Internet Access but no Network...

Before I post my latest issue, I would like to sincerely thank all of you who
read these posts, have the answers, and take the time to respond: you are to
be commended for your efforts. Thank you.

My latest issue is an odd one. I was having an issue with one of my
desktops (the one into which the cable modem originally went), reformatted
it, and thought all was well. When I tried to reinstall the software that
came with the Dell TrueMobile 2300 wireless router, I ran into a strange
problem.

After powering down the cable modem and the router, I found I could either
(1) connect the modem cable into this desktop's NIC and have internet access
on only this PC or (2) connect the modem cable into the router and have
internet access on both desktops and the laptop. However, in the latter
case, I am completely unable to network the three computers.

Any thoughts or ideas would be welcome: all of the networked resources like
scanners and printers are obviously out of commission to the network.

Thanks again for all your hard work.

On Fri, 18 Feb 2005 07:13:01 -0800, "JP" wrote:

Before I post my latest issue, I would like to sincerely thank all of you who
read these posts, have the answers, and take the time to respond: you are to
be commended for your efforts. Thank you.

My latest issue is an odd one. I was having an issue with one of my
desktops (the one into which the cable modem originally went), reformatted
it, and thought all was well. When I tried to reinstall the software that
came with the Dell TrueMobile 2300 wireless router, I ran into a strange
problem.

After powering down the cable modem and the router, I found I could either
(1) connect the modem cable into this desktop's NIC and have internet access
on only this PC or (2) connect the modem cable into the router and have
internet access on both desktops and the laptop. However, in the latter
case, I am completely unable to network the three computers.

Any thoughts or ideas would be welcome: all of the networked resources like
scanners and printers are obviously out of commission to the network.

Thanks again for all your hard work.

JP,

Please provide ipconfig information for each computer, with all 3 computers
connecting and having internet access, so we can see where to start.
Start - Run - "cmd". Type "ipconfig /all c:\ipconfig.txt" into the command
window - Open Notepad, make sure that Format - Word Wrap is NOT checked!, Open
c:\ipconfig.txt, copy and paste entire contents into your next post. Identify
operating system (by name, version, and SP level) with each ipconfig listing.

Also, can you please describe in a bit more detail what "unable to network the
three computers" means. What have you tried doing, and what error or problem
have you experienced?

--
Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck sonic net

"Chuck" wrote:

On Fri, 18 Feb 2005 07:13:01 -0800, "JP" wrote:

Before I post my latest issue, I would like to sincerely thank all of you who
read these posts, have the answers, and take the time to respond: you are to
be commended for your efforts. Thank you.

My latest issue is an odd one. I was having an issue with one of my
desktops (the one into which the cable modem originally went), reformatted
it, and thought all was well. When I tried to reinstall the software that
came with the Dell TrueMobile 2300 wireless router, I ran into a strange
problem.

After powering down the cable modem and the router, I found I could either
(1) connect the modem cable into this desktop's NIC and have internet access
on only this PC or (2) connect the modem cable into the router and have
internet access on both desktops and the laptop. However, in the latter
case, I am completely unable to network the three computers.

Any thoughts or ideas would be welcome: all of the networked resources like
scanners and printers are obviously out of commission to the network.

Thanks again for all your hard work.

JP,

Please provide ipconfig information for each computer, with all 3 computers
connecting and having internet access, so we can see where to start.
Start - Run - "cmd". Type "ipconfig /all c:\ipconfig.txt" into the command
window - Open Notepad, make sure that Format - Word Wrap is NOT checked!, Open
c:\ipconfig.txt, copy and paste entire contents into your next post. Identify
operating system (by name, version, and SP level) with each ipconfig listing.

Also, can you please describe in a bit more detail what "unable to network the
three computers" means. What have you tried doing, and what error or problem
have you experienced?

--
Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck sonic net

Chuck:

Thank you for taking an interest. Per your request, I have pasted the 3
ipconfig.txt files below. I have three computers: a desktop running Win95
(yeah, it's old, but it keeps things interesting), a desktop running XP Home,
and a laptop running XP Home.

As to your other question, I have tried running the Network Wizard on the
two XP machines. Every so often, one of the PCs indicates that the wizard
cannot complete. However, even if I get the wizard to complete, I still
can't "find" shared folders on the other computer. As for the Win95 PC, I
haven't changed anything on it: it was working fine with its settings before
I screwed things up reformatting the desktop running XP Home. It doesn't
"see" folders on the other PCs either.

Thanks again. Best regards.

Desktop PC
Windows 95 4.00.950a


Windows 98 IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . : BASEMENT

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

68.87.66.196

Node Type . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast

NetBIOS Scope ID. . . . . . :

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . : No

NetBIOS Resolution Uses DNS : No



0 Ethernet adapter :



Description . . . . . . . . : Linksys LNE100TX Fast Ethernet
Adapter(LNE100TX v5) NDIS3 Driver

Physical Address. . . . . . : 00-0C-41-ED-A5-53

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.6

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

Primary WINS Server . . . . :

Secondary WINS Server . . . :

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . : 02 17 05 5:44:52 PM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . : 02 18 05 5:44:52 PM



Desktop PC
Windows XP Home Edition Version 2002 SP1


Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : office

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No



Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : SMC EZ Card 10/100 PCI (SMC1211TX)

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-10-B5-D7-53-DA

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.2

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

68.87.66.196

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Friday, February 18, 2005
5:34:16 PM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, February 19, 2005
5:34:16 PM



Laptop PC
Windows XP Home Edition Version 2002 SP1


Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Laptop

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No



Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/Wireless LAN 2100
3A Mini PCI Adapter

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0C-F1-3A-63-0C

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.3

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

68.87.66.196

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Friday, February 18, 2005
2:00:19 PM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, February 19, 2005
2:00:19 PM

On Fri, 18 Feb 2005 15:11:03 -0800, "JP" wrote:



"Chuck" wrote:

On Fri, 18 Feb 2005 07:13:01 -0800, "JP" wrote:

Before I post my latest issue, I would like to sincerely thank all of you who
read these posts, have the answers, and take the time to respond: you are to
be commended for your efforts. Thank you.

