Help! Win2K machines can't talk to WinXP Pro.. common issue

[Sam Hulick]

I believe this is a common problem. I've searched the net a bit and
found a lot of people asking for help, but I haven't found a solid
solution. Here's the scenario.. I have this problem at home, and at the
office we have a similar problem, but I'll state the problem at home
because it's more simple and the solution for that may work for the
problem we have at work.

At home I have a WinXP Pro desktop machine, and a Win2K Pro laptop. The
Win2K machine has tons of problems communicating with the XP machine.
They're both in the same workgroup. I'm sharing a printer, and the
Win2K machine is totally unable to see it. The two machines are
completely unable to ping each other by IP address.

At work we have a similar situation. One XP machine, two Win2K Server
machines. We couldn't see the XP machine on the LAN (using DOS "net
view"). We installed NetBEUI on the XP machine and now we can see it,
but we can't ping it.

Any idea why XP is such a pain when trying to network with Win2K? How
can we resolve these issues?

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

--
Sam Hulick
Designer/Developer
HitNet <http://www.hitnet.com/>
__________________________________________________ __________________
Web Hosting, Design, Database Development, Domain Name Registration &
Custom Solutions.

[Robert L]

post the results of both computers' ipconfig /all will help.

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"Sam Hulick" > wrote in message
...
> I believe this is a common problem. I've searched the net a bit and
> found a lot of people asking for help, but I haven't found a solid
> solution. Here's the scenario.. I have this problem at home, and at the
> office we have a similar problem, but I'll state the problem at home
> because it's more simple and the solution for that may work for the
> problem we have at work.
>
> At home I have a WinXP Pro desktop machine, and a Win2K Pro laptop. The
> Win2K machine has tons of problems communicating with the XP machine.
> They're both in the same workgroup. I'm sharing a printer, and the
> Win2K machine is totally unable to see it. The two machines are
> completely unable to ping each other by IP address.
>
> At work we have a similar situation. One XP machine, two Win2K Server
> machines. We couldn't see the XP machine on the LAN (using DOS "net
> view"). We installed NetBEUI on the XP machine and now we can see it,
> but we can't ping it.
>
> Any idea why XP is such a pain when trying to network with Win2K? How
> can we resolve these issues?
>
> Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
>
> --
> Sam Hulick
> Designer/Developer
> HitNet <http://www.hitnet.com/>
> __________________________________________________ __________________
> Web Hosting, Design, Database Development, Domain Name Registration &
> Custom Solutions.
>

[Steve Winograd]

In article >, Sam Hulick
> wrote:
>[snip]
>At home I have a WinXP Pro desktop machine, and a Win2K Pro laptop. The
>Win2K machine has tons of problems communicating with the XP machine.
>They're both in the same workgroup. I'm sharing a printer, and the
>Win2K machine is totally unable to see it. The two machines are
>completely unable to ping each other by IP address.
>
>At work we have a similar situation. One XP machine, two Win2K Server
>machines. We couldn't see the XP machine on the LAN (using DOS "net
>view"). We installed NetBEUI on the XP machine and now we can see it,
>but we can't ping it.
>
>Any idea why XP is such a pain when trying to network with Win2K? How
>can we resolve these issues?
>
>Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Networked computers have to use the same protocol in order to
communicate. Since you had to install NetBEUI on the XP machine to
see it on the work network, the work network must have already been
set up to use NetBEUI.

If two computers in the same subnet can't ping each other, the problem
is almost certainly that a firewall is blocking access. Permanently
disable XP's built-in Internet Connection Firewall on a local area
network connection. Disable and un-install all other firewall
programs while troubleshooting.

I've written a web page with those, and other, tips:

Windows XP Network Troubleshooting
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/troubleshoot
--
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 Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

[Sam Hulick]

There is no kind of firewall on either machine at all. The only
firewall is in the hardware router that blocks outside traffic, not
internally on the LAN.

