XP networking absurdities

[Aloysius]

Hi all - first post here.

Okay, i've been lurking around here for a few hours trying to find a solution to what looks like a common problem, which was solved here two different ways. However niether solution has worked for me. That said, please excuse me for posting a new thread on this topic.

I get an error: "Mshome is not accessible. You might not have permission to access this network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you have access permissions."

This is only in the event that there is another computer visible when I click "View workgroup computers", and try to access it. An empty workgroup is the norm. Now, this is where the circus music starts:

I have 3 computers on this network - I call them Black, White, and Grey. All 3 can access the internet through the hub, they all have the same workgroup name "MSHOME" (default for simplicity), and i've run the network setup wizard on each, identically and successfully. Grey is running XP pro, and the other 2 are on XP home. When I click "View workgroup computers", Black can see white and grey but not itself, White cannot see anything, and Grey can only see itself.

None have the Internet protection firewall enabled. Okay, the solutions provided on other posts:

"try adding this protocals on both computers
NWlinknetbio's
netbios compatible transport protocal
nwlink ipx/spx
then run network set up again"

I've checked all three, and all have these protocals installed and active. Are there some settings inside these I might be missing? And:

"the fix was

from a prompt type
NET SHARE IPC$
on all computers"

I typed this into each and each executed successfully. After all this I rebooted each pc. I'm assuming all the hardware is fine, since they all can connect to the dsl router.

What I would like to know is:

1) Why do I get this error?

2) Should I be logged on as "Administrator" to ensure the changes take effect throughout the system?

3) Why would the computers not detect each other over the network; or not even see themselves?

4) Would a two story fall sufficiently destroy my computers, or would shooting them with a high powered rifle be more fun?

Thanks in advance for any help.

[zxc47]

You have spent to much time on speedguide .LOL

1) Why do I get this error? your computer does not like you . or you have not set up any files to share and /or drive's or the firewall is on.Every time you run network setup the firewall is inable by defualt.
2) Should I be logged on as "Administrator" to ensure the changes take effect throughout the system. Here again think of what you have set up to share on each computer user name like if computer A is set up to share BOB doc.file But Bill is log on computer A and BOB on computer B and is trying to get bob DOC file on computer A
3)Why would the computers not detect each other over the network; or not even see themselves? Most of the time if every thing is set up right and working it may take up to 5 min before it will show up or can be executed successfully the first time.
I like shooting them with a high powered rifle

[cyberskye]

Don't you need a common account (on each machine) to browse the shares?

[Aloysius]

Hehhe - I think Black likes me, but White seems to be indifferent, and I know for certain that Grey wants my blood.

Okay, apparently networking works like this:

You set everything up correctly and go through the process of finding inconsistancies and trying to correct them.

Then comes the exercise in futility - trying to make it work the way you want it to work .. not Perfectly, but how you want it to work.

Smoke, drink, eat ... drink drink drink - suddenly, getting it to work "Microsoft Perfect"tm is the top priority.

Cuss drink fiddle, cuss drink start over, pass out in anger.

Wake up and find half the network working. I guess I live with gnomes.

This pretty much explains my current situation:

Black - can see white and grey but not itself, and can browse grey but not white.

White - can see and browse both Grey and itself. - Now that I've switched off the firewall, which I cant beleive I missed.

Grey - can NOW see both itself and white, and browse them.

So what is Blacks problem? I thought it liked me! Not only that, but what is the deal with Xp home? - the original error still exists, but only between these 2.

Cyberskye - what do you mean by a common account?

[BlackSword]

Originally posted by Aloysius
Cyberskye - what do you mean by a common account?

What I believe he means is having common "username" / "password" accounts on each machine..... what that does is eliminate the need to supply a log on Name/password to the remote rig when trying to access the shares. This is not necessary to see the other rigs though.... one question I have is have you tried doing a search for "black"? Plus have you set a directory up in black as shareable?

[Aloysius]

Thanks Blacksword - the whole time, i've been searching for Black from Grey, when all I had to do was search for Black FROM Black ... then it finally realizes it's part of the team and submits to the workgroup.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew.

Yeah, I was talking to my tech-saavy brother in law, and he said the way I have it set up is more like a Win 9x network. He said that I should do it differently for security reasons since win xp can set aside passwords and "users" that each computer can use to connect with the other securely while having a broader range of shares available, in that I could just browse a networked pc's whole drive?

Wish I could remember exactly what it was he said about that because if you have to disable the built-in internet firewall on each computer just to have them realize they're in the network, then how would you be able to log on to your user account from another pc?