There are two PCs in our office I'm trying to network so they can share files and printers. Both run ME and are connected via a Trendnet hub (that uplinks into a DSL router). The problem is no matter what I do I can't browse one machine's share (whole C drive) from the other and vice versa. At best PC1 in Network Places sees PC2, that is, there's an icon of PC2 there with the correct name. But when I double click on e thPC2 icon I get "Windows cannot find the computer or share name etc etc." Can't ping PC2 from PC1 because for some reason the DOS box causes a page fault and must shut down. But I can't ping PC1 (10.0.0.3) from PC2 (10.0.0.2) either, it times out. Double clicking on my My Network Places on PC2 generally hangs interminably. Have tried locating both PCs from the run box using \\"PCname", and get "The server \\"pcname" could not be found . . . Both PCs have different names but same workgroup (OFFICE), are configured with TCP/IP, Client for MS Networks, and File and Printer Sharing. File and Printer Sharing is enabled. Logon to Windows NT domain disabled on both. TCP/IP is configured for Client for MS Networks and File and Printer Sharing on both PCs. Both use Windows Logon. WINS Resolution disabled on both. DNS enabled. And of course I have enabled sharing on the drives themselves. Someone else attempted to do this before I came on the scene and for some reason set up ICS (even though both PCs go through a DSL router) and I'm wondering if this might be goofing things up? Am very close to giving NetBeui a try. At my wits end. Any help is greatly appreciated.

I removed all the ICS junk and it made no difference. I got the DOS shell to work on PC1 and found that it can't even ping itself. When I try to ping its own IP (10.0.0.3) I instantly get an error (which escapes my memory right now, as I'm away from the office.) Shouldn't it be able to ping its own IP? No networking guru here so any help is welcome. Tried uninstalling file and printer sharing on both machines and reinstalling it, no luck. Tried releasing/renewing on PC2 also with no luck.

here's what i would do. i would uninstall all networking services on both pc's and then reboot. reinstall them from scratch and see how that works. each pc should be able to ping itself. if it can't there's either a problem with the tcp/ip configuration or there's a software problem. where are the addresses coming from? is the dsl router assigning them? if not, then releasing/renewing the ip's wouldn't do any good. do what i mentioned and then come back and let me know what happened.

chess dude, I feel absurd admitting it but the problem was that a firewall (zonealarm) had been previously installed on this machine and not fully uninstalled. THAT's why the machine couldn't ping itself! or get pinged by anyone else. That should be lesson number one to all networking newbies (myself included). CAN'T PING MAKE SURE THERE'S NO FIREWALL.