My latest issue is an odd one. I was having an issue with one of my
desktops (the one into which the cable modem originally went), reformatted
it, and thought all was well. When I tried to reinstall the software that
came with the Dell TrueMobile 2300 wireless router, I ran into a strange
problem.

After powering down the cable modem and the router, I found I could either
(1) connect the modem cable into this desktop's NIC and have internet access
on only this PC or (2) connect the modem cable into the router and have
internet access on both desktops and the laptop. However, in the latter
case, I am completely unable to network the three computers.

Any thoughts or ideas would be welcome: all of the networked resources like
scanners and printers are obviously out of commission to the network.

Thanks again for all your hard work.

JP,

Please provide ipconfig information for each computer, with all 3 computers
connecting and having internet access, so we can see where to start.
Start - Run - "cmd". Type "ipconfig /all c:\ipconfig.txt" into the command
window - Open Notepad, make sure that Format - Word Wrap is NOT checked!, Open
c:\ipconfig.txt, copy and paste entire contents into your next post. Identify
operating system (by name, version, and SP level) with each ipconfig listing.

Also, can you please describe in a bit more detail what "unable to network the
three computers" means. What have you tried doing, and what error or problem
have you experienced?

--
Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck sonic net

Chuck:

Thank you for taking an interest. Per your request, I have pasted the 3
ipconfig.txt files below. I have three computers: a desktop running Win95
(yeah, it's old, but it keeps things interesting), a desktop running XP Home,
and a laptop running XP Home.

As to your other question, I have tried running the Network Wizard on the
two XP machines. Every so often, one of the PCs indicates that the wizard
cannot complete. However, even if I get the wizard to complete, I still
can't "find" shared folders on the other computer. As for the Win95 PC, I
haven't changed anything on it: it was working fine with its settings before
I screwed things up reformatting the desktop running XP Home. It doesn't
"see" folders on the other PCs either.

Thanks again. Best regards.

Desktop PC
Windows 95 4.00.950a


Windows 98 IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . : BASEMENT

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

68.87.66.196

Node Type . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast

NetBIOS Scope ID. . . . . . :

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . : No

NetBIOS Resolution Uses DNS : No



0 Ethernet adapter :



Description . . . . . . . . : Linksys LNE100TX Fast Ethernet
Adapter(LNE100TX v5) NDIS3 Driver

Physical Address. . . . . . : 00-0C-41-ED-A5-53

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.6

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

Primary WINS Server . . . . :

Secondary WINS Server . . . :

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . : 02 17 05 5:44:52 PM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . : 02 18 05 5:44:52 PM



Desktop PC
Windows XP Home Edition Version 2002 SP1


Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : office

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No



Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : SMC EZ Card 10/100 PCI (SMC1211TX)

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-10-B5-D7-53-DA

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.2

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

68.87.66.196

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Friday, February 18, 2005
5:34:16 PM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, February 19, 2005
5:34:16 PM



Laptop PC
Windows XP Home Edition Version 2002 SP1


Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Laptop

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No



Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/Wireless LAN 2100
3A Mini PCI Adapter

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0C-F1-3A-63-0C

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.3

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

68.87.66.196

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Friday, February 18, 2005
2:00:19 PM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, February 19, 2005
2:00:19 PM

OK, that's a good start. YOu have 1 Windows 95 computer, and 2 Windows XP
computers.

Check for a browser conflict between the WinXP computers and the Win95 computer.
I"m not talking about Internet Explorer here. The browser is the program that
allows any computer to see any other computer on the LAN. The browsers for
WinXP (WinNT/2K/XP) and Win98 (Win95/98/ME) don't work well together on the same
LAN.

Make sure the browser service is running on the two WinXP computers. Control
Panel - Administrative Tools - Services. Verify that the Computer Browser, and
the TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper, services both show with Status = Started. Disable
the browser on the Win95 computer:
http://cms.simons-rock.edu/faq_by_subtopic/node138.html

After checking / disabling / enabling as above, power all computers off to reset
the browser settings on each. Then power the Windows XP computers on, and
finally the Windows 95 computer on.

