Network access to other PCs on my LAN

[W. eWatson]

I have three PCs on my LAN, call the A,B and C. C is this one. A and B
are XP. When I try to get to A, I'm asked for a userid and pwd. Two
icons appear. One for C and Other User. I select Other. I enter Admin
and my pwd, and get on. If I used the same drill on B, it doesn't work.

I checked the User Account on B, and it shows Guest and Owner. Guest
doesn't work.

Comments?

Glad to finally find a W7 NG. Don't like the social groups MS has set up.

 

[BS]

I have three PCs on my LAN, call the A,B and C. C is this one. A and B
are XP. When I try to get to A, I'm asked for a userid and pwd. Two
icons appear. One for C and Other User. I select Other. I enter Admin
and my pwd, and get on. If I used the same drill on B, it doesn't work.

I checked the User Account on B, and it shows Guest and Owner. Guest
doesn't work.

Comments?

Glad to finally find a W7 NG. Don't like the social groups MS has set up.

I've run in to the problem where one xp box stops suddenly talking on
the workgroup at school. It appeared to have something to do with
authentication silently failing in the background for some reason. My
fix was to remove client for microsoft networks along with file and
print sharing. Reboot the box, re-install client for microsoft networks
and file and print sharing, reboot again. Check it with the network and
it should once again be able to share with the other machines.



Good Luck,
B

 

[W. eWatson]

I've run in to the problem where one xp box stops suddenly talking on
the workgroup at school. It appeared to have something to do with
authentication silently failing in the background for some reason. My
fix was to remove client for microsoft networks along with file and
print sharing. Reboot the box, re-install client for microsoft networks
and file and print sharing, reboot again. Check it with the network and
it should once again be able to share with the other machines.



Good Luck,
B

I'll see if somehow works. Oddly I can get from B to C, but in a limited
way. Sharing? Maybe.C is Win7. B can see the Public folder over there on C.

It happens when the PC is either on ethernet, or wirelessly connected.

 

[Bob I]

Easiest way to solve this is to put the same user/password combo on all
the PCs.

In other words whatever you use on your primary PC, (say
MyName/myPassWord )create that user ID with the same password on the
other two PCs.

 

[W. eWatson]

Easiest way to solve this is to put the same user/password combo on all
the PCs.

In other words whatever you use on your primary PC, (say
MyName/myPassWord )create that user ID with the same password on the
other two PCs.

Perhaps, but in reality I have five PCs. I like having different pwds.
They are somewhat common amongst themselves.

I've noticed when I'm on C and try to get to B that the login window
shows the domain name as the name of C instead of the real domain name.
I find that odd.

I just gave the B XP a share of a /tmp folder by dragging it into Shared
Folders. It didn't help a thing.

 

[Char Jackson]

Perhaps, but in reality I have five PCs. I like having different pwds.
They are somewhat common amongst themselves.

I think you're misunderstanding what Bob is suggesting. Let's say you
have 5 PC's and each of them has a unique login and password. Bob's
not suggesting that you assign the same login/password to each PC.
Instead, he's suggesting that you create a total of 5 user accounts on
each PC. You'll retain the main account on each PC that you use now,
plus you'll add an account that matches the login/pass from each of
the other PC's. That should get you a long way toward overcoming the
problems you're having.

I didn't explain that very well. Holler if you're still confused.

 

[Andy]

Good suggestion but its allot of unnecessary work.
I like the bobs idea better.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

I think you're misunderstanding what Bob is suggesting. Let's say you
have 5 PC's and each of them has a unique login and password. Bob's
not suggesting that you assign the same login/password to each PC.
Instead, he's suggesting that you create a total of 5 user accounts on
each PC. You'll retain the main account on each PC that you use now,
plus you'll add an account that matches the login/pass from each of
the other PC's. That should get you a long way toward overcoming the
problems you're having.

I didn't explain that very well. Holler if you're still confused.

One variant on that method might be to create *one* account on each
computer with the same user ID and password, but not the same as any
"real" user account.

Thus every computer would have the new account "Net Access" or
something, with the password "Ain'tGonnaTell", or some such. And I don't
think it has to be - or should be - an Administrator account.

I just looked - it isn't what I've done. I did what you suggested (there
aren't that many computers here). But as a result, I can't be sure that
what I'm suggesting works, although I *think* I did it a couple of years
ago, before Win 7

 

[Char Jackson]

One variant on that method might be to create *one* account on each
computer with the same user ID and password, but not the same as any
"real" user account.

Thus every computer would have the new account "Net Access" or
something, with the password "Ain'tGonnaTell", or some such. And I don't
think it has to be - or should be - an Administrator account.

I just looked - it isn't what I've done. I did what you suggested (there
aren't that many computers here). But as a result, I can't be sure that
what I'm suggesting works, although I *think* I did it a couple of years
ago, before Win 7

I was under the impression that when you access a second computer
across the LAN, your Windows session only offers two sets of
credentials, the ones from your currently active session, and if that
doesn't work, it offers the Guest credentials. Perhaps it's the other
way around, or perhaps I'm all wrong.

Anyway, if I'm on the right track, then just having a matching account
might not be enough since there's no match with the active session. An
experiment might be in order, unless you're pretty sure it works.

Thanks, Gene.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

I was under the impression that when you access a second computer
across the LAN, your Windows session only offers two sets of
credentials, the ones from your currently active session, and if that
doesn't work, it offers the Guest credentials. Perhaps it's the other
way around, or perhaps I'm all wrong.

Anyway, if I'm on the right track, then just having a matching account
might not be enough since there's no match with the active session. An
experiment might be in order, unless you're pretty sure it works.

