Networking difficulties

rts · Wed 09 Jun, 2004 19.18

Network, with router, working. My computer which is wired to the router, and my brother & Dad's which are wireless, are all able to get on the internet.

The only problem is things such as printer sharing and net send is not working. With net send for example I am being told that The message alias could not be found on the network. I tried the computer names, and IP addresses, to no result.

When I click View workgroup computers in the network connections bit, it says The list of servers for this network is not available as well as suggesting you don't have permission to view it, and to contact the administrator - moi.

The problem is, I don't know how to rectify this problem... But can you?

Many thanks

Cheese Head · Wed 09 Jun, 2004 20.39

I think your problem is that you may have not set up the network to be a network, and instead just used the built-in internet connection sharing facility of your OS.

Of course, I may be wrong. . .

rts · Thu 10 Jun, 2004 10.26

I've set it up as a home network thingy, so I don't think it's that. Thanks anyway though.

rts · Sun 13 Jun, 2004 16.05

Anyone know what to here then? Becuase at the moment to print things off people are saving things on-to floppies etc, as we cannot seem to get printer/file sharing working...

Neil Jones · Sun 13 Jun, 2004 19.29

Can you share files between the two systems? Internet Connection Sharing and file sharing are not one and the same. Usually if you can't see your PC's hard drive from the other computer(s) you won't be able to print to them either.

rts · Sun 13 Jun, 2004 20.14

We can share connections, but the PC's cannot see eachother. It is this I am hoping to rectify meaning we can share files and printers etc. I am just unsure as to how I go about doing this.

Neil Jones · Sun 13 Jun, 2004 21.23

rts wrote:We can share connections, but the PC's cannot see eachother. It is this I am hoping to rectify meaning we can share files and printers etc. I am just unsure as to how I go about doing this.

Ah hah

Two things:

1) Ensure the same workgroup name is on all computers.
2) Set HDs and printers to be shared.

For number 1, assuming WinXP, right-click on My Computer --> Properties and go to Computer Name, you can change the workgroup name from here.

For number 2, go to My Computer, right-click your HD and choose Sharing and Security and check "Share this folder on the network". Do the same for your printer from the printers folder in Control Panel.

rts · Sun 13 Jun, 2004 21.51

Have gone through this several times, but I'm afraid Neil, to no avail!

Neil Jones · Sun 13 Jun, 2004 22.05

The only other thing I can think of then is a disabled service.

Start --> Run --> services.msc

Look for things with "Remote" in their name.
Also check "Server" which looks part of the issue, and "Workstation".

If in doubt, leave it. http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm has good details about what all these things do.

rts · Sun 13 Jun, 2004 22.08

Cheers. I'll get onto that tomorrow. One Stella too many may affect my ability to follow instructions, lol.