Home Network Problems

[MEAN DEAN]

Ok, I will try to explain this as best I can. I have a home network set up using the four computers listed below:

1. Dell GX100 - Windows XP (livingroomdell) cable wired to wireless router
2. HP A340N – Windows XP (livingroomhp) cable wired to wireless router
3. Compact Presario SR1710NX – Windows XP (bethscompactpc) wireless USB
4. Gateway GT5438 – Vista Home Premium (mainbedroompc) wireless USB

At the present time the network consists of and allows the following:

1. Gateway PC lists all four PC's on the home network
2. Gateway PC has access to all PC'S except Dell GX100
3. HP A340N has access to Compact SR1710NX (only lists Compact)
4. Compact SR1710NX has access to HP A340N (only lists HP)
5. DELL GX100 has access to all PC's except Gateway
6. Linksys cable modem
7. Linksys wireless router WRT54G
8. Linksys wireless USB adapters

Thus none of the home networked PC's have access to the Gateway running Vista, and none of the home networked PC'S have access to the Dell. I get a DNS error when I try to access the Dell from the Gateway, and when I try to access the Gateway from any of the other PC'S I get a administrator privilege error denying access to the Gateway. The HP and the Dell show up on the home network WHEN viewed from the Gateway as being tried to the switch and the Compact and the Gateway show up as being tried to the wireless router, but I have the two wired units plugged into the wireless router. The main problem that I would like to fix is the DELL PC not being able to be accessed by any of the other PC'S, and I think this is being caused by the name of the computer, not the name of the work group. When I loaded a new OS on the Dell I named the system something different than the rest of the computers and I do not know how to change the name the OS is registered to on the Dell PC.

WHERE SHOULD I START?

Thank you,

MD

[ecross]

Hello Mean Dean,

First if you haven't already, I suggest you walk though the steps in this TechNet article for file and printer sharing with Vista.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727037.aspx

In Network and Sharing Center in Control Panel, what are your options set to? Make sure it is configured like this:

- Network discovery: on
- File sharing: on
- Password protected sharing: on

If you have any other security software installed on either machine such as Windows Live OneCare, ZoneAlarm, or Norton Firewall, make sure they are not "protecting" you by blocking file sharing.

If password protection sharing is enabled, you will need to assign your user account and password on multiple computers for it to work properly. If password protection sharing is disabled, this is equivalent to simple file sharing in Windows XP which uses the Guest or Everyone to authenticate for network access. If you are using XP Home, it always uses simple file sharing.

How to troubleshoot home networking in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308007