XP on a home network with 98 SE... HELP!

OK, I've just taken delivery of a spangly new Dell PC with XP pro OS which is happily connected to my home network and connects to the internet through my broadband connection but I'll be buggered if I can get to see or be seen on the network so that I can transfer my files across.

All other PC's are 98 SE and are connected using CAT5 cable and a simple Netgear hub. I have entered the workgroup and given it a unique name etc but no joy.

All the 98 SE PC's use Client for Microsoft Networks and Client for Netware Networks in the configuration box although Microsoft is the primary logon. Under netware I can set F as the drive but this option doesn't appear in XP

Any help greatly appreciated before I start transferring files by CD... how inefficient can you get!

Thanks in advance.

Adam

P.S. Also, how do you rearrange the programs within the start pop up? In 98 right click and explore is the answer but apart from accessories the rest of the installed program files and their shortcuts don't appear.

I can see this XP is going to cause me some pain.

I take it you can't see the shared drives in Network Places?

What about connecting to a drive by typing the name?
- Windows Explorer
- Right click My Network Places
- Map Network Drive
- Select a drive letter
- type in the name in the Folder box: \\computername\sharename

Can you ping the other pc's?
- command prompt
- ping 111.222.333.444
(111.222.333.444 being the IP address of the other pc)
- you should get a reply from the other pc
- if not, they can't "see" each other on the network

Thanks MiGSel

If I'd run the XP home neworking setup like it said I would have connected ages ago... phew

Still can't figure out customizing the start bar though.

Thanks again

Adam

Right click the task bar and click Properties...

aaaaarggghhh!!!!

THe saga continues... I've put the new PC in place so that it's connected direct to the cable modem and it connects to the internet without problem BUT now the other PC's don't/can't see the net.

I'm using a Netgear EN104TP hub (here if you want to know more) that is apparently a plug and play affair.

The connections are good (worked before) and all lights are lit on the hub and network cards but I don't get a reply when I use the ping command.

I'm also not getting to see other PC's on the network so still can't transfer my files.. I was fooled earlier by seeing 'shared docs' directories on two PC's not realising each had their own

Any ideas?

TIA

Adam

firewall?

Norton firewall, found the network card and has configured (apparently) for home networking

Ok, firewall played a part... manually configured all IP addresses instead of auto config and then set them to have access in firewall.

All 98 SE PC's can see each other (and could before the firewall settings were changed) and can now see the XP PC as well... unfortunately the XP PC doesn't see anything but itself

Still no joy on connecting to the internet through the XP PC either...

Any ideas? Anyone else successfully linked XP and 98 on a network?

TIA

Adam

We had BIG problems on the LAN at work with NT4 server and XP Pro (other W98SE machines were OK). Failed to run logon scripts, no network visible, XP shares invisible to other machines, unable to download AV updates from server - the bloody list was endless.

Net(!) result was to ditch XP in favour of 2000 - much better OS in my humble view - no more problems now.

XP networking problems can be Kerberos related - do a search (not on here) for that topic and see what it throws up.

adamski49 said:

Any ideas? Anyone else successfully linked XP and 98 on a network?

TIA

Adam

Click to expand...

i used to have an XP PC that was connected to the net operating as my main machine, connected to another PC running 98SE via ICS.

it worked fine.

to set up, i ran the network wizard on the XP machine, then created a network wizard floppy (with XP), and ran that on the 98 PC.
only other thing i had to do was configure zone alarm.

i have now upgraded the 98PC to XP & connected them both to a modem router. much better all round.

if you are still stuck, you could ask here. someone there will suss it in no time

Going from an 1150GS to a 1200GS Pro will probably have the same affect as going from a 2000PRO to XP ..
You will hate it at first buy grow to like it.

XP PRO has a built in basic firewall and Proxy server (to share internet connection with other computers)
You just tick the boxes in the Network connection options.

For the '98 machine, you will have to create a driver on a disk to allow it to do this (the XP machine will prompt you to do this).

