Windows 2000 workgroup share problem

I hope someone here can help me with a peculiar problem.

For work, i have set up a small workgroup of PC's for an office. It is a Windows 2000 based network, with TCP/IP and IPX/SPX protocols installed. All patches are installed on all PC's. We are using Ghostwall for a firewall and the correct settings have been installed to allow for network shares. Currently, there are about 15 PC's on this network. All PC's connect to the router we have and can see the internet fine. We have a mixture of wired and wireless connections, all seemingly working well (Via DHCP from the router). All PC's can see each other fine via Network Neighbourhood \ direct connection via the Run command (\\pcname\share) and can ping each other with no problem. Each PC has 2 shared folders which should be accessable by any other PC depending on logon/authentication (not including admin shares). They all see and can access these folders except....

1 PC (Let's call it staff02) can only access one share on staff01. Although it will see the other share if i connect just to the PC, If I try to go into it I get the error message "\\staff01\share is not accessable. The specified network name is no longer available". I have checked permissions on all the PC's here and they are the same on all. Every other PC can connect correctly to this staff01 PC

There is an error message in event viewer that does not seem to make sense. Error 2505 about netbiossmb. Another computer has the same name on the network. I know that this is not true, and even when I do change the name and reboot, the same error exists and so does the same problem! Plus, if the network did have a computer with the same name on, then I am sure that all networking would be affected, not just one share on one PC. I have tried changing name on the destination PC too, but the problem still exists.

Help. confused Any good suggestions needed!

ThatManWilko

 

have you tryed disabling the icp proticals and reenableing them
or uninstalling the i.p proticales?

 

Thanks Pc Pro, but I have done this and not a jot of difference.

All PC's have been scanned for spyware etc and are clean as can be. I cannot understand why it would 'see/access' one share on the PC, and not the other. Wireless NIC has also been replaced and re-installed and the same result.

Any Ideas?

 

have all the network devices under the device managment been desabled and reanbled for the network adapters (incuding the hidden) network adapters?

also are there any resrtions that are coming from the router
like a Wireless NIC adaperter restriced to a number of WNIC?

have you checked all the system devices to see if they are funtioning properly?

also you might want to try undoing any shard folders set up and redoing the shard folders set up on the PC that can't see the shard folders etc.

p.s you may need to order some Pizza to help solve the problem

Eat pizza first then try solve the problem

EDIT: p.s.s if it's still not working have you made sure the biso is not cussing any problems?

 

Ok, not sure what has happened but after a week of trying before posting here, it has decided to resolve itself. Nothing has changed but now it has decided to connect to this share. It has me baffled as to why it wouldn't in the first place, and still has me baffled as to why it now works. Anyway, I am now happy and can leave this company on Wednesday knowing I have left a working system.

Still, if anyone has an idea of why this happened, please let me and others know. I gave the PC over 30 minutes to 'find' other PC's and still no joy until now.

ThatManWilko

 

Ok, panic mode back on. After a Reboot, it has gone back to it's 'default' behaviour.....Grrrr.

The NetbiosSMB error message in event viewer is still there, and was there when it did work.

Any ideas?

 

Remember good (somerset ) cheese does not go mouldy.

Oh and by the way you need to have the specific user set up (and in date) on both all pcs that require inter access with a win 2k network. Otherwise you have to set up an NT domain -- messy like lancashire cheese


Studio T

 

Thanks studiot, but the permissions are all set up and have been checked so many times that I have tartan patterns in front of my eyes.

I just can't fathom how the permissions are the same for BOTH shares on the PC i want to connect to, but I can only access one...

NT domains are not messy, they're just like a tempramental child with a tantrum going on and no ice cream van available...Besides, from past experience, it is a damn site easier than this nasty workgroup.

 

Never mind, I always try the simplest first the obvious sometimes eludes us all. I meant user accounts not permissions btw.

IPX/SPX I'm confused are you using Netware? or is the network P2P or is there an Win2K server on board?

Studio T

 

are you getting an error message on the lines of:

\\PC Name\follder name is not asccsesible
the specified network name is no longer available?

have you tryed remapping the shared follders

if that still a problem try a direct connetion using a RJ45 Cat 5 crossover cable
plug the cable directly into both PC's and see if they can access the shared folders.

if that don't work then connect the PC that can't see the shard folder with a
RJ45 Cat 5 stright though Cable to the network and see if that sloves the problem.

if that still dosen't work then umm go back to the basics of checking the services and workgoups etc make sure everything is set up to allow file and printer shareing.

 

The IPX/SPX protocol has been installed just to help the poor beleagured TCP/IP protocol to behave properly when browsing for other PC's (I know browsing for PC's on a network is not such a great thing, but sometimes for technophobes they find it easier to understand than UNC paths). It is a P2P network. The idea for this is from Microsoft themselves (They recommend installing IPX or NetBEUI to 'sort' out NetBIOS over TCP).

I'll try remapping the shared folders again. Services seem fine as all other shares and PC's pose no problem for 'staff02', and every PC can connect to 'staff02'. I'll try the wired connection as well to see if that sorts it out.

However, I am almost willing to try a David Blaine stunt if it will get this thing to work...

 

Ok a couple of things to consider

Do you or your client have any overriding local policies, that could be interfering, set on the pcs concerned?

Is a member of their staff 'playing his own game'? - It has been known!

Studio T