[Sunnyfield]

Hi,
I had a nice network going between my two home computers. One has Vista and one has Xp home. Everything was fine until they downloaded windows updates, spec XP service pck 3. Since then I have removed sp3 fr the XP, but my problem remains. Now, the network has completely died and I can't seem to get it working again. Sometimes I can get them to see that there is another computer there, but it won't give me access into it. I have tried going over all the networking how to pages etc and still have no luck.
On my Vista: I have it set to home private network. My network map seems to change every time I reboot the computer. I do not have any router, I have just used a direct line with the ethernet cable between the two computers. At this moment, the computer seems to think there are two "switches" between the two computers. On dxdiag everything seems to be ok, no red x'x or yellow. It says all are working for both computers. On view computers and devices, right now it does not show the other computer. I have fooled it once or twice to see the other one, but then I still can't gain access to it. Right now, both firewalls are down and permissions are granted to each. I have most of the files on both computers set to sharing. Printer sharing is on too. I never could get both to get internet through one line, so I usually just manually hooked it up as I needed (I only have one phn line).
XP: I have a bridge connection between the Local area connection and 1394 connection (one is the adapter), that always worked before.
I have tried resetting the connections on both computers and tried the repair things that it suggest. All the network discovery things are on. neither computer is password protected.
Both computers use the name WORKGROUP for the network.
Any ideas???

[Advertisements]

Are you using a crossover cable?

[Titan8990]

Are you using a crossover cable?

[Sunnyfield]

I am using an ethernet cable -cat5- plugged in directly to the ports on both

[Titan8990]

Without a network device such as a router or switch you have to use a crossover cable: http://en.wikipedia....crossover_cable.

Are you using ZoneAlarm firewall?

[TheQuickBrownFox]

Hi Titan,

Is it not true that PC's are now smart enough to work with either cross or straight cables?
I've been told that these PC's automatically adjust themselves depending on the cable used.

[Sunnyfield]

ok..not really sure if this is a crossover cable. It was sold to me as an ethernet cable that they said would work whether the two were dirctly linked or on a router. And it did always work fine before the xp sp3, so I don't think it the cable as it did work before....
I have this windoes one care thing on for spyware etc. I think I totally disabled the firewall on the xp computer and had the firewall on the vista with the exceptions of any network (though I have tried taking down both firewalls and still can't get in - i still seem to not have permission somehow)