Windows XP Home Networking Doesn't Work with 98 Clients

"Steve Winograd [MVP]" <winograd@pobox.com> wrote in message news:<9spejvcn71jbnol92n83h3lj1omfivp41q@4ax.com>. ..

> In article <03ef01c35fbd$c5204570$a101280a@phx.gbl>, "Rich"
> <rfinkelstein@ameritech.net> wrote:

> >Hi,
> >
> >I just installed an XP computer on my home network that
> >currently has two 98 machines on it. The two 98 machines
> >can share files but neither can see the new XP machine.
> >The XP machine can see the two 98 machines, but when I try
> >to access files from the XP to either 98 machine, I get
> >a "Network path not found error". Can anyone help me
> >troubleshoot this problem? Thanks very much for any
> >assistance that you can provide.

[snip, snip]

> 1. Permanently disable XP's built-in Internet Connection Firewall on
> local area network connections -- it's for use only on a direct modem
> connection to the Internet. Disable and un-install all other
> firewalls while troubleshooting. Details here:
>
> Windows XP Internet Connection Firewall
> http://www.practicallynetworked.com/...c_firewall.htm
>

Oooohh, you've got a tricky one here.
I've got my XP home machine networked to a 98, but it wasn't easy -
problem is that now It works fine, and I can't remember how I got it
working in the first place.

It always seemed as though the web had absolutely no answers for this
problem, and that nobody else would seem to be having it.
www.praticallynetworked.com as (steve? I've snipped out the name)
mentioned above was no doubt one of the best websites for this kind of
problem, but I remember going through each step and still having no
luck.

Keep going, as it is possible. Remember to COMPLETLEY disable your
firewalls - I disabled my Norton firewall, but it still didn't work -
it was only after I'd removed it from automatic startup, i think that
it started working.


You may well get to a stage where file sharing works, but Internet
connection sharing doesn't - or vice versa.

Just keep trying there. Sorry I can't be much more specific but it's a
hazy problem and you've just got to keep trying different setups in
the configuration.

regards

Malaclypse

Hi Steve,

Thanks a lot for your help so far. I think I have
determined that the problem is with the Network Protocol.
I am using Netbeui on my 98 machines. It appears that they
are neccessary in order to access my outside DSL provider
(SBC). When I remove Netbeui, the 98 computer is unable to
access the network. When it is installed, I can access the
network again.

When I install Netbeui on the XP machine, it still sees
the 98 machines, but cannot access them. When I uncheck
(unbind) the TCP/IP driver from the XP machine, it cannot
see the 98 machines. So it looks like the XP machine is
trying to use TCP/IP and the 98 machines are trying to use
Netbeui. Any suggestions about where I can go from here?
Thanks so much for your help so far. I would not have been
able to get anywhere without it!

Rich

In article <019d01c3602b$8cfbd380$a301280a@phx.gbl>, "Rich"
<rfinkelstein@ameritech.net> wrote:

>Hi Steve,
>
>Thanks a lot for your help so far. I think I have
>determined that the problem is with the Network Protocol.
>I am using Netbeui on my 98 machines. It appears that they
>are neccessary in order to access my outside DSL provider
>(SBC). When I remove Netbeui, the 98 computer is unable to
>access the network. When it is installed, I can access the
>network again.

I've never heard of a DSL or Internet connection that uses NetBEUI,
Rich. It's a non-routable protocol, so it can't be used to access
Internet sites.

Check with SBC to be sure what its requirements are.

It's possible that something's wrong with the TCP/IP setup on 98. Try
removing and re-installing TCP/IP.

>When I install Netbeui on the XP machine, it still sees
>the 98 machines, but cannot access them. When I uncheck
>(unbind) the TCP/IP driver from the XP machine, it cannot
>see the 98 machines. So it looks like the XP machine is
>trying to use TCP/IP and the 98 machines are trying to use
>Netbeui. Any suggestions about where I can go from here?
>Thanks so much for your help so far. I would not have been
>able to get anywhere without it!
>
>Rich

The key to Windows networking is to use the same, single protocol for
File and Printer Sharing on all computers. That protocol can be
TCP/IP, NetBEUI, or [NWLink] IPX/SPX. Using more than one protocol,
even on one computer, can disrupt the network, especially when XP is
involved.

If your 98 machines use NetBEUI to talk to each other, then you can
either:

1. Add NetBEUI to XP and un-bind sharing from TCP/IP on all computers.

or:

2. Remove NetBEUI from 98 and use only TCP/IP.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

Hi Steve,

Thanks very much for your prompt reply.

It looks like that for some reason I need Netbeui on the
machines because when I remove it, I cannot access the
network at all from my 98 machine.

It is unlikely that TCP/IP on the 98 is the problem since
I cannot see the XP machine from either 98 machine.

So it looks like my best route is to use Netbeui on all
machines for file sharing. If this is the case, how would
I unbind TCP/IP from file sharing on the XP machine.
Thanks again for all of your prompt replies.

Rich

In article <022001c36030$f05f9b00$a301280a@phx.gbl>, "Rich"
<rfinkelstein@ameritech.net> wrote:

>Hi Steve,
>
>Thanks very much for your prompt reply.
>
>It looks like that for some reason I need Netbeui on the
>machines because when I remove it, I cannot access the
>network at all from my 98 machine.
>
>It is unlikely that TCP/IP on the 98 is the problem since
>I cannot see the XP machine from either 98 machine.
>
>So it looks like my best route is to use Netbeui on all
>machines for file sharing. If this is the case, how would
>I unbind TCP/IP from file sharing on the XP machine.
>Thanks again for all of your prompt replies.
>
>Rich

You're welcome. I still recommend un-installing and re-installing
TCP/IP on 98. You say that you can't access the Internet without
NetBEUI, which makes no sense to me since Internet access only uses
TCP/IP. That indicates to me that there might be some corruption in
the 98 networking setup that un-installing and re-installing can fix.
In fact, I'd un-install the NIC and both protocols and start over.

To un-bind TCP/IP from sharing on 98, go to Control Panel | Network |
TCP/IP->network adapter | Properties | Bindings and un-check all of
the boxes.

To un-bind it on XP, see the instructions here:

Windows XP Network Protocols
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/..._protocols.htm
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com