Vista and XP suddenly stopped being friends.

Network Specs:
Desktop Computer
- Windows XP Home- Service Pack 3
- Network Via CAT5e to Netgear Router
- Workgroup the same as below
- Accessing Internet

Laptop
- WinVista32 Home Premium - Service Pack 1
- Network via Wireless 802.11B to Netgear Router
- Workgroup the same as above
- Accessing Internet

Router
Netgear MR814 v2 - All Firmware updates applied
http://kb.netgear.com/app/products/model/a_id/2503

Modem Connection Specs
DSL Modem connected to Wireless Netgear Router.


Issue
This issue popped up months ago. It just wasn't very important but I now want to get it fixed.

I used to be able to print from my laptop, to the printer which was connected to the desktop via USB. So I had to have the desktop on in order to print. No big deal.

One day I went to print and noticed it wasn't printing. I then tried to view the desktop computer and I couldn't find it on the network, which means I couldn't manually find the printer.

BUT, I CAN see the laptop AND the desktop FROM the desktop computer. I just can't access the laptop and I get an error message saying "the network resource is not available".

I have been doing some work but still nothing.

* Nothing good means I can not see the XP machine at all. It used too..

Had Microsoft Support play with my computer for 5 hours to install SP1. Nothing Good

I changed the work groups to something else. Nothing Good

I plugged in the laptop via LAN not Wireless. Nothing Good

Changed network to Public, like it was before. Nothing Good

Changed network to private, again. Nothing Good

Disabled Vista and XP Firewall. Nothing Good

Made each computer on its own workgroup. Nothing Good

The only thing that happends, semi good, is I can "see" the laptop on my XP machine IF its on the same work group. I can not access it at all. It will give me a message saying the network resource is not available. If the laptop is on a different workgroup, the XP machine will see the "other workgroup" but I can not open the work group to see the laptop.

Very weird. I am guessing the problem lies within the laptop? But I dunno.

Suggestions?

 

Already Did, Nothing good.

It is. I even turned everything off, and back on again while I had both computer connected to the router via CAT5e.

Both IPs are visable on the router. That was one of the first things I checked. I guess I forgot to add more to the "I did this" list then I thought.

YES. I can ping the desktop from the laptop and visa versa without timeouts

 

Have both computers logged in and connected to the network.

Open My Computer on either machine and type double backslash (\\) and the name of the computer that you are not on.

If you can access the computer that way, then this is probably just a network problem.

If if doesn't work, then substitute the computer name for the IP address.

 

Yes.

YES! That works.

I had to use the IP address. I tried this on both computers and it works on both.

What does this mean?

 

I am also now able to print if I "connect" to the printer through the IP only and not the computer's network name.

I still want to get the computers to see each other. So please don't stop :major

It seems I am able share resources. But can't see each other's comp names yet.

 

Welp, it seems, possibly since I "connected" to the printer on the desktop from the laptop, the laptop can see the desktop computer and visa versa but both computers give me an error when I try to open up the other computer saying, "the network path was not found".

When I allow vista to diagnose the problem it comes back saying, "Windows sent the request to the DNS server and the server responded that the name was unknown".

If I connect to the laptop through the IP and not the Comp's Network Name, I can view all folders except for the "main" which is the HDD. I try to map the network drive using the user name and password I log on with on the laptop but then it says something like, "there is already a map to this resource using that user name, two maps can't be used with the same user name". Or something along those lines....

BUT, I can connect to the desktops HDD with no problems without entering a user name / password. There is just some folders within the HDD that I can't gain access too.