[oXide]

I setup a network in my room consisting of 2 win2k machines. They are both using
tcp/ip, both have netbios enabled, and both are on the same workgroup...They use
to work just fine. SystemA could see SystemB just fine, and vice-versa. But now,
only systemA can see B, and not the other way around. On system B, when I try to
access the "Computers Near Me", it tells me that

"Jdroom is not accessible. The server is not configured for transactions."

Jdroom, of course, is the name of my workgroup. I am at a loss. I've tried
everything. I dont know whats wrong with it. It just happened all of a sudden.
I've searched long and hard for a solution, but to no avail...any help will be
greatly appreciated.
Oh and they both have the same subnet mask.

Thanks in advance,
Johnathan

[oXide]

here are the events i found in my event view..please help =)
(Stargate is the computer that can see omegasupreme, and vice versa is false)


Event Type: Error
Event Source: Dhcp
Event Category: None
Event ID: 1002
Date: 4/5/2001
Time: 3:41:18 AM
User: N/A
Computer: OMEGASUPREME
Description:
The IP address lease 192.168.1.100 for the Network Card with network address
00104B6E8527 has been denied by the DHCP server 192.168.1.1 (The DHCP Server sent
a DHCPNACK message).

Event Type: Error
Event Source: MRxSmb
Event Category: None
Event ID: 8003
Date: 4/5/2001
Time: 3:14:53 AM
User: N/A
Computer: OMEGASUPREME
Description:
The master browser has received a server announcement from the computer STARGATE7
that believes that it is the master browser for the domain on transport
NetBT_Tcpip_{C3D5BA72-7A8B-43AB. The master browser is stopping or an election is
being forced.

Event Type: Error
Event Source: BROWSER
Event Category: None
Event ID: 8032
Date: 4/5/2001
Time: 1:19:29 AM
User: N/A
Computer: OMEGASUPREME
Description:
The browser service has failed to retrieve the backup list too many times on
transport \Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{C3D5BA72-7A8B-43AB-B8FC-5FC1C174EFDB}. The backup
browser is stopping.

[kgeissler]

Do you have the correct subnet mask for both machines?

Another thing to try, would be to remove TCP/IP off both machines, then reinstall it.

[clutch]

Is your router issuing IPs? Can that, and disable the master browsing ability on one of the machines (leave it running on the machine that is on the most). Also, if you can connect by name in one direction, then TCP/IP stacks *should* be fine, but you can always reinstall them as per the last suggestion. Another thing that you could do is use a LMHOSTS file for name resolution.

------------------
Regards,

clutch

[oXide]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. But I have no idea what you are talking about, per se (networking is not my forte). I've seen the LMHOST things in there, but I dont know what it is or what it offers. Yes my router does issue IP's, but how would I make just one machine master browser? Would I enable netbios on one, and not the other??
Further detail would be appreciated as I am a newbie to networking =)

Thanks
-oXide

[oXide]

ok i gave up and just reinstalled windows on this system, and now it works. I noticed that in the settings, it is now set to "use netbios settings from DHCP server"....is this what it should be set to? In my network, I have a router/firewall which "routs" my internet to my HUB, then to my systems. So is this the approprate setting? Everything seems to be running in working order, but a problem I notice is that streaming video or streaming anything sucks. The bitreate jumps from 50-0 whereas it use to be a solid 500k/s....Is this setting i have the problem? Ut even happens on my other computer which uses "use netbios over tcp/ip"...internet pages and downloads speeds are still super fast

im at a loss

thanks
-oXide

[clutch]

List all the components of you network (hubs, switches, routers, NICs, etc), then we'll see what to do with them.

------------------
Regards,

clutch

[oXide]

I am using:
-Linksys Etherfast Cable/DSL Router (BEFSR11)
-Dlink 10mbit HUB (DE-809TP)

-3Com EtherLink XL 10/100 PCI TX NIC (3C905B-TX)
-Intel PRO 100+ Managment Adapter

[clutch]

If you are using the DHCP of the router, then have "Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP" selected. I don't think the router DHCP is going to tell the PCs anything about NetBIOS settings.

------------------
Regards,

clutch

[JJ32]

LOL! This is real easy! Try assigning a user at both CPU's in the Users section and voila, as long as you have all network stuff setup like your cabling configured properly it will work. Friend had same problem. I asked him if he made sure he configured his network properly and he said yes. I asked him if he added a user to his users list. LOL! He forgot...duh! He added it and it worked. How funny! I hope this is the case for you. Your setup is basic, so I think that's all it is without actually seeing it. Wouldn't that suck if it was!

