XP Home SP2 and 4 Computers

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SQL Brad - 30 May 2007 18:50 GMT

Hello,

I have 4 Windows XP Home, SP2 running in a small office, all hooked up to
the same network, and Netgear router. 3 of the 4 PC's see each other on the
network, however they don't all see the 4th. All 4 workers have set up
various shared drives on their local machines to be shared by all 4 people.
I've already verified the following:

1. Windows Firewall is completely turned off
2. they all have IP's similar to 192.168.1.x and 255.255.255.0
3. they are all part of same workgroup
4. They only have Norton A/V, nothing else turned on like System Works,
Personal Firewall, Internet Security, etc.

I can't figure out what is preventing the 4th computer from being seen.

thanks in advance for your help.

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Gordon - 30 May 2007 19:10 GMT

> Hello,
>
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
>
> thanks in advance for your help.

Windows XP Home will only accept FIVE concurrent connections in a workgroup
environment. You've probably reached the limit. You need to upgrade to XP
Pro or put in a cheap server machine...(a redundant PC with Linux on will
do.....)

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SQL Brad - 30 May 2007 19:58 GMT

So does this mean that under this scenario it won't work?

computer 1 to computer 2 coutns as one connection
computer 1 to computer 3 counts as one connection
computer2 to computer 3 counts as one connection
computer 2 to computer 4 counts as one connection...

am I getting that right?

brad

> > Hello,
> >
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
> Pro or put in a cheap server machine...(a redundant PC with Linux on will
> do.....)

Reply to this Message

Gordon - 30 May 2007 20:06 GMT

> So does this mean that under this scenario it won't work?
>
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> am I getting that right?

That's about the size of it - and if you've got shared printers and other
periferals you'll get even more connections.....

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Chuck - 30 May 2007 21:11 GMT

>> > Hello,
>> >
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
>> Pro or put in a cheap server machine...(a redundant PC with Linux on will
>> do.....)

>So does this mean that under this scenario it won't work?
>
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
>brad

Brad,

Each of those count as one connection, but that's an active connection for
sharing files. And the limit is 5 incoming connections / computer, not 5
connections overall.

There's no limitation on visibility, for XP Home or Pro. Your visibility
problem isn't a connection limit issue.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/07/server-availability-affected-by.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/07/server-availability-affected-by.html

Signature

Cheers,
Chuck, MS-MVP [Windows - Networking]
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
Paranoia is not a problem, when it's a normal response from experience.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck mvps org.

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Chuck - 30 May 2007 19:56 GMT

>Hello,
>
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>
>thanks in advance for your help.

Visibility (or lack of) is usually a personal firewall or NetBT setting
inconsistency issue.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/07/advanced-windows-networking-using.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/07/advanced-windows-networking-using.html

There are a few other possibilities though.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/10/irregularities-in-workgroup-visibility.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/10/irregularities-in-workgroup-visibility.html

Take a look at the logs from "browstat status" and "ipconfig /all", from each
computer, so we can diagnose the problem. Read this article, and linked
articles, and follow instructions precisely (download browstat!):
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighborhood.html#
AskingForHelp>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighborhood.html#
AskingForHelp

Signature

Cheers,
Chuck, MS-MVP [Windows - Networking]
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
Paranoia is not a problem, when it's a normal response from experience.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck mvps org.

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SQL Brad - 30 May 2007 21:14 GMT

Chuck, I read 4 of the links you provided, thank you. Do you agree with my
last post when counting the number of connections, and that you can only have
5? thanks
brad

> >Hello,
> >
[quoted text clipped - 28 lines]
> <http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighborhood.html#
AskingForHelp>
> http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighborhood.html#
AskingForHelp

Reply to this Message

SQL Brad - 30 May 2007 21:23 GMT

Ok, so let me re-group here.

If I have 4 pc's and they are all sharing files......if each computer has 1
shared file only then I would have the following number of connections:

1. computer 1-2
2. computer 1-3
3. computer 1-4
4. computer 2-3
5. computer 2-4
6. computer 3-4

however if computer #2 for example has 2 connections, then I would need be
taking up an additional 6 connections?

