIE protocol to the four 98SE machines (may
have done some other things, too; he had to "wrestle"
with the network for awhile), and eventually left with the
network internet-access and file-&- printer-sharing
functioning. However, there was now a 12-15 second
delay EVERY time the network was browsed from a
98SE machine, even if I had just accessed the network
a few seconds earlier.

When we moved to a new office building, and the guy
with the XP machine stayed in the old one, our all
98SE network was again working without the 12-15
second delay I mentioned above. I also uninstalled
the NetBUIE protocol, without resulting problems.

I would like to be able to add XP machines to my
home network, and its just a matter of time till one or
more will be added to our office network. Does
anyone have experience with a 98SE-&-XP network
that has neither the delay problem I have described
above nor the other 98SE-&-XP problems that have
been posted by others ?

Joe Johnston

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, "Joe Johnston"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>All references below to networking software refers
>to standard Microsoft Networking software that
>came with each computer.
>
>All-98SE home network was easy to install and worked
>fine. Networked computers showed up in Network
>Neighborhood after one second delay during initial
>network access (after warm or cold boot), and NO
>apparent delay during subsequent network accesses.
>
>Two years ago I added first XP computer to said
>network. Initial result was to completely disable the
>entire network. As there were other things about XP
>I didn't like, I reformatted the XP machine's hard disk
>and installed 98SE instead. After uninstalling/reinstalling
>98SE networking on older computers, All-98SE
>network again working fine.
>
>18 months ago a professional fellow installed network
>hardware & software in our five office computers. He
>networked the four 98SE machines first, and the
>network was working fine. He networked the XP
>machine last, and left the office unaware that file and
>printer sharing no longer functioned on the four 98SE
>machines. We called him back the next day, he added
>the NetBUIE protocol to the four 98SE machines (may
>have done some other things, too; he had to "wrestle"
>with the network for awhile), and eventually left with the
>network internet-access and file-&- printer-sharing
>functioning. However, there was now a 12-15 second
>delay EVERY time the network was browsed from a
>98SE machine, even if I had just accessed the network
>a few seconds earlier.
>
>When we moved to a new office building, and the guy
>with the XP machine stayed in the old one, our all
>98SE network was again working without the 12-15
>second delay I mentioned above. I also uninstalled
>the NetBUIE protocol, without resulting problems.
>
>I would like to be able to add XP machines to my
>home network, and its just a matter of time till one or
>more will be added to our office network. Does
>anyone have experience with a 98SE-&-XP network
>that has neither the delay problem I have described
>above nor the other 98SE-&-XP problems that have
>been posted by others ?
>
>Joe Johnston

You did well to un-install NetBEUI. Nothing in Windows networking
requires it, and running more than one protocol on a network is likely
to cause problems, especially when XP is involved.

Try simply disabling the Computer Browser service on the XP machine:

1. Right click My Computer, and click Manage.
2. Double click Services and Applications.
3. Double click Services.
4. Double click Computer Browser. If the Service status is Started,
click Stop.
5. Set the Startup type to Disabled.
--
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

"Steve Winograd [MVP]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, "Joe Johnston"
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> >All references below to networking software refers
> >to standard Microsoft Networking software that
> >came with each computer.
> >

*** snipped

>
> You did well to un-install NetBEUI. Nothing in Windows networking
> requires it, and running more than one protocol on a network is likely
> to cause problems, especially when XP is involved.
>

Why do you say this? I ask because I historically have a network running in
my home and connect to internet using dialup modem(s) (no other choice where
I live). I never have any protocol except TCP/IP bound to the dialup
adapter. On the ethernet card is a different story.

I primarily have always used Netbuie since switching from Lantastic back in
WFW3 days. Back then I never had need of any other protocol. I continued
this "tradition" through 95, 98 & 98SE (passed on ME) but added TCP/IP and
IPX/SPX to the ethernet side of things once multiplayer games became decent
and when kids got old enough to have own pc's etc. as I had to figure out a
way to allow everyone to use single dialup at same time (solved using simple
3rd party proxy server running on old dedicated pc also used as hard disk
server). Along came my first XP pc adding to the mix of a 95 laptop and six
98SE pc's, cross-sharing numerous hard drives and multipule printers. !!! no
Netbuie !!! poop So scratched my head and started figuring out what I'd
have to do to the other 7 pc's, started reading etc.

Then found the folder on the XP install cd with instructions to manually add
Netbuie to XP. Did so, alls worked well since.

