Creating a basic server-based network.

[Computer Head]

Well if both computers are in the same workgroup, they both should appear in "Computers Near Me". If not, go to "Entire Network", go to "Microsoft Windows Network" and it should list the workgroups that are detected among the network (either one with both computers or two with one computer in each). I recommend having them both in the same workgroup as it makes things a lot easier. Plus you don't really need separate workgroups with a network with 2 hosts.

 

[Novice2000]

Alright, I gave them both the same workgroup name, but they don't see each other. They did for a little while but now they don't, and when they did see each other, I couldn't access the other. Let me tell you what happened.

First, I gave them both the workgroup name "HOME". The computer with 2000 server was able to see the other computer in "Computers Near Me", but when I would double-click on the icon to access its resources, I got a window asking for the network password.

As far as the other computer, the one with 2000 Professional, I couldn't even open "Computers Near Me". Every time I tried to open "Computers Near Me", I kept getting a message which said the following:

WORKGROUP IS NOT ACCESIBLE

THE LIST OF SERVERS FOR THIS WORKGROUP IS NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE

I kept rebooting the computers to see if that would help, but it didn't. Then I changed the workgroup name for both of them to "WORKGROUP". Now they won't see each other at all. They only see themselves in "Computers Near Me". I double checked to make sure that the workgroup names are spelled correctly, they are. I kept rebooting both of them. I even completely shut both of them down and even uplugged the switch and waited a while. Then I plugged in the switch and restarted the computers. They still won't see each other. They only see themselves. What's happening?

 

[Computer Head]

Are you using the same user accounts on both computers? (i.e. same username and password) A lot of times if you have different accounts on each computer, even the matter of just a different password, that could cause a lot of problems. I suggest creating a user account on the Win2k server computer that matches the user name and password of the account on the win2k pro workstation. However, keep in mind that if you keep the default "Users" group on the account, it will NOT be able to log in locally to the server. You have to add the appropriate permission. However, with my servers, if I ever need to log into the server locally or through Terminal Services, I just use the Administrator account.

Also, do me a favor and go to a command prompt on each computer and type in "ipconfig /all" (without the quotes) and tell me what your IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway. On the network, do you have either a router or DHCP server assigning IP addresses, or are you possibly using static IP addresses? This would be good to know.

Hope that helps. Let me know what you find.

 

[Novice2000]

Are you using the same user accounts on both computers? (i.e. same username and password) A lot of times if you have different accounts on each computer, even the matter of just a different password, that could cause a lot of problems. I suggest creating a user account on the Win2k server computer that matches the user name and password of the account on the win2k pro workstation. However, keep in mind that if you keep the default "Users" group on the account, it will NOT be able to log in locally to the server. You have to add the appropriate permission. However, with my servers, if I ever need to log into the server locally or through Terminal Services, I just use the Administrator account.

Also, do me a favor and go to a command prompt on each computer and type in "ipconfig /all" (without the quotes) and tell me what your IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway. On the network, do you have either a router or DHCP server assigning IP addresses, or are you possibly using static IP addresses? This would be good to know.

Hope that helps. Let me know what you find.

I don't have a user a account on the 2000 Professional (client) computer. I just turn it on and I'm good to go. I have to log on though to the 2000 server (server) computer. But how could having the same user accounts have anything to do with anything? In a real networking environment, the people on the workstations/clients have different user accounts than the administrator who logs onto the server.

As far as the IP address stuff, I'm not connected to the internet. I have both computers only connected to each other with a Intellinet 5 port 10/100 soho switch. As far as your last question, no dhcp server, no router. I looked at the TCP/IP Properties and the 2000 server (server) computer is using static addresses, but the 2000 professional (workstation/client) computer is not, it is using dynamic addresses. Here's the info on the ipconfig /all stuff:

2000 professional computer (workstation/client)
IP address: 10.0.0.3
Subnet Mask: 255.0.0.0
Default Gateway: Nothing
DHCP server: 10.10.1.1
DNS servers: 10.10.1.1
(A couple lines above the IP address, for DHCP Enabled, it says Yes)

2000 server computer (server)
IP address: 10.10.1.1
Subnet Mask: 255.0.0.0
Default Gateway: Nothing
DNS servers: 127.0.0.1
(A couple lines above the IP address, for DHCP Enabled, it says No)

 

[Computer Head]

Most likely your problem resides that the subnet is different on the two computers. I'd imagine if you set a static IP on the workstation for 10.10.1.2, a subnet of 255.0.0.0, and DNS server to 10.10.1.1. Try that and see if it helps.

