Cannot Network Windows 98SE with XP

[Soundman]

I have a network of 5 computers. The hub is an 8-port linksys hub with uplink and 10/100 mb capability. All computers access the web independently through the hub. No problems with internet connections. The network is comprised of a pentium III Gateway Windows 2000 computer, Dell Dimension 4600 Windows XP computer, and 2 Gateway Pentium II Windows 98SE computers. Prior to buying the new Dell computer, we had 3 Gateway Pentium II Windows 98SE computers. All computers could share files and printers with each other. Now the new Dell cannot "see" files or folders on the 2 Gateway Pentium II Windows 98SE computers. We changed the IP addresses of the Dell and and 2 Gateway Pentium II Windows 98SE computers so that we could ping each of the computers. The 2 Gateway Pentium II Windows 98SE computers can see files and folders on the Dell and access the printers shared from the Dell. The Dell cannot see files or folders shared from the 2 Gateway Pentium II Windows 98SE computers. I have tried a ton of ideas and solutions I have read from the WEB. None seem to work. Anyone have any ideas? :(

[JonnyBlazexx]

I have a network of 5 computers. The hub is an 8-port linksys hub with uplink and 10/100 mb capability. All computers access the web independently through the hub. No problems with internet connections. The network is comprised of a pentium III Gateway Windows 2000 computer, Dell Dimension 4600 Windows XP computer, and 2 Gateway Pentium II Windows 98SE computers. Prior to buying the new Dell computer, we had 3 Gateway Pentium II Windows 98SE computers. All computers could share files and printers with each other. Now the new Dell cannot "see" files or folders on the 2 Gateway Pentium II Windows 98SE computers. We changed the IP addresses of the Dell and and 2 Gateway Pentium II Windows 98SE computers so that we could ping each of the computers. The 2 Gateway Pentium II Windows 98SE computers can see files and folders on the Dell and access the printers shared from the Dell. The Dell cannot see files or folders shared from the 2 Gateway Pentium II Windows 98SE computers. I have tried a ton of ideas and solutions I have read from the WEB. None seem to work. Anyone have any ideas? :(

first of all.. i want to ask... how is it that all of your computers share the internet via a hub? is the hub behind a router? otherwise i do not see how this is possible. I am guessing it is behidn a router. but that is irrelevent. just a question! hah :lol:

To your problem: On the windows xp computer how did you set up the network? Did you say its connecting directly to the internet... (the hub and router) or did you say its connected through another computer in the network to access the network? (sometimes this is the case when a router is used as a NAT) I assume all of the computers are in the same work group? Have you tried switching ports around with the hub? I mean this sounds stupid.. and i am sure it probably wont help.. but its worth a try!?

i have had problems in the past with this as well. I had 2 computers at my home with windows 98, they could see eachother just fine, and the 3rd and 4th computers with xp installed... but for some reason, one of the xp computers could not see the two 98's only the other xp. I swear.. microsoft and their networking.. i do not even remember how i remedied this. I dont know that we did remedy this before moving to xp based machines.

anyways.. good luck.
-JonnyBlaze

[Soundman]

first of all.. i want to ask... how is it that all of your computers share the internet via a hub? is the hub behind a router? otherwise i do not see how this is possible. I am guessing it is behidn a router. but that is irrelevent. just a question! hah :lol:

To your problem: On the windows xp computer how did you set up the network? Did you say its connecting directly to the internet... (the hub and router) or did you say its connected through another computer in the network to access the network? (sometimes this is the case when a router is used as a NAT) I assume all of the computers are in the same work group? Have you tried switching ports around with the hub? I mean this sounds stupid.. and i am sure it probably wont help.. but its worth a try!?

i have had problems in the past with this as well. I had 2 computers at my home with windows 98, they could see eachother just fine, and the 3rd and 4th computers with xp installed... but for some reason, one of the xp computers could not see the two 98's only the other xp. I swear.. microsoft and their networking.. i do not even remember how i remedied this. I dont know that we did remedy this before moving to xp based machines.

anyways.. good luck. -JonnyBlaze

Thanks for your reply. To clarify, the linksys hub has a port (port 1) that can be configured as an uplink. Our DSL modem is connented to port 1 of the hub. The 5 computers are connected to ports 2-6 of the hub. We did switch ports on the hub. This is not a stupid idea, since ports fail more often than one would suspect. We have not tried installing a router yet. That's set 2, mostly to protect the network from outside hacking. Do you think a router will help?