Your Gateway should be: 192.168.1.1 (default)

I don't know your IP assignment, but that doesent matter too much for this peer to peer junk as long as they are different IP's and TCP/IP is configured properly and they are all on the same workgroup via network neighborhood. Ping the router from both PC's. If they can see it and you have internet access it is something stupid like your user is not added for both machines. Good luck!

[clutch]

He was having a name resolution error, not a user credentials error.

------------------
Regards,

clutch

[oXide]

My peer 2 peer seems to be working when i have them set both to netbios now, but now i have a another problem...my streaming content fluxuates from 500k/s to 10k/s...It is impossible for me to watchh streaming content anymore....whats wrong with my netwrok?....a 10megabit hub is all I need right?

[clutch]

Not really sure on what your issue is. There are a couple of things to try. First, you reinstalled Win2K on one of the machines, and now that machine has the slow transfer rate, right? Is it slow when transferring files from one Win2K box to another? What about in the other direction? Can you stream (and get good speed downloading) files well on the other PC? If there is only one PC with the issue, then you could try reinstalling TCP/IP on that machine.

------------------
Regards,

clutch

[JJ32]

Ok, it's pretty easy. I have configured 18 networks with the linksys routers (be it 1,4,8 ports np) Can't be too tough here. I have worked with almost exactly the same setup you have (even the hardware etc.). NO reason after re-installing W2k and setting up your network ID (right click on My computer and go to network section and choose a machine name and workgroup name) on both machines (machine name is unique, workgroup is always the same for all computers as it should be, setting up a user at both machines, and verifying TCP/IP, File and printer sharing, and client for MS networks is there in network setup (right click on network neighborhood and use wizard). Try that and see if it works. It should if everything is configured on the hardware side properly like cables, NICS, and there is no issue with NIC in PCI/ISA slot etc..

If it does not, then assign static IP's to you r machines by going to properties on TCP/IP and setting up addresses like 192.168.1.201 on one machine....202 on the other. Assign your DNS server as your ISP DNS and your gateway as 192.168.1.1. Start with 201, so it is not in your DHCP scope by default on the machines. Diable DHCP too if you use static on router!

If this doesn't work then re-flash your BESFR-11 BIOS to latest version 1.37. Maybe your router is the issue, but I doubt it. It is possible though. NO reason it should not work. I use the BEFSR411 at home and several machines with 3Com 3C905B-TX and also Intel based NICS. 3 Com overclocks well though! 152 FSB! KT133A chipset, but that is beside the point here!

That D-Link hub/switch not the best, but it is just a hub/switch. NP there. I don't know man, but I have done several of these with lots of problems. If it really is causing you problems and you KNOW YOU HAVE IT SETUP RIGHT then try this extreme measure. Itsounds dumb, but it will work if all components are cool. I used it several times and somewhere down the line it resolves the issue:

flash mobo bios, strip board down to essentials with Vid card and nic w/ no irq sharing between them, verify cabling on network, flash your BEFSR11 bios to latest 1.37, freakin format reload everything including OS, setup all device drivers and OS updates, setup network settings and add users as needed, reboot. Test it out. If nothing then you have component failure somewhere. That's easy just figure it out one by one by eliminating the culprit.

This is peer to peer, so it can't be too hard. I just did one to make sure on this real estate network I'm working on now. They have a Linksys 8 port router and I successfully setup peer to peer now just to test. They are using static IP for special service/prtforwarding, and everything is A-OK! You'll get it good luck. Sorry but major sloppy gotta go! Putting back to client server setup by removing workgroup and reassigning the original DNS.

[oXide]

ok..let me tell you guys my problem, as it has changed. My peer to peer seems to be working really well now. I just reinstalled w2k on the other machine, and now that works. I dont know what was wrong with it....But now my internet seems to be a bit wacked out. Perhaps I need assistance setting up my router....

here is what i did:
I set my router to be a DHCP server, and both my machines are set to "Use netbios from DHCP server"....that seems to work just fine. both machines see each other etc.
But the problem I'm seeing is when either system access the internet, there seems to be a 2-3sec lag from my request, till the data starts flowing in. And now streaming content seems to be impossilbe. The flow will jump from 500k/s to .5k/s and it will just keep doing that.
Any pointers on how to set up my router JJ32?? I have it set to gateway, and most of the other stuff is pretty much default.

thanks

(ps...i've tried "enable netbios over tcp/ip, or whatever, and i get the same resutls.)

[clutch]

Umm, JJ I don't think he has to do all that. And as far as the DLink switches and hubs, I have never had an issue with them. They have always performed well for me.

