Win 2k Pro can't see Win XP Home

I set up a wireless network at home. The wireless router is attached to my
Win XP Home machine and I have a Win 2k Pro machine with a wireless adapter.
I have a printer on the XP machine that I want to use from the Win 2k
machine.

- The Win 2k machine can see the router just fine.

- The Win 2k can access the internet via broadband on the Win XP just fine.
So the wireless adapter works.

- both machines have the same workgroup name.

- sometimes the Win 2k can see the Win XP. Then I reboot the Win 2k, and it
does not see it anymore. I never know what will happen when I reboot the Win
2k. I go to Entire Network->Microsoft Windows Network->Workgroup Name and
click on the workgroup name. Sometimes the Win XP computer name is there,
sometime not.

- When the Win XP computer name is there and I go to add a printer, the Win
2k can never see the shared printer on the Win XP. Yes, the printer is
shared.


This is driving me bonkers!!!! Any help would be appreciated.

=?Utf-8?B?SmltIEM=?=

On Tue, 15 Mar 2005 06:59:04 -0800, "Jim C" <Jim >
wrote:

>I set up a wireless network at home. The wireless router is attached to my
>Win XP Home machine and I have a Win 2k Pro machine with a wireless adapter.
>I have a printer on the XP machine that I want to use from the Win 2k
>machine.
>
>- The Win 2k machine can see the router just fine.
>
>- The Win 2k can access the internet via broadband on the Win XP just fine.
>So the wireless adapter works.
>
>- both machines have the same workgroup name.
>
>- sometimes the Win 2k can see the Win XP. Then I reboot the Win 2k, and it
>does not see it anymore. I never know what will happen when I reboot the Win
>2k. I go to Entire Network->Microsoft Windows Network->Workgroup Name and
>click on the workgroup name. Sometimes the Win XP computer name is there,
>sometime not.
>
>- When the Win XP computer name is there and I go to add a printer, the Win
>2k can never see the shared printer on the Win XP. Yes, the printer is
>shared.
>
>
>This is driving me bonkers!!!! Any help would be appreciated.

Jim,

Check for a browser conflict between the 2 computers. I"m not talking about
Internet Explorer here. The browser is the program that allows any computer to
see any other computer on the LAN. On a 2 computer LAN, you should have the
browser running on only 1 computer.

Make sure the browser service is running on one of the computers. Control Panel
- Administrative Tools - Services. Verify that the Computer Browser, and the
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper, services both show with Status = Started. Disable the
browser service (only the browser service) on the other computer.

After checking / disabling / enabling as above, power both computers off to
reset the browser settings on each. Once both computers have been powered off,
power them back on.

The Microsoft Browstat program will show us what browsers (I'm not talking about
Internet Explorer here) you have in your domain / workgroup, at any time.
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=188305

You can download Browstat from either:
<http://www.dynawell.com/reskit/microsoft/win2000/browstat.zip>
<http://rescomp.stanford.edu/staff/manual/rcc/tools/browstat.zip>

Browstat is very small (40K), and needs no install. Just unzip the downloaded
file, copy browstat.exe to any folder in the Path, and run it from a command
window, by "browstat status". Make sure all computers list the same master
browser.
For more information about the browser subsystem (very intricate), see:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=188001
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=188305
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=231312
<http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winntas/deploy/prodspecs/ntbrowse.mspx>
<http://www.microsoft.com/technet/archive/win95/w95brows.mspx>

--
Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck sonic net.

Chuck