The Microsoft Browstat program will show us what browsers (I'm not talking about
Internet Explorer here) you have in your domain / workgroup, at any time.
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=188305

You can download Browstat from either:
http://www.dynawell.com/reskit/microsoft/win2000/browstat.zip
http://rescomp.stanford.edu/staff/manual/rcc/tools/browstat.zip

Browstat is very small (40K), and needs no install. Just unzip the downloaded
file, copy browstat.exe to any folder in the Path, and run it from a command
window, by "browstat status", on office and laptop. Make sure both computers
list the same master browser.
For more information about the browser subsystem (very intricate), see:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=188001
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=188305
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=231312
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winntas/deploy/prodspecs/ntbrowse.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/archive/win95/w95brows.mspx

--
Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck sonic net

"Chuck" wrote:

On Fri, 18 Feb 2005 15:11:03 -0800, "JP" wrote:



"Chuck" wrote:

On Fri, 18 Feb 2005 07:13:01 -0800, "JP" wrote:

Before I post my latest issue, I would like to sincerely thank all of you who
read these posts, have the answers, and take the time to respond: you are to
be commended for your efforts. Thank you.

My latest issue is an odd one. I was having an issue with one of my
desktops (the one into which the cable modem originally went), reformatted
it, and thought all was well. When I tried to reinstall the software that
came with the Dell TrueMobile 2300 wireless router, I ran into a strange
problem.

After powering down the cable modem and the router, I found I could either
(1) connect the modem cable into this desktop's NIC and have internet access
on only this PC or (2) connect the modem cable into the router and have
internet access on both desktops and the laptop. However, in the latter
case, I am completely unable to network the three computers.

Any thoughts or ideas would be welcome: all of the networked resources like
scanners and printers are obviously out of commission to the network.

Thanks again for all your hard work.

JP,

Please provide ipconfig information for each computer, with all 3 computers
connecting and having internet access, so we can see where to start.
Start - Run - "cmd". Type "ipconfig /all c:\ipconfig.txt" into the command
window - Open Notepad, make sure that Format - Word Wrap is NOT checked!, Open
c:\ipconfig.txt, copy and paste entire contents into your next post. Identify
operating system (by name, version, and SP level) with each ipconfig listing.

Also, can you please describe in a bit more detail what "unable to network the
three computers" means. What have you tried doing, and what error or problem
have you experienced?

--
Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck sonic net

Chuck:

Thank you for taking an interest. Per your request, I have pasted the 3
ipconfig.txt files below. I have three computers: a desktop running Win95
(yeah, it's old, but it keeps things interesting), a desktop running XP Home,
and a laptop running XP Home.

As to your other question, I have tried running the Network Wizard on the
two XP machines. Every so often, one of the PCs indicates that the wizard
cannot complete. However, even if I get the wizard to complete, I still
can't "find" shared folders on the other computer. As for the Win95 PC, I
haven't changed anything on it: it was working fine with its settings before
I screwed things up reformatting the desktop running XP Home. It doesn't
"see" folders on the other PCs either.

Thanks again. Best regards.

Desktop PC
Windows 95 4.00.950a


Windows 98 IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . : BASEMENT

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

68.87.66.196

Node Type . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast

NetBIOS Scope ID. . . . . . :

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . : No

NetBIOS Resolution Uses DNS : No



0 Ethernet adapter :



Description . . . . . . . . : Linksys LNE100TX Fast Ethernet
Adapter(LNE100TX v5) NDIS3 Driver

Physical Address. . . . . . : 00-0C-41-ED-A5-53

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.6

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

Primary WINS Server . . . . :

Secondary WINS Server . . . :

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . : 02 17 05 5:44:52 PM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . : 02 18 05 5:44:52 PM



Desktop PC
Windows XP Home Edition Version 2002 SP1


Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : office

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No



Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : SMC EZ Card 10/100 PCI (SMC1211TX)

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-10-B5-D7-53-DA

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.2

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

68.87.66.196

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Friday, February 18, 2005
5:34:16 PM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, February 19, 2005
5:34:16 PM



Laptop PC
Windows XP Home Edition Version 2002 SP1


Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Laptop

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No



Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/Wireless LAN 2100
3A Mini PCI Adapter

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0C-F1-3A-63-0C

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.3

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

68.87.66.196

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Friday, February 18, 2005
2:00:19 PM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, February 19, 2005
2:00:19 PM

OK, that's a good start. YOu have 1 Windows 95 computer, and 2 Windows XP
computers.

Check for a browser conflict between the WinXP computers and the Win95 computer.
I"m not talking about Internet Explorer here. The browser is the program that
allows any computer to see any other computer on the LAN. The browsers for
WinXP (WinNT/2K/XP) and Win98 (Win95/98/ME) don't work well together on the same
LAN.

Make sure the browser service is running on the two WinXP computers. Control
Panel - Administrative Tools - Services. Verify that the Computer Browser, and
the TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper, services both show with Status = Started. Disable
the browser on the Win95 computer:
http://cms.simons-rock.edu/faq_by_subtopic/node138.html

After checking / disabling / enabling as above, power all computers off to reset
the browser settings on each. Then power the Windows XP computers on, and
finally the Windows 95 computer on.

The Microsoft Browstat program will show us what browsers (I'm not talking about
Internet Explorer here) you have in your domain / workgroup, at any time.
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=188305

You can download Browstat from either:
http://www.dynawell.com/reskit/microsoft/win2000/browstat.zip
http://rescomp.stanford.edu/staff/manual/rcc/tools/browstat.zip

Browstat is very small (40K), and needs no install. Just unzip the downloaded
file, copy browstat.exe to any folder in the Path, and run it from a command
window, by "browstat status", on office and laptop. Make sure both computers
list the same master browser.
For more information about the browser subsystem (very intricate), see:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=188001
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=188305
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=231312
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winntas/deploy/prodspecs/ntbrowse.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/archive/win95/w95brows.mspx

--
Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck sonic net


Chuck:

Again, thank you for taking this time. While I'm a bit frustrated by this
problem, I nevertheless do enjoy playing around with this, and I appreciate
your tutoring. I would also add that since the Win95 desktop is in the
basement and the WinXP desktop is on the third floor, the powering up and
powering down requests you have made have also been good for my
cardiovascular health.

