Windows 98 Share cannot be accessed from XP Home machine 2

[wcoutts]

My customer has a simple network, One Win 98 Box running a DOS Billing app, and two windows XP machines at the other end of a wireless bridge. On the win98 box, one share, called PTOS, the billing app. 2 users created, simple 4 letter user names and no passwords. I created the PTOS Share and allowed everyone full access, no password on the share. Next, all machines have very quick access to the internet through a cayman router, no problems with TCPIP ( all DNS's point outside the network) There is no inside DNS, I made hosts files identical and place them on all of the machines, there is symantec personal firewall running on all machines.

I tried accessing the share with just TCPIP, it should work with the hosts file, at least it has before in other locations. No luck, none of the machines could see each other. So I loaded NWLINK, I accessed the advanced options and allowed only NWLINK to bind to MS Client for windows and File sharing, now one of the machines could see and access the 98 box and access the share. Some success but not all, I checked the configs, both XP boxes had the identical configs for TCPIP and NWLINK, So I decided to use old faithful, Netbuei, loaded this on all machines, now they can see each other but none of them can access the share. An error comes up telling me I might not have permission to access the network resource! I have tried almost everything I can think of, And I come up short. I am open to suggestions?

Wayne Coutts
couttsw@cyberverse.com

 

[comtec17]

Have you added the client for Microsoft Networks? NWLINK is not needed, this is used with Novell Netware networks to enable IPX transport.

 

[wcoutts]

Yes the Microsoft client for windows is the only login loaded.

 

[dilettante]

Hmm...

Workgroup LAN, of course.

The configuration I typically use is to install only TCP/IP on all machines. Typical 9x machines have IPX, Netbeui, or some combination of the two. I banish these immediately and install TCP/IP. After this of course I need to re-specify Client for Microsoft Networks. Every machine gets a unique machine name and uses the common Workgroup name, of course.

I never use a hosts file, and I think that's only needed if you have non-MS machines in your LAN. Otherwise WINS or something seems to handle name resolution just fine.

The 9x machines are set up with user-level (not share level) security if they are going to share anything at all. If not, I carefully avoid installing the service.

Every user is defined (with the same passwords - if any) on every machine.

Works cleanly every time.

I don't think I've left anything out.


One note: If you install multiple protocols I'm pretty sure that the Sharing service (and probably the Client as well) binds to the "first protocol that loads." And "first" doesn't necessarily mean the first one listed in Network Properties. If machine A binds its client to TCP/IP and machine B binds the Sharing to IPX, A will never see B's shares. If B has TCP/IP as well then A can ping B, but not access those shares on B.

 

[wcoutts]

I resolved the issue, the customer had loaded the symantec personal firewall on all lan machines, useless piece of software on a LAN, should use a firewall. Turns out file and printer sharing is blocked by default for any netbios compatible protocol. After permiting netbios in the firewall everything works perfectly. A word to the wise, the symantec personal firewall does not show up on the systray, well I could not find it. I stumbled on it by accident. Damn useless software. So if eveything does not appear to work, check out what else is loaded, that could be stopping what you are trying to do.

Wayne Coutts

 

[HFox]

If you have any kind of internet access (particularly broadband) shared across the network you might not be so quick to throw Norton away. If you're using a router or some other switching appliance that includes a firewall you might be protected, but I've found out the hard way that using nothing these days is an invitation to disaster.

 

[sabrinaduncan]

Windows XP doesn't seem to access Windows 98 boxes very well. I found this out trying to share a printer on a Win98 machine. I solved the problem sharing it in this manner.

\\192.168.0.99\printer

Using the IP address was the only way to get it to work.

 

[comtec17]

sabrinaduncan,
The only reason why you experienced this is because you either:

1. Don't use WINS

2. Did not have the hosts and lmhosts files setup on your clients.

I have been using Win98 and XP together for 2 years without any issues.

 

[cdogg]

comtec17,
Could you elaborate further? What do I need to do to efficiently setup my HOSTS and LMHOSTS files?

On one network where I'm simulating a multiple OS environment, I've have 4 PC's running the following OS's:

1) Win98SE on 2 PC's
2) WinXP Pro SP1
3) Mandrake Linux 9.0

All three are connected via a wireless D-Link router using DHCP. I've noticed that the WinXP PC has problems seeing shares on the 98 PC's from time to time. What I mean is that occasionally the shares work, but then the connection is somehow interrupted and cannot be seen. Sometimes rebooting the XP or 98 PC resolves it, other times it just magically comes back. I've tried disabling all firewalls to no avail.

~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind"
[tab][tab]- Aristotle

 

[sabrinaduncan]

It was a small peer-to-peer network with only four or five machines. I certainly wasn't going to set up a WINS server here, although you are probably right.

 

[TekTippy4U]

Sabrinaduncan;
Did you install the printer driver (XP version of printer on XP and Win98 version on 98) on both machines. Don't know if this is your issue, but i've seen it in passing as a fix sometimes.

cdogg;
Dropout's in the wireless? or interference maybe? Are you filtering the incoming DSL from phone lines? or is cable...a fax on the same line light cause this if the filtering isn't right.

TT4U

Notification:
These are just "my" thoughts....and should be carefully measured against other opinions.
Backup All Important Data/Docs..All involved shall be spared the grief.

 

[cdogg]

TT4U,
Well it's not the wireless connection in anyway. The XP PC is hard-lined via CAT5 into the router, while the 98 PC is wireless. Even when the shares are not visible, both PC's can still access the internet.

In the midst of troubleshooting, I added a Win2K box to the network. Here are the results:

1) Both the XP and 98 PC's can share with the 2K box
2) Both 98 PC's can share with each other just fine
3) Both 98 boxes have a hard time sharing with XP, and when it does work, it sometimes just disappears. Rebooting doesn't always bring it back either.

Any ideas? I may start a new thread if this one gets too long or outdated.

~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind"
[tab][tab]- Aristotle

 

[TekTippy4U]

cdogg;
from this
All three are connected via a wireless D-Link router using DHCP. and i don't see w2k in first/latest post.
i must have misunderstood you.....oh well, can't help from here. regretfully; me

TT4U

Notification:
These are just "my" thoughts....and should be carefully measured against other opinions.
Backup All Important Data/Docs..All involved shall be spared the grief.

 

[cdogg]

TT4U,
Sorry you misunderstood. At the time of that post, there was only 4 PC's total - 2 98's, 1 XP, and 1 Linux. In my last post, I stated that I added a Win2K box.

Also, wireless routers normally have CAT5 ports on them as well. So, you can have some PC's connected with CAT5, and others using the wireless connection. That's how I have it setup. Both the XP and 2000 PC are connected through CAT5. It doesn't matter how they're connected though, since all of them are going to the same router and part of the same LAN.

~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind"
[tab][tab]- Aristotle