Sun 17 Jun 2007
Windows Networking (Geek Alert)
Posted by Frank under Geek Stuff
[16] Comments
I have a little network.
Now, here’s what’s wierd:
Orca is the new XP box. It’s my own copy of XP; I wiped it and started fresh.
The printer and a couple of directories are shared. Guest logins are allowed. Local login names and passwords on all the computers are the same (I am a bear of very small memory).
Orca can see and browse all the other shares on all the computers on the network, both the Windows computers and the Samba shares on the Linux computers.
The Linux computers can see and browse folders on Orca via Samba. The Linux computers have full Linux networking capability with each other, because Linux networking works, like, you know, out of the box. Well, out of the box as soon as you get LISa working.
But the other bleeding Windows computers! When they try to connect to Orca, they get a “You are not authorized to use this network resource” message.
I know that Orca’s firewall (NetDefense from System Suite v. 5) is set up properly, since the Linux boxes can see the share folders.
Conclusion: Windows workgroup networking sucks.
If anyone has any idea what’s going on, I’d like to hear it.
I doubt this is it, but for the record, XP was the first Microsoft OS that shipped without NetBeui, and that will create problems if you mix XP boxes with 2000 (or earlier) boxes.
Oh, I guess I should add that the above problem is easily cured by installing NetBeui on the XP machine, and there are plenty of howtos on the Internet covering the topic.
I think we should put a bibb washer in it?
The more I look at this, it reminds me of a Koler toilet. . . I can rebuild it.
Windows XP is also very finicky about proper permissions. Try starting here but in the meantime, if you can tell me what Orca is, I might be able to help more.
PS – How to install NetBEUI on XP
Thanks for all the suggestions. (Chris may have a point. That’s pretty much what Windows is good for, as far as I am concerned.)
Orca is a Windows XP SP1 Home computer. It’s a Dell P4 1 gHz with a plain vanilla XP load.
I’ll give the NetBEUI thing a whirl tomorrow.
I had the same problem when the PIII (Now Swordfish) was an XP box. And, then, one day, BOOM!, there it was on the network and accessible. And I had done nothing, you hear me, nothing different!
(aside) My network diagram shows only the actual live network. It doesn’t embrace ports on the hubs that do not have any cables plugged into them.
As I mentioned to someone offline, this house is wired: there’s a physical port in the kitchen, master bedroom, family room, and the server (First Son’s) room (that’s why there is a second hub in the server room), and two in the living room. (I haven’t figured out how to snake into Second Son’s room yet; maybe, when Opie comes to visit, he can help me out.)
By the way, if I can find one, I’m going to put a “Server Room” sign on First Son’s bedroom to welcome him home when he gets back from Afghanistan. Nothing like making him feel wanted and all that.
Noun 1. orca – predatory black-and-white toothed whale with large dorsal fin; common in cold seas
grampus, killer whale, Orcinus orca, sea wolf, killer
dolphin – any of various small toothed whales with a beaklike snout; larger than porpoises
genus Orcinus, Orcinus – killer whales
Free Dictionary works again!
Orca was for old time’s sake. The dealer support server in my early years at Checkpoint was named Orca. All the network drives and servers at Checkpoint were named after sea creatures back then.
Thanks for the help, folks. After putting NetBEUI on the Windows boxes, I’ve got the HP installed over the network to my work computer and don’t have to move my mega-megabyte files over the network to print them.
This also reminded me that I forgot to do something I usually do–copy the i386 directory from the installation CD to the C:\ drive of the computer. Just makes life easier when installing stuff.
Now to rack up some of those billable hours.
It occurs to me that, if I had domain, this would not have been a problem. Thanks to Checkpoint, I know how to network a Windows domain.
I was hoping to watch the global warming forecasts and time my visit to occur when Pine View Farm is beachfront property but not yet submerged.
Give it 10 years. It’s about ten feet above sea level. You walk 200 yards into the woods from the back field and you’re in marsh.
Only conservatives are supposed to call it marsh. Liberals call it wetlands.
Balls. I know a marsh when I step in one.What the sam hill is the difference? If you step in one, you still have wet & muddy shoes & socks, not to mention the potential for creepy things being left on you. That’s not an issue we have here, being on the edge of a desert.
Frank, I had no trouble linking onto your blog site (even though I don’t know a blog from a marsh – or,is that a bog?).