So what could be simpler and why any problem?

> Try simply disabling the Computer Browser service on the XP machine:
>
> 1. Right click My Computer, and click Manage.
> 2. Double click Services and Applications.
> 3. Double click Services.
> 4. Double click Computer Browser. If the Service status is Started,
> click Stop.
> 5. Set the Startup type to Disabled.
> --
> 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

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, "pjp"
<pjpoirier_is_located_at_@_hotmail_._com> wrote:
>> >All references below to networking software refers
>> >to standard Microsoft Networking software that
>> >came with each computer.
>> >
>
>*** snipped
>
>>
>> You did well to un-install NetBEUI. Nothing in Windows networking
>> requires it, and running more than one protocol on a network is likely
>> to cause problems, especially when XP is involved.
>
>Why do you say this? I ask because I historically have a network running in
>my home and connect to internet using dialup modem(s) (no other choice where
>I live). I never have any protocol except TCP/IP bound to the dialup
>adapter. On the ethernet card is a different story.
>
>I primarily have always used Netbuie since switching from Lantastic back in
>WFW3 days. Back then I never had need of any other protocol. I continued
>this "tradition" through 95, 98 & 98SE (passed on ME) but added TCP/IP and
>IPX/SPX to the ethernet side of things once multiplayer games became decent
>and when kids got old enough to have own pc's etc. as I had to figure out a
>way to allow everyone to use single dialup at same time (solved using simple
>3rd party proxy server running on old dedicated pc also used as hard disk
>server). Along came my first XP pc adding to the mix of a 95 laptop and six
>98SE pc's, cross-sharing numerous hard drives and multipule printers. !!! no
>Netbuie !!! poop So scratched my head and started figuring out what I'd
>have to do to the other 7 pc's, started reading etc.
>
>Then found the folder on the XP install cd with instructions to manually add
>Netbuie to XP. Did so, alls worked well since.
>
>So what could be simpler and why any problem?

What could be simpler is to use TCP/IP as the only network protocol.

The problem is that using more than one protocol for file and printer
sharing is likely to cause network problems, especially when XP is
involved. I say that from my experience in setting up and
troubleshooting dozens of networks, using every version of Windows
since WFW3. Typical problems include the inability to browse the
network, inability to access shared resources on other computers, and
slow access to shared resources on other computers.

Nothing in Windows networking requires (or has ever required) NetBEUI:

1. IPX/SPX is a supported protocol in all versions of Windows.

2. In WFW3, you could download and install TCP/IP-32, which Microsoft
made available after releasing WFW3.

3. Windows 95 installed NetBEUI by default, but you could un-install
it and use IPX/SPX or TCP/IP.

3. Since Windows 98, TCP/IP has been the only protocol installed by
default.

4. In XP, NetBEUI is an un-supported protocol. That means that
Microsoft hasn't tested it extensively, doesn't guarantee that it will
work, and won't give technical support for it.

"Steve Winograd [MVP]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...

> You did well to un-install NetBEUI. Nothing in Windows networking
> requires it, and running more than one protocol on a network is likely
> to cause problems, especially when XP is involved.
>
> Try simply disabling the Computer Browser service on the XP machine:
>
> 1. Right click My Computer, and click Manage.
> 2. Double click Services and Applications.
> 3. Double click Services.
> 4. Double click Computer Browser. If the Service status is Started,
> click Stop.
> 5. Set the Startup type to Disabled.
> --
> Best Wishes,
> Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Thanks for the input, Steve. I have saved a copy of your post for use
when an XP machine gets added to my home (or our office) network.

Joe Johnston

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, "Joe Johnston"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>"Steve Winograd [MVP]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:(E-Mail Removed).. .
>
>> You did well to un-install NetBEUI. Nothing in Windows networking
>> requires it, and running more than one protocol on a network is likely
>> to cause problems, especially when XP is involved.
>>
>> Try simply disabling the Computer Browser service on the XP machine:
>>
>> 1. Right click My Computer, and click Manage.
>> 2. Double click Services and Applications.
>> 3. Double click Services.
>> 4. Double click Computer Browser. If the Service status is Started,
>> click Stop.
>> 5. Set the Startup type to Disabled.
>
>Thanks for the input, Steve. I have saved a copy of your post for use
>when an XP machine gets added to my home (or our office) network.
>
>Joe Johnston

You're welcome, Joe.
--
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