Networking between XP Pro and Home problems?

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Hi Guys,

Just been setting up a small home network, nothing too advanced just basic file sharing... anyway my main computer is on XP Pro (SP1), and I just shared my MP3s and Videos folders, my laptop (XP PRO SP2) could access these files no problem, but my other half's laptop is on XP Home edition... now when I was looking for any mention of file sharing, I couldn't find anything, also looked in My Network Places, no sign here so can anyone shed some light on what I can do to access these folders on my girlfriends laptop?

Thanks in advance

 

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I would suggest on your girlfriends laptop open a run dialogue and enter \\ followed by the IP of your main computer \

EG \\192.168.0.1\

and see if you get anything that way, that should work if her Laptop can access the network.

 

You cannot setup network domain XP Home edition, it would only work as a workgroup and sharing from another network connection.

 

It can take some time for the network browsing system to kick in. Sometimes it is quick - sometimes you have to wait quite a bit.

I assume that the other-half's laptop is getting a correct IP? Can you ping between the machines?

Harry.

 

I think you are confusing Network sharing with joining a Domain Onoski. You can indeed partake in network sharing on a Home machine. Hell it can even be done between it and a domain machine if the permissions are done right.

However, in this case, the OP hasnt mentioned anything about being on a domain, so we are assuming that both machines are not on domains, but just on workgroups. In this case, so long as both machines have the same workgroup name, they will be able to share ok.

I know for a fact that Steves (Suttar) method works between machines, as its a common method for accessing machines both on and off the domain (and I use it at home).

 

Hi Fergal, yep! my bad was mistaken this for a domain and not as post initially stated

 

<Cough> There is no requirement for the workgroup names to match! This seems to be a common statement, but in fact the workgroup names are merely a visual convenience!

Indeed - and I have used it as well (and between different workgroups!).

Harry.

 

Ah. Didnt realise that Harry. THanks for pointing it out. Certainly makes life a hell of a lot easier for novices though if it is.

 

erm, surely its just a case of setting up a workgroup and ensuring the same settings are on each machine and then setting up individual file sharing - or am I missing the point?

I have a limited network here at work running through a couple of switches. Most PCs are xp home edition, one is win98 and all can share files, printers and the one internet line we have. One guy even connects his vista laptop to the network to gain access to the internet, so I know its possible.

 

9 times out of 10 your right, unfortunately there can be some issues. Especially when you have one machine running a slightly different OS. in this case XP home and XP pro.

 

Local security policy settings can affect how easily two workgroup PC's will network together as well. It might be worth relaxing some of the default restrictions that affect networking.

 

Just a couple of additional thoughts:
1) Firewall either on your SP1 box or the missus'
2) Assuming it pings OK, have you tried mapping a drive/ connecting to the folder by type in the UNC?

 

Hey, sorry to drag up an old post, but didn't fancy posting it all again, although I might aswell...

Anyway - been trying again to get this sorted tonight, as you can see by the time, it hasn't gone too well!

here is where I am at the moment:

My laptop, XP PRO SP2, can interact fine with my main SP1 computer - I have mapped two network drives on my laptop, to the films and MP3 folders on my main computer, and also set up a shared folder to swap files between each, this works fine... when you look on my main computer you can look at the workgroups, you can see my laptop there, and this computer, but also the other XP HOME laptop - but when you try to connect, you just get an error message
"\\name of computer is not accessible. You might not have permission to use the network resource. Contact the administrator of the server to find out if you have access permissions

The network path was not found."

same on my laptop, I can see the other laptop in the workgroup list of computers (just the usual MSHOME) but cannot access it... I have checked all the workgroup names are the same, and I believe file sharing is enabled on the XP Home - but there is no option in Folder Options, as with XP PRO, to turn on file sharing, however using the network setup wizard, it did say "do you want to turn on file sharing" etc, and on folders, I can choose the usual sharing options...

So I turned to a bit of web searching, and a common theme seemed to be to ensure NetBios over TCPIP was enabled, I have ensured that this is done (on the laptop) and yet whenever I do ipconfig/all, it still shows as disabled - however im not sure how important this is, as it is disabled on my XP PRO laptop, and that works just fine...

Now we come to PINGing - I can ping my laptop from the main computer, and vice versa, I can ping from this laptop to my main computer, although that's very hit and miss - was getting 0% - 75% loss, and pinging between laptops, from my laptop to the problematic one is always 100% loss, from the problematic laptop to mine ranges between 0% - 50% loss..

the variation could be down to the fact it is on a very weak wireless signal, in my study it's quite a way from the router..

I don't think I've missed anything, but PLEASE someone help me out!!!!!!!

 

I am missing the point of why you can't do it.

I have a two PCs linked together one xp pro and the other is xp home. All I did was set up a workgroup, the only difference I can see between yours and mine is both my versions are running SP2 and yours are not, but I don't think that would do anything.

 

OK well perhaps if i compress the point out of all that waffle, the laptop, and my computer, will not connect in any way, shape or form... by typing in \\192.168 etc, no joy.... can see the laptop/computer in the workgroup, but cannot access it!

And I'm just at a loss as to what to do next - maybe some diagrams / screenshots would clarify my problem further?

Basically, what should work, just isnt.. that's the problem! The laptop in question works fine in all other ways, works fine on the internet, and has been given a static IP for simplicities sake (this problem was present long before it had a static IP)

 

Just been doing a bit more research - I am 99&#37; sure I saw the guest account, on the XP HOME laptop (the problem one), was turned off - this was only in Accounts I saw this, not in the actual security policy (cant remember seeing that there at all) - but from what I've read, this guest account directly correlates to file sharing?

 

No. I have never turned on my guest account.

WIthout the guest acc, you would be prompted for your local login credentials on the target machine.

The fact that you cant even communicate with the machines by IP indicates another issue.

For a start, can you please provide the ipconfig /all output from both machines.

 

If you have the same user accounts with the same passwords on both machines, there shouldn't be an issue.

 

ummm, are you sure? Im fairly sure that on a workgroup, it would still prompt for username and password, even if they were both identical. Remember, windows doesnt use the name as an identifier, it uses the GUID, or the SID to determine if an account matches. Even if both accounts have the same name, the odds on them having the same GUID/SID are very very slim.

 

There are no passworded accounts on any of the machines though!

I will post the ipconfig /all details when I get home, from my main computer and the problem computer i take it you mean?

I thought I had found the answer

Pinging does get some through, but what could it be if the results are inconsistent? I dont think its to do with that, more to do with some permissions somewhere or other I'd take a guess at? Or perhaps a firewall exception could be added?