Networking semi-noob...comps invisible to each other?

Treadstone71

Hi guys, I'm not great at this stuff so I know when to ask for help from good people when I need it. :-)

I configured my wireless router to avoid the obvious problems (ssid changed, passwords set, uPnP turned off), but now I'm trying to set up a NAS enclosure on the network, and I've realized that the two machines on the network are invisible to one another (wired to the router), and the NAS unit, although it shows up in the workgroup list (along with myself), is inaccessible.

I'm running WinXP with service pack 2. I've tried mapping the nas enclosure as a network drive, but it won't let me select it. The other computer on the network has the same problem. It sees the NAS enclosure but cannot select it, nor can it "see" my computer.

I've been reading all my manuals for the past hour or so, and I'm stumped. Could anyone please help? Cheers!

mtrox

Treadstone,

1. When you say you configured your router, does that mean you changed things…this stuff all used to play with each other and since the change they don’t now? If it all used to be networked, that makes any software firewall problems less likely (but don’t rule them out). And if you made changes, did you change the IP addressing in DHCP?
2. You say it’s a wireless router, but it sounds like everything is cabled up. If not, what is wireless and does that have the same problem?
3. Do you know all the IP addresses there? Can everything ping each other?
4. What are the software firewalls? Please don't say Norton IS....

Treadstone71

Hi there mtrox!

mtrox wrote:

Treadstone,

1. When you say you configured your router, does that mean you changed things…this stuff all used to play with each other and since the change they don’t now? If it all used to be networked, that makes any software firewall problems less likely (but don’t rule them out). And if you made changes, did you change the IP addressing in DHCP?
   
   They weren't networked before. It's all new as of October. I didn't change the IP addressing, I just let the router assign internal ip addresses.
   
2. You say it’s a wireless router, but it sounds like everything is cabled up. If not, what is wireless and does that have the same problem?
   
   It's a wireless router, but I do have everything cabled. Problem is, I don't have anything wireless to test the theory.
   
3. Do you know all the IP addresses there? Can everything ping each other?
   
   I've tried, and they're still invisible to each other. I can't even ping them from the router. Thing is, the router knows they're all there, but that's it.
4. What are the software firewalls? Please don't say Norton IS....
   
   Hehe, no, I'm using ZoneAlarm on the two computers.

Thanks again for replying...I hope this helps!

Ryder

Disable Zone Alarm first....see if that helps, I just helped someone share their Internet connection and ZA messed the whole thing up.

I believe there is a way to set rules in ZA so certain IP's are ignored or something like that, but I do not use it and have no experience.

mtrox

RyderOCZ wrote:

I believe there is a way to set rules in ZA so certain IP's are ignored or something like that, but I do not use it and have no experience.

Yea Ryder sees what I see...if you can't ping each other it means:

1. Some firewall is preventing a ping response....or...
2. The computers can't see each other on the most basic networking level.

Either way, ya gotta kill ZA before you can network these. You're behind a router so you're reasonably save from the Internet. Kill ZA, then network it all, then fix ZA so that it works with everything networked.

In ZA they call them trusted zones. You make an IP address range "trusted" that includes all the devices you want to have come in and out of your computer.