Wired Networking

[undergroundtech]

I have two PC's directly conected by a cross-over cable, one is running Windows XP Pro and the other is a humble Win 98 machine. What I need help with is, my network is working and running @ 100Mbs. However only the computer I'm on at that particular time is showing up in Network Nieborhood, another words the other computer is not showing up in the network. But I can access them through Search>Find computers and there it is.
It works but its is a bit of a pain to access it like that.
Anyone no a fix for this.

[siq]

a router ;)

check and make sure that your computers are in the same workgroup.

[undergroundtech]

There on the same workgroup and they do on occasion both show up, but most of the time they do not.
I wonder if it might have been sevices that I have dissabled and can't remember what all I've changed.
Agreed a router would help, but always find my self spending all my money on go fast hardware. :twisted:

[siq]

lol... well are you sure you've set the sharing on both the computers? make sure they're right because obviously if your sharing isn't enabled it wont show up. but that doesn't mean it won't show up half the time. dunno... when does it usually show up?

[KryoNexus]

i would run through the "network setup wizard" in win xp. then make a floppy to run it on the 98 machine. see if that helps out

[Beemer]

You could just create a link to each computer under "My Network Places".

[undergroundtech]

Thanks Beemer, that works for me.

I'm not sure what caused it to stop showing up like that, it use to work fine.
I had disconnected the win 98 PC to test a niebors network card on there computer. Once I had finnished and reconnected mine back up, was the last time it worked right.
I had double checked everything a 100 times or more to make sure I wasn't forgeting something and never could figure out why it would show up every now and again, then be gone the next time I needed to use it.

[Beemer]

No problem, glad to help.

[undergroundtech]

eerrr :x I'm having trouble again....Now when I try to access the other comp on my network (or lack of) I get a message saying [Computer or Sharename could not be found]

So I run a ping, it times out. That makes me believe that the connection is OK, and the packets are getting lost or blocked somewhere.

I've rebuilt the TCP/IP connection on the Win98 and went to run "repair connection on the XP box. Then I get an error saying [Windows could not finish repairing the problem because clearing the DNS cache could not be completed]
So I decide to go to the command prompt and do it my self by typing "ipconfig /flushdns"
Now it says [Could not flush the DNS Resolver Cache : Function failed during execution]

So now I'm not sure what I should do next, I'm not much on networking (obviously).

[Beemer]

can you ping 127.0.0.1 on the XP box?

[undergroundtech]

Yeah, with good reply times too.

[Beemer]

What numbers do the boxes have?

[TenaciousPD]

tried a different network cable?

[undergroundtech]

10.0.0.1 & 10.0.0.2

[undergroundtech]

tried a different network cable?

I've tested my cable on two other PC's and seems to work

[Beemer]

just for giggles, try 225.10.10.10 and .11

[undergroundtech]

225 is not valid, please choose a number between 1 & 223

[Beemer]

erm, woops, make it 220 to start....
trying to make it a class "C" address, but 225 doesn't work for that :lol:

[undergroundtech]

nope, that don't work either. I'll probibly take Siq's advice and get a router sometime soon, but in the mean time need my network up.

[undergroundtech]

Well....After I deleted the network connection on the XP box and started the TCP/IP from scratch, everything is up running again.

Not sure what causes them to get buggy, to where you can't do anything with it, except start over.

Just glad its now working, guess I'll start looking for a good router. Any recommendations on one, or ideas on what I should look for? Or are they all about the same?

[jurtje]

I like d-link and linksys and Dray tek. I have excellent experiences with all of them.
You have to decide whether you want an ADSL modem in there, if you want one with wireless capability, etc.

However, if I remember correctly, you have a dial up connection. I haven't seen a router around which also has a normal modem built in.

Good luck

[Beemer]

I know that it has been a little flakey, but I wouldnt spend the money on a router unless I had a connection to utilize to the outside world. Just my opinion though, Linksys (cisco) and Dlink are good.

[undergroundtech]

If no one thinks it will help my situation, I'll not get one.
I would like my network a little more bullet proof though.

[Beemer]

A desktop switch might fix it.