Windows 98 network not working

I have file and printer sharing already enabled on both, I have been playing
with the browse master settings as well. At the moment I can see machine 1
from machine 2 but can't access it either through network neighbourhood or
through the run command.

To give a little background to the problem, I have had them working before
in a peer to peer network with ICS, whcih was okay if a little unstable at
times, we changed plans with our ISP and my Father had troubles when that
changed over so called their helpdesk (when I wasn't around) who managed to
promptly detonate the network settings {aren't ISP helpdesks helpful }.
After fighting with that for a day I figured I'd install a switch to make a
more stable network and do away with the peer to peer ICS problems, but so
far I have been fighting with the network for about a week with no luck.

Thanks for the info on WINS, also thanks to everyone trying to help, I do
appreciate it.

In article ,
"Fatso" wrote:
I have file and printer sharing already enabled on both, I have been playing
with the browse master settings as well. At the moment I can see machine 1
from machine 2 but can't access it either through network neighbourhood or
through the run command.

To give a little background to the problem, I have had them working before
in a peer to peer network with ICS, whcih was okay if a little unstable at
times, we changed plans with our ISP and my Father had troubles when that
changed over so called their helpdesk (when I wasn't around) who managed to
promptly detonate the network settings {aren't ISP helpdesks helpful }.
After fighting with that for a day I figured I'd install a switch to make a
more stable network and do away with the peer to peer ICS problems, but so
far I have been fighting with the network for about a week with no luck.

Thanks for the info on WINS, also thanks to everyone trying to help, I do
appreciate it.

Please reply to this message in the news group (not by E-mail) with
more information to help other people understand the problem. Be sure
to include the text of previous messages in your reply (as I did
above) so that people who only see your message can understand the
situation.

What exactly happens when you try to access machine 1 from machine 2?
If there's an error message, what is its complete text?

How do the computers get their IP addresses? Are they static or
dynamic? If they're dynamic, where is the DHCP server that assigns
them? Are they public or private IP addresses?

Did you install a switch or a broadband router? What's its make and
model number?
--
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 ,
"Fatso" wrote:
I have file and printer sharing already enabled on both, I have been playing
with the browse master settings as well. At the moment I can see machine 1
from machine 2 but can't access it either through network neighbourhood or
through the run command.

To give a little background to the problem, I have had them working before
in a peer to peer network with ICS, whcih was okay if a little unstable at
times, we changed plans with our ISP and my Father had troubles when that
changed over so called their helpdesk (when I wasn't around) who managed to
promptly detonate the network settings {aren't ISP helpdesks helpful }.
After fighting with that for a day I figured I'd install a switch to make a
more stable network and do away with the peer to peer ICS problems, but so
far I have been fighting with the network for about a week with no luck.

Thanks for the info on WINS, also thanks to everyone trying to help, I do
appreciate it.

Please reply to this message in the news group (not by E-mail) with
more information to help other people understand the problem. Be sure
to include the text of previous messages in your reply (as I did
above) so that people who only see your message can understand the
situation.

What exactly happens when you try to access machine 1 from machine 2?
If there's an error message, what is its complete text?

How do the computers get their IP addresses? Are they static or
dynamic? If they're dynamic, where is the DHCP server that assigns
them? Are they public or private IP addresses?

Did you install a switch or a broadband router? What's its make and
model number?
--
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

Sorry Steve, maybe I shouldn't have cleaned up the post a bit, I'll try again
with all the other bits

This is as I put it before

"I have file and printer sharing already enabled on both, I have been playing
with the browse master settings as well. At the moment I can see machine 1
from machine 2 but can't access it either through network neighbourhood or
through the run command.

To give a little background to the problem, I have had them working before
in a peer to peer network with ICS, whcih was okay if a little unstable at
times, we changed plans with our ISP and my Father had troubles when that
changed over so called their helpdesk (when I wasn't around) who managed to
promptly detonate the network settings {aren't ISP helpdesks helpful }.
After fighting with that for a day I figured I'd install a switch (8 port
10/100 skymaster) to make a more stable network and do away with the peer to
peer ICS problems, but so far I have been fighting with the network for about
a week with no luck.

Thanks for the info on WINS, also thanks to everyone trying to help, I do
appreciate it. "

The DHCP comes from the d-link dsl 302-g modem/router.

