posted
Why won't my computers talk to each other???
I have cable internet connected to a 10/100 5-port Workgroup switch, and both of my computers are each connected to the switch with an ethernet cable. I ran the XP network wizard and configured the network for this type of connection on each computer.
Both computers can connect to the internet, they can ping each other, but I can't get them to talk to each other through Network Connections, unless I manually adjust the ip address (but then I can't connect to the internet). This makes no sense to me.
They can ping each other with ip addresses, but can't ping the actual name of the other computer using the "net view \\computername" command.
Posts: 684 | Registered: Aug 2001
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I've only been at work for 3 hours and I miss you already!
Those computers hate each other. The old computer is jealous of the new computer and so it is giving him the "silent treatment".
Posts: 1417 | Registered: Aug 1999
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posted
I was about to post a heartfelt agreement. . .
. . .then I realized you were talking about a different kind of networking.
Best of luck anyhow; I'd try to help, but it's been over four years since I played with Windows networking.
Posts: 650 | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
Hmm. . . I've never used the net view command myself. When I want to browse to a computer from the run prompt, I just do \\computername.
What I'd suggest is getting a program like windump so you can see what traffic is getting where. Disable your firewalls, set windump up so it's listening, and try to do what you need to do. Windump will pick up the packets that come in and you should be able to get a sense of what's going on from them.
Posts: 14554 | Registered: Dec 1999
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1) You have a 10/100 workgroup switch. Your cable modem is connected to the WAN/Uplink port on that switch.
2) Your machines are using DHCP for their IP addressing. If you switch to static IPs, they can see each other but can no longer see the Internet.
3) The machines can ping each other's IP at all times, but cannot get name resolution.
If this is the case, here's your answer: get a router.
Seriously.
Because I suspect what's happening is that the DHCP server upstream of your cable modem is not handing out a second unique address to your second machine. (You could check this by doing an IPCONFIG /ALL in each configuration, just to see what gateway and IP has been assigned.) Unless you're paying for a second IP address (which is usually an extra $5 or so a month), you will have networking difficulties under this arrangement. Depending on your ISP, you may also be joining a domain without realizing it.
You have two options: a hardware router or a software router with NAT. The Windows networking wizard is capable of configuring your machines correctly for the second option, provided you tell it to do the right things. (IMO, a hardware router is preferable for a lot of reasons, though.)
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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