Small Network Sharing

Yes.. I too have have had this problem.

It is solely down to pathetic, user hostile, bug riddled software, which is self evidently not 'plug and play' but is sold as such by Microsoft.

If most other companies sold such rubbish they would go broke...but then they don't have a virtual monopoly.

I have good news! A system restore all the way back to the earliest date offered, ( I was lucky that it even allowed it ) actually solved the problem. ( I tried several restore points back into August but that didn't correct the problem.)

In light of this I have some other maybe not surprising but still bad news. The REASON for this malfunction came from MICROSOFT'S "UPDATES". In our office computer networks, we've had to disable automatic updates because one of them screwed up our networks there as well.

A serious piece of advice for anyone interested, if your computer seems to be working great, go to SYSTEM RESTORE and the CREATE A RESTORE POINT. And....do this every month! Because, windows sometimes will not allow some restore points to go through even though they are highlighted as available.

Good for you, well done!

A classic illustration of what I meant at #1. You succeeded in spite of Microsft not because of it.

I hope you will send Microsoft a bill for your wasted time!

Del

You say you have in the past setup small networks. I presume you have done things correctly. Howver you can check the IP, Subnet mask address. Try giving a static IP sddress.

I didn't want to risk in this case, stopping it from getting on the internet altogether.

Sometimes at my office's network, the computers can share ( see each other ) but can't get on the internet. ( We have DSL and a 12 port switch and a Verizon DSL modem / wireless router.) When this happens, usually just a hard reboot of the router and switch will correct it.

But when the computers can't even share, that's harder still to correct. Network Setup Wizard is often useless.

I had a similar situation a few days ago - turned out that I thought I'd turned off the Windows (XP) firewall, but had not - so one of my devices wouldn't respond to network sharing requests. I'm behind another firewall anyway, so having the windows firewall on (which gets turned on automatically by the "create a wireless connection" wizard) was useless.

That's the first thing I tried, didn't work here or at our office. The only way I had success was for system restore...to a very early date. I believe Aug 16th was a major software distribution (update) period from Microsoft.

does NONE of the other devices share to the Acer?

is the Acer operating system earlier than XP? ME? 98? 95?

Based on your statement:

"On the Laptop, when I search the network places, my network's name (icon) appears but clicking that to list everyone on it results in the same error. I've had other computers that will see themselves only, for several hours but eventually see everyone else."

are any of the machines not able to access one way or the other

a) Windows 2000 machines -

b) Windows Vista machines -

in the case of a) or b) is one of these trying to act (unsuccessfully?) as the traffic cop for all sharing - and for Vista have you declared to each machine the others - Vista works differently than previous windows in this regard . . .

Probably the best place to start is to map out the topography of your net work and note machines, operating system and build, etc. then start again -

Or another approach if you have built networks is to ISOLATE the Acer an build a small nextwork with only one other machine at a time - it may be too many 'cooks' in the kitchen -

good luck

Jim

ah good - you already 'solved it' -

still recommend that you have the topography and 'build' date map including future updates - so that you can remember when stuff 'worked'

sorry, should have read closer first - open mouth insert foot -

Jim

Can you give detail about your OS and network type.

At my home, I have currently 3 machines running ( 2 desktops hardwired and 1 laptop via wireless...US Robotics with 4-port router) Desktops running XP Pro with service pack2 and laptop with XP. Laptop is less than 1 year old.

As of this post it is fixed....by System Restore back to earliest date allowed.

It will do nothing with os. you can use any os to surf on internet.

But Im curious, why do you use so many computers at your home? I use two, one desktop one laptop. I use one desktop as server to share internet.

If you hope to access with your four computers. you can use a hub or switcher as media connect. and one best computeras a server to share internet.

you can use neighber function of windows to setup your inner net. easy opereation according to cue.ou

or you can use router confign your inner net to share internet.

there are llots of old article concern this problem. you can reference.

We're a little crazy down here, when my son and daughter were home, we had 6-10 computers going just for fun. Some were other people's we were fixing/testing.

Somewhere, deep in the "bowels" of the many files that Windows writes to, something gets changed that prevents the sharing of computers, and it has something to do with one of the Microsoft updates sent out during August of this year

you home must be very busy . 10 computer can be a good inner net to play net game.

you said you use 4ports router. it can share 4 ip address for you to surf on internet.

router is higher protocal level than switcher. no problem for your use in home

if there something wrong , you have to check your system. the simplest way is reinstallation your system again.

check virus? system files burned? address code wrogn? net prototype problem? and their radio selection buttn is right?

Once again, the frustrating part was that the router and cable modem etc. HAD to work for it to go online, but the Laptop would NOT share itself on the network even though I used Window's set up utility. Multiple computers using a network to go online is a separate task from multiple computers looking into each other.

If it was able to get onto the internet, then there was no hardware problem or really any type problem with the router, modem, interconnecting cables, wireless setup etc.

It was something in the operating system that wasn't going to allow this thing to share.

It would have been neat if a real windows guru would've recognized the problem and said, "oh yes, just look in this file on line 364 and see if it says such-and-such"

But, the problem went away without me "catching the thief "

I mean you software i.e os syustem. your hardware no problem.

what is line 364?