Networking 2 XP machines

[baller360]

Hello,

I have 2 computers (1 desktop, 1 laptop), and I have them sharing an internet connection through a linksys wireless router. The desktop is plugged directly into the router and the laptop is using the wireless connection. Both are able to browse the internet. My problem is I want them to be able to access eachother for files and what not. They are both running XP Professional. Ones IP address is 192.168.1.100 and the other IP is 192.168.1.101. They are both a member of the same workgroup. Neither can ping the other. One wierd thing that I've never seen is, from either machine if I try to go to my network place to view the workgroup is says my "access is denied and I should check the server." There is no server, just these 2 machines. Does anyone have any suggestions. I know both machines have norton on them, could that be blocking connectivity. Do I need to do something to the linksys to allow traffic to flow between the 2 machines?

Thanks

[PrntRhd]

They are both running XP Professional
I believe in XP Pro you have to add the same Users/passwords to both machines. You must enable Guest account on both. Both must have Simple file sharing and other services enabled.

http://www.mcse.ms/archive62-2004-6-778473.html

More will comment if they beat me to the info.

[baller360]

Would that cause me not to even be able to ping each machine?

[PrntRhd]

Which Norton, NAV won't affect it,
Norton Internet Security?

[baller360]

Norton Internet Security is installed on both machines.

[PrntRhd]

Yes that could block the LAN connection, I use ZAF and I would have to add the other PC's IP address to the Trusted Zone to allow seeing the other computer and sharing. Is NIS similar?

(You must also have ICF disabled, I assumed you do)

I also found this: practially networked (http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp_filesharing/index.htm) regards XP itself.

[Variable]

Little correction here. You don't need Simple File Sharing enabled on the XP Pro boxes to do file sharing. Simple File Sharing does not send authentication i.e. username and passwords, it uses the Guest account. By default XP Pro has Simple File Sharing turned off (security hole and all that). Most likely what's happening is that the XP Pro clients are expecting an authenticated client to access them, this is not happening, so the PC gives you the generic error message. It gives you a hint the problem could lie in permissions. If you enabled the Guest account on both machines you would not need to worry about permissions as anyone could access your machine. This is bad btw... : )

If you right click My Computer and click Manage, then scroll down to where you see Users and Groups. Expand Users and add/change the same username and password to both machines as PrntRhd said. It also could be, as has already been said, your firewall. Try disabling the firewalls and connecting. Right click the icon in the lower right corner and click disable (If I remember correctly)

V

[PrntRhd]

Variable,
Yes I saw that in the last Practically Networked link I posted, you can choose simple or advanced networking. You are correct.

I was not aware of the Guest account activation being bad though, is that a XP Home only thing?

[Variable]

Yes it is a bad thing because you enable "anyone" the ability to access your machine. Now with that said, what were talking about here is windows authentication, username and password (tickets,tokens and GUIDs). If you're behind a NAT router, firewall and AV you still have a good deal of protection. But if someone gets past that (we all know Windows and security are synonymous, right?) or **cough** they actually have local access to the machine.....
XP Home was made by Microsoft to be used for home networking and thus they did not include the networking authentication found in Pro (and all that goes along with it), since they believed it was too complicated and/or not needed for the Home network. I mean who needs security on a home network right? :p

Unfortunately, many home users do not use NAT or turn it off, many don't even have up-to-date AV. Throw in a free (and not understood)software firewall using XP Home and you've got people screaming down the information superhighway in a convertible with no seat-belts, airbags deactivated and the doors torn off. They can go wherever they want but are asking for trouble. God help them if they turn down the wrong street.

Just remember that if XP home is involved in a networking problem with 2000 or XP Pro, the 2000 or XP Pro box will have to have the Guest account enabled or no TCP/IP based file sharing will work. No authentication will take place, so there is no need to have identical username and passwords set up on both machines. With XP Home networking it is an all or nothing kind of thing.

Variable

[baller360]

Thank you very much for all the responses. Last night I wen into norton internet security and edited the firewalls on both machines to allow the ip range of 192.168.1.100-.125 and that fixed the problem completely. Thanks for the help!!!