New dv9500t... can't see XP PC on my network

I just got my new dv9500t laptop today, with Vista Home Premium, and I'm working to get it setup. I was able to get it to wirelessly access the Internet through my linksys WRT54G router only after going in and disabling the firewall on the router. :-( But at least it can get to the Internet for now.

But I can't get it to see my existing desktop PC which is running XP SP2. I've done lots of searching on the net, and this sure does seem like a common problem, but there are so many issues and factors involved (from what I've read)... its enough to make my head spin.

Is it just me, or doesn't seem like this is a very common scenario? People have a Windows XP Machine, and they buy a second machine that is Vista, and they want them to see each other and share a printer and so on... is it really this complicated? Jeez Microsoft... I often defend MSFT, but this is very frustrating!

Any help? Ideas on how to get these two machines talking to each other?

 

I'd also like to know as my gf's laptop is still on XP and I'm planning to get a DV9500T sometime soon. I intially considered installing XP on the laptop as soon as I get it, but seeing the difficulty of the intall from reading on this forum has actually swerved me away from that idea. Now, going back to tstone's problem it would seem to me that there is no solution for people in our situations? pls correct me if i'm wrong

Therefore pls give me and tstone some advice as to how we can overcome this issue.

Cheers

 

Check the workgroup name on your dv9500t. You might need to change its workgroup name to match the workgroup name on your desktop and WRT54G router (wireless network name or SSID).

 

It's not a common problem as far as I'm aware...I have two XP PCs on a network and can see them fine with my Vista laptop.

 

I also had a similar problem. My 9500 took a really long time to recognize my XP desktops on my network. The default network name in Vista is different than in XP. I changed my laptop network name to match the XP machines and it fixed it.

For some strange reason, this also seemed to speed up my boot-up time.

 

Vista sux! Until they sort out the gaming issues and program incompatibilities, I think i will stick with XP. no point in running Vista until Sp1 confirms the issues are fixed/sorted.

 

Both machines have workgroup name of "WORKGROUP". Based on kaj777 suggestion, I tried to rename the network on the Vista laptop, but this is confusing to me. When I rename it I now see the new name in the diagram displayed at the top of the Network and Sharing Center page. But then I still see the old name that had been there used elsewhere. And then in XP... I don't see anyplace that something is labelled "Network Name". I have my connection, and it has a name -- same thing? That is the name I have used for the new Network Name on the Vista Laptop. But it didn't change anything... so it is still not working.

 

Something else I just noticed... on the Vista laptop, when in the window Network and Sharing Center, when I click on View Full Map near the top right, I do get a map that includes the XP Desktop machine! So it does see it, and it is listed with the correct IP address, etc. It is connected to the hub directly in the diagram, and the Vista laptop is connected via wireless to something showing the network name (which I've now switched back, btw), and then from there to the "switch" that the XP desktop is connected to directly... which is odd to me because I have just the one device -- the LinkSys WRT54G! So I'm still confused as to what is wrong here!

 

I just tried to ping the IP address of the old desktop XP machine from the Vista Laptop... no good. Can't get to it from \\192.168.1.100 windows explorer or from same via Run command. And yet... it shows up on the Vista laptop "full map" as described above. How is it that it can see the machine that way, but can't even ping it?

 

Just upgrade them all to Vista. That way, Microsoft makes a couple hundred bucks, and you get a working computer. Everyone wins! If that doesn't work, try re-formatting and re-installing - that's how to fix computer problems.

 

Also, I've been trying to enable NetBIOS over TCPIP... but when I do ipconfig /all, it still comes up as disabled... on both machines. ?? Does this matter here and how to enable it -- in both XP and in Vista?

Lastly, I also setup XP machine with LLTP or LLTD or whatever it was called... which I read online is needed on XP machines in order for Vista machines to see them. Didn't help any.

Oh, and I can't just upgrade them all to Vista, since the two XP machines won't support Vista from a hardware perspective.