Home Network - Can't share files/printers

[frasernm]

Recently installed Netgear Router RP614. Got both computers successfully sharing my broadband connection, but I can't see the files or printers of one computer from the other. I can ping by ip, but not by machine name.

Any suggestions?

I've included the output of ipconfig/ping for one of the machines below:

C:\Documents and Settings\fraser>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

        Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : fritzy
        Primary Dns Suffix  . . . . . . . :
        Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
        IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
        WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

        Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
        Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8029(AS)-based Ethernet Adapter (Generic)
        Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-E0-7D-96-E9-4D
        Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
        Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
        IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.2
        Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
        Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
        DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
        DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 194.168.4.100
                                            194.168.8.100
        Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 23 July 2003 16:51:54
        Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 19 January 2038 04:14:07

C:\Documents and Settings\fraser>ping fraser_murray
Ping request could not find host fraser_murray. Please check the name and try again.

C:\Documents and Settings\fraser>ping 192.168.0.3

Pinging 192.168.0.3 with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 192.168.0.3: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.0.3: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.0.3: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.0.3: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128

Ping statistics for 192.168.0.3:
    Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
    Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms

[tmx468]

Are they both configured to the same workgroup, and have file and print sharing installed?

[Bones1]

Hmm I looked at my IP status and mine shows up basically the same except my DNS server is the same as the Default Gatway and the DHCP server.

Looks like you are getting the DNS (Domain Name Server)numbers from your ISP and it's not letting you ping computer names, share files, printers but it will allow a ping by ip address.

First thing to look is if those numbers (DNS Server) are changed in the network settings.

If that's not the case I would suggest shutting down everything then power up your DSL/Cable modem wait for the connection then power up the router then try the comps.

Do another ipconfig /all and see if it changed the DNS numbers back to 192.168.0.1.

HTH

Jim

[meese]

The DNS setting do not stop you from sharing files and printers. If you use a hub to network to pc's and have no internet connection, you can obviously share files and printers without DNS. Having the router act as DNS server will allow you to ping using the computer names as well as ip address. But this is not the reason you can't share files and printers.

[Bones1]

You bring up and interesting point meese I may have been looking way too deep for the problem. Could be as simple as tmx468 mentioned.

[wetdog500]

Are you sure you are pinging "fritzy" and not your computers discription

[frasernm]

Are they both configured to the same workgroup, and have file and print sharing installed?

yes, yes and yes

I should have said that both computers are using XP, and that I'd previously had them conencted via a hub when I was using windows to share my modem connection. Printer and file sharing were ok then.

Tech support had instructed to use my ISPs DNS servers when I set up the network.

[meese]

Can you post an ipconfig /all from the other pc? When you used the hub how did you assign ip's to the pc's? If it was working with the hub, you should be able to replace it with the router and have it work. I would focus on a router problem. One other thing, what type of CAT5 cables are you using? Patch or Crossover? I know some hubs needed crossover cables, but the router would most likely use patch cables.

[Bones1]

Quoting frasernm
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Tech support had instructed to use my ISPs DNS servers when I set up the network.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

What happens if you remove the DNS entries from the network properties and let the router pick them up? Can you still browse the internet?

edit - clarify my question

[frasernm]

Sorry for not replying sooner, but the second computer (Fraser_murray) is a laptop and was connected to the network over the weekend.

One other thing, what type of CAT5 cables are you using? Patch or Crossover?

The router and modem came with a cable each, and I'm using them - I'm not sure what type - I think the cable that came with the modem is being used to connect Fraser_murray to the router and the cable that came with the router to connect router to modem. Fritzy is connected to the router using a patch cable.

What happens if you remove the DNS entries from the network properties and let the router pick them up? Can you still browse the internet?

The way I've been set up is to use a static ip address, and the option to get DNS from ISP is therefore disabled.

Below is the ipconfig /all output from the 2nd computer

C:\Documents and Settings\fraser>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

        Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : fraser_murray
        Primary Dns Suffix  . . . . . . . :
        Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Peer-Peer
        IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
        WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

        Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
        Description . . . . . . . . . . . : SiS 900-Based PCI Fast Ethernet Adapter
        Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-40-D0-31-C0-1C
        Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
        Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
        IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.3
        Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
        Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
        DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
        DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 194.168.4.100
                                            194.168.8.100
        Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 30 July 2003 09:13:47
        Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 19 January 2038 04:14:07