Networking Nightmare

[aruba92]

Hello, I hope someone can help. I have two Windows XP machines that where networked together via a NetGear switch. I had to re-format the Host PC and re-install Windows XP. I have a Direcway Satelite Connection for the Internet and my machine is back up and running fine, browsing the net etc. The problem is I can't get the two machines to see one another anymore I don't know what happened. I have the host IP at 192.168.0.1 and the other is set to Auto obtain IP. That is the way it was before. Now it doesn't work. I get some wierd error when I try to access the Workgroup in My Network Places and ther is nothing there anyway. It's a mess. Can I or should I just some how delete the current workgroup and connections and start over and if so how? Tried to delete the connection in Network Connections, but it doesn't go away. Can anyone help... I have some screen shots of anything you need. So if anyone can help let me know what you need.
Mike

[meese]

You are using two nics in the one pc, correct?

[aruba92]

I am not real great at this, so be patient with me. NIC Network Interface Cards right? I have one in EACH PC. and a USB Satelite Modem on my PC. Like I said before it had worked before up until I re-installed XP. Clean install re-formatted. I moved some files to my sons PC before I re-installed XP, so he had Internet connectivity and file and printer sharing before. Now nothing works on his PC.
Mike

[John Prophet]

yeah, tell us exactly how you have them hooked together....you say you have a switch..and you say "host PC"..so does that mean you were using "Internet connection sharing"? (ICS)

could it simply be that the firewall is on and needs to be turned off?

Or could it be that the workgroup names are not the same?

Also..are you getting internet on the "host" machine now?

[aruba92]

My PC's cable connects to the switch and my sons PC connects to the switch. I have a USB Satelite Modem ICS enabled which changes my Network IP addres to 192.168.0.1. My sons is set to Auto obtain IP address. I have Nortons Internet Security, but disabled that on both PC's and ran the Network Wizard again and still nothing. We are on the same workgroup default MSHOME or set to be, but I see nothing in My Network Places under the workgroup and on his I only see his PC. Attached is a message I get on mine when I try to open the Workgroup In Explorer. Yes I am connect to the Internet on the Host machine.
Mike

[John Prophet]

and thats how you had it setup before? The usb satellite modem is designed for "ICS" so that it will give out IP addresses to more than 1 comp?

Maybe you just need to go to his, and from DOS prompt do "ipconfig /release" and then "ipconfig /renew".

Do you happen to have a link you can post for that specific cable modem? Maybe we could look at it and get some idea of how it is supposed to work.

edit..... what does his machine have for an IP address?? Does it have a 169.254.x.x etc address?

Maybe you could do an "ipconfig /all" on his machine and post up the pertinant parts of it...like the IP address etc

[aruba92]

It's not the Satelite modem. I can't even set up a simple network without ICS. Can't ping either PC from the other.

[John Prophet]

is "client for microsoft networks" installed on both machines?

right click the "tcp/ip" properties of network neighborhood and see if "client for microsoft networks" is on both of them.

[aruba92]

Yes on both

[John Prophet]

what about the IP address on the "bad" pc? Maybe they are conflicting with each other? Did you do "ipconfig 'release" then "ipconfig /renew" on the "bad" machine?

can the bad machine ping its own nic "ping 127.0.0.1"

XP firewall is off on both? (you may already have answered it, not sure, lol)

what about the lights on the switch, do they show a good connection etc?