A linksys router connects to the cable modem and does all the DHCP in the network. A Netgear router is then connected, but set not to assign DHCP (so it's basically acting as a dumb switch). This configuration gives me internet, but I'm having a problem setting up a LAN game on two computers connected to the Netgear. Whether wireless or wired to the Netgear, the laptop can not ping the desktop (also wired to the Netgear), but the desktop can ping the laptop. Why am I not getting pings both ways?

I have a Wireless Laptop & Wired Desktop. I can't ping my Desktop from my Laptop or ping my Laptop from my Desktop. I can get the Laptop to ping itself by using either the IP or Computer Name however I cannot get the Desktop to ping itself using IP or Computer Name. I can't get either computer to recognize the other computer.

I have a Linksys Wireless-B Broadband Router. Model is BEFW11S4. I am using the Wireless USB connector on the Laptop & one of the 4 ports on the back of the router for the desktop.

I post since Lynksys makes Netgear so I thought they might operate & work similar as far as the setting on each one.

Yeah I'm using a Netgear WGT624 router to connect the desktop and laptop but that router connects to a linksys router which connects to the cable modem.

The linksys router assigns IP addresses with DHCP - 192.168.1.100 through 192.168.1.150. The Netgear is outside the liksys router's DHCP range - 192.168.1.200. The desktop has been assigned 192.168.1.103 and the laptop has been assigned 192.168.1.107 by the Linksys router - the Netgear has DHCP turned off and thus does not assign IP addresses within the network - the Linksys does.

The laptop can ping itself, the desktop can ping itself.

The desktop can ping the laptop, but the laptop can not ping the desktop.

Both can ping the linksys router and the netgear router, and both recieve internet just fine.

I'm confused as to why I can only ping from the desktop to the laptop and not the other way around. What setting would cause this problem and how can I fix it?

I tried pinging my router from my Desktop(XP Media Center) which is Wired & it times out. I can't even ping the router, but I get internet just fine.

I am able to ping my router on my Wireless Laptop(XP Home) w/out packet loss.

Well I spent a long time messing with it and figured out it was my firewall - make sure your firewall is configured to allow your connection (in ZoneAlarms, you have to set up the connection as a "Trusted Zone").

It's funny, every time I post something here I find the answer myself before anyone replies with a solution. Maybe I should just keep it to myself and mess with it for longer next time, lol.

Oh and as for pinging your router, some routers have to be configured to allow pings. It keeps hackers from figuring out you have a router at that address and such.