How to get home network to work?

[GHoosdum]

I've got three PCs at home running XP and one running Me. I run the Home Networking Wizard, but for some reason I can't access anything on any one PC from any other. What combination of settings should I choose with the Home Networking Wizard to get this to work?

My setup: 3 desktop PCs hardwired into Netgear 802.11b Router. Router uplink port connected to Cisco 675 DSL modem. Router assigns subnetted IPs to these PCs, only one IP is presented to the Cisco. Two of these PCs run XP Pro, one runs Me. One notebook PC uses the wireless access, runs XP Home.

The Windows Firewall is turned off on all of the PCs, but I run Sygate Personal Firewall on them as well. Even with Sygate turned off, the PCs can see each other in the Network Neighborhood, but not share anything or even access each other when I double click on a PC's name in Network Neighborhood.

[Spinner]

Make sure that on the XP machines you have actually shared a folder. Also, I would suggest disabling the firewall permanently till you get this sorted, i.e so it won't load up on startup.

Try the above, and if still no joy, post back and we can have a more technical look at your problem.

[Straight_Man]

I woudl like to know what model router too, if this persists. VERY much so, given that it is a Netgear. Some of them are so built that they are intended mostly for allowing access to the internat and they are not too good for internal networking, and some Netgears have had firmware and design and quality issues that give that symptom. Actually, would like to know the router model anyway so I can research this for my own knowledge also.

[GHoosdum]

Spinner: I actually have a printer shared on one of the XP machines that I can't access from any other, but I don't have any files shared. I'll share a folder and see what happens.

Ageek: I'll post the model number of the router when I get home tonight.

Thanks!

[CB]

I think I have the same kind of Netgear router that you do, and I have the same problem. I can always access the internet just fine with all of the systems that hook into the network, but none of them can ever share files with each other, although they can all see each other. I tried to get the printer to share forever before finally just got an a/b switcher for it. Blaa...

Of course, now I might have more trouble, as my wife got a notebook PC with internal wireless network capability for her birthday. It came with a wireless hub, so I'll have to try and hook that hub into the Netgear router, so that she can make me jealous by surfing the web in the living room with just a clip-board sized pad, and a pen.

[GHoosdum]

I think our routers are different. The Netgear that I have is also a WAP, and your wireless is seperate. Yes, this will compound your problems. But now all you have to do to make her jealous is buy a Dell Axim X5 and a 802.11b CF card, and you can surf the web on your palm. Or in your pocket... ;)

[Mancabus]

Things you should make sure are right on all machines:

All are part of the same workgroup.
All have unique names.
File and Printer Sharing is a service installed on the nic and is on.

Make sure each pc can ping the other pc's.
You can also try to add netbeui as a nic protocol (last resort).

You can also try to directly access the C: drive by typing this in the start run thing(from XP pc to XP pc only). \\computername\c$

Other than that, I don't know.

[mmonnin]

Beginners Guides: Home Networking and File Sharing (http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=1427)

[Tex]

Set the exact same users up with same user/passwrod on each bosx to start . Verify the IPS are set right also ! Mext run the netwrokin wizard and when done share a folder on all threy bisxes ands reboot all three and the router and lets go from there.

Trc

[topherice]

If your using a router you don't need the Home Networking Wizard. The PC's must all be in the same workgroup and you should enable NetBIOS/NetBEUI for name resolution, then create identical accounts on each workstation and set the passwords to match.

[Park_7677]

Make sure either the PCs or Router are off when you plug them into the Router.

To test that, unplug the router... plug it back in. See what happens.