If you are getting IP conflicts, that's a whole different issue. Making the changes in the registry that sherpajosh mentioned should not cause IP conflicts. From a command prompt on each system, I'd type this:

IPCONFIG /RELEASE

IPCONFIG /RENEW

This *should* ensure that each PC has it's own unique IP address. What is the make and model of your DSL router?

It's a Speedstream 5200 modem/router.

Uggghh....

It's been awhile but if I recall correctly, they don't have a nice Web based GUI interface. I'm assuming the IP address of the router is 192.168.254.1.

If you type 192.168.254.1 into the address bar in IE, does it bring up a page showing you the settings or perhaps a login page for the router? If not, it would need to be accessed by a Telnet session.

It's 192.168.254.254

quote:

Originally posted by PackerHawk:
If you are getting IP conflicts, that's a whole different issue. Making the changes in the registry that sherpajosh mentioned should not cause IP conflicts. From a command prompt on each system, I'd type this:

IPCONFIG /RELEASE

IPCONFIG /RENEW

This *should* ensure that each PC has it's own unique IP address. What is the make and model of your DSL router?

Weird question, but....Do all of your computers have different names? For example, KAPPY, KAPPY1, KAPPY2, etc. If you used the same name for a couple of them when you set them up it could conceivably screw up the browser list.

PH is right--the master browser basically just keeps a list of computer names and related addresses (i.e. computer1 = 10.10.10.10)

If you are getting IP conflicts, I would set them up w/ static IP addresses to eliminate that possibility. If your router's address is 192.168.254.254, then I would go w/ 192.168.254.201-192.168.254.whatever and a netmask of 255.255.255.0, with 192.168.254.254 as the default gateway. Find your DNS servers before you do this using the ipconfig /all command at a DOS prompt, and enter them in manually as well.

sherpajosh I've done these things and got more problems. I've got: Computer A -192.168.254.10, Computer B - 192.168.254.20, and Computer B - 192.168.254.30 . The workgroup is HomeNet. Now A can no longer access the net but B&C can. A can ping B&C but not itself. B can ping B&C but not A and C can ping B&C but not A. The gateway and DNS server are both 192.168.254.254 . The only thing I see that looks strange to me is that A has Microsoft TCP/IP version 6 as well as the regular one? I haven't changed any of it's properties.

quote:

Originally posted by PackerHawk:
Uggghh....

It's been awhile but if I recall correctly, they don't have a nice Web based GUI interface. I'm assuming the IP address of the router is 192.168.254.1.

If you type 192.168.254.1 into the address bar in IE, does it bring up a page showing you the settings or perhaps a login page for the router? If not, it would need to be accessed by a Telnet session.

No default on speedstreams 5200 series routers is 192.168.254.254 and you're correct that they do not have interface.


He should however have a software CD labeled "Efficent SpeedStream DSL Tools" that installs the config manager that allows you to make changes to the router.

and he has to be carefull with doing changes with it. 5200 series routers are very commonly known to corrupt the kernels in them.


EDIT,speaking of that. Kappy you are aware that those series routers are only 10T based,correct? Your networks cards should be set at 10T Full Duplex or Autosense.

No, BTP I didn't realize that, it came with the DSL. Still trying to figure out why the one no longer connects to the net as of an hour ago.

I know that firewalls were mentioned already and you are using ZoneAlarm, but have you checked to make sure that the Windows Firewall is turned off? It is turned on by default when you load SP2. There are other things that will turn it on without warning, such as a System Restore. Go into control panel and open the Windows Firewall icon and make sure it's turned off on all PC's.

When you changed the IP addresses of the PC(s), that could have screwed up the settings for ZoneAlarm. That could be why one of your PC's isn't getting to the Internet. Either that or double check all of the settings - gateway, subnet mask and DNS servers.

Speaking of System Restore, if you can think of a date where everything was working the way you wanted it to work, you could always run a system restore back to that date.

IPv6 could be the problem, especially if you have not assigned an IPv6 address--dhcp would not assign you one, as your dhcp server (the router) is most likely not running v6. I haven't used it, but it would not surprise me if the computer defaults to the IPv6 address when it's installed. That would explain why it can ping the other computers, but not itself.

Uninstall the Microsoft TCP/IP version 6, and make sure that your other TCP/IP is configured correctly. There's no reason to use IPv6 at this stage unless you're testing network equipment. I'd reboot afterwards even if it doesn't ask you to.

I thought IPv6 was a seperate protocol that needs to be manually added? At least I haven't come across a PC that has it installed unless it was done for a reason. Strange that it would be there.

quote:

Originally posted by PackerHawk:
I thought IPv6 was a seperate protocol that needs to be manually added? At least I haven't come across a PC that has it installed unless it was done for a reason. Strange that it would be there.

As far as I'm aware it does need to be manually added, probably to avoid these kinds of problems. None of the XP machines on my network run it, and I haven't seen anyone running it outside of a network lab environment.

Wow guys thanx for all the suggestions! I finally went pretty much back to the original configuration which probably wasn't required and then configured the firewalls with an IP address range of 192.168.254.1 - 192.168.254.254 and they all see each other. Also I had upgraded Win XP Home to Win XP Pro but that was after the problem. One of the machines was running Win ME but it developed really strange communication problems. so I put Win XP Pro on it as well. Also my biggest machine has a Win XP x64 Pro partition on it in dual boot. They're all talking now but some folders keep giving me a not accessable error when accessing but I think windows just won't let you access any thing that the operating system uses in a share. Anyone have any ideas about that?

Kappy - I noticed something on the XP 64 community page at Microsoft.com under recent knowledge Base articles concerning not being able to transfer files and settings from a 32 bit Edition XP machine to a machine that is running Windows XP Professional x64 Edition. I don't know if this is your problem (shot in the dark on my part) but the community page may have an answer for you.