Two laptops cannot ping each other

[rixth]

Router IP: 192.168.1.1


WinXP Pro laptop:
Assigned by DHCP
IP: 192.168.1.145
Subnet: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.1.1

Vista laptop:
Assigned by DHCP
IP: 192.168.1.50
Subnet: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.1.1


Both laptops can connect to the wireless router fine, both can ping 192.168.1.1. But the XP machine cannot ping the Vista one and vice versa.

The error when WinXP tries to ping Vista: request timed out
The error when Vista tried to ping WinXP: Reply from 192.168.1.50: destination host unreachable

Is there anything obvious that I should be checking?

Tom.

[Speedy Gonzales]

What about firewalls. Any installed on either?

Same workgroup name?

Can both get on the net?

[rixth]

Nope, no firewalls on either. The built in firewalls are disabled too. Both can browse internet.

One thing I noticed, is that when using DHCP, the WinXP laptop also had this under ipconfig:

"Connection-specific DNS suffix: home"

I thought that might be the problem, so I tried a static IP but the problem persisted.

Both have their workgroup set to "WORKGROUP".

[Speedy Gonzales]

Ah might be this ipv6 protocol thing in Vista.

I dont think XP uses this.

[wainuitech]

Go into the Vista Settings ( cant remember exactly where,and Not in front of a Vista PC at the moment to check) and enable Network sharing and Discovery on Vista.

[rixth]

Go into the Vista Settings ( cant remember exactly where,and Not in front of a Vista PC at the moment to check) and enable Network sharing and Discovery on Vista.

It is already on.

[wainuitech]

Don't know if this will help, take a look at This Page (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727037.aspx) Look at "Setting the Network Location Type" Instructions.

[rixth]

Don't know if this will help, take a look at This Page (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727037.aspx) Look at "Setting the Network Location Type" Instructions.

The network type is 'private network', so devices are discoverable.

Here's a run down.


There are 4 'points of interest' on the network.
'router' - Wireless router - 192.168.1.1
'michael' - Flatmate computer - WinXP - (wired to 'router') - 192.168.1.145
'tom' - My laptop - Vista - wireless - 192.168.1.105
'emma' - My partners laptop - WinXP - wireless - 192.168.1.144

'michael', 'emma', and 'tom' can all see 'router'
'michael' can see 'tom' and 'emma'
'tom' and 'emma' can see 'michael'
'tom' cannot see 'emma'
'emma' cannot see 'tom'

[wainuitech]

Hmmm OK so its something to do with the wireless side of things by the looks of it. The router appears to be blocking something
tom' and 'emma' can see 'michael'
'tom' cannot see 'emma'
'emma' cannot see 'tom'

With Michael being wired, when the other two are wireless.

What is the Make and model of the Router Please.

There may be something in the router that needs to be changed.

Its Not the operating System as there is both XP & Vista, having the same problem.

[rixth]

What is the Make and model of the Router Please.

It's a Linksys WRT54GL running dd-wrt v23 SP2.

[beeswax34]

Try disabling IPv6 on the Vista laptop and then see if it can ping the XP one. Why do you need them to ping each other anyway?

[linw]

Do you set the DNS servers for each NIC? I always do and leave other DNS settings as default. DNS seems to be important for comms these days.

[wainuitech]

just downloaded and had a look at the manual - just a few suggestions, work Backwards so to speak.

Go into the routers settings, Wireless - disable any security - see if the laptops Talk - can be seen. If not leave the security off and go into Wireless/Advanced Wireless Settings - disable the Firewall. try again.

If you can suddenly get it to work with items disabled, by re enabling one at a time this will tell us where the problem lays until it stops again. If you disable these and still not working - time to keep looking.

[rixth]

Go into the routers settings, Wireless - disable any security - see if the laptops Talk - can be seen.

Could be seen, and pinged with no security. WPA2 PSK did not work (with any of the encryption options, TKIP, AES, or TKIP+AES). WPA PSK worked only using TKIP (AES, or TKIP+AES) resulted in the computers not seeing each other.

Original WPA is still secure enough, right?

[wainuitech]

Okay - security seems to be the problem - WPA secure enough ? - Old saying locks keep honest people out.
If some one really wanted to get in and knew what they are doing any security can be breached, just may take longer thats all.

I personally use WEP or WPA as I have had many problems with different routers using higher security, some times it works to well.

You can also try playing with the MAC address filtering (security), allowing only the MAC addresses of the PC's you want. If you do this, make sure you only change 1 thing at a time, so if it goes wrong you can put it back how it was