Windows 2000 help

Please I would like help on how to configure or reconfigure my Lan running win Xp and 2000.
I have configured the lan to share an internet connnection. I can ping the IPs and Computer names of all PCs on the network and each computer can browse the Net but I can't view the Computers using the "Computers near me" in MY Network places on win2000 on the client PCs or in winXp running on my server.
Can any body please help?
I have configured different computer names for each PC and they have the same workgroup name but I still can view the computers on the Peer to Peer Lan or even share and access shared files on the network. Keeps giving an error: "workgroup not accessible, unable to access list of servers on the workgroup"
I upgraded from Win98SE to Win2000 for the clients and WinXP on the server.
Thanks
Any advice will be apprecated.

Im interested to hear what people have to say about this problem, I can tell you one thing, I have set up countless networks, domains, DHCP, DNS servers and been able to do it with relative ease but I go home and I have a bitch of a time getting my home workgroup ccnnected. It's all microsoft's crappy wizards that mess things up. As for what to do I could give you a hundred things to try to get it working but im not sure which idea, if any, would work.

Things I have found:
Windows 2000 does not play nice with any windows versions below, win98, win95 etc.
If you want to browse make sure and you're using TCP/IP only, make sure that NetBios over TCP/IP is set. As a security note, make sure that only you're local network has NetBios Access, block any external requests otherwise you have a huge security hole.
If there's no server make sure you're all running on the same workgroup.
When sharing an internet connection the hard part is on the sharing computer, you have to set your network adapter to the home networking IP, 192.168.0.1, then set the other computer's to automatically get their IP and in IE set it to do automatic discovery.

Any Q's or more detail required let me know.
HTH,
W

I'm working with Win XP Pro on the PC with the Internet connection.
The problem is I can ping all systems on the network using their Ips or computer names and each can browse through the server but when I try to view the connected computers in the workgroup through my network places, keeps giving me, "Workgroup not accessible, the list of servers on the workgroup is not availble" so I can't share files and folders or even access shared files and folders.
What should I do? My company network depends on me solving this problem today!
Whatever advice I can get will be well apprecated.
Thanks

as well all client pcs are runnng win 2000 pro connected via a central hub

To clear things up could you please answer these:
Can you browse your server from a client?
Can you browse your client from the server?
Can you browse your client from another client?

Now as I get it you can ping everything which means it's not
a hardware issue right?

As I said before if you wish to browse other computers you must have NetBios over TCP/IP activated, is this the case on ALL machines?

Get back to me and we'll see where we can go from here.
W

I can browse all other machines server 2 client, client 2 Server using Map Network Drive but I can see any of the Pcs on the workgroup using My network place and like u asked, Netbios over TCP/IP is enabled on all machines.
I tried using nbtstat -c, it gave a no name in cache reply
I need to do ths urgently as I need to access shared files on each clent PC runng WIn2KPro and on the SErver running XP Pro
thanks

Alright that's strange. The only thing I can think of at this stage is you may have some firewall software runing, winXP has an inbuilt one. All firewalls need to be configured to allow all traffic from within the network. Otherwise I'm stumped.

I've finally solved the problem by having to reinstall a clean copy of win2kpro rather than upgrading from win98se to win2kpro.
I reformatyed all HDDs on the netwrk
I no longer have the problem.
I hope this is useful for someone else,like Smouse.
Twas hectic so you may have to backup useful data.
Thanks all 4 helping. I'm grateful

re-installing your OS seems to be quite the drastic move. I've been having similar network issues where at first I thought it was just my systems not behaving nicely and cleanly electing a system as a master browser. But after having played with registry settings, and trying to force the issue, I've realized that it's just a symptom of Windows being stupid as hell. Ive got several Linux machines on the same network, and they have no problems browsing all shared files on the windows machines....funny huh, I can access all Windows shares from my linux machines, yet my windows machines can't even access themselves.

I've googled this issue to death and have come to the conclusion that even the windows gurus can't figure it out....it's just plain bad design.

JR