i have been trying to find a solution for 3 weeks for a simple xp pro-----xp pro networking problem. However everything recomended has been tried and failed so as a last ditch effort i thought i would leave one more post. the 2 machines are set up as followed. xp pro 350mhz with 10/100 ethernet card. (usb cable connection for internet) xp pro 233mhz with 10/100 ethernet card. I use a cat 5 cross over cable which has been tested at a local shop along with the network cards and there all fine. the computer with the internet connection can see both itself and and the other pc but can't access the other pc. The 233mhz can't access the workgroup at all. Before i receive some posts stating the obvious (which is fair to do) i will post what i have tried and done. >BOTH COMPUTERS HAVE SHARES ENABLED. >ALL FIREWALLS ARE OFF >IP ADDRESS'S 192.168.0.1 192.168.0.2 >SUBNETS 255.255.255.0 >BOTH HAVE USER ACCOUNTS WITH THE SAME PASSWORD IN ALL USERS. >HAVE RUN THE NETWORK WIZARD MANY TIMES >BOTH COMPUTERS CAN'T PING EACH OTHER (names and ip's) >OTHER NETWORK CARDS AND CABLE TRIED >FORMATED HARD DRIVES ON BOTH something else which is not meant to happen i think is, on the status of the connections (which does say its connected when you turn on the pc's) they only seem to be sending bytes, none are ever recived. Here is the setups obtaine by command ipconfig/all 1st pc Windows IP Configuration Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : FAMILY Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 5: Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : Description . . . . . . . . . . . : SiS 900 PCI Fast Ethernet Adapter Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1 Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0 Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1 Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 3: Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : Description . . . . . . . . . . . : USB Cable Modem 351000 Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-D0-59-F1-E0-BD Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 80.7.244.157 Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0 Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 80.7.244.254 DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 80.3.64.20 DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 194.168.8.100 194.168.4.100 Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 01 May 2003 08:46:34 Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 02 May 2003 04:10:52 2ND PC Windows Ip Configuration Host Name................:Lewis Primary DNS Suffix.......: Node Type................:Mixed IP Routing Enable........:No WINS Proxy Enabled.......:No ethernet adapter local area connection 3: Physical Address...........:Net Elligent 10/100Tx PCI Embedded UTP Controller Dhcp Enabled...............:No IP Address.................:192.168.0.2 Subnet Mask................:255.255.255.0 Default gateway............: DNS Servers................:192.168.0.2 both computers are in the same work group MSHOME. thanks for your help lewis.

The only thing that caught my eye in the ipconfig is this line: Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF This is an impossible address for an ethernet adaptor. A physical/MAC address is a globally unique hardware-embedded identifier, and can not have the maximum value of all-bits-ON, that's like having the phone number 999-999 9999. It should be something similar to the physical address on the other computer's card. I suggest replacing this card. Good luck.

I agree the FF-...-FF MAC address is invalid. Check the device manager (start/run "devmgmt.msc") and make sure there is no yellow exclaimation point next to that network adapter. Additionally, I'd try setting the default gateways. Computer with IP 192.168.0.1 would have gateway 192.168.0.2 and vice versa

I would look at one other thing, your bindings go under start -> my network places - > view network connections -> advance -> advance settings I would check to see if your binding order is right and the way you want it..