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home network issue

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11 replies

by bohicam1

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Here is scenario,

userA on laptop uses username/password
userB on desktop just clicks on their usernsme to access account, no password.
Both users have identical accounts on both computers.
WinXP pro laptop with printer, WinXP home desktop wants to access printer. There are no policies in effect, no firewalls, there is a router which is also a DHCP between the two computers. Both have internet, laptop can see desktop but cannot access any shared files. Desktop cannot see laptop, but if you type in the address of the printer (eg. \\192.168.0.x\hp630) you are prompted for a password. Once the password/username are entered, the printer appears and you can print to it. Once you log off and log back in however, the printer still shows up in the printers section but you get an access denied error.
The user on the laptop has a username/password to get into the laptop, the user wanting to use printer has an account that does not have a password.
I tried to share a file as userB on desktop, userA on laptop cannot see it or even map to it.
I hooked in my laptop to the network, both can access my shared files but I could not access anything on either of theirs...very strange, eh?
I would appreciate any ideas. Feel free to post something if I need to clarify or further explain something.
Thank you in advance,

Mike

11 replies

by lmon

Make sure that both machines have the guest account enabled. If you have NAV\MCafee\Zonealrm make sure they dont have their firewalls enabled if you are not sure run msconfig from the command prompt and uncheck everything that says Norton\mcaffee\symantec. When you restart if it works you have a firewall with one of those programs. Make sure they are also on the same workgroup.

by bohicam1

Sorry for taking so long to get this settled.
The guest account does not need to be enabled nor do firewalls need to be disabled in order to network two computers. My home network works just fine with those in place as they were.
The client in question does have both computers on the same workgroup. They are also on the same subnet (DHCP is being used).
Thanks

Mike

by w2ktechman

Try mapping the computer with the printer as a network drive, add login using a different account and specify the username and password. This should keep the session open for use.

by bohicam1

That is what I tried in the beginning. Problem is, it only works for that session, once you logoff, the printer becomes unavailable. Secondly it still doesn't solve the issue of being able to share anything between the two computers.
Thanks,

Mike

by jdlp

Add the printer as a local printer, but select the port type as TCP/IP and put in the printers IP address, then follow through normally, setting up to access as another user & enter the laptop user's username and password.

by caprona26

Hi there.
I was having the same exact problem.
This article solved it for me.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/columns/russel/02april08.asp
I know that this is close to what you've already described above, but I selected to reconnect at logon when mapping, and haven't had any issues since.
(Just so you know, I am running w2k on both home computers and the laptop, so it's not just an xp issue. In addition, I have ZoneAlarm up & running :)
Hope this helps!
--EE

by bohicam1

Sorry, that didn't solve anything. The desktop can't even see the laptop and the laptop cannot get past the computer icon in My Network Places so reconnecting to anything does not even apply as there is nothing to connect to in the first place.
Thanks for your time,

Mike

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