Community archive

Ask something
Question Locked

LAN down

0 helpful
7 replies

by ash_bladerunner

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

I have a small home network made up of two computers and a laptop connected through a router.
Recently I had to reinstall my Windows XP due to a crash. Before this, the LAN was working and I could use the network printer. After this install I cannot access the other computers on the network. I tried to set up the network through Network Setup Wizard many times, changed the usual workgroup even and still I cannot access the other computers. The other computers respond to ping though.
If anyone had similar please help me with this.
I had visited forums and even Microsoft's page but still a clear answer couldn't be found.

7 replies

by Former member

If you have then you will need to install the SP1 (service pack one/two, unless all of these updates are in SP3, service pack three). Any way do all of the updates on all of your computers. When done then go into "network connection" and do a setup. When the you see the setup finish you will be faced with something like " create a network setup disk", click on this and the next page will ask for the disk either a floppy or usb disk will do, then transfer this floppy/usb disk on to all of your computers, when finished reboot your computers. Hopefully you will see your computers on the network. Also right click on the harddrives (C drives) and mark then as "share" then you will be able to transfer your files or folders over between computers. When the computers are rebooting reboot your router also. this will clear the cache memory in the router.

Please post back if you have any more problems or questions.

by ash_bladerunner

Thank you for your quick response.
I have installed all of the driver needed. And my XP version already has SP2 installed. All the computers have the updates done. Still my computer is the only one not recognized on the network. The laptop and the other one share between them beautifully.
I tried what you said and still doesn't work.

by Former member

And load the setup on to a flash-drive and load this onto the computer that is not working/connecting. Or before you do this try this out, download this:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=4F01A31D-EE46-481E-BA11-37F485FA34EA&displaylang=en
It is LLTD, in short it is a connection codec that Microsoft left out on their software. Download it and run it, see if it fixes the issue.

Please post back if you have any more problems or questions.

by robo_dev

Sometimes the network adapter will negotiate the connection incorrectly. So a switch with a 100MBS Full duplex port will connect at 100MBS/half duplex. This will allow a ping, but broadcast-based protocols such as Microsoft Networking, act weird.

So swap the patch cable and make sure that the network adapter is set to 100mbs full duplex in it's advanced settings. Also try plugging into a different switch port on your router.

If you have or had personal firewall software, that could be an issue. Sometimes I've seen OLD personal firewalls (ones that you de-installed) causing issues. If you did a reinstall of XP, any personal firewall you had before may still be there.

If you did a reinstall of XP, the TCP/IP stack might be messed up. Try a stack reset.

TCP/IP stack reset
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/299357

And finally, using the NBTSTAT -R commands, as well as NBTSTAT -r from cmd line, you can diagnose netbios problems.

by ic-it

Verify the workgroup name, IP range, subnet, and DNS addressess from a working computer. Turn off your firewall, enter that data (with a different IP address within the range), on the non-connecting computer.

by ash_bladerunner

Thanks everyone for support. After many tries without success I had to reinstall Windows and now everything is back to normal. This was one odd encounter which is the main reason why I love computers. :D

This discussion is closed to new replies.