Cannot view workgroup computers

[Geekgirl]

I manage a 4 pc/5 printer network. I recently removed an older pc and replaced with a new AMD dual core system. 3 desktops are XP Pro with each having 3GB memory dc processors and set up RAID 1. There is 1 laptop, dc / 2 GB memory system. 2 are wireless 2 are wired. The one I replaced is a wired system.
Upon adding this new system to the network I also installed NOD32 anti-virus 2yr subscription on each system and also installed Comodo Pro firewall on each system. At one point in time when you would View Workgroup Computers all the computers were listed. The old computer that was replaced was still being listed in there also. The new computer's name was user-xxxxxx (blah blah) and I thought I would change it to Jeff so it would be easier for the users to identify it. Upon changing it to Jeff I now had 6 computers in View Workgroup Computers. Also in My Network Places I had folders that were listed that were from the old pc and the one that I changed its name.
At some point in time, View Workgroup Computers stop responding, I now cannot open it at all, it becomes non responsive on ALL 4 pcs.
Now I can go to My Netwrok PLaces and I have deleted the old named folders but after a reboot or refresh the new ones do not appear. I can ping all computers from each other and when I type in the run command Jeff , the shared folders opens up. So I had to add a network place for all the pcs and have managed to add the shared folders and printers on all systems and they work fine but I cannot open View Workgroup Computers.
Computer Browser service is started on all systems and running. I have disabled the firewall(s) will no change as I dont think it is the firewall. I really am not sure where else to look.
Any suggestions?
Please let me know if I have not included an important piece of information,

TJ

[johnwill]

What is the make and model of the router.




Check your Services are Started on all PCs:

• Computer Browser
• DHCP Client
• DNS Client
• Network Location Awareness
• Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
• Server
• TCP/IP Netbios helper
• Workstation

Note: You can check the services in Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Services.

All of these services should be started, and their startup type should be automatic (or perhaps manual).





For at least two of the computers, I'd also like to see this:

Start, Run, CMD to open a command prompt:

Type the following commands:

nbtstat -n

IPCONFIG /ALL

Right click in the command window and choose Select All, then hit Enter.
Paste the results in a message here.

If you are on a machine with no network connection, use a floppy, USB disk, or a CD-RW disk to transfer a text file with the information to allow pasting it here.

[nicegagan]

Hi, be sure all pc connected to network have same workgroup name. are you using HUB or Switch for your network if you using HUB try to remove hub and add new switch why I recommend to switch you switch cuz switch will make your network more fast and no more broadcast . Hub work on broadcast domain which’s making network very congestion and switch work on colligation domain

[Geekgirl]

It is a Linksys WRT54G, I thought that it may be the issue but when you ping your actually at the lowest level of the tier are you not?

I will check that those servcies are running on all machines. I know I was curious about the computer browser service and made sure that was started on all.


All computers do have the same workgroup name which is workgroup.
And no I am not using hub or switch I am using router which I use for all my networks, thanks for your input

[johnwill]

With four or five computers, there would be no issue with a hub or switch. In addition, it wouldn't exhibit the symptoms described, it would simply be slower.

[Geekgirl]

Ok heres the new computer I just installed on the network


Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\user>nbtstat -n

Local Area Connection:
Node IpAddress: [10.0.0.102] Scope Id: []

NetBIOS Local Name Table

Name Type Status
---------------------------------------------
JEFF <00> UNIQUE Registered
WORKGROUP <00> GROUP Registered
JEFF <20> UNIQUE Registered

C:\Documents and Settings\user>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Jeff
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8168/8111 PCI-E Gigabit E
thernet NIC
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-19-DB-B4-FA-15
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.0.0.102
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 10.0.0.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.0.0.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 24.154.1.38
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, November 08, 2007 8:52:45
AM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Friday, November 09, 2007 8:52:45 AM


C:\Documents and Settings\user>






Heres another pc


Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\oem>nbtstat -n

Wireless Network Connection 5:
Node IpAddress: [10.0.0.101] Scope Id: []

NetBIOS Local Name Table

Name Type Status
---------------------------------------------
JOHN <00> UNIQUE Registered
JOHN <20> UNIQUE Registered
WORKGROUP <00> GROUP Registered

C:\Documents and Settings\oem>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : John
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection 5:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Linksys Wireless-G PCI Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-18-F8-AE-B3-FA
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.0.0.101
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 10.0.0.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.0.0.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 24.154.1.38
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, November 08, 2007 8:18:13
AM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Friday, November 09, 2007 8:18:13 AM


C:\Documents and Settings\oem>





Some info, the Computer Browser Service needed started on 2 pcs and it was in the process of stopping on 1 and the other was started.
Also, Remote Procedure Call (RPC) options were greyed out, I couldnt start or stop the service but on all 4 it was started.

I am not sure if this will help but they are piggybacking so to speak off the next door neighbors internet. I have told them over and over to get their own and it is coming next week.

Thanks John

TJ

[johnwill]

All of those IPCONFIG results look normal. Are these results the same for working and non-working systems?

[Geekgirl]

Are these results the same for working and non-working systems?

Its the same on all 4 systems. View Workgroup Computers does not work on an of them.
When you double click View Workgroup Computers, My network places becomes non-responsive and I have to end the task via Task Manager or it produces the error.

[johnwill]

That's strange...

How about booting one of them in safe mode with networking and trying the same test?

[Geekgirl]

Sorry I didn't get back to you on this John, I got terribly busy as usual and then things went south on this network. And no I didnt try booting into Safe Mode like you asked, my bad.
They finally got their own ISP ,which I have been pushing for a while now, but after they got this set up I thought to myself, self, their wireless wont be encrypted, you better go set it up for security purposes. So of I went....

I changed the router ip to the default (192.168.1.1) for ease to me. They had it set at 10.0.0.1 when they were piggy backing off the neighbor.
After this all hell broke loose. I panicked and I had to pull someone in to go over the situation. (Boy hes expensive too, I need to raise my rates)
Anywho, what he did was run the Network Wizard and got all the systems to finally play nice together which took about 2 hours. Everything was running ok but I got a call last week that they are experiencing ip conflicts. Its on multiple machines too, after a reboot it works itself out but you shouldnt have to reboot all the time, its just not norm.
So I guess my question to you is why are they having ip conflicts on machines that normally run constantly and should not be rebooting to obtain a different ip addy and whats the best way to diagnose? Assign static ips?

[johnwill]

The common reason for IP conflicts is that the router gets rebooted, but the machines remain booted. To resolve it, there's a couple of options.

1. Assign all the IP addresses manually.
2. If you have to restart the router, or power is lost on the router, turn off ALL the machines, start the router, then reboot the machines.