Networking problem, notebook can't see desktop's shared folders

If anyone can give me some advise as to what might be causing this problem I'd be very thankful. I've read the wireless networking guides posted in the forums and havn't found any helpfull info there.

The Desktop: runs XP home and it can see the shared folders on the notebook computer just fine.

The Notebook: runs XP pro , but it can't see the shared folders on the desktop at all. It can ping the desktop though so there is some communcation between the two. File sharing is turned on.

The fire wall. Trend Mircro Internet Security 2004 is used on both the desktop and the notebook. Since the notebook can ping the desktop am I correct in assuming the notebook's firewall settings are correct?

The router: D-Link DI-524.

 

First of all, thanks for the rhude comment, i dont even think you read it all. I work so hard and thats a thanks i get?

Too help you i guess, try disabling all your firewalls, then try creating a network by doing the windows network setup. Make sure all your computers are in the same work group too.

 

hehe,
I'll give the networking guide another go. Its a good guide, I just can't figure out what's up with this thing.

 

Ok, thank you for your kindness, yes, try doing things what the guide says and it should solve your problem. If not, just ask in this thread.

 

G,

Does your XP Home computer have a password? Does your XP Pro computer have a password?

I'm guessing the XP Pro account has a password while the XP Home account doesn't. This will cause problems as accessing network shares requires your account to have a password, or your Guest account enabled without a password. Plus some other modifications need to be done in your Group Policies.

Try enabling a password and see if it helps.

-Vb-

 

I've discovered what the problem is and got it working. I have Trendmircro Internet Security 2005 (not 2004 like I originally said) on both my desktop and the notebook. I always thought the problem must be something with the Trend Micro firewall settings on the notebook, because the desktop could see shared files on the notebook but the notebook couldn't see the shared files on the desktop. Every time I looked at the firewall settings on the notebook they looked the same as the desktop's firewall settings, except that that the notebook settings we set to allow network trafic to and from the desktop IP address while the desktop firewal was set to allow network trafic to and from the notebook IP address.

Then I noticed that the TrendMicro firewall has four different firewall profiles (direcect connection, home network, office network, wireless connection), my desktop was set to home network profile but my notebook was set to wireless connection profile. As soon as I changed my notebook to homenetwork profile my file sharing between the two computer started working.

As far as I know the only difference between the profiles is they have different firewall exceptions saved to each one. Someone who knows what their doing with firewalls probably could of put the right settings in the wireless profile to get it to work but not me.

Note: this particular problem wasn't mentioned in the wireless networking guide, but its still a nice little guide.

 

Thanks for the compliment, ill add something like that real soon, but the issue with that is that there are different firewalss and each is different in some what of way.

 

Nick, I'm not saying that firewall setup for all the different firewall programs should be a part of your wireless guide. But it you were to do something like that you could focus on the major firewall programs like trendmicro and ZoneAlarm. I don't know how easy or hard zonealarms is though, i've never used it.

It would also be good if the companies that made these programs gave more comprehensive explanations and guides for those mid level users that are trying to set up a firewall for the first time. Trendmicro offers no info on setting up a firewall. When my license runs out I think I'll switch to a zone alarm security suite, I read that zonealarm 2006 is supposed to be alot more user friendly that the 2005 in terms of not as many security window popups.

 

G-
You make a good point and i should have that in my guide. There are a lot of top programs too but i can see what i can do.