Can't See Other Computers on Network

I have a problem. I'm trying to help my sister's systems configured so that she can share a printer. Here is her setup:

She has a Windows XP computer, to which her printer is attached. It is connected (via cable) to a Linksys WRT54G2 wireless router, to which her cable modem is connected. She also has a Windows 7 laptop with a wireless network adapter, which uses the same Linksys wireless router to connect to the internet. Both computers connect through the wireless router to the internet with no problem.

Now for the problem. I cannot get either computer to see the other computer on the network, though both can see and successfully use the shared internet connection through the wireless router. I've run the Network Setup Wizard on the XP machine, and have checked the settings for the Win 7 machine to make sure that the network is NOT trying to use the HomeGroup feature, and that the network locaton is set as HOME. I've also checked that the Network Advanced options are correctly set to enable network discovery, file and printer sharing, public folder sharing, and media streaming. Password protected sharing is turned off, and encryption is set at 128 bit.

In checking the router (I wasn't there when the router was set up, and my sister remembers little about how it was done, she THINKS that maybe the cable guy who installed their cable internet service did it), it shows an Unprotected connection. While I have explained to her that this is dangerous, everything I have read indicates that though it is ill advised, it should still function. She is hesitant to have me fiddle with the router--since (with some justification) she fears that she may lose her internet connection, which as I said, works fine now.

I readily confess that I am not a networking expert, by any means. I did successfully set up a similar setup of my own (wireless router, Win 7 system, and Win XP system, cable modem). But when I did it, once I had configured everything, each computer showed up on the other, and file and printer sharing works fine. If anyone has any suggestions as to what I may be missing, or something I can check, I'd be very appreciative. Just a caveat, that I may be slow to reply, since checking anything, or trying anything requires a physical trip to my sister's house. Any suggestions welcomed.

DocBrown said:

Have the two computers been assigned to the same WorkGroup name ?



You can save trips to your sisters house by setting up a TeamViewer remote connection to access here computers.

See Here: TeamViewer

DocBrown--
Thanks for the quick reply. Yes, I forgot to mention that. The Win7 machine had a workgroup name of WORKGROUP, and the Win XP machine originally had a workgroup name of MSWORK (or something like that). So the first thing I did was change the Win XP workgroup name to WORKGROUP (had to reboot the system for the change to take effect). But both now show WORKGROUP as the workgroup name.

RP McIntosh said:

I have a problem. I'm trying to help my sister's systems configured so that she can share a printer. Here is her setup:

She has a Windows XP computer, to which her printer is attached. It is connected (via cable) to a Linksys WRT54G2 wireless router, to which her cable modem is connected. She also has a Windows 7 laptop with a wireless network adapter, which uses the same Linksys wireless router to connect to the internet. Both computers connect through the wireless router to the internet with no problem.

Now for the problem. I cannot get either computer to see the other computer on the network, though both can see and successfully use the shared internet connection through the wireless router. I've run the Network Setup Wizard on the XP machine, and have checked the settings for the Win 7 machine to make sure that the network is NOT trying to use the HomeGroup feature, and that the network locaton is set as HOME. I've also checked that the Network Advanced options are correctly set to enable network discovery, file and printer sharing, public folder sharing, and media streaming. Password protected sharing is turned off, and encryption is set at 128 bit.

In checking the router (I wasn't there when the router was set up, and my sister remembers little about how it was done, she THINKS that maybe the cable guy who installed their cable internet service did it), it shows an Unprotected connection. While I have explained to her that this is dangerous, everything I have read indicates that though it is ill advised, it should still function. She is hesitant to have me fiddle with the router--since (with some justification) she fears that she may lose her internet connection, which as I said, works fine now.

I readily confess that I am not a networking expert, by any means. I did successfully set up a similar setup of my own (wireless router, Win 7 system, and Win XP system, cable modem). But when I did it, once I had configured everything, each computer showed up on the other, and file and printer sharing works fine. If anyone has any suggestions as to what I may be missing, or something I can check, I'd be very appreciative. Just a caveat, that I may be slow to reply, since checking anything, or trying anything requires a physical trip to my sister's house. Any suggestions welcomed.

What type of A/V software does she have installed?

Have you tried to reset the router yet?

chev65 said:

RP McIntosh said:

I have a problem. I'm trying to help my sister's systems configured so that she can share a printer. Here is her setup:

She has a Windows XP computer, to which her printer is attached. It is connected (via cable) to a Linksys WRT54G2 wireless router, to which her cable modem is connected. She also has a Windows 7 laptop with a wireless network adapter, which uses the same Linksys wireless router to connect to the internet. Both computers connect through the wireless router to the internet with no problem.

Now for the problem. I cannot get either computer to see the other computer on the network, though both can see and successfully use the shared internet connection through the wireless router. I've run the Network Setup Wizard on the XP machine, and have checked the settings for the Win 7 machine to make sure that the network is NOT trying to use the HomeGroup feature, and that the network locaton is set as HOME. I've also checked that the Network Advanced options are correctly set to enable network discovery, file and printer sharing, public folder sharing, and media streaming. Password protected sharing is turned off, and encryption is set at 128 bit.

In checking the router (I wasn't there when the router was set up, and my sister remembers little about how it was done, she THINKS that maybe the cable guy who installed their cable internet service did it), it shows an Unprotected connection. While I have explained to her that this is dangerous, everything I have read indicates that though it is ill advised, it should still function. She is hesitant to have me fiddle with the router--since (with some justification) she fears that she may lose her internet connection, which as I said, works fine now.

