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Can't see workgroup members on network

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11 replies

by tim.holmes

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I have a small 6 PC workgroup to which I added a new user running XP on a Toshiiba laptop. The PC adds to the workgroup with no issues but I cannot browse the network by name from the added PC.

If I try to attach a network drive from Explorer no computers are found in the workgroup but if I use the IP address and share name I can attach to and use the files on the remote computers. I have the same issue with printers. They can't be used unless added using the IP address.

In a DOS box I can ping the other PCs by IP but not by name also.

The other PCs are running 98 or XP and they can see the new member of the workgroup but when I try to open I get the no permission dialog.

Clues?

11 replies

by bfilmfan

It's a NetBios issue. Is that XP workstation running the firewall? If it is, allow port 135-138 to be open to allow for NetBios traffic.

by bennose

SOLVED
I work mainly in Linux but came across this problem on one of the PC's accessing the SAMBA (windows compatible) filesystem.
Was absolutely stumped as all the PC's are identical, but one couldn't see the share.
The only difference was a pices of innocuous software installed on the PC - CD clone or something.
I removed it and the share was visible again.

As an engineer I can only recommend the following. a) If you have to use Windows and have a bunch of PC's to manage - ensure they are identical and don't let employees install anything other that what your IT department has authorised and tested. Draconian but you will save hours of unproductive forensic tech work that add nothing to the IP of your company
b) don't use windows - that a simple CD burning program can disable a network disturbs me greatly.

by bennose

SOLVED
I work mainly in Linux but came across this problem on one of the PC's accessing the SAMBA (windows compatible) filesystem.
Was absolutely stumped as all the PC's are identical, but one couldn't see the share.
The only difference was a pices of innocuous software installed on the PC - CD clone or something.
I removed it and the share was visible again.

As an engineer I can only recommend the following. a) If you have to use Windows and have a bunch of PC's to manage - ensure they are identical and don't let employees install anything other that what your IT department has authorised and tested. Draconian but you will save hours of unproductive forensic tech work that add nothing to the IP of your company
b) don't use windows - that a simple CD burning program can disable a network disturbs me greatly.

by s_hunnicutt

I had the same problem with a user after SP2 was installed on the PC. You must enable it on the firewall also, if you are running in a workgroup enviroment.

by rindi1

If you don't have a DNS server for your network and those dns entries don't get forwarded to your PCs through dhcp or whatever, add the other PCs ip address and names to the HOSTS file (Systemroot\system32\drivers\etc). The syntax is described in the hosts file itself. You can add those entries to all the PCs in your network.

by bobho

I have had similar issues with p2p networks innvolving multiple operating systems. Sometimes enabling netbios over tcpip has resolved the issue and sometimes it hasn't. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to when it will work and when it won't. This solution has never failed:

add the netbeui protocol to all of the computers in the workgroup. I have a home network with win98, winme, w2k and winxp. Until I installed netbeui I had the same issues that you are having. Once netbeui was installed all machcines could see and interact properly. One issue is that you should unbind the tcpip protocol from the "Client for Microsoft networks" and "File and Print Sharing for Microsoft Networks" to prevent unathorized access from outside of your network over the tcpip protocol.

Here's a couple of links to get you goinng:

http://www.chicagotech.net/nettroublshooting.htm

http://www.w3schools.com/site/site_security.asp

Cheers,

RW

by techrepublic

I had the same problem after installing a new router.

I solved it by logging on to my router (on mine you type 192.168.1.1 into the internet explorer window). Then I put in the user name and password (on mine the default was "admin" and "1234"), then go into expert mode, and find the section which reads: Configure, IP Passthtough.

On mine it was "Enabled". By setting it to "disabled" the computer suddenly became visible to the network (after re-starting the router and the PC).

Why does this work? All my computers except the invisible one had IP addresses like 192.168.1.33 or 192.168.1.34 or 192.168.1.35 etc. However the invisible computer had an IP address starting 85.5.134....... (You can see the IP address by loading the command prompt from accessories and tyoing in "ipconfig".

According to my router "If "User Configured PC" is selected, a local PC must be manually configured to have the public IP address."

Thus when the PC had an address outside the Local range of IP numbers starting with 192.168..... it will not be found as part of the network.

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