Other XP stuff:
a) you shouldn't have to reboot after making network changes (unless you change the workgroup)
b) Resist the temptation to put a photo of yourself on the login icon (Just use froggy)


The network connection....Try this .. Should only take a few minutes (I'm doing this from memory, so may not be 100% accurate)

On both computers, setup a new user and give them administrator privelages.
This will be a backup login name.
Choose something like ADMIN, ADMIN

For the Network connection, Microsoft will prompt you to let it do things automatically (ie chosin address'). I always prefer to do it manually.

Open Windows Explorer on the '98 Machines
Right click on My Computer
In Network ID, See what Workgroup is called (Deafault is WORKGROUP) and close.
Then Right click on Network Neightbourhood(or My network places or whatever it's called in XP), Local Area Connection and choose TCP/IP
If it is set to automatically detect blah blah, tick the manual box.
Manually put in an IP Address.
Use 192.1.2.10 (I just made that up but anything starting with 192.x.x.x or 64.x.x.x is OK, otherwise you'll get into trouble with the internet police).
Subnet mask will appear automatically with 255.255.255.0
Set Default gateway to192.1.2.1 (we'll use this address for the XP machine). Default gateway tells the 98 machine what to look at first.
Hit OK

(Don't reboot yet)

In the list of Local area properties you should have:
Client for Mictosoft Networks
NetBEUI
Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)

If you don't have all of these, Click add or Install and choose them from the list (you'll have to find the WIN98 CD)

Then Reboot.
_____________

Go to your WIN XP machine and do pretty much the same thing:
Check the Workgroup name in Network ID Properties.
You can use the wizard to set this up if you want.
(You will probably have to reboot after this)

Open TCP/IP
Give it an address (192.1.2.1 as we agreed above)
Same 255.255.255.0
You can leave Default gateway blank.

You should now be able to access the '98 machine you just setup.

When you try to connect to the other computers, you should at least be able to see them now. (NetBEUI thingy has sometihng to do with this)
When you try to access their drives you should be asked for username and password (try the ADMIN, ADMIN).

You should be able to get INternet connection aswell now if you used that Disk you made from the XP computer.)


If this doesn't work, the computers probably aren't connected.
Do the lights flash on the Network Card and HUB?

Go to Start, RUN, and type CMD
then type PING 192.1.2.10 form the '98 machine
or
PING 192.1.2.1 form the 'XP machine

If it times out, you're not getting a connection (Buy a cheap Crossover CAT5 Cable for 2 quid and plug the machines direct to test the connection
If you get a reply they are connected..


I hope this helps.. If not, call your network administrator (in otherwords, you're fooked).

Or plan B, get a bootled copy of WIN 2000 from a mate..

better yet, only more so, get a bootled copy of XP from a mate.

I know OFFICE XP gives you 30 days to connect to MICROSFT to verify licence, so I just assumed it was the same for WIN XP!

Win 2000 definetly doesn't... So best option for "Borrowing" a copy.

There were Manufacturer licence codes avaialbe somewhere on da NET (Used by DELL and CAMPAQ etc for large batches) but I think they got around this.

If you can find one of these licence numbers, you can just use the XP CD you have with the different licence number.

below is purely for general interest. i am in no way recommending you try this

actually, not all versions of windows XP have to be activated. the so called "corporate" version, given to some PC vendors & widely available, doesn't.

but, if you install a copy of the above with one of the well known serial no's you will not be able to install updates post SP1 as M$ know the serials too and have blacklisted them. it says as much on their website.

it appears that you would need a unique serial not on the blacklist. it may very well update OK then.

Sorry people, I never posted when I got it working.

In the end I left it alone for a few days and then started from scratch, received a phone call in the middle of it all that stopped me trying IE on the 98 PC to see if it was connected... next thing I know windows update pops up automatically.

It seems that a little bit of patience is required to allow the PC's (network cards?) to start talking to each other before firing up IE. Once the connection is established it works as it should do.

For anyone else trying ang failing like I did for my IP addresses are autoconfig and both XP and Norton firewalls are enabled.

Cheers

Adam