Network path not found. Network places missing 2 computers

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by HCFarmer, Mar 12, 2009.

  1. HCFarmer

    HCFarmer Private E-2

    Recently, 2 of the 4 computers went missing from the Network places. I can run ipconfig, and they show all the correct info. I can ping the missing computers from the ones that still see each other and get no response from the missing ones. All packets lost. On the other hand, I can get on one of the missing computers and ping the ones still networked and get 4 for 4 back. I've checked the workgroup names, file sharing, and endless other things. Any ideas of where to look next???
     
  2. buggabear

    buggabear MajorGeek

    what OS you are using
     
  3. HCFarmer

    HCFarmer Private E-2

    Using Win XP sp3. I should have posted more information in the origoinal post, but I was dog tired after a full day of trying to sort the problem out. So here's a little more information. I Have 4 machines on a network continually, with a 5th ( a laptop) connected once in a while. They all are hardwired to a Linksys router. The router shows them to all have their origional IP addresses. One of the machines is used for storage of data, but is not a true server, just a machine with a RAID setup. So here's the way they are laid out

    XXX.XXX.X.100 Machine #1
    XXX.XXX.X.101 Machine #2 RAID
    XXX.XXX.X.102 Machine #3
    XXX.XXX.X.103 Temporary
    XXX.XXX.X.104 Machine#4

    The computers were working fine, then when I fired up Quick Books from #3, it popped up an error that it couldn't find the file on #2. Tried again from #1, and the same thing happened. Tried from #4 and it worked OK. Tried looking at network places from all, and #4 and #2 see each other and can share files etc. #1 and #3 don't show any network places except their local folder on Drive C. Both #1 and #3 can access the internet, and can ping #2 and #4, but not vice versa. I've checked computer names, work groups etc but I don't see anything fishy.

    The problem occurred shortly after someone had plugged a USB from a cell phone into both these machines. They tried to play WMV files directly from the phone on one of the machines, and when it didn't work, they switched to another machine, and it played the WMV files OK then. It was shortly after this that two computers used for this went missing from the network. I've run Virus, Malware, and other scans, and both are clean.
     
  4. HCFarmer

    HCFarmer Private E-2

    Using Win XP sp3. I should have posted more information in the origoinal post, but I was dog tired after a full day of trying to sort the problem out. So here's a little more information. I Have 4 machines on a network continually, with a 5th ( a laptop) connected once in a while. They all are hardwired to a Linksys router. The router shows them to all have their origional IP addresses. One of the machines is used for storage of data, but is not a true server, just a machine with a RAID setup. So here's the way they are laid out

    XXX.XXX.X.100 Machine #1
    XXX.XXX.X.101 Machine #2 RAID
    XXX.XXX.X.102 Machine #3
    XXX.XXX.X.103 Temporary
    XXX.XXX.X.104 Machine#4

    The computers were working fine, then when I fired up Quick Books from #3, it popped up an error that it couldn't find the file on #2. Tried again from #1, and the same thing happened. Tried from #4 and it worked OK. Tried looking at network places from all, and #4 and #2 see each other and can share files etc. #1 and #3 don't show any network places except their local folder on Drive C. Both #1 and #3 can access the internet, and can ping #2 and #4, but not vice versa. I've checked computer names, work groups etc but I don't see anything fishy.

    The problem occurred shortly after someone had plugged a USB from a cell phone into both these machines. They tried to play WMV files directly from the phone on one of the machines, and when it didn't work, they switched to another machine, and it played the WMV files OK then. It was shortly after this that two computers used for this went missing from the network. I've run Virus, Malware, and other scans, and both are clean.
     
  5. buggabear

    buggabear MajorGeek

    Try the easy first..
    you use system restore and go back a 2 weeks on all the computers. or at least a week before the error started
     
  6. collinsl

    collinsl MajorGeek

    Are the computers receiving their IP addresses from the router, or are they configured on each individual computer?
     
  7. HCFarmer

    HCFarmer Private E-2

    The router assigns the IP addresses. That was one of the first things I checked. I needed to make sure all the addresses listed by the router were correct. I checked the table in the router against what the machine showed using IPCONFIG.
     
  8. collinsl

    collinsl MajorGeek

    Can you use UNC on computer #1 to access computer #2?

    Just type \\xxx.xxx.x.101 into the address bar in windows explorer. (Not IE)
     
  9. HCFarmer

    HCFarmer Private E-2

    Just solved the problem. There was an extra workgroup created called Newgroup. How it got created is a mystery to me. I deleted it and now the network paths are found by the two missing machines, and all the other machines can see them again.
     

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