atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Computers & Programming Computers, Software, Accessories Home Network Question

Since the kids moved out and I've left the old Wn'98 laptop at work, my home network consists of my new Macbook, a beat up old PC and two printers (an HP Laserjet 5 and an HP Photo Printer/Scanner/Fax Machine).

Both computers can access either printer and I can send files from the PC to the Mac. I cannot however access the PC from the Mac.

Now, it's not that important, but it is annoying me. I mostly use the Mac for everything these days. The only thing I use the PC for is those programs that I don't have equivalents for on the Mac (Visio, dBase, Wordperfect, DeScribe etc.)

I run ipconfig on the PC and it tells me the IP address is 192.168.1.3 (the mac is .2). I cannot access the PC or even Ping it. No idea why. (I can ping the PC form itself at 127.0.0.1)

What is most annoying is that it used to work. When I first brought the Mac home, I turned it on and it immediately saw the PC. A few weeks later the PC crashed big time. I was able to get it back working with a lot of great help from Tim (Dagwood Systems) but since then I can no longer access it.

I'm not sure if it's a port being blocked or the wrong IP address showing or something else entirely.

Any help would be appreciated. But it's not real critical. When I have to move files in that direction I just use a thumb drive. It's annoying but not common enough to make it an issue.

TIA

Sam

Windows XP or is it the 98 machine?

Did you install Antivirus? If so which one?

If it is XP. Check the firewall option on the PC
Control Panel Windows Firewall. Turn it off.

If installed antivirus. Check to make sure the firewall inside of antivirus.

After. go to the folder right click on it select sharing and security. Put a check mark in the Share this folder on the network. Put the share name in the folder. Put a check in the allow network users to make changes to this folder.

Let me know if this works. If it is a 98 machine it is alot different. Would take me a little bit to remember how to do it. HA HA HA

Brian.

No, it's an XP machine. I'll check the settings tomorrow morning (I'm too toasted tonight). It seems to me that I should still be able to ping it, but.....

Thanks,

Sam

Not being able to ping says to me you probably have the windows firewall or antivirus firewall enabled on your PC. Expecially if you are using Norton Internet Security. NIS does not like allowing exceptions for networking.

As soon as you turn your firewall off you should be able to ping the machine. Another thing is if both of these are wireless there are some routers that you have to find the option to allow wireless devices to talk to each other.
Only found 1 brand so far that I had to do this on. If you have a linksys you should be just fine.

Will stop by and check tomorrow to see if you are still having problems.

Let me know

I'm running Windows Firewall. I had Zone Alarm but started having trouble with it. Being as I was mostly using the Mac, I switched to the Windows version.

For Anti Virus I'm running AVG 8.5.

I've shut off the firewall and still can't ping. I've tried to shut down AVG - including going to the taskmanager and have been unsuccessful. When I shut down a component it starts up again. Earlier versions allowed the program to be shut down, this one is giving me a little problem. More research required.

The Mac is wireless and the PC is wired. I've tried connecting the Mac to a wired configuration and I still get the same condition.

It's annoying.


Sam

It is probably still your zone alarm causing the problem. Try this Link to manually uninstall zone alarm.

As for AVG go to computer manager and stop the service and set it to manual start. Doubt that it is causing the problem but it's possible.

Brian

Well we're getting warm. I had ZoneAlarm shut down, but following your advice I removed it completely. I can now ping the PC and can even see it and the SharedDocs folder from my Mac.

Unfortunately that's all I can do. I can't see any files on the folder and when I attempt to copy files to it I get a series of messages of "Do not have sufficient privileges."

I have gone into the properties of SharedDocs and it says it's set for sharing. Disabling the Windows Firewall has no effect.

Performing a port scan from the Mac on the network address of the PC shows NO PORTS OPEN.

Well, that explains something. But why are all the ports closed? And how do I open the one I need?

There was a reason I left PCs and went to a Mac.

Any help would be appreciated. I'm close, but not there yet.

Sam

I have had that problem with zone alarm. Had one customer who could not even get to the internet because of zone alarm.

Go under your my computer. Should have a shortcut to shared documents. Right click select sharing and security. Make sure you have a check in the box allow network users to change my files.

Another thing you can do is go under your my documents create a new folder and setup sharing. With the check in the box to allow network users to change my files and see if it is working.

ALLN1 -

You are the Man!

OK. The "official" shared documents folder is set up properly. Notwithstanding that, it still doesn't work.

However.. the new folder you had me create works fine.

Why this is I don't know or even care anymore.


Thanks again.


Sam

Any time.

Brian