Steve Winograd wrote:

> In article >, Sam Hulick
> > wrote:
>
>>[snip]
>>At home I have a WinXP Pro desktop machine, and a Win2K Pro laptop. The
>>Win2K machine has tons of problems communicating with the XP machine.
>>They're both in the same workgroup. I'm sharing a printer, and the
>>Win2K machine is totally unable to see it. The two machines are
>>completely unable to ping each other by IP address.
>>
>>At work we have a similar situation. One XP machine, two Win2K Server
>>machines. We couldn't see the XP machine on the LAN (using DOS "net
>>view"). We installed NetBEUI on the XP machine and now we can see it,
>>but we can't ping it.
>>
>>Any idea why XP is such a pain when trying to network with Win2K? How
>>can we resolve these issues?
>>
>>Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
>
>
> Networked computers have to use the same protocol in order to
> communicate. Since you had to install NetBEUI on the XP machine to
> see it on the work network, the work network must have already been
> set up to use NetBEUI.
>
> If two computers in the same subnet can't ping each other, the problem
> is almost certainly that a firewall is blocking access. Permanently
> disable XP's built-in Internet Connection Firewall on a local area
> network connection. Disable and un-install all other firewall
> programs while troubleshooting.
>
> I've written a web page with those, and other, tips:
>
> Windows XP Network Troubleshooting
> http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/troubleshoot

--
Sam Hulick
Designer/Developer
HitNet <http://www.hitnet.com/>
__________________________________________________ __________________
Web Hosting, Design, Database Development, Domain Name Registration &
Custom Solutions.

[Bob Willard]

Sam Hulick wrote:
> There is no kind of firewall on either machine at all. The only
> firewall is in the hardware router that blocks outside traffic, not
> internally on the LAN.
>
> Steve Winograd wrote:
>
>> In article >, Sam Hulick
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> [snip]
>>> At home I have a WinXP Pro desktop machine, and a Win2K Pro laptop.
>>> The Win2K machine has tons of problems communicating with the XP
>>> machine. They're both in the same workgroup. I'm sharing a printer,
>>> and the Win2K machine is totally unable to see it. The two machines
>>> are completely unable to ping each other by IP address.
>>>
>>> At work we have a similar situation. One XP machine, two Win2K
>>> Server machines. We couldn't see the XP machine on the LAN (using
>>> DOS "net view"). We installed NetBEUI on the XP machine and now we
>>> can see it, but we can't ping it.
>>>
>>> Any idea why XP is such a pain when trying to network with Win2K?
>>> How can we resolve these issues?
>>>
>>> Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
>>
>>
>>
>> Networked computers have to use the same protocol in order to
>> communicate. Since you had to install NetBEUI on the XP machine to
>> see it on the work network, the work network must have already been
>> set up to use NetBEUI.
>>
>> If two computers in the same subnet can't ping each other, the problem
>> is almost certainly that a firewall is blocking access. Permanently
>> disable XP's built-in Internet Connection Firewall on a local area
>> network connection. Disable and un-install all other firewall
>> programs while troubleshooting.
>>
>> I've written a web page with those, and other, tips:
>>
>> Windows XP Network Troubleshooting
>> http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/troubleshoot
>
>

Can you ping-by-number, both ways? Can you ping-by-name, both ways?
Can each PC ping itself, by name and by number?
--
Cheers, Bob

[Sam Hulick]