 

[Novice2000]

Most likely your problem resides that the subnet is different on the two computers. I'd imagine if you set a static IP on the workstation for 10.10.1.2, a subnet of 255.0.0.0, and DNS server to 10.10.1.1. Try that and see if it helps.

Actually, the subnet mask is the same on both computers. Are you talking about the DNS server addresses being different?

 

[Computer Head]

Actually, the subnet mask is the same on both computers. Are you talking about the DNS server addresses being different?

No, not the subnet mask, the subnet of the actual IP address. Well, that's kind of a term that is confusing. The first two octets of the address are different. One's 10.0 and the other's 10.10. I believe that is where your problem is. Actually from looking back on your IPCONFIG, it would be better to change the IP address to something like 10.0.0.1 (static) so it goes with the DHCP that the server is putting out.

 

[Novice2000]

No, not the subnet mask, the subnet of the actual IP address. Well, that's kind of a term that is confusing. The first two octets of the address are different. One's 10.0 and the other's 10.10. I believe that is where your problem is. Actually from looking back on your IPCONFIG, it would be better to change the IP address to something like 10.0.0.1 (static) so it goes with the DHCP that the server is putting out.

Oh, alright. As far as the server putting out DHCP, it says in the ipconfig stuff that DHCP is disabled on the server. The server is the one which has a static ip address of 10.10.1.1. The workstation is the one that has DHCP enabled, with a dynamic address of 10.0.0.3. Which computer do you want me to give a static address of 10.0.0.1 to? The server or the workstation?

 

[Computer Head]

Oh, alright. As far as the server putting out DHCP, it says in the ipconfig stuff that DHCP is disabled on the server. The server is the one which has a static ip address of 10.10.1.1. The workstation is the one that has DHCP enabled, with a dynamic address of 10.0.0.3. Which computer do you want me to give a static address of 10.0.0.1 to? The server or the workstation?

Set the server IP to 10.0.0.1. It will have that same portion of the IP address. Also if you look back to the client's IPCONFIG, you will see that the DHCP and DNS servers on that listing point back to the server. That could cause a problem if your IP addresses are in separate ranges. Try that and tell me if it helps.

(((Remember to make sure that both workstations are in the same workgroup. I know you already checked but just double-check to be sure. )))

 

[Novice2000]

Set the server IP to 10.0.0.1. It will have that same portion of the IP address. Also if you look back to the client's IPCONFIG, you will see that the DHCP and DNS servers on that listing point back to the server. That could cause a problem if your IP addresses are in separate ranges. Try that and tell me if it helps.

(((Remember to make sure that both workstations are in the same workgroup. I know you already checked but just double-check to be sure. )))

Please excuse my ignorance, I'm new to this networking stuff, but can we recap on all of this, because I'm a little confused. First let me start by reposting the ipconfig /all results below as a reference point:

2000 professional computer (workstation/client)
IP address: 10.0.0.3
Subnet Mask: 255.0.0.0
Default Gateway: Nothing
DHCP server: 10.10.1.1
DNS servers: 10.10.1.1
(A couple lines above the IP address, for DHCP Enabled, it says Yes)

2000 server computer (server)
IP address: 10.10.1.1
Subnet Mask: 255.0.0.0
Default Gateway: Nothing
DNS servers: 127.0.0.1
(A couple lines above the IP address, for DHCP Enabled, it says No)

Ok, now....this is what you wanted me to do first, which by the way, I haven't done yet:

Most likely your problem resides that the subnet is different on the two computers. I'd imagine if you set a static IP on the workstation for 10.10.1.2, a subnet of 255.0.0.0, and DNS server to 10.10.1.1. Try that and see if it helps.

Now from the above post of yours, you wanted me to give my workstation a static address of 10.10.1.2. This makes sense to me. It is one number off from the server's static ip address of 10.10.1.1. Next you wanted me to give it a subnet of 255.0.0.0. This is the same as it is now and also the same as the server. There would be no change there. Next you wanted me to give the DNS server an address of 10.10.1.1. It already has that same address currently. The server is the one which has a different DNS address of 127.0.0.1. So really, from that post above, the only thing that would change is the ip address.

Ok, now in your last post here............

Set the server IP to 10.0.0.1.

In this post of yours above, your last post, you want me to change the server ip address to 10.0.0.1.

After reviewing all of this information in this post, tell me exactly what you want me to do and I'll do it.

P.S. After you mentioned it, I did notice that the dhcp and dns servers on the workstation point back to the server. I was wondering why the server has the same ip address as the workstation's dhcp and dns servers.