Thanks, Gene.

1. (And most important!) I am not an expert.

2. The experiment isn't going to happen here, in particular in light of
statement #1 - too many changes, AFAIK not necessarily non-destructive,
would be required.

I have on this computer an extra account named after the other
computer's owner, which I assume is likewise configured with an extra
account named after me[1]. (The account here is a Standard User, not an
Admin.) If I created a new account on both, I wouldn't know if it worked
unless I deleted the other two accounts, which I'm reluctant to do.
There's also an account named after a retired computer's user, which I
once set up to give away (thought that didn't happen).

There are other computers around, but for the moment they're
inaccessible due to temporary disruption relating to some contracting
work. I don't even know where they are

I just looked into my password file in the hope I'd learn something.
Unfortunately, what I learned was that I haven't kept it up to date
around the networking question :-(

[1] By choice, I don't normally log on to that computer without warning
the owner, so I *can* check later, but not right now. I'll tie a string
around my finger.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

(thought that didn't happen)

How about "though" instead of "thought"?

I need a spell checker that can read my thoughts - and my thoughs.

 

[Ken Blake]

How about "though" instead of "thought"?

I need a spell checker that can read my thoughts - and my thoughs.

Spell checkers can read everything, but they don't always know what's
right and what's wrong. And those thoughs are hard to read. ;-)

 

[Bob I]

Perhaps, but in reality I have five PCs. I like having different pwds.
They are somewhat common amongst themselves.

I've noticed when I'm on C and try to get to B that the login window
shows the domain name as the name of C instead of the real domain name.
I find that odd.

I just gave the B XP a share of a /tmp folder by dragging it into Shared
Folders. It didn't help a thing.

No! The credentials are supplied by the Account that is attempting to
access the PC. IF there is an Account on the remote PC that has the same
user name and Password as what you are logged in with then you are
allowed directly at the resources of the remote PC. IF instead you use
the same Username on all PCs, BUT have DIFFERENT passwords THEN you will
need to supply both Username AND Password to access the resources.
That's because the access to the remote resources require a VALID
Username/Password combo that exists on the remote PC. So If you are
using "Owner" as the ONLY real account on every PC you will need to make
all the PCs have the same password.

 

[Bob I]

I was under the impression that when you access a second computer
across the LAN, your Windows session only offers two sets of
credentials, the ones from your currently active session, and if that
doesn't work, it offers the Guest credentials. Perhaps it's the other
way around, or perhaps I'm all wrong.

Anyway, if I'm on the right track, then just having a matching account
might not be enough since there's no match with the active session. An
experiment might be in order, unless you're pretty sure it works.

Thanks, Gene.

The remote computer will accept the "credentials" of the account you are
using IF the exact same username/password combo exists on the remote.
Otherwise like you say Guest or login is required. Same username with a
different password is considered "different" and triggers the "login"
requirement. Having the same username/password combo on all PC's isn't
enough, you have to actually login using it on the PC that you are
sitting at. HTH

 

[Bob I]

I think you're misunderstanding what Bob is suggesting. Let's say you
have 5 PC's and each of them has a unique login and password. Bob's
not suggesting that you assign the same login/password to each PC.
Instead, he's suggesting that you create a total of 5 user accounts on
each PC. You'll retain the main account on each PC that you use now,
plus you'll add an account that matches the login/pass from each of
the other PC's. That should get you a long way toward overcoming the
problems you're having.

I didn't explain that very well. Holler if you're still confused.

Correct, the login (username/password combo) that you used to get onto
the PC you are sitting at, MUST exist on all the PC's you wish to access
remotely. (without supplying new credentials)

 

[Char Jackson]

No! The credentials are supplied by the Account that is attempting to
access the PC. IF there is an Account on the remote PC that has the same
user name and Password as what you are logged in with then you are
allowed directly at the resources of the remote PC. IF instead you use
the same Username on all PCs, BUT have DIFFERENT passwords THEN you will
need to supply both Username AND Password to access the resources.
That's because the access to the remote resources require a VALID
Username/Password combo that exists on the remote PC. So If you are
using "Owner" as the ONLY real account on every PC you will need to make
all the PCs have the same password.

Thanks for confirming. That's what I thought but I expressed it
clumsily.

 

[W. eWatson]

I think you're misunderstanding what Bob is suggesting. Let's say you
have 5 PC's and each of them has a unique login and password. Bob's
not suggesting that you assign the same login/password to each PC.
Instead, he's suggesting that you create a total of 5 user accounts on
each PC. You'll retain the main account on each PC that you use now,
plus you'll add an account that matches the login/pass from each of
the other PC's. That should get you a long way toward overcoming the
problems you're having.

I didn't explain that very well. Holler if you're still confused.

Five per five PCs. Seems bizarre. Even on Linux, I have never heard of
anyone doing that.

 

[W. eWatson]

Thanks for confirming. That's what I thought but I expressed it
clumsily.

I have five PCs. Each has a different userid and pwd.

I think I'll take this up with the local computer store. They've some
times given me free help, or a nudge in the right direction. This all
seems like it should be as easy as I suggested in the first two
sentences. Maybe there's a hint on the web. Google.

 

[Char Jackson]

I have five PCs. Each has a different userid and pwd.

I think I'll take this up with the local computer store. They've some
times given me free help, or a nudge in the right direction. This all
seems like it should be as easy as I suggested in the first two
sentences. Maybe there's a hint on the web. Google.

Two points: It's easier than you're making it out to be, and you've
already received free help and/or a nudge in the right direction. Let
us know if you need more detailed help.