Computer problem - help?

[alitalf]

My Vista laptop will no longer access other computers n the same workgroup. I have checked everything that seemed obvious to me, including:

-Netbios is enabled over tcpip
-The problem continues when the firewall is switched off
-Can ping other computers by IP address, but not by name
-net view gives an error saying that the list of workgroup comuters is unavailable
-Internet access works fine
-All the appropriate options are switched on in the network and sharing centre
-All other (non vista) computers share files and directories correctly.

The vista machine:
- can ping internet sites by name
- has an IP address in the right range
- has the computer browser service running
- gives an error message when I try to access already-mapped network drives

It did work up to about 2 weeks ago, but either I ran a windows update, or changed something else minor that did not seem contentious, and it stopped working. I haven't got any restore points earlier than a couple of days, so no help there.

Since then, in an attempt to fix the problem, I ran a registry fixer on it. over 800 errors were reported and fixed, though some were trivial. The same procedure resolved a master browser problem that prevented a Win XP machine accessing the workgroup, for which no other attempted solution had been effective. However, in that case it could not access even it own shared directories via network places, until I stopped the computer browser service, and it was iffy after that. The vista computer lists its own network shares, but none from anywhere else. The vista computer indicates its own network shares, but none from anywhere else.

I ran SP2, and whatever that may have fixed, it did not fix the network access problem.

Has anyone got any ideas?

Comments

[sigisgrim]

Sounds like a DNS type problem.

[alitalf]

That looks plausible. How I repair it, if that is the problem, is completely another question. So far I have not found any suggested answer on the net.

I am downloading Vista SP2 in the hope that will either solve the problem, or at least make the solution clearer.

[emperor]

Is your DNS server working correctly? iff so, is your computer looking for it in the correct place?

[sorry if this is sucking-eggs territory]

[alitalf]

I don't actually know that one. I do know that all other computers on the network maintain peer to peer networking using the computer browser service, which presumably does the job of DNS for peer to peer, and all computers can access the Internet correctly. Even the Vista machine can ping yahoo.com, but it can't ping any computer on the LAN by name, only by IP address.

Because the vista machine appears as the only item in its network neighbourhood, it looks just like what I have seen with a firewall problem - except that it still happens if the firewall is temporarily disabled.

[sigisgrim]

Check that the vista PC is using the correct IP range.

[alitalf]

Yes it is. 192.168.2.6, and the router is 192.168.2.1

[adalger]

Okay, this is a possibly overbasic one, but have you checked to see if something might have changed the name of the workgroup on the vista computer? This sounds a lot like what would happen if the workgroup somehow didn't match the rest of the network.

Also, on those IP addresses, what's the netmask you're using on 192.168.2.6? Are you getting that address via DHCP or static assignment?

[alitalf]

It is DHCP, the netmask is 255.255.255.0, and I reset all the eworkgroup names to the same as I thought they should be, just to make sure. I will set the workgroup name to something else then change it back, now.

[sigisgrim]

So where does the vista pc think its dns is?

[alitalf]

It seems to think it is the router, but I don't think that any pc actually uses the router to keep a list of the computer names on the LAN. I think that the computer browser service does that.

As far as I can understand, the router works as a local DNS cache for Internet sites. I don't know, though.

[sigisgrim]

My router is certainly a DNS both locally within the network and for externally getting out onto the Internet.

When I was running a W2K domain I had two DNSs, one on the Domain Controller and one on the router. The DC was the main, the router the secondary. Then the two DNS provided by my ISP.

[alitalf]

The difference is that I don't use a domain controller. It would not be so appropriate for the way I wish to work, and it would cost lots of money, as I wuld have to upgrade versions of Windows, - and I don't think there is an upgrade path from vista home to XP Pro, so it would be a complete re-install, with software that is not widely available now.

The only practical approach would be to change to Linux, but there is still a chance that appropriate drivers are not available for absolutely everything in the laptops that can't currently connect to a domain. Then there would still be a couple of programs that only run on windows (mind you they don't work on Vista either).

Actually, if Windows 7 turns out to work well, it should by rights be a low cost upgrade for any Vista machine, because Vista has all the characteristics of a beta test model. In reality, it will probably be out of my price range, though.

[sigisgrim]

At no time was I suggesting that you change to using a domain controller.

I used to use a domain controller. I don't now after the very ancient PC that was the DC failed. In both cases my router was a DNS.

[sigisgrim]

Further thoughts / questions.

Why is Netbios enabled over TCP/IP?

What about IP6?

[alitalf]

According to every web pae I read about this problem, one of the things it is necessary to check is that netbios is enabled over tcpip. That works for all the other computers.

[sigisgrim]

I don't believe that I have NetBios over TCP/IP enabled at all.