Anyway, perhaps of no surprise to you, the master browsers on the WinXP
laptop and the WinXP desktop are not the same. I've cut and pasted the two
reports from running "browstat status" below for your information:

WinXP Laptop:

Status for domain MSHOME on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{86C381BC-5AA8-4EDF-95B6-71F127958FAE}
Browsing is NOT active on domain.
Master browser name is held by: LAPTOP
Master browser is running build 2600

WinXP Desktop:

Status for domain MSHOME on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{7AD0499E-B55F-42EE-A1CD-08EFC9F956B7}
Browsing is NOT active on domain.
Master browser name is held by: OFFICE
Master browser is running build 2600

So...what should I do now?

Thanks again.

On Sat, 19 Feb 2005 08:25:02 -0800, "JP" wrote:



"Chuck" wrote:

On Fri, 18 Feb 2005 15:11:03 -0800, "JP" wrote:



"Chuck" wrote:

On Fri, 18 Feb 2005 07:13:01 -0800, "JP" wrote:

Before I post my latest issue, I would like to sincerely thank all of you who
read these posts, have the answers, and take the time to respond: you are to
be commended for your efforts. Thank you.

My latest issue is an odd one. I was having an issue with one of my
desktops (the one into which the cable modem originally went), reformatted
it, and thought all was well. When I tried to reinstall the software that
came with the Dell TrueMobile 2300 wireless router, I ran into a strange
problem.

After powering down the cable modem and the router, I found I could either
(1) connect the modem cable into this desktop's NIC and have internet access
on only this PC or (2) connect the modem cable into the router and have
internet access on both desktops and the laptop. However, in the latter
case, I am completely unable to network the three computers.

Any thoughts or ideas would be welcome: all of the networked resources like
scanners and printers are obviously out of commission to the network.

Thanks again for all your hard work.

JP,

Please provide ipconfig information for each computer, with all 3 computers
connecting and having internet access, so we can see where to start.
Start - Run - "cmd". Type "ipconfig /all c:\ipconfig.txt" into the command
window - Open Notepad, make sure that Format - Word Wrap is NOT checked!, Open
c:\ipconfig.txt, copy and paste entire contents into your next post. Identify
operating system (by name, version, and SP level) with each ipconfig listing.

Also, can you please describe in a bit more detail what "unable to network the
three computers" means. What have you tried doing, and what error or problem
have you experienced?

--
Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck sonic net

Chuck:

Thank you for taking an interest. Per your request, I have pasted the 3
ipconfig.txt files below. I have three computers: a desktop running Win95
(yeah, it's old, but it keeps things interesting), a desktop running XP Home,
and a laptop running XP Home.

As to your other question, I have tried running the Network Wizard on the
two XP machines. Every so often, one of the PCs indicates that the wizard
cannot complete. However, even if I get the wizard to complete, I still
can't "find" shared folders on the other computer. As for the Win95 PC, I
haven't changed anything on it: it was working fine with its settings before
I screwed things up reformatting the desktop running XP Home. It doesn't
"see" folders on the other PCs either.

Thanks again. Best regards.

Desktop PC
Windows 95 4.00.950a


Windows 98 IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . : BASEMENT

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

68.87.66.196

Node Type . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast

NetBIOS Scope ID. . . . . . :

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . : No

NetBIOS Resolution Uses DNS : No



0 Ethernet adapter :



Description . . . . . . . . : Linksys LNE100TX Fast Ethernet
Adapter(LNE100TX v5) NDIS3 Driver

Physical Address. . . . . . : 00-0C-41-ED-A5-53

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.6

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

Primary WINS Server . . . . :

Secondary WINS Server . . . :

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . : 02 17 05 5:44:52 PM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . : 02 18 05 5:44:52 PM



Desktop PC
Windows XP Home Edition Version 2002 SP1


Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : office

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No



Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : SMC EZ Card 10/100 PCI (SMC1211TX)

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-10-B5-D7-53-DA

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.2

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

68.87.66.196

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Friday, February 18, 2005
5:34:16 PM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, February 19, 2005
5:34:16 PM



Laptop PC
Windows XP Home Edition Version 2002 SP1


Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Laptop

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No



Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/Wireless LAN 2100
3A Mini PCI Adapter

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0C-F1-3A-63-0C

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.3

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

68.87.66.196

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Friday, February 18, 2005
2:00:19 PM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, February 19, 2005
2:00:19 PM

OK, that's a good start. YOu have 1 Windows 95 computer, and 2 Windows XP
computers.

Check for a browser conflict between the WinXP computers and the Win95 computer.
I"m not talking about Internet Explorer here. The browser is the program that
allows any computer to see any other computer on the LAN. The browsers for
WinXP (WinNT/2K/XP) and Win98 (Win95/98/ME) don't work well together on the same
LAN.

Make sure the browser service is running on the two WinXP computers. Control
Panel - Administrative Tools - Services. Verify that the Computer Browser, and
the TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper, services both show with Status = Started. Disable
the browser on the Win95 computer:
http://cms.simons-rock.edu/faq_by_subtopic/node138.html

After checking / disabling / enabling as above, power all computers off to reset
the browser settings on each. Then power the Windows XP computers on, and
finally the Windows 95 computer on.

