not able to see one computer on a network

the_beginner

Hello guys i have three computers, one laptop and two desktop. Lets name them as AD, AD1, AL which would be desktop, desktop2 and laptop respectively. Now the the problem is as follows.
AD1 and AL is able to see each other and a network printer and network hard drive. AD is able to see AD1, AL the network printer and the network hard drive. AD1 and AL is not able to see AD. I am connecting the three through a HUB. Please advice i have gone through the correct steps to setup the network. Please could you suggest some thing.
Thank you,
the_beginner

porengo

When you say that AD1 and AL cannot see AD, do you mean that you've tried to ping AD and nothing comes back? If so, you may have a firewall enabled on AD which will prevent your other computers from pinging it.

the_beginner

I have tried pinging and the ping passes, only within windows i am not able to see AD

jheal00

Is there anything shared on AD?

keatron

Is this a domain? If not, are all computers in the same workgroup? What protocols do you have enabled on the clients? Do you have any ports blocked in the TCP/IP advanced properties? Do you have file and printer sharing enabled? when you say they can't "see" each other, do you mean by going to network places etc etc they can't see each other, or have you actually tried to browse to one of them by using the UNC path?

JDMurray

What versions of Windows are these machines? What service packs do you have installed on each?

If you can't "see" a computer in Network Neighborhood it's usually because you don't have the NetBEUI protocol installed on the machine. Make sure you have file and printer sharing enabled on the machine too.

cliffjag1987

Is it using Apipa or static ip adresses. If it uses static ip adresses and working in a workgroup. Go to the HOSTS file in windows\system32\drivers\etc\
Search for the hosts file and open it with notepad. Add you ip adress of each computer in the hosts file.
e.g
AD>>>192.168.0.1
AD1>>192.168.0.2
AL>>>192.168.0.3

Open hosts file and add Hostname & ipadress.

PS. e.g if you go to the computer AD you put on that hosts file AD1 & AL with their ip adresses. And so on with AD1 & AL

Non-Profit Techie

yeah. from my experience it is usually NetBEUI or file and print sharing if you are connecting an older machine to a couple new OS's