Windows 98 Network - How Do I . . . ?

[Case]

I have a network of 4 computers using WinXP. Works great. I recently set up a Windows 98 partition on one computer, and used the XP CD to "set up a home network" on the 98 computer. So I get the network, I am logged in, but the only computer I can see on the "entire network" is the 98 computer I am on. I can't access the other computers on the network. What am I doing wrong?

[prod]

hehe, another "trouble networking 98 with xp" thread :sarcastic
Lets see if I can find the old ones...

[prod]

My own troubles here:
http://www.bitbenderforums.com/vb22/showthread.php?s=&threadid=31634&highlight=network+win98

http://www.bitbenderforums.com/vb22/showthread.php?s=&threadid=46109

[Orange Peel]

I've has this problem before. In my case it was the internal XP firewall not allowing a none XP system to connect. I've also seen problems with Zone Alarm too.

If you have a firewall try disabling it. Other than that you could try and set up a user profile on the XP systems, so when you try to log onto the XP systems it trys to ask for authintication. It may help jog the LAN into action. :)

[Case]

Originally posted by The Slayer
In my case it was the internal XP firewall not allowing a none XP system to connect. . . . If you have a firewall try disabling it

I don't have firewalls enabled on my computers. The 4 systems I have run through a switch and connect to the internet through a fifth computer – a Linux box running Smoothwall. That is my firewall . . .


Other than that you could try and set up a user profile on the XP systems, so when you try to log onto the XP systems it tries to ask for authentication. It may help jog the LAN into action. :)

Mmmmn . . . I have user profiles set up on the XP systems – what do you mean about the authentication?

Prod – I had trouble searching for this problem, since when you put “Windows 98” in the search field, it kicks it back as the 98 being too short a word to use. Tried it with wildcards, that didn’t work either, so that’s why I started a new thread (not that there are that many threads in the Networking section anyway! :lol: )

Anyway, thanks for the links - I'll check them out . . .

[Grogan]

Do you have at least one share on each the XP computers? You'll need to do that, before you'll see them in browse lists.

Now, with respect to authentication, XP uses user level security. So you either have to enable the guest account, or have user accounts the same name (and same password helps) as the Microsoft Networking logon on the Win9x computer (yes, you must log onto Microsoft Networking... Windows Logon or "cancel" will not do). You haven't gotten that far yet to authenticate, though.

[Case]

Originally posted by Grogan
Do you have at least one share on each the XP computers? You'll need to do that, before you'll see them in browse lists.

I have file and printer sharing enabled on the 98 machine, and I have shared folders enabled on all the XP machines, and printer and fax sharing on the one that has the printer and fax.


Now, with respect to authentication, XP uses user level security. So you either have to enable the guest account, or have user accounts the same name (and same password helps) as the Microsoft Networking logon on the Win9x computer (yes, you must log onto Microsoft Networking... Windows Logon or "cancel" will not do). You haven't gotten that far yet to authenticate, though.

Well, I do have a logon on the 98 computer, and it is the same as my logon (user account) on my XP machine, except that I don't use a password on my XP machine . . . both named 'Case'.


EDIT - it IS Win98se BTW, and the NIC's are Linksys 10/100's. When I boot to the XP partition on FRED (the problem machine), it works just fine. What I am trying to set this up for is that I just got a new Lite-on 48/24/48 burner, am going to install it on my computer to replace my Toshiba CD-R drive, and I want to be able to access the CD image files on my wife's computer from mine, using Windows98 (which is where I burn all my backup copies of games and programs).

[Case]

GOT IT!!!

WOW! This is great! I followed Prod’s link http://www.bitbenderforums.com/vb22/showthread.php?s=&threadid=31634&highlight=network+win98 and it has a lot of great links on it. 0-60 posted a link in that thread to http://www.helmig.com/ which is down due to bandwidth constraints, but is mirrored at http://www.wown.info/ . I linked from there to http://www.wown.com/j_helmig/win98.htm which states

While Windows95 installs by default the protocols NetBEUI and IPX/SPX (which allows an inexperienced user to get a network working, as long as the workgroup name is identical and something is shared, see :Which protocol to use ?), Windows98 is installing by default ONLY TCP/IP protocol (configured for DHCP-usage, which will NOT work on simple PC-to-PC networks, because both Windows95 and Windows98 and even WindowsNT4 Workstation CANNOT act as a DHCP server)

