Network Troubleshooting and Check Lists                                            Help Us

Network Lab Analysis

Network Troubleshooting and Check Lists

If one network computer has difficulty communicating with other computers that are running Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows 95, or Microsoft Windows 98 in a peer-to-peer workgroup, make sure that you have setup the common workgroup, protocol, enabled the file and printer sharing, and setup necessary permission for the user accessing.

If you have the above mentioned setup correctly, and even used the same ID and password of the accessed computer to logon, and you were still unable to access the win2000/XP computer, try to enable the guest account in the win2000/XP (enable guest account is risky). The following are some of the symptoms and resolutions or check lists.

Error: Unable to Browse Network

Error: computername is not accessible. No permission to access the resources

Error: The password is incorrect. Try again

Can't see one of the shared folders

"You must provide a password to make this connection." and "Resource: \\<computername>\ipc$"

Error: Not accessible. You may not have permission to use this network resource

Win9x can't see Win2000/XP

Can't ping or net view computername - error 53

Can't net view computer - error 5

Why can't I see a computer even I can ping it

 

 

Error: Unable to Browse Network

Symptom: When you attempt to browse your network by opening Entire Network in My Network Places/Network Neighborhood, you may receive the following error message: Unable to Browse Network. Check Lists: 1) have you loaded the NIC or is it working? 2) have you loaded common protocol, TCP/IP? 3) does the browser work? 4) have you enable file and printer sharing in the accessed computer?

Error: \\computername is not accessible. No permission to access the resources

If  both win2000/XP and win9x can see the workgroup but only win2000/XP can access a win 2000/XP computer, and win9x gets the above error, check the group name. If they are the same name, check these:  1) are you sure the logon user has permission to the shared folder? 2) have you tried to logon using the same user name and password of the accessed win2k/XP computer? 3)  the last and risky one, if you enable guest account in the accessed win2000/XP computer, can you access now?

Error: The password is incorrect. Try again

Symptom: While trying to access a win2000/XP computer and type administrator password on Enter Network Password screen in the same peer-to-peer workgroup, you may get Error: The password is incorrect. Try again. Resolution: 1) You need to setup every user that needs access to the shared folder on every computer they have to connect to. Then give the proper user proper permission to the shared folder. 2) logon the same user and password. 3) as always,  you can try to enable a guest account on the accessed machine.

Can't see one of the shared folders

Symptom: your peer network with one Win 98SE and some Win 2000 Pro systems on the LAN operates fines except the W98SE machine
sees one W2kPro machine but not one of it's shared folders. Other W2kPro machines can sees the folder. You have set necessary permissions, users, passwords. Resolution: make sure the  folder's name  is shorter then 12 characters.

"You must provide a password to make this connection." and "Resource: \\<computername>\ipc$"

Whenever you  receive "Enter network password. You must provide a password to make this connection." and "Resource: \\<computername>\ipc$", it is permission and workgroup issues. This behavior can occur for any of the following reasons: 1) The Windows 9x computer is not a client of a domain environment but the Log On To Windows Domain option is enabled. 2) The user name and password you are using to log in to the Windows 9x are not contained in the local user accounts database of the Windows NT/2000/XP computer you are attempting to browse. 3) The Windows 9x host is configured with user-level authentication to a domain.

To resolve this issue, use the appropriate method: 1) Disable the Log On To Windows Domain Option. 2) Log on to the Windows 9x with the local user accounts database of the Windows NT/2000/XPcomputer you are attempting to browse. 3) Disable User-level Authentication on the Windows 9x.

Win9x can't see Win2000/XP

By default, Win2000/XP disables NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) for selected clients. In a peer-to-peer network without WINS, Win9x  will be unable to browse, locate, or create file and print share connections to a Windows 2000 computer with NetBIOS disabled. So, you must setup the Win2000/XP to uses NetBIOS over TCP/IP to communicate with prior versions of Windows NT and other clients, such as Microsoft Windows 95. Alternatively, you may want to add NetBEUI on all workstations in the peer-to-peer network.

Error: Not accessible. You may not have permission to use this network resource

Symptom: Your WinXP,  in a peer-to-peer network,  may receive the following error when you double-click My Network Places/Computers Near Me: <Workgroup Name> is not accessible. You may not have permission to use this network resource. Resolution: 1) Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP on one or more computers in the workgroup. To do that, go to properties of Local Area Connection>properties of Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)>General> Advanced>WINS, check Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP (If you have a DHCP-assigned IP address, select Use NetBIOS setting from the DHCP server ). 2) Make sure the Computer Browser service is started.

Can't ping or net view computername - error 53

Symptom: if you can ping IP but not computername, or if you can net view \\IP but not \\computername (error 53). You have name resolution problem. Resolutions: 1) if it is domain environment, check your WINS. 2) if it is peer-to-peer workgroup, enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP, or add NetBEUI on all your workstations.

Can't net view computer - error 5

If you can see the win2000/XP computer but using net view \\computername, you get "Error 5. Access is denied", this is a permission issue. Make sue all computers are in the same group or logon the same username.

I can't see a computer even I can ping it

Sometimes, you may be able to ping or net view \\computer, but can't see it in My Network Places. If this is a case, you may want to check the workgroup or domain, make sure they are in the same group or domain. In the most cases, you may be able to use the computer resources if it enable file and printer sharing and logon the same logon.

Network Lab Analysis

Environment: there are four computers in the lab. Computer A is Win2000 in an domain named ntdomain/ntdomain.com, and local and domain logon name is lab and the password test; B is WinXP in a workgroup named groupB, logon name is lab with the same password, test; C is also WinXP in a workgroup named groupC, logon name is lab that logs on automatically without the password; D is Win98 in the same domain, ntdomain/ntdomain.com, logon domain account is lab with the same password.

All four machines are in the same subnet and can ping each other. All computers are setup file and printer sharing. A and B's  guest accounts are disabled; C' guest account is enabled.

Results and Analysis:

If you disable the C guest account, a logon screen will show with \\C\guest logon when clicking the \\C from B (WinXP) (Enter Network Password screen wil show when clicking the \\C from A, Win2000). No matter what logon account and password (even administrator) you will use, you cannot get into it.

Note: by default, WinXP guest account is disabled. After you share a folder or drive, guest account enable automatically.

In conclusion, If all networking computers are in the same workgroup or domain, protocol, enable file and printer sharing, and logon use the same username and password, they should be able to access each other. If they are in the different workgroups or domain, you MAY need to enable a guest account on the accessed computers for other machines to see them.

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