# "Not a valid host name" error message!



## elsbree (Jan 20, 2008)

So I have four computers in my house, and one is a recently bought Vista laptop. The others all run XP with the latest service packs, etc, and can connect perfectly to each other. Two of the XP machines are desktops, while the other is a laptop that connects to my wireless network (I have a Linksys router btw).

The Vista laptop has been giving us trouble, however. I have set up the wireless network on it, and it can access the internet and everything, but for some reason it cannot access other computers on the network. When I open the "Network" window, I can only see computers that are connected to the wireless, not the computers that connect using CAT5 cables. To further complicate things, when I try to access the other computers, Vista gives me the error message "Windows cannot access 'Computer-name'." If I click diagnose, it says that "Computer-name is not a valid host name." The problem computer is running Trend Micro PC-Cillin and the others are running Norton 2007, but I don't think this is the problem.

I have made sure that the network is set to private, and I've even tried connecting without the firewall, but to no avail. Nothing I've seen on the internet has helped me.

P.S. The Vista computer can access the router and it can see the other computers in the DHCP clients table, but it can't ping them.


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

Let's see this for the Vista machine and one of the XP desktop machines.

Hold the *Windows* key and press *R*, then type *CMD* to open a command prompt:

Type the following two commands:

*nbtstat -n*

*ipconfig /all*

Right click in the command window and choose *Select All*, then hit *Enter*.
Paste the results in a message here.

If you are on a machine with no network connection, use a floppy, USB disk, or a CD-RW disk to transfer a text file with the information to allow pasting it here.


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## elsbree (Jan 20, 2008)

Can do. 

Here's the XP Machine:

C:\Documents and Settings\Elsbree>nbtstat -n

Hamachi:
Node IpAddress: [0.0.0.0] Scope Id: []

No names in cache

Local Area Connection:
Node IpAddress: [192.168.1.104] Scope Id: []

NetBIOS Local Name Table

Name Type Status
---------------------------------------------
KIDSCOMP <00> UNIQUE Registered
ELSBREENET <00> GROUP Registered
KIDSCOMP <20> UNIQUE Registered
ELSBREENET <1E> GROUP Registered
ELSBREENET <1D> UNIQUE Registered
..__MSBROWSE__.<01> GROUP Registered

C:\Documents and Settings\Elsbree>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : kidscomp
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Hamachi:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Hamachi Network Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 7A-79-05-8E-DA-40

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom NetXtreme 57xx Gigabit Cont
roller
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-11-11-4D-3A-A3
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.104
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : fe80::211:11ff:fe4d:3aa3%5
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 208.180.42.68
208.180.42.100
fec0:0:0:ffff::1%2
fec0:0:0:ffff::2%2
fec0:0:0:ffff::3%2
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Monday, January 21, 2008 8:42:10 AM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, January 22, 2008 8:42:10 AM


Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : fe80::ffff:ffff:fffd%6
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

Tunnel adapter Automatic Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Automatic Tunneling Pseudo-Interface

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : C0-A8-01-68
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : fe80::5efe:192.168.1.104%2
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : fec0:0:0:ffff::1%2
fec0:0:0:ffff::2%2
fec0:0:0:ffff::3%2
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled


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## elsbree (Jan 20, 2008)

And the Vista Laptop:

C:\Users\Dawn>nbtstat -n

Local Area Connection:
Node IpAddress: [0.0.0.0] Scope Id: []

No names in cache

Bluetooth Network Connection:
Node IpAddress: [0.0.0.0] Scope Id: []

No names in cache

Wireless Network Connection:
Node IpAddress: [192.168.1.102] Scope Id: []

NetBIOS Local Name Table

Name Type Status
---------------------------------------------
MOMSLAPTOP <00> UNIQUE Registered
ELSBREENET <00> GROUP Registered
ELSBREENET <1E> GROUP Registered
MOMSLAPTOP <20> UNIQUE Registered
ELSBREENET <1D> UNIQUE Registered
..__MSBROWSE__.<01> GROUP Registered

C:\Users\Dawn>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : MOMSLAPTOP
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Bluetooth Network Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Bluetooth Device (Personal Area Network)
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-1D-D9-EC-4F-45
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Dell Wireless 1390 WLAN Mini-Card
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-1E-4C-67-91-FE
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::c55a:726e:3a92:77c5%10(Preferred)
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.102(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Monday, January 21, 2008 11:01:40 AM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, January 22, 2008 11:01:40 AM
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 167779916
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 208.180.42.68
208.180.42.100
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom 440x 10/100 Integrated Controlle
r
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-1D-09-B3-3C-E3
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 6:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 02-00-54-55-4E-01
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 2001:0:4137:9e66:308c:25f7:3f57:fe99(Pref
erred)
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::308c:25f7:3f57:fe99%8(Preferred)
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : ::
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 7:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : isatap.{9B79712C-0FAB-47E5-A5BA-1AACF0E0F
DC4}
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 10:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : isatap.{FF22569F-0A39-47EF-8E9A-4E873E583
9D4}
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 11:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #3
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 16:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : isatap.{9B79712C-0FAB-47E5-A5BA-1AACF0E0F
DC4}
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 17:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : isatap.{9B79712C-0FAB-47E5-A5BA-1AACF0E0F
DC4}
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 18:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #6
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::5efe:192.168.1.102%27(Preferred)
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 208.180.42.68
208.180.42.100
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

The fact that you can't ping screams firewall configuration issue. You need to start there. Personally, I'd disable ALL the firewalls until you get it working.


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