The Microsoft Browstat program will show us what browsers (I'm not talking about
Internet Explorer here) you have in your domain / workgroup, at any time.
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=188305

You can download Browstat from either:
http://www.dynawell.com/reskit/microsoft/win2000/browstat.zip
http://rescomp.stanford.edu/staff/manual/rcc/tools/browstat.zip

Browstat is very small (40K), and needs no install. Just unzip the downloaded
file, copy browstat.exe to any folder in the Path, and run it from a command
window, by "browstat status", on office and laptop. Make sure both computers
list the same master browser.
For more information about the browser subsystem (very intricate), see:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=188001
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=188305
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=231312
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winntas/deploy/prodspecs/ntbrowse.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/archive/win95/w95brows.mspx

--
Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck sonic net


Chuck:

Again, thank you for taking this time. While I'm a bit frustrated by this
problem, I nevertheless do enjoy playing around with this, and I appreciate
your tutoring. I would also add that since the Win95 desktop is in the
basement and the WinXP desktop is on the third floor, the powering up and
powering down requests you have made have also been good for my
cardiovascular health.

Anyway, perhaps of no surprise to you, the master browsers on the WinXP
laptop and the WinXP desktop are not the same. I've cut and pasted the two
reports from running "browstat status" below for your information:

WinXP Laptop:

Status for domain MSHOME on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{86C381BC-5AA8-4EDF-95B6-71F127958FAE}
Browsing is NOT active on domain.
Master browser name is held by: LAPTOP
Master browser is running build 2600

WinXP Desktop:

Status for domain MSHOME on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{7AD0499E-B55F-42EE-A1CD-08EFC9F956B7}
Browsing is NOT active on domain.
Master browser name is held by: OFFICE
Master browser is running build 2600

So...what should I do now?

Thanks again.

JP,

OK, this is interesting. The master browser election is definitely part of your
problem. Laptop and Office have each elected themselves master browsers. Were
both powered off simultaneously (neither powered back on until the other has
been powered off)?

You need to have one of the computers on your LAN providing the browser service,
at all times, in order for any one of the computers to be able to "see" either
of the other two. The recommendation for a 3 computer LAN is to have 2 of the 3
computers running the service, so in case any one of the computers goes offline
for any reason, the other 2 computers will be able to "see" each other.

The problem is that, if you're going to have more than one computer running the
service, only one computer can be the master browser (ie the central authority
figure on the LAN). From experience, we know that broswers running Windows 9x
(Windows 95, 98, ME) don't work well with browsers running NT/2K/XP.

In your case, I hoped that disabling the browser on Basement, and enabling it on
Laptop and Office, would enable Laptop and Office to properly elect a master
browser between themselves. A master browser election is a fairly intricate
process.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winntas/deploy/prodspecs/ntbrowse.mspx

Can you get by with making Office the only browser on your LAN? Will there
never be a case when Office is offline (powered off?) when you need to access
files between Basement and Laptop? If so, then you can safely disable the
browser service (Stop then Disable) on Laptop.

If not, try powering all 3 computers off again. Power Office up first, and let
it elect itself the master browser. Then power Laptop up, so it sees Office as
the master browser. Finally, power Basement up, and see if this makes a
difference.

--
Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck sonic net

"Chuck" wrote:

On Sat, 19 Feb 2005 08:25:02 -0800, "JP" wrote:



"Chuck" wrote:

On Fri, 18 Feb 2005 15:11:03 -0800, "JP" wrote:



"Chuck" wrote:

On Fri, 18 Feb 2005 07:13:01 -0800, "JP" wrote:

Before I post my latest issue, I would like to sincerely thank all of you who
read these posts, have the answers, and take the time to respond: you are to
be commended for your efforts. Thank you.

My latest issue is an odd one. I was having an issue with one of my
desktops (the one into which the cable modem originally went), reformatted
it, and thought all was well. When I tried to reinstall the software that
came with the Dell TrueMobile 2300 wireless router, I ran into a strange
problem.

After powering down the cable modem and the router, I found I could either
(1) connect the modem cable into this desktop's NIC and have internet access
on only this PC or (2) connect the modem cable into the router and have
internet access on both desktops and the laptop. However, in the latter
case, I am completely unable to network the three computers.

Any thoughts or ideas would be welcome: all of the networked resources like
scanners and printers are obviously out of commission to the network.

Thanks again for all your hard work.

JP,

Please provide ipconfig information for each computer, with all 3 computers
connecting and having internet access, so we can see where to start.
Start - Run - "cmd". Type "ipconfig /all c:\ipconfig.txt" into the command
window - Open Notepad, make sure that Format - Word Wrap is NOT checked!, Open
c:\ipconfig.txt, copy and paste entire contents into your next post. Identify
operating system (by name, version, and SP level) with each ipconfig listing.

Also, can you please describe in a bit more detail what "unable to network the
three computers" means. What have you tried doing, and what error or problem
have you experienced?

--
Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck sonic net

Chuck:

Thank you for taking an interest. Per your request, I have pasted the 3
ipconfig.txt files below. I have three computers: a desktop running Win95
(yeah, it's old, but it keeps things interesting), a desktop running XP Home,
and a laptop running XP Home.

