Problems With XP Pro Networking

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The basic problem is i can view the shared folders on our second Computer but cannot view folders from that machine to mine.We can browse the net from both and access printer.Both computers running XP pro with SP2.The second computer connects to the net through my computer.Not running a router just a Netcomm Ethernet SmartSwitch.It has me stumped as it was working fine but now has just given up.
 
Any firewalls on either server?

Do you have a shared folder on both servers?

Do both computers show up in network neighborhood?
 
I have the same problem and it has me stumped. All my computers can acces the internet, there does not seem tombe any issue with the network setup, but I cannot see the other computers. This used to work. I am convinced that sdome type of trogan or virus has corrupted network services.
 
if you go to a command prompt can you ping the other compuers? are any of them running MS firewall or any other firewall..


do you have simple file sharing turned on? open my computer click tools>folder options> click the view tab and scroll all the way to the bottom. you should have use simple file sharing(xp home does not have this option i dont think) make sure it is check marked.

if you can ping other computers can you access them via going to start>run> \\ipaddress\
if not what is the error. if so. then guess what you can access the other system.

have you made sure that the "WORKGROUP" is set to the exact same thing on all of the computers? rerun the network setup wizard and ensure they are set correctly. also using blank passwords sometimes causes networking problems in xp if i am not mistaking.
 
We had the same problem on our home network - one roommate could see everyone else's computer but no one else could see his, not even the host computer, and we were all running XP Pro. I tried everything that every MS Knowledge Base arcticle recommended and then some, to no avail. Everyone could still access the internet, so it wasn't that big a deal, but still...WHY?

I finally realized that he was the only one running XP with SP2[/I], and the rest of us hadn't bothered to upgrade yet. One of the big deals about SP2 is the supposed improvements in security. And his computer was the only one being really pushy about making you keep that Personal Firewall on, and MS swears that you can still share files and folders and all that, but when I turned off his firewall, he suddenly stopped being the Invisible Computer. When I turned it back on, the cloaking device had been activated once again. So I think that was the problem - but I didn't check any further than that so I could be wrong. I'd be interested to know if you have the same scenario...?
 
The obvious function of a Firewall is to keep the 'bad guys out'. The problem
is knowing who's good vs bad! One way to assist in avoiding Denial of Service(DOS)
attacks and other trojans is to hide the computer from the Internet.

If your computer responds to a PING request in any manner what-so-ever,
you've just said, 'Here I am, come poke at me'.

The NORMAL approach to configuring a Firewall is
...do not reply to a ping
...do not reply with an error to a port that is not active
This is what they mean by STEALTH; just act as if you're not present.
This is what you do for the perimeter (ie the boundary between the public and the private lan).

On the LAN side, we typically allow all kinds of extra stuff and we start
by defining the Trusted Zone, or Lan addresses that are assumed to be safe. These systems are then allowed to respond
to PINGS and all kinds of things.

Just FYI:
I typically begin with rules like
...ALLOW to/from 127.0.0.1 all ports both tcp/upd
...ALLOW to/from 192.168.0.1/24 all ports both tcp/udp
...DENY from any all ports both tcp/udp log

Yes, STEALTH is one of the changes in SP2. It's a good thing.

If you wish to have more control over your network(s), read-up on
firewalls, port usage, and get something other than the MS freebe.
 
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