Network problem

[mikef]

Can anyone help

My home network comprises a notebook(XPhomeSP2) and desktop(Win98SE) connected to a 8 port 10/100 switch in my office and a desktop(Win98SE) and games machine(XPprofSP2) connected to a 4 port 10/100 switch in the familyroom. The two switches are connected with an uplink cable and my billion 5100 router is connected to the 8 port switch in routing mode and acting as a DHCP server.

Everything seems to work as it should but for one problem. When clicking on "My network places" on the xp computers the network location of the win98 desktop in the familyroom is shown as "The Internet" while all other computers are shown as "Local Network"

Does anyone know what could cause this

 

[Person]

So whats the problem only the name change ?

 

[mikef]

Thats all - I would like to know why the location of the one computer is incorrectly reflected as "The Internet"

 

[czotos]

The Windows 98 desktop in the family room has its Workgroup set as "The Internet".

Workgroups are a Microsoft way of grouping machines together. Like a small office would have a Workgroup named: WORK.

I haven't used Windows 98 in ages... But if I remember correctly, you must go to your Control Panel, and then go to the Network menu. You can set your Workgroup there.

 

[mikef]

Thanx for the reply

But that is not the problem. All computers except the games machine are in the workgroup "Network1". The games machine is "Workgroup"

I have spent hours on google and other search engines but can not find the answer

 

[ScrnScrm]

Any reason you dont want the games machine in the same workgroup?
I would put them all in one workgroup, chose a machine that is always on to be the master browser, and disable election participation on all the other machines. Prob should go away...

 

[mikef]

Any reason you dont want the games machine in the same workgroup?
I would put them all in one workgroup, chose a machine that is always on to be the master browser, and disable election participation on all the other machines. Prob should go away...

The games machine is my son's and set to "workgroup" for easier connection to his friends computers when playing games. I have tried changing but it makes no difference.

I do not know what "election participation" or "master browser" means.
Please help

Edit: Have found some info on "Toms Networking".
Thanx for the tip. Will experiment and let you know if it works

 

[Person]

google is your friend - anything you need to know is right there.

here is an idea - show your son how to change teh work group so at home he can have a diff 1 and when he goes to his friends he can change it to workgroup.

Write it down 4 him.

 

[caroper]

Has the win98 machine got a fixed IP address?
If so make sure that the Mask is set to the same as the DHCP table or it will be seen as a seperate network.

 

[mikef]

here is an idea - show your son how to change teh work group so at home he can have a diff 1 and when he goes to his friends he can change it to workgroup.

Write it down 4 him.

Thanx for the reply.
I agree it could be changed but why does it matter if it is in a different workgroup as the gaming machine works fine both iro internet browsing and file & printer sharing even when the workgroup is not the same?

BTW he probably knows more than me about changing the settings

 

[Person]

Thats good ;-) he will go far then. So I still dont see why the renaming is a problem, if its all working leave it - remember your working with windows here, try to fix something and you 90% time will make it worse if it was working in the 1st place.

 

[mikef]

You probably right
In any event I don't have all the required network management programs loaded on the XP home machine to change the master browser settings which means digging out my original cd
For now I will leave settings as is - it just seemed strange that one of the computers on my lan is identified as being on "The Internet"
Thanx again for the help