Hi! I have 2 networked pcs running winMEs and on a linksys card (one is v4.1 the other is v5.0) but sometimes they cannot see each other. Sometimes PC A can browse the entire network but not PC B and vice versa. I installed NETBUI, IPX and TCP/IP protocols + the NICs drivers. There is an option in IPX protocol which says enable netbios over ipx, sumthin like that. Do i have to enable it? Any suggestions? thanks!

Well you don't need all the protocols. If you only have the two computers connected to each other and do not access the internet (you don't mention anything about it), then NetBeui would be all you need. If you connect to the Internet then you may want to just use TCP/IP. Unless you are connecting to a Novell server you don't need IPX. I would remove any protocol you are not using or don't need.

NETBEUI is an older protocol Microsoft designed for direct PC-to-PC connections. IPX/SPX is a combined protocol originally designed by Novel but everybody uses it. The principle difference between the two is that NETBEUI does not work over a routed network. It works if there's only a hub or a switch connecting the PCs but not if the connection goes through a router. IPX/SPX is designed to work with either configuration. Both protocols are being supplanted by TCP/IP (future versions of WinDoze won't even come with NETBEUI on the disc from what I hear) but some network devices and older games will only connect via these protocols. As a rule you should have one or the other but not both installed to your network. NETBIOS is the networking layer beneath these protocols and should be bound to all active protocols. It should not be bound to Client for Microsoft Networks because it's not required and opens a vulnerability to hacking your system. For starts I'd get rid of everything but TCP/IP and make sure NETBIOS is bound to it. If you have a software firewall on your PCs make sure that the local network IP Addresses (normally 192.168.0.1 to 192.168.255.255) are identified to it and security is set to medium or low for the LAN. If you need a 2nd protocol for gaming or network devices pick IPX; that's generally what they work best with.