Secondly, I setup the XP machine as a direct connection to the internet (all machines are connected in this configuration).

[JonnyBlazexx]

Thanks for your reply. To clarify, the linksys hub has a port (port 1) that can be configured as an uplink. Our DSL modem is connented to port 1 of the hub. The 5 computers are connected to ports 2-6 of the hub. We did switch ports on the hub. This is not a stupid idea, since ports fail more often than one would suspect. We have not tried installing a router yet. That's set 2, mostly to protect the network from outside hacking. Do you think a router will help?

Secondly, I setup the XP machine as a direct connection to the internet (all machines are connected in this configuration).

I do not believe the router would help in the xp machine seeing the other machines. It sounds like a software issue somehow...

I dont know, i should know how to remedy this.. I just cant think of anyting else helpful. I will look into it tonight hopefully. I know there is some solution to it.

[Tyrone224]

winxp runs ntfs and win98se runs fat32/16 these two file systems are not compatible hence you cant read from one to the other change the file system on the winxp machines to be able to transfer files properly

224

[bentkey]

Also make sure you're not running any protocols on the 98 machines other than tcpIP,you will often find Netbuei lurking in there. And yes definetly, dump the Internet connection sharing and get a router asap. ICS is nothing but trouble and doesn't give you any sort of protection.

[OliverHill]

winxp runs ntfs and win98se runs fat32/16 these two file systems are not compatible hence you cant read from one to the other change the file system on the winxp machines to be able to transfer files properly

224

This is not true. The format in which windows sends networking data is not dependent on the file format of the hard drive it is reading it from. The only thing that matters is that the local OS can read the file format of the drives it has.

[OliverHill]

Also make sure you're not running any protocols on the 98 machines other than tcpIP,you will often find Netbuei lurking in there. And yes definetly, dump the Internet connection sharing and get a router asap. ICS is nothing but trouble and doesn't give you any sort of protection.

It doesn't sound like he is using ICS to me. He says each computer is configured as connecting directly to the internet so I am assuming that his DSL modem has the ability to handle NAT addressing (I think that's the correct term) when conencted to a hub/switch. However if your modem does not also have a firewall I would also recommend a router to prevent people from browsing the network externally and listening to traffic.

Back to the problem at hand:
You seem pretty intellegent, and I dislike it when people make obvious suggestions to me, but I thought I'd mention this anyway:

Do you use a 3rd party firewall on the 98 machines? Norton for example will block all incoming local network traffic unless you set up an allowed range of addresses.

[Seven Rechlin]

This is insane, I am having the exact same problem he is, and have the exact same setup and even the same Dell computer type that's having trouble (Dimension 4600).

[jeewww]

On my network, I found the problem to be related to and (cured by changing) the "Browse Master" setting on my Windows 98SE PCs. Windows 98SE anyway seems to have difficulty negotiating with its more recent family members (e.g., Windows XP). By changing the default setting for "Browse Master" from "Automatic" to "Disabled" on the Windows 98SE machine, my networking problems disappeared. (Of course, you still need at least one machine on the network that is serving as the Browse Master, but this is preferably the XP machine). Also, I believe the computer that is serving as the Browse Master basically needs to be kept running when you want to do networking.

For Windows 98SE, the "Browse Master" setting is changed by going to Network under Control Panel and adjusting Properties for "File and Print Sharing for Microsoft Networks."

You may want to renew the IP connections and reboot before declaring that it didn't work. My understanding is that the "Browse Master" setting change can take a few minutes to become fully in effect over the network as the various clients recognize the change.

I hope this helps.