WTF is going on with my network ?

[Detection]

OK, I bought a new motherboard for my main PC, and have reinstalled Windows on my Laptop - I set up my LAN shares as usual and found the laptop could not see the desktop, and the desktop could see the laptop but could not connect.

I have turned off password protected sharing and enabled normal file sharing, basically it is setup as normal but not working, so I checked out the map of the network to try and determine why... and this popped up

(Comodo was the issue there but the below still applies)

That map is completely wrong, I don't even own half of the hardware it claims to be using, the correct setup is edited below

The LINKSYS is the correct SSID for my WRT160NL - The WRT160NL is the actual router, but not called that anymore so I don't know why it maps it as being in use.

The HUBs and SWITCHES are ghosts, there is only 1 router (The WRT160NL renamed to LINKSYS) and (ISP's Fibre Optic Cable Modem with only 1 LAN port hard wired to my Router)

My PC (CoolerMaster) is wired LAN to the router and Laptop is Wireless to the same Router

Any ideas what is going on ? I`m slightly stumped

The WRT160NL renamed to LINKSYS is running the stock Linksys firmware (Not DD-WRT)

Thanks ! :)

[+BudMan MVC]

Well that map is drawn using LLTD (Link Layer Topology Discovery) And yeah more than likely its going to completely useless for understanding or even troubleshooting your network.

To be honest its one of the worse things MS ever turned for normal users to understand anything. Sure in a perfect work and you understanding how the protocol works it can be useful

See mine

I have 3 different switches in my network, one of which is a smart switch. A linksys wrt54g as just an accesspoint, plus countless other networking devices not shown on the map.

For things to be shown on the map, they need to talk LLTD

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Link_Layer_Topology_Discovery

Not all devices do, others will show up as their parts. For example your router, has a switch in it, so that could show up. Not sure why it would be showing a hub?

Depending on what your other devices are answering with they could show up as networking devices. I personally turn it off on all my windows boxes, which is why you see those boxes on the bottom are not listed in the map, etc. etc..

I would suggest you FORGET everything about that map and just work with your problem at hand, that map is not going to help you in anyway trouble shoot your simple sharing issue.

First things first can your machines PING each other by IP?

example

C:\Windows\System32>ping 192.168.1.4

Pinging 192.168.1.4 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 192.168.1.4: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.4: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.4: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.4: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64

Ping statistics for 192.168.1.4:
    Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
    Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms

C:\Windows\System32>ping p4-28g

Pinging p4-28g.local.lan [192.168.1.4] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 192.168.1.4: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.4: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.4: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.4: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64

Ping statistics for 192.168.1.4:
    Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
    Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms

C:\Windows\System32>net view \\p4-28g
Shared resources at \\p4-28g



Share name  Type   Used as  Comment

---------------------------------------------------------------
ML2571N     Print           Samsung ML-2570 Series
partimage   Disk
pch-stuff   Disk
Public      Disk
test        Disk
The command completed successfully.

Also -- you really are using a SSID of linksys??? That is like their default one, you could not come up with something UNIQUE?? Say CoolMasterWireless or something? MyWPA, CubsRule, FBIVAN#23, etc. etc..

Lets get your basics down -- ie the ping, and then we can work on your sharing problem. As to that map -- close it, and never open it again. I would suggest you forget that it even exists!! Unless you want to start playing with the LLTD protocol? ;)

[Detection]

Haha, thanks its closed... forever :D

I edited my OP, maybe after you started posting, the issue was with "system" being blocked in Comodo, even though I had added my LAN as a trusted network it was blocking it - unblocked "system" and LAN shares are working again

And yes, while I had the issue I could ping the other machines, just not access them, or in the laptops case, even see anything.

Thanks for the info on the map, still confusing about the Hub though yea... router has a 4 port LAN and 1 port WAN... the 1 port WAN goes to my cable modem which one has 1 LAN port and an ADSL (Phone line) port

EDIT - and yea... lol my Linksys SSID is just me not having set back up my usual SSID(s) - I was having issues with DD-WRT and went back to stock FW

I was using "Virus" as my SSID :D - Was talking to a neighbour who had seen it and said he didn't want to even try connecting :D

[+BudMan MVC]

Yeah "virus" is a good one, but in reality its common and used in the rainbow tables ;) which use like the 1000 most common SSIDs since the ssid and its length are used in the salt for the hash of the PSK.

Just looked its #382 of the 1000 -- you can grab it yourself here http://www.renderlab.net/projects/WPA-tables/SSID.zip, you can view a huge list of SSIDs here on the wigle database http://www.wigle.net/gps/gps//Stat

Yeah software firewalls on each machine on local secure lans -- clearly more trouble than they are worth. I don't see the point in them really. Atleast you know enough about yours to get it worked out. Most users don't -- firewalls belong at security boundary, if your lan is hostile and that security boundary is your machine then ok fine you need a firewall there. But my security boundary is at the edge of my secure lan where all devices on such lan are controlled by me, so my firewall is at the edge of that my router where it belongs.

Glad you got it sorted.

[helpifIcan]

Just an FYI if you want a network map try Network Magic. If you look around you can find the old free one it works fine. Do not buy the most recent version.

The last free version is 4.9, if you can't find it I have copy.

[Detection]

Yeah "virus" is a good one, but in reality its common and used in the rainbow tables ;) which use like the 1000 most common SSIDs since the ssid and its length are used in the salt for the hash of the PSK.

Just looked its #382 of the 1000 -- you can grab it yourself here http://www.renderlab...tables/SSID.zip, you can view a huge list of SSIDs here on the wigle database http://www.wigle.net/gps/gps//Stat

Yeah software firewalls on each machine on local secure lans -- clearly more trouble than they are worth. I don't see the point in them really. Atleast you know enough about yours to get it worked out. Most users don't -- firewalls belong at security boundary, if your lan is hostile and that security boundary is your machine then ok fine you need a firewall there. But my security boundary is at the edge of my secure lan where all devices on such lan are controlled by me, so my firewall is at the edge of that my router where it belongs.

Glad you got it sorted.

Thanks for that, I`ll take a look at that list if SSIDs and see if I can't come up with a more original one than I thought "Virus" was :D

To be honest I have wondered if having a 3rd party FW was worth it, I guess its a placebo effect having a popup appear when something wants access to the net vs Windows FW that just keeps quiet - Comodo is ok once you have done your first few days of "Create rule" clicking but when it gets in the way its a nightmare sometimes

Thanks again for the help... off on an SSID hunt ;)

Just an FYI if you want a network map try Network Magic. If you look around you can find the old free one it works fine. Do not buy the most recent version.

The last free version is 4.9, if you can't find it I have copy.

Thanks I`ll check it out