Network Issue: File Sharing Isn't being a Two-Way Street

[kirupa]

Hey everyone,
I have two desktops and a laptop connected using a Linksys Wireless router. The two desktops are connected via a Wired connection, and the laptop is connected via a wireless connection.

All three computers are able to connect to the internet without any problem. I am also able to share files between the two desktops. The desktops aren't the problem though. It is my laptop.

My laptop is able to connect to the internet without any problem, but I am not able to access any computer in the network. When I go to View Workgroup, a dialog box pops up saying: The Network Path was not Found.

Strangely enough, I'm able to access the shared files on the laptop using my desktop computers.

Does anybody know what may be up with this? I'm using Windows XP Home on all three computers.

Thanks!
Kirupa :nat:

[prstudio]

by any chance do you have ( ) around any of the computer names?

something else is to check the WINS tab on the laptop and see if "LMHOSTS" is checked and if "enable netbios" is selected.

shut all 3 computers down - fire the two desktops up - get them up and running and then turn on the laptop.

also with XP often times you have to enable a user account on the machines - for example for machine #2 to access machine #3 an account for user of machine#2 would have to exist on machine #3.

just some quick blanket solutions

[kirupa]

Hmm - no it still isn't working. What is odd though is that I am not even able to see the computers connected on the network using the laptop. Vice versa though, all the desktops see the laptop and are able to go crazy in the folders that I have set to be shared :)

[prstudio]

hmmm this has happened at work a few times - and renaming the workgroups on all computers again (just for being obssessive) and then starting up the laptop - let it come up - then starting up the desktop seemed to work.

you could also try deleting the connections and starting from scratch -


or try this DOS command
start> run> "cmd" then type
"nbtstat -R"

then reboot.

[kirupa]

will do - thanks :)

[kirupa]

Thanks again Pr! When mdipi and I were messing around with TCP/IP settings, I forgot that I enabled Port Filtering on my desktop. That is why my laptop was unable to connect to my desktop :)

[Disco-Stu]

One of my room mates had this problem a while back. Port Filtering = satan!

[prstudio]

ouch - yeah port filtering would do it hehe
glad it got up and running!