I have set up a wireless network between my desktop and my garage computer. The garage computer connects to the network and surfs the internet through the network with no problems. The desktop surfs the internet with no problems. The desktop runs XP Home, the garage Windows 98.
Neither computer can see the other one or share anything. I have to email files back and forth. I've done everything in the book to get them to see each other on the network...it doesn't work. It's a long list of attempts to get a connection so I won't bore you guys with it. The only way that I can see that they can both have internet without seeing each other is if my garage computer is browsing with a connection directly to the router without going through my desktop. any suggestions on how to get them to share files?

Easiest way without farking with the hosts file or setting up an internal DNS server would be just install IPX on both machines. BTW, your router should be doing name resolution for you, maybe a firmware update? At the very least you should be able to connect either via ip. Ex, from XP start run \\, that *should* work now without any issues. Its been a while from 98 but make sure file and print sharing is enabled.

Do you have the Clients for Microsoft Netowrks protocol bound to the 98 machines NIC?

Are both machines part of the same workgroup?

Can you ping the 98 machine from the XP box?

If you can ping the 98 box from the XP box, then from the XP box; Goto "Start", "Run", type the IP address of the 98 machine followed by c$ and hit enter.

e.g. \\192.168.1.14\c$

What happens?

Can't ping either machine from the other. File and print sharing is enabled on both machines. The workgroup names are the same. They only see themselves on the network.

I guess the first question would be is are you running any type of firewall software on either of the boxes? Check that XP box and see if the firewall has been enabled. If so, try disabling it.

That's strange. If you have a firewall on the 98 machine allow ICMP requests, same with the XP box or you could disable them for testing purposes.

Then try to ping the machines. If you still can't ping verify the IP schema on both machines using the ipconfig command.

e.g. ipconfig /all

Make sure that the IP's fall in the same range and they are on the same subnet.

Also make sure that Netbios over TCP/IP is enabled on both machines.

Netbios,TCP/IP on, firewalls off. IPs are the same except for last digit. It's got me stumped.

On the Win98 box.... try removing the network protocols... reboot the machine then re-install them.

See what happens.

Another thought.... Have you checked the configuration of the router to make sure that is not preventing the wireless and the wired machines from seeing each other?

Here is how I just got it to work. There are a couple important things required to make this work. First, there should be only one master browser on the network. Second, any network change made on the 98 box will result
in you rebooting the XP box. XP doesn't release the old network setting of the 98 box.

1. Shut down your XP box.

2. Remove all the protocals and NIC card setups from your 98 box Network Properties menu.

3. Via device manager remove the NIC from the 98 box and reboot.


4. When the 98 box comes back up it should find the NIC.

5. Reboot the 98 box again.

6. Then go back into 98 network properties and bind your protocols. TCP/IP, Clients for MS, Netbios over TCP/IP.

7. Disable the master browser option on your 98 box. Let XP be the master browser on the network.

How to disable master browser in 98.

Open network properties
Select file and print sharing
Select properties for file and print sharing
Set master browser to disabled

8. Reboot the 98 box

9. Power up your XP box

10. Disable ALL firewalls and AV software from both boxes (this is for tesing only) and double check the IP schemas and workgroup name.

11. Try to ping your 98 box from the XP box

Once you can ping your box, you can set up your shares. Once you setup your shares, reboot both your boxes.

Thanks for all of the help. I will try it tomorrow or the next day. I have 24 hour duty today and a medical procedure tomorrow, so can't jump right on it yet.

Thanks again

I'm worse off now. I can't get on the internet from the garage. My win 98 computer won't let me reinstall the NIC. It's a total f'ing mess. I just want to take both of my machines into the woods and relieve some of the stress with my 454 Casull. To top it off I received a notice from belkin that they will be refunding the purchase price of both my router and NIC. Seems they mislead me about data rates and transmission distances. I was kind of wondering why I couldn't get a signal with the antennas only two feet apart. I have to quit trying for the night, but I do feel that microsoft has made this networking thing a bit too complicated. Damn I'm tired of this shit.