The strange part is that I keep seeming to get different symptoms using the
same settings, for instance before I went to lunch:

machine 1 had full access to machine 2, machine 2 could see machine one but
could not access it (giving error that the network name couldn't be found).

When I came back from lunch, neither computer could see/access the other so
I rebooted both, now machine 1 can access & see machine 2 again but machine 2
has nothing in the network nighbourhood, not even itself or an entire network
icon. (it can still ping them using run - ping 10.x.x.x), no-one touched the
network or the settings, or even the computers in that time.

The only thing that has changed is that I ate curried sausages for lunch but
I fail to see why that took what little network I had down.


"Steve Winograd [MVP]" wrote:

In article , CJT
wrote:
Fatso wrote:
I hve a network of 2 win98 machines connected via a switch and a broadband
connection out to the internet. Both machines can connect to the internet,
but they can't see each other.

They both have file sharing turned on and are sharing resources. I can ping
the network address of the other machine on both.

On one machine 1 in the network neighbourhood folder, I get the entire
network icon and the icon for itself, sometimes this one can see machine 2
and share the resources.

On machine 2, I see the entire network icon but nothing else, not even itself.

I have gone over all the settings numerous times and as far as I can see
they are correct and I can't see why the network isn't working

Any suggestions?

For whatever reason, WINS (Windows Name Service) isn't doing what it
should. Check in the TCP/IP "Properties" menu that there's either
a WINS server (probably not, or you would have mentioned it) or you're
using DHCP for WINS resolution. Perhaps your DHCP server (probably
built into your router) isn't cooperating, or you have it turned off.

I've found the most reliable solution to such problems is to let SAMBA
on a Unix (or Linux) box provide the service -- but I use SAMBA for file
services generally, so flipping on the WINS service is trivial.

A Windows 98 workgroup network doesn't use WINS for name resolution.
WINS requires a server computer and a domain network.

"Use DHCP for WINS resolution" doesn't mean that a DHCP server is
resolving computer names to IP addresses. It means that a DHCP server
is providing the address of a WINS server on the network. There's no
WINS server on a Windows 98 network.

Make sure that File and Printer Sharing is enabled on machine 2.

It can take up to 15 minutes after a computer starts up before network
browsing works. During that time, you should be able to access
another computer by typing the other computer's name in the Start |
Run box preceded by two backslash characters:

\\computer

It might help to enable Browse Master on one computer and disable it
on the other computer. That setting is in Control Panel | Network |
File and Printer Sharing | Properties.
--
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

Sorry Steve, maybe I shouldn't have cleaned up the post a bit, I'll try again
with all the other bits

This is as I put it before

"I have file and printer sharing already enabled on both, I have been playing
with the browse master settings as well. At the moment I can see machine 1
from machine 2 but can't access it either through network neighbourhood or
through the run command.

To give a little background to the problem, I have had them working before
in a peer to peer network with ICS, whcih was okay if a little unstable at
times, we changed plans with our ISP and my Father had troubles when that
changed over so called their helpdesk (when I wasn't around) who managed to
promptly detonate the network settings {aren't ISP helpdesks helpful }.
After fighting with that for a day I figured I'd install a switch (8 port
10/100 skymaster) to make a more stable network and do away with the peer to
peer ICS problems, but so far I have been fighting with the network for about
a week with no luck.

Thanks for the info on WINS, also thanks to everyone trying to help, I do
appreciate it. "

The DHCP comes from the d-link dsl 302-g modem/router.

The strange part is that I keep seeming to get different symptoms using the
same settings, for instance before I went to lunch:

machine 1 had full access to machine 2, machine 2 could see machine one but
could not access it (giving error that the network name couldn't be found).

When I came back from lunch, neither computer could see/access the other so
I rebooted both, now machine 1 can access & see machine 2 again but machine 2
has nothing in the network nighbourhood, not even itself or an entire network
icon. (it can still ping them using run - ping 10.x.x.x), no-one touched the
network or the settings, or even the computers in that time.

The only thing that has changed is that I ate curried sausages for lunch but
I fail to see why that took what little network I had down.


"Steve Winograd [MVP]" wrote:

In article , CJT
wrote:
Fatso wrote:
I hve a network of 2 win98 machines connected via a switch and a broadband
connection out to the internet. Both machines can connect to the internet,
but they can't see each other.

They both have file sharing turned on and are sharing resources. I can ping
the network address of the other machine on both.

