Multi part question!

[Plasmarobo]

My computer is a ghost on my network!

I cannot acess my workgroup, I click on "View Workgroup Computers" and I get a not acessible message.

The thing is, sometimes it actually works! Then it makes me happy and I think that it is fixed, when BAM! I can't get to it again...

I am running NIS2005 with the personal firewall, but I have a IP open for the other computer.

The IP's are dynamic, but they are allways assigned the same ones...

Now, on to the meat of my setup.

I have a Windows XP pro computer that is doubling as a file server.

My laptop is running home. I am more used to the Home version of super simple networking...

When I go to "add user" under remote connections, and click the locations tab, the only location that I can see is my Pro computer, why is this? Is it just that XP and Home aren't compadible? Or do I need to do something to enable it?

Thanks!

(Oh, I am trying to setup exclusive permissions for my Pro "server", does anyone know a good web tutorial or otherwise for this?)

 

[Law]

Reload the netBIOS cache and arp table

Open up command prompt

nbtstat -R
netsh interface ip delete arpcache

arp -a to view the new arp table, IP address should match the MAC address of the remote machine.

ipconfig /all to check the IP address, making sure they're assign the correct one and are in the same subnet.

Use ping to test connectivity:

First ping the remote machine IP address: ping IP
example: ping 192.168.1.100

then ping the computer name: ping computer_name
example: ping tom

Make sure both computers are in the same workgroup, and have netBIOS turn on.