As to your other question, I have tried running the Network Wizard on the
two XP machines. Every so often, one of the PCs indicates that the wizard
cannot complete. However, even if I get the wizard to complete, I still
can't "find" shared folders on the other computer. As for the Win95 PC, I
haven't changed anything on it: it was working fine with its settings before
I screwed things up reformatting the desktop running XP Home. It doesn't
"see" folders on the other PCs either.

Thanks again. Best regards.

Desktop PC
Windows 95 4.00.950a


Windows 98 IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . : BASEMENT

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

68.87.66.196

Node Type . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast

NetBIOS Scope ID. . . . . . :

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . : No

NetBIOS Resolution Uses DNS : No



0 Ethernet adapter :



Description . . . . . . . . : Linksys LNE100TX Fast Ethernet
Adapter(LNE100TX v5) NDIS3 Driver

Physical Address. . . . . . : 00-0C-41-ED-A5-53

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.6

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

Primary WINS Server . . . . :

Secondary WINS Server . . . :

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . : 02 17 05 5:44:52 PM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . : 02 18 05 5:44:52 PM



Desktop PC
Windows XP Home Edition Version 2002 SP1


Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : office

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No



Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : SMC EZ Card 10/100 PCI (SMC1211TX)

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-10-B5-D7-53-DA

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.2

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

68.87.66.196

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Friday, February 18, 2005
5:34:16 PM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, February 19, 2005
5:34:16 PM



Laptop PC
Windows XP Home Edition Version 2002 SP1


Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Laptop

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No



Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/Wireless LAN 2100
3A Mini PCI Adapter

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0C-F1-3A-63-0C

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.3

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

68.87.66.196

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Friday, February 18, 2005
2:00:19 PM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, February 19, 2005
2:00:19 PM

OK, that's a good start. YOu have 1 Windows 95 computer, and 2 Windows XP
computers.

Check for a browser conflict between the WinXP computers and the Win95 computer.
I"m not talking about Internet Explorer here. The browser is the program that
allows any computer to see any other computer on the LAN. The browsers for
WinXP (WinNT/2K/XP) and Win98 (Win95/98/ME) don't work well together on the same
LAN.

Make sure the browser service is running on the two WinXP computers. Control
Panel - Administrative Tools - Services. Verify that the Computer Browser, and
the TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper, services both show with Status = Started. Disable
the browser on the Win95 computer:
http://cms.simons-rock.edu/faq_by_subtopic/node138.html

After checking / disabling / enabling as above, power all computers off to reset
the browser settings on each. Then power the Windows XP computers on, and
finally the Windows 95 computer on.

The Microsoft Browstat program will show us what browsers (I'm not talking about
Internet Explorer here) you have in your domain / workgroup, at any time.
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=188305

You can download Browstat from either:
http://www.dynawell.com/reskit/microsoft/win2000/browstat.zip
http://rescomp.stanford.edu/staff/manual/rcc/tools/browstat.zip

Browstat is very small (40K), and needs no install. Just unzip the downloaded
file, copy browstat.exe to any folder in the Path, and run it from a command
window, by "browstat status", on office and laptop. Make sure both computers
list the same master browser.
For more information about the browser subsystem (very intricate), see:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=188001
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=188305
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=231312
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winntas/deploy/prodspecs/ntbrowse.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/archive/win95/w95brows.mspx

--
Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck sonic net


Chuck:

Again, thank you for taking this time. While I'm a bit frustrated by this
problem, I nevertheless do enjoy playing around with this, and I appreciate
your tutoring. I would also add that since the Win95 desktop is in the
basement and the WinXP desktop is on the third floor, the powering up and
powering down requests you have made have also been good for my
cardiovascular health.

Anyway, perhaps of no surprise to you, the master browsers on the WinXP
laptop and the WinXP desktop are not the same. I've cut and pasted the two
reports from running "browstat status" below for your information:

WinXP Laptop:

Status for domain MSHOME on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{86C381BC-5AA8-4EDF-95B6-71F127958FAE}
Browsing is NOT active on domain.
Master browser name is held by: LAPTOP
Master browser is running build 2600

WinXP Desktop:

Status for domain MSHOME on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{7AD0499E-B55F-42EE-A1CD-08EFC9F956B7}
Browsing is NOT active on domain.
Master browser name is held by: OFFICE
Master browser is running build 2600

So...what should I do now?

Thanks again.

JP,

OK, this is interesting. The master browser election is definitely part of your
problem. Laptop and Office have each elected themselves master browsers. Were
both powered off simultaneously (neither powered back on until the other has
been powered off)?

You need to have one of the computers on your LAN providing the browser service,
at all times, in order for any one of the computers to be able to "see" either
of the other two. The recommendation for a 3 computer LAN is to have 2 of the 3
computers running the service, so in case any one of the computers goes offline
for any reason, the other 2 computers will be able to "see" each other.

The problem is that, if you're going to have more than one computer running the
service, only one computer can be the master browser (ie the central authority
figure on the LAN). From experience, we know that broswers running Windows 9x
(Windows 95, 98, ME) don't work well with browsers running NT/2K/XP.

In your case, I hoped that disabling the browser on Basement, and enabling it on
Laptop and Office, would enable Laptop and Office to properly elect a master
browser between themselves. A master browser election is a fairly intricate
process.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winntas/deploy/prodspecs/ntbrowse.mspx

Can you get by with making Office the only browser on your LAN? Will there
never be a case when Office is offline (powered off?) when you need to access
files between Basement and Laptop? If so, then you can safely disable the
browser service (Stop then Disable) on Laptop.

