Prob with file sharing...

[GeorgePal]

Hi all...
I am in halls of residence and have connected my XP laptop on the lan. I am on the net through the lan and can also view other workgroups (from network places) and have access to other people's files on the workgroups, while my shared files can be accessed as well...
The problem is that while both me and my housemate can view and access other peoples' shared files, we cannot access our files. He cannot access mine and i cannot access his, even if we both can view each others pc in the workgroup window! Can u please help me with the above issue?

Notes:

No firewalls r running. No Windows firewall as well...

I have enabled TCP/IP, NetBios, File/Printer sharing, QoS Packet Scheduler and SPX/IPX protocoll on both computers. Netbios over TCP/IP (through tcp/ip properties->advanced->wins->enable netbios) is also enabled.

Computer browser runs on both computers (windows services).

Tools -> Folder Options -> View -> Use simple file sharing is DISABLED.

Thanx in advance!

 

[bcastner]

You need to be very, very careful here. In a college dorm setting the notion of opening any folder for sharing is quite a scary prospect.

1. Use only Netbios over TCP/IP. Remove the other protocols you have installed.

2. Add your roomate as a new user on your machine with a long and obscure password. Have your roomate add you as a new user on his machine with a similarly odd password.

3. In Explorer, right-click the folder(s) or drive to be shared and create a new sharename. The only permitted users with full control are Administrator, Creator/Owner, SYSTEM, and your roomate.

4. Name the share with a "$" sign at the end of its name. This hides the share from Network Neighborhood.

To use your roomates hidden share to his Drive C, named HomerC$, click Start, Run, net use x: \\roomates netbios name\HomerC$

 

[jrbarnett]

Hello

If your systems are in a standalone configuration (eg they just use the LAN for an internet connection) rather than participate in a domain or active directory schema, then you will need to set up usernames and passwords on each others machines that match your own for seamless network access to shared resources.
As for the network configuration, you won't need the IPX/SPX protocol unless you are on a Novell network and need to access resources on it (eg printers, disks).

John

 

[GeorgePal]

Thanx guys for ur prompt replies! I will try it in a while...
How about that option in the folder options? Use simple file sharing? Does it affect it at all? shall i have it enabled or disabled?
How about TCP/IP Version 6? I got that installed in my network connection.
Finally, shall i have netbios enabled over tcp/ip, disabled or let it default?

 

[GeorgePal]

How can i also remove my friends' account from the start up screen of win xp so that my pc logs on automatically with my default account?

 

[bcastner]

1. Disable "Simple file sharing -recommended"
2. IPv4 is all you need.
3. Netbios over TCP/IP must be enabled. This was discussed earlier.
4. To remove your friend from the Welcome Screen:


Start the Registry Editor
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion \ Winlogon \ SpecialAccounts \ UserList \
Right-click an empty space in the right pane and select New > DWORD Value
Name the new value exactly as the Username
Leave the Value data as 0
If you want to enable this user again on the Welcome Screen, either double-click the Username value, and change the Value data to 0, or delete the Username
Close the registry editor

 

[GeorgePal]

Thanx bcastner..
What is IPv4 and how do i enable it?
I followed all the steps u specified, i got tpc/ip and netbios enabled on both pcs, but cannot ping from one pc to the other, even if still both pcs can see the other in the workgroup list.

When i double click on my mate's computer, seen in the 'my network places' i get the error message saying

"\\Alkis is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you have access permissions. The network path was not found".

When i also right click it for propertis this error message appears

"The server Alkis could not be found on the network". Same messages appear on my mate's pc when he tries to perform the same actions!

 

[bcastner]

1. IPv4 vs. IPv6
Remove this Hotfix, or leave it:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=817778

Your problem is not IPv4 vs. IPv6 related.

2. Your university routers are likely stopping the pings. I too would restrict ICMP traffic between campus workstations.

3. If the advice, followed closely, in my first post did not help, see Steve Winograd's more detailed explanation:

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp_filesharing/index.htm

4. If, after carefully following these steps it still does not work, you campus IT department is blocking some aspects of SMB connections.

I would then: purchase a broadband router. Use that to connect to your campus network with fixed IP addressing. (For various reasons, do not enable DHCP on the router). Connect both machines to the router to create a private LAN, with full access to the campus network. Again, do not enable DHCP on the router, use static IP addressing for you and your roomate.

 

[GeorgePal]

I dont think its like that, cause i can ping other users on the workgroup...

 

[bcastner]

You are trying to ping by name.

One each computer do a Start, Run, cmd

ipconfig /all
Look for the university network assigned IP address on each computer.

Ping that.

 

[GeorgePal]

I found out the ip addresses.
Pinged from my computer to my mate's and got results (0% loss).
However, when i pinged my ip from his computer, i got a timeout (100% loss)...

 

[jrbarnett]

Check that he doesn't have the XP built in firewall enabled on his machine.

John

 

[GeorgePal]

Sorry but when i tried to check his ip from his pc a longer reply than mine appeared and confused me. Cannot ping his ip, nor he can ping mine...
In his network connection he also has the option of creating a bridge (or sth like that) and his laptop also supprots Wireless LANs. Is there any possbility than any of those 2 affect our lan?

P.S. No firewalls for him...XP Firewall is disabled

 

[bcastner]

Disable the bridge.

 

[GeorgePal]

How?

 

[bcastner]

In Network Connections, right-click the bridge device, and select disable.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;823305&Product=winxp

 

[GeorgePal]

Hmm... What exaclty does a bridge do? Will theer be a prob in the net connection if i disable it? Will it affect the speed or anything like that?