So, does each shared folder count as one connection? If so, should shared
folders be limited to reduce the connections?

See where I am going with this?

> Chuck, I read 4 of the links you provided, thank you. Do you agree with my
> last post when counting the number of connections, and that you can only have
[quoted text clipped - 33 lines]
> > <http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighborhood.html#
AskingForHelp>
> > http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighborhood.html#
AskingForHelp

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Lem - 30 May 2007 23:35 GMT

> Ok, so let me re-group here.
>
[quoted text clipped - 52 lines]
>>> <http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighborhood.html#
AskingForHelp>
>>> http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighborhood.html#
AskingForHelp

If your Norton a/v is 2005 or more recent (maybe even older, though I'm
not sure), it incorporates a firewall. Norton A/V calls this "Internet
Worm Protection," but just like a firewall, it needs to be configured to
permit traffic from your LAN (192.168.1.1 thorough 192.168.1.255) to be
"trusted." It's been a while since I uninstalled Norton A/V, so I don't
remember how to do this, but the on-line help should explain.

Signature

Lem -- MS-MVP - Networking

To the moon and back with 64 Kbits of RAM and 512 Kbits of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer

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Chuck - 30 May 2007 23:45 GMT

>> Chuck, I read 4 of the links you provided, thank you. Do you agree with my
>> last post when counting the number of connections, and that you can only have
[quoted text clipped - 33 lines]
>> > <http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighborhood.html#
AskingForHelp>
>> > http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighborhood.html#
AskingForHelp

>Ok, so let me re-group here.
>
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
>
>See where I am going with this?

Brad,

In general, you can have any number of shares open between any 2 computers, and
that counts as 1 connection.

There are 2 exceptions to consider:
1) If you are logged in under one account, and someone else under another
account, and you're sharing the computer using fast user switching, you'll use 2
connections when both connect to the same server.
2) If you access one share through TCP/IP, and a second through IPX/SPX, you'll
use 2 connections when both connect to the same server.

Other than those examples, it's one computer to one computer = 1 connection.
Number of folders accessed is not relevant.

And you have a visibility problem to deal with, Brad, so try not to get
off-topic here. Visibility (ie the ability to see one computer from another) is
not subject to connection limits. Period.

Signature

Cheers,
Chuck, MS-MVP [Windows - Networking]
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
Paranoia is not a problem, when it's a normal response from experience.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck mvps org.

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SQL Brad - 31 May 2007 03:32 GMT

Chuck...(and Gordon) thank you very much, I appreciate your help. I will let
you know how it goes, I'm heading to the client's office first thing in the
morning.....and thanks to you as well Gordon! I just wanted to make sure I
understood the number of connection thing first.....

> >> Chuck, I read 4 of the links you provided, thank you. Do you agree with my
> >> last post when counting the number of connections, and that you can only have
[quoted text clipped - 72 lines]
> off-topic here. Visibility (ie the ability to see one computer from another) is
> not subject to connection limits. Period.

Reply to this Message

Chuck - 30 May 2007 21:24 GMT

>> >Hello,
>> >
[quoted text clipped - 28 lines]
>> <http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighborhood.html#
AskingForHelp>
>> http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighborhood.html#
AskingForHelp

>Chuck, I read 4 of the links you provided, thank you. Do you agree with my
>last post when counting the number of connections, and that you can only have
>5? thanks
>brad

Brad,

That's 5 active connections / computer. In your case, you could count up to 20
connections. And the limitation is on actual file sharing, not browsing
(visibility in Network Neighbourhood).

Your problem isn't immediately with a connection limit, though if you solve this
problem, you could well run into the limit. A network of 4 computers, IOW 3
other computers for any single computer, could eventually run into the
limitation. But that's not this problem.

Signature

Cheers,
Chuck, MS-MVP [Windows - Networking]
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
Paranoia is not a problem, when it's a normal response from experience.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck mvps org.

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