On one machine 1 in the network neighbourhood folder, I get the entire
network icon and the icon for itself, sometimes this one can see machine 2
and share the resources.

On machine 2, I see the entire network icon but nothing else, not even itself.

I have gone over all the settings numerous times and as far as I can see
they are correct and I can't see why the network isn't working

Any suggestions?

For whatever reason, WINS (Windows Name Service) isn't doing what it
should. Check in the TCP/IP "Properties" menu that there's either
a WINS server (probably not, or you would have mentioned it) or you're
using DHCP for WINS resolution. Perhaps your DHCP server (probably
built into your router) isn't cooperating, or you have it turned off.

I've found the most reliable solution to such problems is to let SAMBA
on a Unix (or Linux) box provide the service -- but I use SAMBA for file
services generally, so flipping on the WINS service is trivial.

A Windows 98 workgroup network doesn't use WINS for name resolution.
WINS requires a server computer and a domain network.

"Use DHCP for WINS resolution" doesn't mean that a DHCP server is
resolving computer names to IP addresses. It means that a DHCP server
is providing the address of a WINS server on the network. There's no
WINS server on a Windows 98 network.

Make sure that File and Printer Sharing is enabled on machine 2.

It can take up to 15 minutes after a computer starts up before network
browsing works. During that time, you should be able to access
another computer by typing the other computer's name in the Start |
Run box preceded by two backslash characters:

\\computer

It might help to enable Browse Master on one computer and disable it
on the other computer. That setting is in Control Panel | Network |
File and Printer Sharing | Properties.
--
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 ,
"Fatso" wrote:
Sorry Steve, maybe I shouldn't have cleaned up the post a bit, I'll try again
with all the other bits

This is as I put it before

"I have file and printer sharing already enabled on both, I have been playing
with the browse master settings as well. At the moment I can see machine 1
from machine 2 but can't access it either through network neighbourhood or
through the run command.

To give a little background to the problem, I have had them working before
in a peer to peer network with ICS, whcih was okay if a little unstable at
times, we changed plans with our ISP and my Father had troubles when that
changed over so called their helpdesk (when I wasn't around) who managed to
promptly detonate the network settings {aren't ISP helpdesks helpful }.
After fighting with that for a day I figured I'd install a switch (8 port
10/100 skymaster) to make a more stable network and do away with the peer to
peer ICS problems, but so far I have been fighting with the network for about
a week with no luck.

Thanks for the info on WINS, also thanks to everyone trying to help, I do
appreciate it. "

The DHCP comes from the d-link dsl 302-g modem/router.

The strange part is that I keep seeming to get different symptoms using the
same settings, for instance before I went to lunch:

machine 1 had full access to machine 2, machine 2 could see machine one but
could not access it (giving error that the network name couldn't be found).

When I came back from lunch, neither computer could see/access the other so
I rebooted both, now machine 1 can access & see machine 2 again but machine 2
has nothing in the network nighbourhood, not even itself or an entire network
icon. (it can still ping them using run - ping 10.x.x.x), no-one touched the
network or the settings, or even the computers in that time.

The only thing that has changed is that I ate curried sausages for lunch but
I fail to see why that took what little network I had down.

The sausages obviously gave your network indigestion. :-)

Thanks for the details of the network setup and the D-Link
modem/router.

Please run these tests, substituting the actual IP addresses and
computer names, and report the results:

1. Ping each computer from the other using both IP address and
computer name:

ping 10.0.0.2
ping computerA
ping 10.0.0.3
ping computerB

2. Access each computer's shared resources directly, without using My
Network Places, by both IP address and computer name, by typing these
commands in the Start | Run box:

\\10.0.0.2
\\computerA
\\10.0.0.3
\\computerB
--
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 ,
"Fatso" wrote:
Sorry Steve, maybe I shouldn't have cleaned up the post a bit, I'll try again
with all the other bits

This is as I put it before

"I have file and printer sharing already enabled on both, I have been playing
with the browse master settings as well. At the moment I can see machine 1
from machine 2 but can't access it either through network neighbourhood or
through the run command.

To give a little background to the problem, I have had them working before
in a peer to peer network with ICS, whcih was okay if a little unstable at
times, we changed plans with our ISP and my Father had troubles when that
changed over so called their helpdesk (when I wasn't around) who managed to
promptly detonate the network settings {aren't ISP helpdesks helpful }.
After fighting with that for a day I figured I'd install a switch (8 port
10/100 skymaster) to make a more stable network and do away with the peer to
peer ICS problems, but so far I have been fighting with the network for about
a week with no luck.

