I can ping by IP but not computer name - Help!

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by MadameButterfly, Feb 7, 2008.

  1. MadameButterfly

    MadameButterfly Private E-2

    I have just spent several days trying to find a solution to this problem, browsing through dozens of threads in this forum, and I'm at a loss.

    I have three computers (let's call them laptop, server and desktop) that are connected through a router. They all run XP SP2.

    Server and desktop connect to the router with regular network cables. Laptop is connected wirelessly.

    File sharing works perfectly between server and desktop.

    I can ping by IP between desktop and laptop, but not by name, and file and printer sharing does not work.

    When I ping by name from desktop to laptop I get the following error message:

    "The network path was not found"

    When I ping by name from laptop to desktop I get the following error message:

    "No network provider accepted the given path"

    What really irks me is that everything worked perfectly a little while ago. Then I connected server to the network as well as doing some much needed Windows updating on laptop and desktop (I have scanned for viruses and malware and there is none), and all of a sudden desktop and laptop no longer communicate properly.

    After I started having problems I tried Network Magic, and while that was installed everything worked perfectly. When I removed it the problems returned. I refuse to have a program like that doing something that should so easily be taken care of by Windows.

    After Network Magic I tried to reinstall Windows on desktop. Problems remain.

    I have ensured that all computers are on the same subnet mask. They are obviously all in the same workgroup. I have reset the TCP/IP stack on both laptop and desktop. I have made sure that all computers have their node set to 'Hybrid'. Had to run a registry fix that I found in these forums on all computers to set this right.

    I'm able to "View workgroup computers" from desktop, but get the same 'Network path not found' error when I try to double-click on laptop from that screen.

    When I click on "View workgroup computers" from laptop there's a long pause, and then this error message is displayed:

    "Network 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"

    Sorry for the information overload, but I'm just trying to anticipate questions I've seen in other threads.

    Does anyone have any ideas what's going on here? I'm trying to avoid having to reinstall Windows on laptop, but I realize that I might have to bite the bullet on that one.

    Thanks in advance!
     
  2. pjknz

    pjknz Private E-2

    I've had a similar problem, but you can try the following...

    On each computer in the \windows\i386 directory will be a hosts file.

    This file is used for fixed IP address mapping, so if you have fixed IP address mapping set on your network, you can edit the hosts file on each PC / Laptop / Server to identify each network device. This way you can ping your machines by name.
    The hosts file would look something like this....

    192.168.0.100 Marvin #Janes Laptop
    192.168.0.101 Zaphod #Desktop backup machine
    192.168.0.102 Random #Mike's Laptop
    192.168.0.110 Mostly-Harmless #DMZ machine

    Remember each machine on your network needs the hosts file updated. So make one copy and put it on each machine.
    Also this relies on Fixed IP addresses being used, so you need to set your router to fixed IP's, it's also handy to put the router, DNS, and any other network device in the file, so you don't have to remember the actual IP's.
    Everything after a # is a comment so this helps you to identify machines.
    Hope it helps
     
  3. MadameButterfly

    MadameButterfly Private E-2

    Interesting suggestion - thanks. I'll look into that.

    I haven't had time to do anything about this for a while, but this weekend finally looks clear. I still have a nagging feeling I just have to do the reformat though...
     
  4. Poltergiest

    Poltergiest Private E-2

    if you get radmin it will help you find and name everything that,the client is hooked up to.
     
  5. LATSINT

    LATSINT Private E-2


    I seem to be having the identical Problem as the other user. I have 4 computers . SVRONE SVRTWO SVRTHREE all talk and share perfectly. even using a linksys 8 port switch with linksys router. SVRFOUR, can ping using specified IP #'s but not by name. Thing is it joins my workgroup with no errors. i used The default "workgroup" name even

    I tried the windows/i386, but I cant seem to find the i386 folder anywhere???? I ahve no idea. it isnt even on my other working machines. I tried in system and system32 and everything. but no i386 folder. I found one HOSTS file, but none of the computer names where on it. just gave this on all computers

    # For example:
    #
    #102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server
    #38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host

    127.0.0.1 localhost

    it was found in WINDOWS/SYSTEM32/DRIVERS/ECT

    I would save a new, but I dont know if this is the rite one and if it is even in the rite folder.....


    one -----> three ping by name and by IP

    SVRFour pings all IP's and uses VNC and Connects to FTP and such, but wont ping by NAME.

    Hopefully we can both figure out the same problem it looks like..

    im so close to re installing XP PRO
     
  6. highway11

    highway11 Private E-2

    I had the same problem and resolved it by adding a line to my hosts file, thanks!

    The file is called "hosts" and is located in c:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC by the way
     
  7. jconstan

    jconstan MajorGeek

    The reason so many folks have problems with this is because there are many options to NAME resolution on a network and they all need to match. There is Nebeui, Netbios, Netbios over TCP/IP and DNS.

    If you have more than one subnet (madambutterfly - I suspect you do because you have a wired and wireless network) you should probably go with the TCP/IP DNS type of network and have all of your machines configured with HOSTS files (c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts). It has to do with network "broadcasts" and network segments. The only downside to this method is that all of your machines will have to have static IP addresses.

    If you have one subnet then NETBIOS over TCP/IP would work ok and the addition of an LMHOSTS file would help out the name resolution. Effectively in a one subnet network as long as all of the machines network settings match you should be good to go.
     
  8. jconstan

    jconstan MajorGeek

    madambutterfly - I appologize, but my reference to your network in my previous post was INCORRECT. Just because you have a wired and wireless network is NO indication of multiple subnets. Sorry.
     
  9. eps492003

    eps492003 Private E-2

    Simple solution I found is to disable the network adapter (control panel - network connections - double click your local network connection - click disable) & then enable it again. what happens is that the computer will (hopefully if you didn't give it a static IP) pick up a new refreshed IP and that should solve you stalemate. it did for me, most of the times are simple and not complicated it's just a matter of not getting excited & not overlooking the basics.

    Thanks & I hope it works for you as well.
     
  10. cat5e

    cat5e MajorGeek

    The best thing is to Map Drive and folder and access them directly from any Explorer type application.
     
  11. maryam

    maryam Private E-2

    hi
    in may office have Lan and run Dhcp, Wins server and Dns
    i ping ip and Some client ping by coputer name som client not ping by computer name
    idont fix problem
    please help me
     
  12. dialtel

    dialtel Private E-2

    I know this is an old thread but I want to clarify some things about the posts people have made...

    If you are pinging by computer name because you are testing for connectivity issues to your network then what people are mentioning here will mislead you.

    For instance... I have a simple network and all computers share the same workgroup and have there own computer names..

    I reinstalled win8 like I do almost on a weekly basis because it sucks... Well my file sharing was not working and I tried everything... So I came to the point where I wanted to ping the server by workgroup name because I was able to ping it by IP Address...

    This was so I could see if it was resolving to the network since the IP did work... Well it was not...

    So if you go and edit your hosts file in my case then it is really stupid because yes the ping will then work because I am telling the hosts file to convert the workgroup name to the IP... However this is so stupid on so many levels...

    It does not solve my problem in any way since the workgroup is still inaccessible.. When I type my workgroup name to ping it I am in fact not pinging my workgroup name but I am pinging the IP address if I have resolved my workgroup name to the IP in the hosts file...

    So bottom line is that if you can ping by IP and not able to access a workgroup when you have all your settings properly input then settings the hosts file to resolve your workgroup name to the IP is simply dumb and will not do anything to fix the root problem.

    However if you want to be able to type in your workgroup name to access the IP for other reasons then it is perfectly fine. In my case I found the thread to be misleading....
     

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