Connecting xp to NT server

We have a peer-to-peer small office network with a host running XP home edition and two other PCs running 98SE.

I am doing some work for a client whose business has ceased trading, and have been given the NT server on which their network was running, from which I am trying to extract some accounts information.

I therefore need to connect the NT server into our LAN. I have plugged it into the LAN hub, but cannot see the NT from the LAN (or vice versa). I think perhaps I need to add a new network connection, but cannot see how I can do this via the existing network connection.

I have looked at the common networking problems. I have the IP address of the NT server, but the LAN (I think) uses dynamically assigned IP addresses, and I cannot see how to change them; not that I am sure that is what I need to do anyway !

It may be that what I am trying to do is too ambitious for (I like to think) a reasonably technically minded end-user (I did successfully cable and setup the LAN), but any pointers would be very much appreciated.

Thank you in anticipation

Can you ping the server? You need to make sure that all computers are on the same subnet and have their subnet mask set to 255.255.255.0. In XP, you can open up Network Connections from the Control Panel, right-click the network connection, select Properties and double click Internet Protocol TCP/IP to find where to set the IP address manually. I forget where you set it in NT, but there will be something similar in the Control Panel.

Sorry I should have said in my original posting that I cannot ping the server.

I can confirm that the subnet masks on both the XP machine and the NT server are indeed set to 255.255.255.0. On the WIN98 machines the IP addresses are set to be automatically configured.

Thank you for your reply, and any further suggestions gratefully received !

OK, if the subnets are set to 255.255.255.0, what are the IP addresses set to?

Don't mess with your local ip scheme. Proper method would be to add netbios protocol to the server and the workstation you want to have access to the nt server. This way you are not messing up your present ip plan and for this access you're not even using ip.

You will need to either change the NT domain name to that of your workgroup or change the workgroup name on the pc accessing the nt server to the domain name of the server. You are not joining a domain just doing peer to peer which requires the same workgroup name on both. Your choice as which to choose.

You will need an account on the nt server just like your xp account locally. Same name and password on both.

If you do this from the 98 stations you won't have any issues with XP firewall or NT requiring a machine account.

Best of luck!

David sent me a PM with the IP addresses of the server and another computer. They weren't on the same subnet. You'll want to change the IP address of the server to be in the same subnet as the other computer, if you want to be able to communicate between them.

Thanks very much for your help guys. I reset the IP addresses of the NT server so it matched that of the XP machine, and can now access it.

Apologies for the delay in coming back to you. Been a bit hectic on the domestic front ! Still, all now sorted, and your willing assistance has been very much appreciated.

Regards,

David

Glad it's working