Thanks for the info on WINS, also thanks to everyone trying to help, I do
appreciate it. "

The DHCP comes from the d-link dsl 302-g modem/router.

The strange part is that I keep seeming to get different symptoms using the
same settings, for instance before I went to lunch:

machine 1 had full access to machine 2, machine 2 could see machine one but
could not access it (giving error that the network name couldn't be found).

When I came back from lunch, neither computer could see/access the other so
I rebooted both, now machine 1 can access & see machine 2 again but machine 2
has nothing in the network nighbourhood, not even itself or an entire network
icon. (it can still ping them using run - ping 10.x.x.x), no-one touched the
network or the settings, or even the computers in that time.

The only thing that has changed is that I ate curried sausages for lunch but
I fail to see why that took what little network I had down.

The sausages obviously gave your network indigestion. :-)

Thanks for the details of the network setup and the D-Link
modem/router.

Please run these tests, substituting the actual IP addresses and
computer names, and report the results:

1. Ping each computer from the other using both IP address and
computer name:

ping 10.0.0.2
ping computerA
ping 10.0.0.3
ping computerB

2. Access each computer's shared resources directly, without using My
Network Places, by both IP address and computer name, by typing these
commands in the Start | Run box:

\\10.0.0.2
\\computerA
\\10.0.0.3
\\computerB
--
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]" wrote:

In article ,
"Fatso" wrote:
Sorry Steve, maybe I shouldn't have cleaned up the post a bit, I'll try again
with all the other bits

This is as I put it before

"I have file and printer sharing already enabled on both, I have been playing
with the browse master settings as well. At the moment I can see machine 1
from machine 2 but can't access it either through network neighbourhood or
through the run command.

To give a little background to the problem, I have had them working before
in a peer to peer network with ICS, whcih was okay if a little unstable at
times, we changed plans with our ISP and my Father had troubles when that
changed over so called their helpdesk (when I wasn't around) who managed to
promptly detonate the network settings {aren't ISP helpdesks helpful }.
After fighting with that for a day I figured I'd install a switch (8 port
10/100 skymaster) to make a more stable network and do away with the peer to
peer ICS problems, but so far I have been fighting with the network for about
a week with no luck.

Thanks for the info on WINS, also thanks to everyone trying to help, I do
appreciate it. "

The DHCP comes from the d-link dsl 302-g modem/router.

The strange part is that I keep seeming to get different symptoms using the
same settings, for instance before I went to lunch:

machine 1 had full access to machine 2, machine 2 could see machine one but
could not access it (giving error that the network name couldn't be found).

When I came back from lunch, neither computer could see/access the other so
I rebooted both, now machine 1 can access & see machine 2 again but machine 2
has nothing in the network nighbourhood, not even itself or an entire network
icon. (it can still ping them using run - ping 10.x.x.x), no-one touched the
network or the settings, or even the computers in that time.

The only thing that has changed is that I ate curried sausages for lunch but
I fail to see why that took what little network I had down.

The sausages obviously gave your network indigestion. :-)

Thanks for the details of the network setup and the D-Link
modem/router.

Please run these tests, substituting the actual IP addresses and
computer names, and report the results:

1. Ping each computer from the other using both IP address and
computer name:

ping 10.0.0.2
ping computerA
ping 10.0.0.3
ping computerB

2. Access each computer's shared resources directly, without using My
Network Places, by both IP address and computer name, by typing these
commands in the Start | Run box:

\\10.0.0.2
\\computerA
\\10.0.0.3
\\computerB
--
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


Ok, after a nights sleep I'm ready to fight with it again....

Pointing at machine 1 from machine 2
step 1.
pinging the ip - ok
pinging the name - ok

Step 2.
\\ip address - "The network name cannot be found"
\\name - "The network name cannot be found"

From machine 1 to machine 2
Step 1. All ok
Step 2. All ok

This is where the problem lies, the symptoms vary a bit, sometimes I can see
the network on machine 2, I've even seen the other computer, but I haven't
been able to access it.

"Steve Winograd [MVP]" wrote:

In article ,
"Fatso" wrote:
Sorry Steve, maybe I shouldn't have cleaned up the post a bit, I'll try again
with all the other bits

This is as I put it before

"I have file and printer sharing already enabled on both, I have been playing
with the browse master settings as well. At the moment I can see machine 1
from machine 2 but can't access it either through network neighbourhood or
through the run command.

