computers keep losing network

[axel_2078]

My computers seem to keep randomly losing themselves on the network. They all have internet access, but they can't share files across their workgroup for some reason. This is the message I keep getting:

"HOME is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you have access permissions. The list of servers for this workgroup is not currently available."

What gives? Is there anything I can do? I've never had this problem before until just a few days ago.

[Cowboybooter]

What does your network consist of, axel?

If I remember, you have wireless too?

:)

Bob

[Win2Kuser]

Sounds to me like DHCP has expired and new IP's have been sent out to the machines...

..always causes me a headache too...

[axel_2078]

Originally posted by Cowboybooter
What does your network consist of, axel?

If I remember, you have wireless too?

:)

Bob

My network consists of three Windows systems (two desktops and a laptop). Yes, I'm using wireless on all three devices. The problem just started a couple days ago. Each computer can only see itself on the network.

Win2Kuser, I'm not sure what you meant by the DHCP thing. My router is supposed to automatically assign the IPs via DHCP. Is there something I need to modify?

[Cowboybooter]

What do you get if you run IPconfig /all ?

go to Run,

<Type> cmd < push enter key>

<Type> cd\ <push enter key>

<Type> ipconfig /all

:)

Bob

[axel_2078]

This is the result of ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : laptop

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No



Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection 3:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : D-Link AirPlus Xtreme G DWL-G650 Adapter #3

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : **-**-**-**-**-**

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.15.101

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.15.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.15.1

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.15.1

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, December 08, 2004 7:14:18 PM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, December 15, 2004 7:14:18 PM



Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:



Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8139 Family PCI Fast Ethernet NIC

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : **-**-**-**-**-**

[Cowboybooter]

That looks okay, from here!

:)

Bob

[axel_2078]

Well, my computers still can't see each other over the network. :(

[axel_2078]

Any more ideas?

[Justoverbroke]

You haven't recently put SP2 on your computers have you. After putting it on mine I can't access all of them as before probably because of the firewall.

[Cowboybooter]

Have you double checked that someone / something hasn't changed the workgroup name? They are all in the same workgroup still?

:)

Bob

[axel_2078]

Yes, I put SP2 on my computers, but that was a couple months ago, and I turned off the Windows firewall right away. The problem just started occuring a few days ago. Now each computer can't even see itself on the network. Yes, the workgroup name is the same on all computers.

[Axel]

several more questions -
are all of the systems on the same operating systems? - by the reference to sp2 - can we assume all are on XP?
next - have you tried dropping them all out of your current workgroup and building a new workgroup - i.e. - add all your machines to a new workgroup called BOB and then cold boot them and try again? I've seen networking issues where the machines simply had to be dropped out of whatever they were in on the network side and then re-added and that helped. If that doesn't work, you might destroy and rebuild all of your network connections in the network applet of your PC's one at a time.

next question - how many PC's are we talking about?

[axel_2078]

I fixed the problem a few days ago. I did what axel suggested and just renamed my workgroup. It's been working fine since.

[axel_2078]

Well, the problem has cropped up again. The computers were able to see themselves over the network with the new workgroup name for two days and now the new workgroup is not accessable to any of the computers. WTF?? This is really starting to tick me off. I don't understand it. My network ran fine for over two years and now it keeps breaking for some reason.

Axel, we're talking about 3 PCs.....a laptop and two desktops. All are running XP, although I dual-boot with Linux on one of them sometimes.

[axel_2078]

Anyone? Ideas?

[Win2Kuser]

Try setting fixed IP addresses on each machine, and set the Default Gateway to the routers IP.

Worth a shot...

[Cowboybooter]

Have you checked all 3 for spyware / adware?

Strange that it just suddenly started happenning!

:)

Bob

[axel_2078]

I checked the laptop for spyware and ad-aware found 11 items, so I deleted them. I haven't checked the two desktops yet.

[Axel]

extremely doubtful spyware or adware is doing this. - I'm assuming that your networking is also connected to a router or a broadband feed coming into the house, be it DSL or a cable modem or something. Any chance your ISP is monkeying with their DHCP server? If so - your connections might stabalize on your local network if you disconnect the broadband - if that does work for 2 or 3 days, then I'd be all over your ISP asking why this might be happening. Is some idiot releasing and renewing all of the DHCP addresses on the ISP to clear some other issue- if so - that's probably causing your issue. NExt - - been a while since you been to windows update and gotten OS patches on all three boxes - that, or you did it recently on all three and some patch is now causing your system to have network adapter issues.

Do two consistantly work ok and a third keeps losing the others - or is this happening on all of them each time?

[axel_2078]

This happens to all three, but the problem isn't as bad as I originally thought. The computers don't show up under the workgroup and I still get the error message if I click on "view workgroup computers" , but I can still access the shares on all three by using the UNC under the run command (\\server\share). The shares also show up under "my network places." Why they don't show up under the workgroup, I don't know, but at least I still have a way to access the shares.

[Axel]

that would indicate possibly a screwed up WINS or screwed up DNS on the ISP's part. The fact that you can share to each one means the problem probably isn't local. Did you see any errors in the event logs of the PC's - they would tend to log domain issues and errors such as problems with the master browser and so on. I wonder if your ISP would allow you to add a localized stand along windows 2000 server and you set up your own local WINS and DNS system on it. All you'd need is a piece of junk - say an old PS2 166 mHz machine - whatever junk you can get running with windows 2000 server so you could build your own PDC and provide your own DNS and WINS - but if you did that - you might have issues getting IP addresses from your ISP and might not be able to get out. - might be an interesting project to try over a weekend now that you have your share situation in hand.