Oxide, let's see what we have here. First, the PCs have good transfer rate between them, right? The only slow down is when you download from sites on the internet, right? Have you tried downloading from the FTP of your ISP? How is your connection to download.com and microsoft.com? I usually max my connection when I download demos and large service packs from MS. Have you tried to trace route (tracert) to a major site? You could have a bad hop outside of your LAN that is causing this. There was a flaky router in Columbus, Ohio that was trashing my ping and dropping me from 1.3Mb avg to 120Kb/s.

It would seem that your LAN name resolution is fine, and that is what the "enable NetBIOS..." pertains to.

Have you had anymore errors in your event logs? Do you see a ton of collisions during these simple downloads? The 10Mb unit is still way faster than your internet connection, so I wouldn't be too concerned about it. Bear in mind that a 100Mb unit will show a significant performance increase when moving files between the PCs on the LAN.

------------------
Regards,

clutch

[oXide]

My internet connection seems to like to work in burts. I went to www.2wire.com where they have a bandwidth meter and everytime I run the test I get a result that is way different from the last times I run it, where as before I set up this stupid LAN, I would get like at least 1.2mb a sec everytime. Now I'm getting like 400, 600, 100,...etc ...etc.
I know it has something to do with my router because, I mean, thats the only variable right? Everything else is straight forward!

Also I notice that sometimes when i try to open a webpage or something, the stream of info comming in isnt constant...it will d/l a bit, stop, then d/l some more. But this doesnt happen with my REAL downloads....ie like d/ling a file or something. Just with webpages and streaming content...W T F!

I replaced that dlink hub with a smc 100mbit switch/hub and it made absolutley no difference. Also, i turned off the "DHCP Server" option on my router, and made my systems go "netbios over tcp/ip" and that made absolutley no difference as well.

One thing i notice, which may serve as a key to you guys, is that when i boot up one system, it will sit there and try to restore the mapped drives even though the other system is on...shouldnt this be instanctanous?

=(
-oXide

ps..nothing in the event logs

[clutch]

A PC will always try to reconnect its persistently mapped drives, since it doesn't know that the other machine is on or not. Are the IPs on your network assigned to each PC? If not, then turn the DHCP server option back on so you can renew you IPs. A couple of other things to check would be:

1. Replace the cable between the router and the modem to see if that helps or not, and

2. Hook up a PC directly to the modem again and see if your d/ls and streaming content are better.

You can always update the firmware like JJ was mentioning, but I could stream and d/l just fine before that update.

[HarU]

Okay oxide, i will give it a go now.

Why don't you just "nix" the router and let your dsl provider/modem do the routing for you? Do you have access to another machine to make a small server? Okay, well, try this out....it should help, and if it doesn't, you know the problem lies in your isp. Okay:

1.) Put a second network card in your machine.
2.) Plug the dsl into this nic card and enable internet connection sharing for this new card. We will call this card the dsl card.
3.) Let the DSL card get an ip address from modem. (dhcp enabled)
4.) Now, go to properties for your other card. We will call this card LAN card.
5.) specify the address as 192.168.0.1
make subnet 255.255.255.0. Make DNS 192.168.0.1. Make gateway 192.168.0.1.
6.) Now, run a crossover cable (you can buy it at a comp store) from LAN card to the network card in your other PC.
7.) Configure the other pc's network card to use 192.168.0.2. Make its subnet 255.255.255.0. Make its DNS 192.168.0.1. Make its gateway 192.168.0.1.
8.) Now, make sure both pcs are in same workgroup (for file sharing purposes only) and do a reboot on both machines.

When you boot up, you should be able to go to the internet with both pcs. If you can't, then ive left out a step, in which case i will fix that (this is all of the top of my head, so its possible to have a left out step). You should also be able to share files and such with each other.

Now, test out your internet speed. Also test out your internal file sharing. If everything is running fast and normal again, then you know the problem lies either in the hub or the router. Now, we've narrowed the problem down to one of those two. If it still runs like crap, then you know the router and the hub work fine, and there are some bad hops somewhere in your isps routing tables. That is not your fault, and you need to contact them. Either way, through process of elimination, you will discover the true culprit here. Good luck, and if you have more questions, ill be glad to help.

[JJ32]

Upgrade your router firmware version to 1.37. Do it! After you do that, then turn off DHCP and go to each system and assign static IP starting with the first one. Assign it 192.168.201 and the other 192.168.202. After you do that, (What OS you running by the way?) then shut down your systems. Kill power to the router. Recycle your DSL modem (reboot). After modem reboots then start your router up and boot your machines up. Set your IE preferences to not detect DHCP automatically. Leave everything unchecked (it won't look for anything that way). It should work. You are essentially thinking for the router by killing the DHCP element and plus it allows you to use special service functions like FTP etc on your side (like a server setup).
Sorry have to go someone else needs me, I'll be back. Try this for now.