If not, try powering all 3 computers off again. Power Office up first, and let
it elect itself the master browser. Then power Laptop up, so it sees Office as
the master browser. Finally, power Basement up, and see if this makes a
difference.

--
Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck sonic net

Chuck:

Your use of the word "interesting" in describing my networking issue is
somewhat disconcerting....

Anyway, to the question in your first paragraph, I did indeed turn off both
WinXP PCs simultaneously. As for your question about making Office the only
browser, I suppose that's a solution. It is, however, not ideal as my
scanner is on Basement, and I can envision times where I will want to scan
and send the resulting file to Laptop without powering everything down and
restarting everything, including Office.

I tried the idea in your last paragraph of powering everything down and then
back up sequentially. However, while Office elected itself the master
browser when I turned it (and only it) on, Laptop promptly elected itself
master browser when I turned it on five minutes later.

What's so very odd about all of this is that until I formatted the C: drive
on Office, I wasn't having any of these problems: the router installation
last year was a snap and everything worked just fine.

Regardless, your advice and thoughts have been most appreciated: thanks.

On Sat, 19 Feb 2005 11:09:03 -0800, "JP" wrote:

"Chuck" wrote:

JP,

OK, this is interesting. The master browser election is definitely part of your
problem. Laptop and Office have each elected themselves master browsers. Were
both powered off simultaneously (neither powered back on until the other has
been powered off)?

You need to have one of the computers on your LAN providing the browser service,
at all times, in order for any one of the computers to be able to "see" either
of the other two. The recommendation for a 3 computer LAN is to have 2 of the 3
computers running the service, so in case any one of the computers goes offline
for any reason, the other 2 computers will be able to "see" each other.

The problem is that, if you're going to have more than one computer running the
service, only one computer can be the master browser (ie the central authority
figure on the LAN). From experience, we know that broswers running Windows 9x
(Windows 95, 98, ME) don't work well with browsers running NT/2K/XP.

In your case, I hoped that disabling the browser on Basement, and enabling it on
Laptop and Office, would enable Laptop and Office to properly elect a master
browser between themselves. A master browser election is a fairly intricate
process.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winntas/deploy/prodspecs/ntbrowse.mspx

Can you get by with making Office the only browser on your LAN? Will there
never be a case when Office is offline (powered off?) when you need to access
files between Basement and Laptop? If so, then you can safely disable the
browser service (Stop then Disable) on Laptop.

If not, try powering all 3 computers off again. Power Office up first, and let
it elect itself the master browser. Then power Laptop up, so it sees Office as
the master browser. Finally, power Basement up, and see if this makes a
difference.

Chuck:

Your use of the word "interesting" in describing my networking issue is
somewhat disconcerting....

Anyway, to the question in your first paragraph, I did indeed turn off both
WinXP PCs simultaneously. As for your question about making Office the only
browser, I suppose that's a solution. It is, however, not ideal as my
scanner is on Basement, and I can envision times where I will want to scan
and send the resulting file to Laptop without powering everything down and
restarting everything, including Office.

I tried the idea in your last paragraph of powering everything down and then
back up sequentially. However, while Office elected itself the master
browser when I turned it (and only it) on, Laptop promptly elected itself
master browser when I turned it on five minutes later.

What's so very odd about all of this is that until I formatted the C: drive
on Office, I wasn't having any of these problems: the router installation
last year was a snap and everything worked just fine.

Regardless, your advice and thoughts have been most appreciated: thanks.

JP,

I've been advising / dealing with the peer-peer named resource inventorying
subsystem (aka Windows browser) issue for several years, ever since I was having
problems similar to yours, and someone in a forum long forgotten referenced the
Microsoft whitepaper that I have myself referenced many times.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/archive/winntas/deploy/prodspecs/ntbrowse.mspx

I am frequently amazed at its intricacy, and wondered why more folks, like you,
don't report problems.

There are known issues with having browsers running Windows 95/98/ME and Windows
NT/2K/XP on the same LAN.
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=246489

This is, however, the first time I've heard of two browsers running Windows XP
having problems (Just to make sure, Laptop and Office are both Windows XP
right?). I'll bet the clues to the resolution are somewhere in the whitepaper.

I'm not sure what your scenario WRT using Office as the only browser is based
upon. Once all 3 computers elect Office as your browser (if Office is the only
computer running the service), you shouldn't have to power reset anything. As
long as Office remains powered up and online, at least. One power reset should
be enough, at least til you add another Windows 9x computer.

I'd be very interested to learn why formatting C: on Office started this whole
mess, too.

Do you have (ever had) any firewalls on either computer? There are lots of ways
misbehaving / misconfigured firewalls can cause problems. This could be one.

Want to use email or IM to work on this further? I'd be glad to help on this,
til you resolve it.

--
Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck sonic net

"Chuck" wrote:

On Sat, 19 Feb 2005 11:09:03 -0800, "JP" wrote:

"Chuck" wrote:

JP,

OK, this is interesting. The master browser election is definitely part of your
problem. Laptop and Office have each elected themselves master browsers. Were
both powered off simultaneously (neither powered back on until the other has
been powered off)?

