Windows 98 network not working

Richard G. Harper wrote:
I think you are incorrect - if you check the IP addresses on the two
computers I'll bet they're in completely different address ranges. A switch
does not do NAT, so each PC is being assigned an IP address by your ISP.

He said he's using a router.

--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
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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.

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

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.

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

the router, yes, my external IP is a 210.XXX.XXX.XXX and the internal IPs
are in the 10.XX.XX.XX range.

I am using DHCP for WINS resolution, would the way that my router uses the
10.X.X.X range affect WINS, i.e. would if prefer the 192.168.x.x range?

"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.

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

the router, yes, my external IP is a 210.XXX.XXX.XXX and the internal IPs
are in the 10.XX.XX.XX range.

I am using DHCP for WINS resolution, would the way that my router uses the
10.X.X.X range affect WINS, i.e. would if prefer the 192.168.x.x range?

"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.

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

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 , 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

I think what is driving me nuts the most it the almost random way that the
problem presents itself, I have tinkered with settings most of the morning
and reverted back to the settings I had this morning apart from a browse
master setting for machine 1 which is enabled rather than auto.

I now can see both machines from machine 1 and access all machines but from
machine 2 I can see machine 1 but not access it

Using the exact settings before I getting variable results!?!

"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?

I think what is driving me nuts the most it the almost random way that the
problem presents itself, I have tinkered with settings most of the morning
and reverted back to the settings I had this morning apart from a browse
master setting for machine 1 which is enabled rather than auto.

I now can see both machines from machine 1 and access all machines but from
machine 2 I can see machine 1 but not access it

Using the exact settings before I getting variable results!?!

"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?

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.