To give a little background to the problem, I have had them working before
in a peer to peer network with ICS, whcih was okay if a little unstable at
times, we changed plans with our ISP and my Father had troubles when that
changed over so called their helpdesk (when I wasn't around) who managed to
promptly detonate the network settings {aren't ISP helpdesks helpful }.
After fighting with that for a day I figured I'd install a switch (8 port
10/100 skymaster) to make a more stable network and do away with the peer to
peer ICS problems, but so far I have been fighting with the network for about
a week with no luck.

Thanks for the info on WINS, also thanks to everyone trying to help, I do
appreciate it. "

The DHCP comes from the d-link dsl 302-g modem/router.

The strange part is that I keep seeming to get different symptoms using the
same settings, for instance before I went to lunch:

machine 1 had full access to machine 2, machine 2 could see machine one but
could not access it (giving error that the network name couldn't be found).

When I came back from lunch, neither computer could see/access the other so
I rebooted both, now machine 1 can access & see machine 2 again but machine 2
has nothing in the network nighbourhood, not even itself or an entire network
icon. (it can still ping them using run - ping 10.x.x.x), no-one touched the
network or the settings, or even the computers in that time.

The only thing that has changed is that I ate curried sausages for lunch but
I fail to see why that took what little network I had down.

The sausages obviously gave your network indigestion. :-)

Thanks for the details of the network setup and the D-Link
modem/router.

Please run these tests, substituting the actual IP addresses and
computer names, and report the results:

1. Ping each computer from the other using both IP address and
computer name:

ping 10.0.0.2
ping computerA
ping 10.0.0.3
ping computerB

2. Access each computer's shared resources directly, without using My
Network Places, by both IP address and computer name, by typing these
commands in the Start | Run box:

\\10.0.0.2
\\computerA
\\10.0.0.3
\\computerB
--
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


Ok, after a nights sleep I'm ready to fight with it again....

Pointing at machine 1 from machine 2
step 1.
pinging the ip - ok
pinging the name - ok

Step 2.
\\ip address - "The network name cannot be found"
\\name - "The network name cannot be found"

From machine 1 to machine 2
Step 1. All ok
Step 2. All ok

This is where the problem lies, the symptoms vary a bit, sometimes I can see
the network on machine 2, I've even seen the other computer, but I haven't
been able to access it.

Steve Winograd [MVP] wrote:
In article , CJT
wrote:
Fatso wrote:
I hve a network of 2 win98 machines connected via a switch and a broadband
connection out to the internet. Both machines can connect to the internet,
but they can't see each other.

They both have file sharing turned on and are sharing resources. I can ping
the network address of the other machine on both.

On one machine 1 in the network neighbourhood folder, I get the entire
network icon and the icon for itself, sometimes this one can see machine 2
and share the resources.

On machine 2, I see the entire network icon but nothing else, not even itself.

I have gone over all the settings numerous times and as far as I can see
they are correct and I can't see why the network isn't working

Any suggestions?
For whatever reason, WINS (Windows Name Service) isn't doing what it
should. Check in the TCP/IP "Properties" menu that there's either
a WINS server (probably not, or you would have mentioned it) or you're
using DHCP for WINS resolution. Perhaps your DHCP server (probably
built into your router) isn't cooperating, or you have it turned off.

I've found the most reliable solution to such problems is to let SAMBA
on a Unix (or Linux) box provide the service -- but I use SAMBA for file
services generally, so flipping on the WINS service is trivial.

A Windows 98 workgroup network doesn't use WINS for name resolution.
WINS requires a server computer and a domain network.

"Use DHCP for WINS resolution" doesn't mean that a DHCP server is
resolving computer names to IP addresses. It means that a DHCP server
is providing the address of a WINS server on the network. There's no
WINS server on a Windows 98 network.


There is on mine. Works fine.

Make sure that File and Printer Sharing is enabled on machine 2.

It can take up to 15 minutes after a computer starts up before network
browsing works. During that time, you should be able to access
another computer by typing the other computer's name in the Start |
Run box preceded by two backslash characters:

\\computer

It might help to enable Browse Master on one computer and disable it
on the other computer. That setting is in Control Panel | Network |
File and Printer Sharing | Properties.


--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form .