# Access denied message on Lan, pls help



## pethead (Jan 3, 2006)

Hello,

I am using a speedtouch 510 router/modem and have 2 pcs on it running winxpsp1 on both, everything was working fine. Now I am facing a weird problem on lan. Trying to Connect from pc1 to pc2 typing \\computername and I get a weird message, .. that i am not able to access that computer, .. blah blah.. access denied. But if I type \\computername\specificpath\here it gets me there. If I try the same from pc2 >> pc1 it connects fine just like nothing goes wrong.

I was trying all night to find what went wrong, checked all protocols, reinstalled network adapters on both pcs, changed all network settings but nothing. I am totaly stuck here, I truely need somebody to help me with this.

p.s
recently i had installed symantec antivirus server on pc2... anything to do with that ?

happy new year to all
thanks in advance


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

Any recent installs are suspect when you start having problems after they're done.  I suspect a firewall component is blocking your access.


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## pethead (Jan 3, 2006)

hello johnwill, thanks for your reply.

well I restored another ghost file on C: just to see where the problem was. this time i could have access. so I just wanted to avoid reinstalling windows. So in case I find out soon it will be cool.

I am not using a 2nd firewall apart from the modem's one, I used to do this though and I had lots of problems in the name of << security >>.


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

I'm thinking Symantec's AV is the problem. Their newer versions have some sort of "Internet security" embedded that has been a problem in the past.


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## pethead (Jan 3, 2006)

yeah I thought that too. but u see, even uninstalling that, it didn't help, ..


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

Turn off any firewalls for debugging. If the firewall is the problem, you'll have to configure it to allow access to "trusted zone" addresses. Note that some firewalls must be completely uninstalled to stop them from affecting your networking.

PING each computer by IP address, and if successful, PING by name. You can obtain the IP address of a computer by opening a command prompt (DOS window) and typing IPCONFIG. This should work for any Windows version.

All computers should be in the same workgroup for computer browsing to function properly. File & Print Sharing has to be enabled on any computer you wish to share files or printers from. You also need to actually share the resource in question from My Computer, right click on the drive/printer/folder, and select sharing.

If you encounter difficulties accessing computers that are visible in Network Neighborhood, make sure the computer being accessed has an account with the same name/password as the system connecting to it uses to login.

While the default NetBIOS setting is correct for normal network configurations, it's possible for it to be altered, and it costs nothing to make sure it's correct. NETBIOS over TCP/IP must be enabled for normal network browsing.


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## pethead (Jan 3, 2006)

hello johnwill

I was using zone alarm for about 2 years. i was actually using it at the same time i was behind the modem's firewall. talking 2 firewalls. I had total control of all applications that were trying to even open, not just trying to use the line. After a long time i found out that most of the problems i had on lan was because of zone alarm. it was blocking stuff without my permision although my settings were fine. well I have totally uninstalled all windows firewalls, even reinstalled windows without any kind of firewall, I only use the modem's one.

As I mentioned in the 1st thread, what was happening was that i could not access the the root of the 2nd computer, but i could access folders of it by typing the complete path. that was the weird. so restoring another ghost on pc2 (the computer i could not access) with a fine windows installation, everything was fine again. of course all computers should be in same workgroup 

anyway weird things happen with computers, and i always feel there is a way to solve them, but sometimes there isn't and you just format them just cause you also got a life 

have you heard anything about having 2 network adapters on the same computer ? a network adapter on board + a network adapter in a slot. all i wanna try to do is to test networking with the 2nd computer via this card.


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

It's not a problem installing two NIC's on a machine, what exactly do you want to do with them?


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## pethead (Jan 3, 2006)

I wanna try to hide the important computer behind the other insteed of having both connected to the rooter.

do u know anything about this setup ? if an intruder bypasses the firewall and gets to the 1st pc, is he/she able to access the 2nd same easy ?


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

If you really want to hide, I'd consider a commercial firewall product. You could also take an old machine and setup something like Smoothwall on it. You can also install any number of commercial firewall products onto the second computer to isolate it from your internal network.

FWIW, I've run standard AV and spyware protection behind a standard router for years, and I've never had an issue with intruders. The NAT layer of a standard router is quite effective for keeping people out if you don't have malware/spyware running on your computer to invite them in.

The best security solutions are multi-layer. The initial firewall, the AV and spyware protection, and GOOD backups done frequently to a device that's off-line from the network most of the time is my approach.


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## pethead (Jan 3, 2006)

well i was always thinkin of setting up a linux machine on an old computer for firewall and that... but as i see you are suggesting to go back to having 2 firewalls again right ?

I am using spybot and ad-aware to search for ads or spys, I used to have them real time protection poping up windows anytime something would go on. but as you understand if i do that on my wife's computer she would get confused with all that.

I never had issues with intruders either, but 2 days ago I did something <<clever>> here, shared the root of a drive to network, and after some hours the antivirus cought an "install.exe" at the root of that drive. i saw an autorun.ini at the root of that drive via network, and from the same machine i could not access that drive either unless restart.

maybe that is the reason I started asking you.


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

Well, it's difficult to say exactly what happened there. I've had file/print sharing on all the systems here for years, including root drive access, it's never been an issue. It sounds like an install on the machine in question went bad, but that's only a guess.


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## pethead (Jan 3, 2006)

i c... 


well thanks alot for your help truely. I will try to install zonealarm on both machines then and see what goes on. i hope it won't cause problems 

thank you johnwill,
i will come back to the forum in case i face probs that i can't solve myself again.

George


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