Bob Willard wrote:
> Sam Hulick wrote:
>
>> There is no kind of firewall on either machine at all. The only
>> firewall is in the hardware router that blocks outside traffic, not
>> internally on the LAN.
>>
>> Steve Winograd wrote:
>>
>>> In article >, Sam Hulick
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>>> [snip]
>>>> At home I have a WinXP Pro desktop machine, and a Win2K Pro laptop.
>>>> The Win2K machine has tons of problems communicating with the XP
>>>> machine. They're both in the same workgroup. I'm sharing a printer,
>>>> and the Win2K machine is totally unable to see it. The two machines
>>>> are completely unable to ping each other by IP address.
>>>>
>>>> At work we have a similar situation. One XP machine, two Win2K
>>>> Server machines. We couldn't see the XP machine on the LAN (using
>>>> DOS "net view"). We installed NetBEUI on the XP machine and now we
>>>> can see it, but we can't ping it.
>>>>
>>>> Any idea why XP is such a pain when trying to network with Win2K?
>>>> How can we resolve these issues?
>>>>
>>>> Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Networked computers have to use the same protocol in order to
>>> communicate. Since you had to install NetBEUI on the XP machine to
>>> see it on the work network, the work network must have already been
>>> set up to use NetBEUI.
>>>
>>> If two computers in the same subnet can't ping each other, the problem
>>> is almost certainly that a firewall is blocking access. Permanently
>>> disable XP's built-in Internet Connection Firewall on a local area
>>> network connection. Disable and un-install all other firewall
>>> programs while troubleshooting.
>>>
>>> I've written a web page with those, and other, tips:
>>>
>>> Windows XP Network Troubleshooting
>>> http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/troubleshoot
>>
>>
>>
>
> Can you ping-by-number, both ways? Can you ping-by-name, both ways?
> Can each PC ping itself, by name and by number?

The machines cannot ping each other by name, nor number. I'm not sure
if the machines can ping themselves..

--
Sam Hulick
Designer/Developer
HitNet <http://www.hitnet.com/>
__________________________________________________ __________________
Web Hosting, Design, Database Development, Domain Name Registration &
Custom Solutions.

[Bob Willard]

Sam Hulick wrote:
> Bob Willard wrote:
>
>> Sam Hulick wrote:
>>
>>> There is no kind of firewall on either machine at all. The only
>>> firewall is in the hardware router that blocks outside traffic, not
>>> internally on the LAN.
>>>
>>> Steve Winograd wrote:
>>>
>>>> In article >, Sam Hulick
>>>> > wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> [snip]
>>>>> At home I have a WinXP Pro desktop machine, and a Win2K Pro
>>>>> laptop. The Win2K machine has tons of problems communicating with
>>>>> the XP machine. They're both in the same workgroup. I'm sharing a
>>>>> printer, and the Win2K machine is totally unable to see it. The
>>>>> two machines are completely unable to ping each other by IP address.
>>>>>
>>>>> At work we have a similar situation. One XP machine, two Win2K
>>>>> Server machines. We couldn't see the XP machine on the LAN (using
>>>>> DOS "net view"). We installed NetBEUI on the XP machine and now we
>>>>> can see it, but we can't ping it.
>>>>>
>>>>> Any idea why XP is such a pain when trying to network with Win2K?
>>>>> How can we resolve these issues?
>>>>>
>>>>> Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Networked computers have to use the same protocol in order to
>>>> communicate. Since you had to install NetBEUI on the XP machine to
>>>> see it on the work network, the work network must have already been
>>>> set up to use NetBEUI.
>>>>
>>>> If two computers in the same subnet can't ping each other, the problem
>>>> is almost certainly that a firewall is blocking access. Permanently
>>>> disable XP's built-in Internet Connection Firewall on a local area
>>>> network connection. Disable and un-install all other firewall
>>>> programs while troubleshooting.
>>>>
>>>> I've written a web page with those, and other, tips:
>>>>
>>>> Windows XP Network Troubleshooting
>>>> http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/troubleshoot
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Can you ping-by-number, both ways? Can you ping-by-name, both ways?
>> Can each PC ping itself, by name and by number?
>
>
> The machines cannot ping each other by name, nor number. I'm not sure
> if the machines can ping themselves..
>

If they can't ping each other by number, they may not be in the same
IP subnet. Check the IPs: IP=a.b.c.d where a.b.c should be the same
on both PCs, and the d's should differ. Also, check that the subnet
mask is 255.255.255.0 (the normal value) on both. To check, run CMD,
then type IPCONFIG/ALL in the CMD window.

Your view on the difficulty of networking with XP is shared by many.
It seems to me that M$ did not spend enough energy making XP easily
work in hybrid nets; the black helicopter gang might think that M$
did it intentionally to sell more XP upgrades.

Don't give up: W2K and XP PCs can communicate.
--
Cheers, Bob