You need to have one of the computers on your LAN providing the browser service,
at all times, in order for any one of the computers to be able to "see" either
of the other two. The recommendation for a 3 computer LAN is to have 2 of the 3
computers running the service, so in case any one of the computers goes offline
for any reason, the other 2 computers will be able to "see" each other.

The problem is that, if you're going to have more than one computer running the
service, only one computer can be the master browser (ie the central authority
figure on the LAN). From experience, we know that broswers running Windows 9x
(Windows 95, 98, ME) don't work well with browsers running NT/2K/XP.

In your case, I hoped that disabling the browser on Basement, and enabling it on
Laptop and Office, would enable Laptop and Office to properly elect a master
browser between themselves. A master browser election is a fairly intricate
process.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winntas/deploy/prodspecs/ntbrowse.mspx

Can you get by with making Office the only browser on your LAN? Will there
never be a case when Office is offline (powered off?) when you need to access
files between Basement and Laptop? If so, then you can safely disable the
browser service (Stop then Disable) on Laptop.

If not, try powering all 3 computers off again. Power Office up first, and let
it elect itself the master browser. Then power Laptop up, so it sees Office as
the master browser. Finally, power Basement up, and see if this makes a
difference.

Chuck:

Your use of the word "interesting" in describing my networking issue is
somewhat disconcerting....

Anyway, to the question in your first paragraph, I did indeed turn off both
WinXP PCs simultaneously. As for your question about making Office the only
browser, I suppose that's a solution. It is, however, not ideal as my
scanner is on Basement, and I can envision times where I will want to scan
and send the resulting file to Laptop without powering everything down and
restarting everything, including Office.

I tried the idea in your last paragraph of powering everything down and then
back up sequentially. However, while Office elected itself the master
browser when I turned it (and only it) on, Laptop promptly elected itself
master browser when I turned it on five minutes later.

What's so very odd about all of this is that until I formatted the C: drive
on Office, I wasn't having any of these problems: the router installation
last year was a snap and everything worked just fine.

Regardless, your advice and thoughts have been most appreciated: thanks.

JP,

I've been advising / dealing with the peer-peer named resource inventorying
subsystem (aka Windows browser) issue for several years, ever since I was having
problems similar to yours, and someone in a forum long forgotten referenced the
Microsoft whitepaper that I have myself referenced many times.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/archive/winntas/deploy/prodspecs/ntbrowse.mspx

I am frequently amazed at its intricacy, and wondered why more folks, like you,
don't report problems.

There are known issues with having browsers running Windows 95/98/ME and Windows
NT/2K/XP on the same LAN.
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=246489

This is, however, the first time I've heard of two browsers running Windows XP
having problems (Just to make sure, Laptop and Office are both Windows XP
right?). I'll bet the clues to the resolution are somewhere in the whitepaper.

I'm not sure what your scenario WRT using Office as the only browser is based
upon. Once all 3 computers elect Office as your browser (if Office is the only
computer running the service), you shouldn't have to power reset anything. As
long as Office remains powered up and online, at least. One power reset should
be enough, at least til you add another Windows 9x computer.

I'd be very interested to learn why formatting C: on Office started this whole
mess, too.

Do you have (ever had) any firewalls on either computer? There are lots of ways
misbehaving / misconfigured firewalls can cause problems. This could be one.

Want to use email or IM to work on this further? I'd be glad to help on this,
til you resolve it.

--
Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck sonic net

Chuck:

Man o' man, I'm so embarrassed to admit it, but I had forgotten to disable
those damnable firewalls on the XP desktop (Office) and the XP laptop
(Laptop).... Mea culpa maxima....

Anyway, I re-ran "browstat status" on both computers after disabling the
firewalls, powering both down, powering Office up first, and came up with a
new set of reports that are listed below for your review. They're now both
using Office as the master server, but Laptop is kicking off an error message
("error = 53") the meaning of which is unclear to me: any thoughts?

I don't have an IM account (I'm not a Luddite, but IM has yet to demonstrate
the necessary "killer app" quality to me), but I'm more than willing to take
this exchange to email if you would prefer. I have inferred your email
address from your sign-off; mine is . Let me know
how you would like to proceed.

As always, many gracious thanks. Best regards.

OFFICE browstat status:

Status for domain MSHOME on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{7AD0499E-B55F-42EE-A1CD-08EFC9F956B7}
Browsing is active on domain.
Master browser name is: OFFICE
Master browser is running build 2600
1 backup servers retrieved from master OFFICE
\\OFFICE
There are 2 servers in domain MSHOME on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{7AD0499E-B55F-42EE-A1CD-08EFC9F956B7}
There are 1 domains in domain MSHOME on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{7AD0499E-B55F-42EE-A1CD-08EFC9F956B7}

LAPTOP browstat status:

Status for domain MSHOME on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{86C381BC-5AA8-4EDF-95B6-71F127958FAE}
Browsing is active on domain.
Master browser name is: OFFICE
Could not connect to registry, error = 53 Unable to determine build
of browser master: 53
\\\\OFFICE . Version:05.01 Flags: 51203 NT POTENTIAL MASTER
1 backup servers retrieved from master OFFICE
\\OFFICE
There are 2 servers in domain MSHOME on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{86C381BC-5AA8-4EDF-95B6-71F127958FAE}
There are 1 domains in domain MSHOME on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{86C381BC-5AA8-4EDF-95B6-71F127958FAE}