Laptop OS: XP Home Edition
PC OS: XP Professional Edition

Laptop NIC: (Intergrated) Realtek RTL8139/810x Fast Ethernet NIC

PC NIC: (2 Intergrated Network ports in my motherboard, i use the 3Com 3C920B-EMB Intergrated Fast Ethernet Controller

Both PC are connected via Ethernet Cables to a Netgear DG814 router, which has access to broadband internet.


Problem: Both the Laptop and PC can access the internet without having to configure either the router or PC. I just plug in the cable and it works. Problem occurs when trying to get the Laptop and PC to communicate. The PC has a connected Scanner and Printer, and i would like to share those devices, and files with the laptop. The PCs cannot see each other, so in XP i run the "Network Setup Wizard". The PCs then can see each other (in Network Places or Network Neighbourhood). However they cannot communicate, for example, if one PC is switched off and then back on, they cannot see each other. Once the network wizard has been run, if i double click on the other computer, it says network path not found, i cannot share files (even though i have enabled it on certain folders) or printers. In other words they PC's can see each other when i run the wizard, but cannot communicate, share files or printers. When the PC is shut down and started up again, they cannot see each other either.
Help much appreicated.
Sam

are both machines on the same workgroup??

You should set up your router to run as a DHCP server so it will respond to any pc with DHCP Client enabled. (Enable this in your network setup with NOTHING ELSE set up. ie: don't set up DNS/IP addresses or anything. If you use DHCP, your Router will send your PC's the IP addresses and the Routers IP as their default gateway. It will also send them their DNS entries. I don't know how you got your system working (perhaps 2 IP's in different ranges?). Hope this helps.

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