Network Asymetry

Greetings,

I'm new here. Please give me a steer if I have come to the wrong place.

One new desktop and one new laptop both Intel duo core and each running
Windows Vista Home Premium.
A DLink router is wired to the Hewlett-Packard desktop and wireless linked
to the Toshiba A200 Laptop; each machine can access the web without problem.
In network and sharing centre each machine can see itself and says it can
see the other machine.
In Windows Explorer the laptop can see the desktop machine and the shared
folders and files on it.
But the desktop CAN NOT see the laptop's shared folders and files.
Using network sharing centre diagnose and repair (on the desktop) produces
"\\Laptop name is not a valid host name", and ultimately throws up the page
about DNS issues - which does not help.
Windows and Norton firewall settings etc are set exactly the same on the two
machines.

What am I doing wrong? How can I force the desktop to re-acquire the laptop?

TIA
Rednelle

Goto Network and Sharing Center from Control Panel. How is your
network categorized (Public, Private, Work, or Unidentified)?

If it is Public or Unidentified, you need to identify it as private or
work in order to be able to use file sharing.
---
Jeffrey Randow
jeffreycentex@gmail.com
Windows Networking MVP 2001-2006
http://www.networkblog.net

On Sun, 21 Oct 2007 21:29:26 +0100, "teabag" <nobody@home.com> wrote:

>Greetings,
>
>I'm new here. Please give me a steer if I have come to the wrong place.
>
>One new desktop and one new laptop both Intel duo core and each running
>Windows Vista Home Premium.
>A DLink router is wired to the Hewlett-Packard desktop and wireless linked
>to the Toshiba A200 Laptop; each machine can access the web without problem.
>In network and sharing centre each machine can see itself and says it can
>see the other machine.
>In Windows Explorer the laptop can see the desktop machine and the shared
>folders and files on it.
>But the desktop CAN NOT see the laptop's shared folders and files.
>Using network sharing centre diagnose and repair (on the desktop) produces
>"\\Laptop name is not a valid host name", and ultimately throws up the page
>about DNS issues - which does not help.
>Windows and Norton firewall settings etc are set exactly the same on the two
>machines.
>
>What am I doing wrong? How can I force the desktop to re-acquire the laptop?
>
>TIA
>Rednelle
>

Hi Jeffrey,

My network is Private.

As I wrote, just below the CAN NOT shout, I have been to Network and Sharing
Centre, from Control Panel. I had tried to explain that, after a fight with
the router software and Vista, file sharing DOES work in one direction - the
laptop can see (open) files held on the Desktop PC.

I also want the Desktop PC to see (read and amend) files held on the Laptop
and I want to printout Laptop documents on a printer that is connected by
USB cable to the Desktop PC. (At present only Desktop stored documents
printout).

I hope you can help.

teabag


"Jeffrey Randow" <jeffreycentex@gmail.com> wrote in message
newssrnh35lo3j7s6hiin7lhnpj183k7cq31h@4ax.com...
> Goto Network and Sharing Center from Control Panel. How is your
> network categorized (Public, Private, Work, or Unidentified)?
>
> If it is Public or Unidentified, you need to identify it as private or
> work in order to be able to use file sharing.
> ---
> Jeffrey Randow
> jeffreycentex@gmail.com
> Windows Networking MVP 2001-2006
> http://www.networkblog.net
>
> On Sun, 21 Oct 2007 21:29:26 +0100, "teabag" <nobody@home.com> wrote:
>
>>Greetings,
>>
>>I'm new here. Please give me a steer if I have come to the wrong place.
>>
>>One new desktop and one new laptop both Intel duo core and each running
>>Windows Vista Home Premium.
>>A DLink router is wired to the Hewlett-Packard desktop and wireless linked
>>to the Toshiba A200 Laptop; each machine can access the web without
>>problem.
>>In network and sharing centre each machine can see itself and says it can
>>see the other machine.
>>In Windows Explorer the laptop can see the desktop machine and the shared
>>folders and files on it.
>>But the desktop CAN NOT see the laptop's shared folders and files.
>>Using network sharing centre diagnose and repair (on the desktop) produces
>>"\\Laptop name is not a valid host name", and ultimately throws up the
>>page
>>about DNS issues - which does not help.
>>Windows and Norton firewall settings etc are set exactly the same on the
>>two
>>machines.
>>
>>What am I doing wrong? How can I force the desktop to re-acquire the
>>laptop?
>>
>>TIA
>>Rednelle
>>

Hi teabag. This article should help you. Read carefully, as there are some
little gotchas that are new to Vista.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l.../bb727037.aspx