Anyway, I installed IPX/SPX protocol, no effect. But when I installed NetBEUI, and rebooted, now I see my entire network. Thanks for all the help! You guys are Great!:thumbsup:

[TJM4FUN]

here we go again!
Ok, let's review the basics for file sharing:
1. All systems should be on the same workgroup/domain
2. win98 needs to have client for microsoft networks selected.
3. you must logon to w98 with a user and pw. (if you previously hit enter with a blank password, you should change this. goto the windows directory and erase the case.pwl file and reboot ,
enter case for both fields. Get tweakui and in the network tab set it to auto logon with the above use and pw).
4. On the XP machine, verify the drive/folder you are sharing with a right click and sharing tab.
5. on xp, contol panel, administrative tools, computer management, users and groups, verify the guest account is still there.

If all this is ok, try to ping the xp machine from w98 and vice versa.... if they ping each other it is a network sharing problem.
If they cannot ping, then there is a connectivity issue here.

Also, make sure the win98 machine ONLY has the PResent Nic you are using showing in network neighborhood properties, if ther are some other, older nics, your best bet is to delete ALL the nics and let w98 rediscover them on the next boot.

[Case]

tjm - we must have crossed posts. Anyway,


1. All systems should be on the same workgroup/domain

This was done


2. win98 needs to have client for microsoft networks selected.

That was installed


3. you must logon to w98 with a user and pw. (if you previously hit enter with a blank password, you should change this. goto the windows directory and erase the case.pwl file and reboot ,
enter case for both fields. Get tweakui and in the network tab set it to auto logon with the above use and pw).

That was done


4. On the XP machine, verify the drive/folder you are sharing with a right click and sharing tab.

Done also


5. on xp, contol panel, administrative tools, computer management, users and groups, verify the guest account is still there.

That was done


If all this is ok, try to ping the xp machine from w98 and vice versa.... if they ping each other it is a network sharing problem.
If they cannot ping, then there is a connectivity issue here.

It worked when I booted to the XP partition, so that was done


Also, make sure the win98 machine ONLY has the Present Nic you are using showing in network neighborhood properties, if ther are some other, older nics, your best bet is to delete ALL the nics and let w98 rediscover them on the next boot.

Only had the one NIC. It seems that you need to install NetBEUI, and maybe also IPX/SPX for it to work . . .

Nice checklist though - Thanks for the reply:)

[TJM4FUN]

While Ive seen/heard this before, you do not need netbeui or ipx to make network sharing work!!!
I have this xp pro machine, a w98 tower, and 3 w98 laptops all on this network all sharing files and netbeui and ipx are not installed on any of the machines.

Well since you went thru that basic list, seems we need to look else where.
You said you used the network cd to setup the win98 machine:
I have never used this. Not sure what it does so I have to be suspicious here....
I am guessing that this is a fairly fresh w98 install, and that all the xp machines can see each other.
One other thing to check on the xp machine is:

the thing I found but now can't find again, it is a properties box that says allow simple network sharing...... I just can;t find it, but I know it's in here somewhere.

But if adding the protocols makes it work for you, then so be it....

[TJM4FUN]

Duh... found it:

Double-click My Computer
click Folder Options.
View tab, scroll down a ways then click to select the Use Simple File Sharing (Recommended) check box to enable Simple File Sharing

[Grogan]

Important to note, that the "use simple sharing" checkbox is only present in XP Professional. The Home Edition only uses "Simple Sharing" and for that, it must die. (still works though, just that the filesharing and permissions interfaces are dumbed down)

As for the Netbeui issue, it's not that Netbeui is needed, just that there's been a problem with Win9x computers in that sometimes the netbios over tcp/ip doesn't work correctly and installing Netbeui on all computers is a workaround for the problem. It could be a binding order issue... perhaps removing the instance of Netbeui bound to the adapter on the Win9x computer would correct it. For reliable networking, it's best to just use one protocol.

One thing that I've seen cause this is, if the bindings have ever been screwed with (ala Steve Gibson) but that's not exactly normal to do that.

[Orange Peel]

Case - Glad you got it sorted out :)