I readily confess that I am not a networking expert, by any means. I did successfully set up a similar setup of my own (wireless router, Win 7 system, and Win XP system, cable modem). But when I did it, once I had configured everything, each computer showed up on the other, and file and printer sharing works fine. If anyone has any suggestions as to what I may be missing, or something I can check, I'd be very appreciative. Just a caveat, that I may be slow to reply, since checking anything, or trying anything requires a physical trip to my sister's house. Any suggestions welcomed.

What type of A/V software does she have installed?

Have you tried to reset the router yet?

Chev65--

Thanks for the interest. I don't know what antivirus software she is running, but I'll find out and let you know. No, haven't reset the router yet. She's afraid that if we reset the router, she will lose her internet connection. And she'd rather live with no file and/or printer sharing than to lose internet access. I can't reassure her that messing with the router will NOT cause her to lose her internet connection, since I'm having trouble understanding why both computers see and can use the router for internet access, but neither computer can detect the other on the network. My gut tells me that it is something in the router setting, but my logic says that if that were the case, they wouldn't be able to make the internet connection successfully. However, this may not be true, since I am blessed with a more than adequate level of ignorance in the details of networking.

chev65 said:

RP McIntosh said:

I have a problem. I'm trying to help my sister's systems configured so that she can share a printer. Here is her setup:

She has a Windows XP computer, to which her printer is attached. It is connected (via cable) to a Linksys WRT54G2 wireless router, to which her cable modem is connected. She also has a Windows 7 laptop with a wireless network adapter, which uses the same Linksys wireless router to connect to the internet. Both computers connect through the wireless router to the internet with no problem.

Now for the problem. I cannot get either computer to see the other computer on the network, though both can see and successfully use the shared internet connection through the wireless router. I've run the Network Setup Wizard on the XP machine, and have checked the settings for the Win 7 machine to make sure that the network is NOT trying to use the HomeGroup feature, and that the network locaton is set as HOME. I've also checked that the Network Advanced options are correctly set to enable network discovery, file and printer sharing, public folder sharing, and media streaming. Password protected sharing is turned off, and encryption is set at 128 bit.

In checking the router (I wasn't there when the router was set up, and my sister remembers little about how it was done, she THINKS that maybe the cable guy who installed their cable internet service did it), it shows an Unprotected connection. While I have explained to her that this is dangerous, everything I have read indicates that though it is ill advised, it should still function. She is hesitant to have me fiddle with the router--since (with some justification) she fears that she may lose her internet connection, which as I said, works fine now.

I readily confess that I am not a networking expert, by any means. I did successfully set up a similar setup of my own (wireless router, Win 7 system, and Win XP system, cable modem). But when I did it, once I had configured everything, each computer showed up on the other, and file and printer sharing works fine. If anyone has any suggestions as to what I may be missing, or something I can check, I'd be very appreciative. Just a caveat, that I may be slow to reply, since checking anything, or trying anything requires a physical trip to my sister's house. Any suggestions welcomed.

What type of A/V software does she have installed?

Have you tried to reset the router yet?

Chev65--

As a followup, I did contact her about the A/V software, and she is using Avast on the Win 7 system, and Norton on the Win XP system. I did consider that the A/V might cause a problem, but it seemed unlikely to me that it would permit access to the Internet, but deny access to the other computer. That seems even less likely, with two different A/V programs--seems odd that BOTH would allow internet access and that BOTH would deny access to the other computer. As a side comment, I have Norton on both of my systems, and it didn't cause a problem when I was setting up my system. Of course, there could be different settings, or even different versions of the sofware, for that matter.

She has looked, and has found that she does have a setup CD for the router. But I'm going to have a hard sell convincing her that she should trade something that is working (at least for internet access) for the uncertainty that reinstalling the router might cause.

Honestly, once those A/V's are involved in the equation all bets are off as far as sharing is concerend. They cause problems with sharing all the time, in fact 90 percent of the sharing problems I see here are caused by A/V's. Uninstalling them is usually the best way to fix these sorts of problems.

chev65 said:

Honestly, once those A/V's are involved in the equation all bets are off as far as sharing is concerend. They cause problems with sharing all the time, in fact 90 percent of the sharing problems I see here are caused by A/V's. Uninstalling them is usually the best way to fix these sorts of problems.

Chev65--
I've a hunch that will be a hard sell too <g>. Do you suggest running without any Anti Virus software, or are you suggesting uninstalling it, get the network set up, then reinstalling it again? If so (and assuming that the AV was the problm) would not the problem come back when you reinstall the software?

Exactly, and I realize people are afraid to run without A/V's but it's safe for a little while until you can get sharing working again.

I would completely uninstall both those A/V's, then try to get network sharing to work again.

After that I would go with MSE "Microsoft security essentials" which won't cause sharing problems like the others.

chev65 said:

Exactly, and I realize people are afraid to run without A/V's but it's safe for a little while until you can get sharing working again.

I would completely uninstall both those A/V's, then try to get network sharing to work again.

After that I would go with MSE "Microsoft security essentials" which won't cause sharing problems like the others.

Well, I'll see what she thinks of that as a possibility. She may be hesitant, since she's already spent money on what she is using. Any other ideas about what the problem might be?