Thanks,
Gloria

--
Gloria Boyer
Windows User Assistance team
Microsoft Corporation

"teabag" <nobody@home.com> wrote in message
news:lJGdnT5MEoLc04HanZ2dnUVZ8tWnnZ2d@pipex.net...
> Hi Jeffrey,
>
> My network is Private.
>
> As I wrote, just below the CAN NOT shout, I have been to Network and
> Sharing Centre, from Control Panel. I had tried to explain that, after a
> fight with the router software and Vista, file sharing DOES work in one
> direction - the laptop can see (open) files held on the Desktop PC.
>
> I also want the Desktop PC to see (read and amend) files held on the
> Laptop and I want to printout Laptop documents on a printer that is
> connected by USB cable to the Desktop PC. (At present only Desktop stored
> documents printout).
>
> I hope you can help.
>
> teabag
>
>
> "Jeffrey Randow" <jeffreycentex@gmail.com> wrote in message
> newssrnh35lo3j7s6hiin7lhnpj183k7cq31h@4ax.com...
>> Goto Network and Sharing Center from Control Panel. How is your
>> network categorized (Public, Private, Work, or Unidentified)?
>>
>> If it is Public or Unidentified, you need to identify it as private or
>> work in order to be able to use file sharing.
>> ---
>> Jeffrey Randow
>> jeffreycentex@gmail.com
>> Windows Networking MVP 2001-2006
>> http://www.networkblog.net
>>
>> On Sun, 21 Oct 2007 21:29:26 +0100, "teabag" <nobody@home.com> wrote:
>>
>>>Greetings,
>>>
>>>I'm new here. Please give me a steer if I have come to the wrong place.
>>>
>>>One new desktop and one new laptop both Intel duo core and each running
>>>Windows Vista Home Premium.
>>>A DLink router is wired to the Hewlett-Packard desktop and wireless
>>>linked
>>>to the Toshiba A200 Laptop; each machine can access the web without
>>>problem.
>>>In network and sharing centre each machine can see itself and says it can
>>>see the other machine.
>>>In Windows Explorer the laptop can see the desktop machine and the shared
>>>folders and files on it.
>>>But the desktop CAN NOT see the laptop's shared folders and files.
>>>Using network sharing centre diagnose and repair (on the desktop)
>>>produces
>>>"\\Laptop name is not a valid host name", and ultimately throws up the
>>>page
>>>about DNS issues - which does not help.
>>>Windows and Norton firewall settings etc are set exactly the same on the
>>>two
>>>machines.
>>>
>>>What am I doing wrong? How can I force the desktop to re-acquire the
>>>laptop?
>>>
>>>TIA
>>>Rednelle
>>>
>
>

Thank you Gloria, just what I needed .

teabag


"Gloria Boyer [MSFT]" <gloriab@online.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:E2CABB24-0FAF-4186-9F74-17D3F0F8518B@microsoft.com...
> Hi teabag. This article should help you. Read carefully, as there are some
> little gotchas that are new to Vista.
>
> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l.../bb727037.aspx
>
> Thanks,
> Gloria
>
> --
> Gloria Boyer
> Windows User Assistance team
> Microsoft Corporation
>
> "teabag" <nobody@home.com> wrote in message
> news:lJGdnT5MEoLc04HanZ2dnUVZ8tWnnZ2d@pipex.net...
>> Hi Jeffrey,
>>
>> My network is Private.
>>
>> As I wrote, just below the CAN NOT shout, I have been to Network and
>> Sharing Centre, from Control Panel. I had tried to explain that, after a
>> fight with the router software and Vista, file sharing DOES work in one
>> direction - the laptop can see (open) files held on the Desktop PC.
>>
>> I also want the Desktop PC to see (read and amend) files held on the
>> Laptop and I want to printout Laptop documents on a printer that is
>> connected by USB cable to the Desktop PC. (At present only Desktop stored
>> documents printout).
>>
>> I hope you can help.
>>
>> teabag
>>
>>
>> "Jeffrey Randow" <jeffreycentex@gmail.com> wrote in message
>> newssrnh35lo3j7s6hiin7lhnpj183k7cq31h@4ax.com...
>>> Goto Network and Sharing Center from Control Panel. How is your
>>> network categorized (Public, Private, Work, or Unidentified)?
>>>
>>> If it is Public or Unidentified, you need to identify it as private or
>>> work in order to be able to use file sharing.
>>> ---
>>> Jeffrey Randow
>>> jeffreycentex@gmail.com
>>> Windows Networking MVP 2001-2006
>>> http://www.networkblog.net
>>>
>>> On Sun, 21 Oct 2007 21:29:26 +0100, "teabag" <nobody@home.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>>Greetings,
>>>>
>>>>I'm new here. Please give me a steer if I have come to the wrong place.
>>>>
>>>>One new desktop and one new laptop both Intel duo core and each running
>>>>Windows Vista Home Premium.
>>>>A DLink router is wired to the Hewlett-Packard desktop and wireless
>>>>linked
>>>>to the Toshiba A200 Laptop; each machine can access the web without
>>>>problem.
>>>>In network and sharing centre each machine can see itself and says it
>>>>can
>>>>see the other machine.
>>>>In Windows Explorer the laptop can see the desktop machine and the
>>>>shared
>>>>folders and files on it.
>>>>But the desktop CAN NOT see the laptop's shared folders and files.
>>>>Using network sharing centre diagnose and repair (on the desktop)
>>>>produces
>>>>"\\Laptop name is not a valid host name", and ultimately throws up the
>>>>page
>>>>about DNS issues - which does not help.
>>>>Windows and Norton firewall settings etc are set exactly the same on the
>>>>two
>>>>machines.
>>>>
>>>>What am I doing wrong? How can I force the desktop to re-acquire the
>>>>laptop?
>>>>
>>>>TIA
>>>>Rednelle
>>>>
>>
>>
>