urban

iTrader: (1)

Guys

Why can I see a PC(net view) but not be able to either ping it or browse to it?

boomer

firewall?

mb

urban

iTrader: (1)

I would doubt it very much.
Its a work network and the machine in question belongs to a user that wouldn't have a clue what a firewall actually is

Coffin Dodger

The built in Windows XP/Vista/Win7 Firewall has a habit of turning itself on unless you tell the PC otherwise. This would most likely stop ping and browse requests.

boomer

You haven't really given us any information to work from, but in simple terms...

When a computer boots up, it broadcasts certain details (name, address, workgroup etc.) to the local subnet (computers that can "see" each other without going through a router).
Computers on that subnet may (or may not) collect that information in a list so that they know what is out there (on the subnet)
Some computers may collect that information and share it with other computers outside of the subnet (e.g. via Active Directory).
This is how your "net view" obtains basic details of the PC that you want to look at.

When you "ping" a computer, a special network packet gets sent to what should be the network card of the destination machine (which may or may not be on the same subnet).
On arrival, (traditionally) a friendly operating system will reply to that "ping" to confirm that it is there - but it does not have to. For example, why should you confirm to a Chinese script-kiddie that you computer is available on the Interweb?
This is why (by default) XP etc. enable a "firewall" which defined rules as to what kind of packets and what source addresses are allowed.
Thus, as Coffin Dodger says, you need to specifically disable the firewall to let stuff through - something that your "wouldn't have a clue" probably hasn't done.

Now "pings" are simple and part of the Interweb standards. Browsing (assuming you mean trying to access files on a Windows machine and not connect to a web-site via HTTP) is much more complicated and somewhat specific to Microsoft.
Thus you need to know whether the destination PC has file sharing enabled etc. (as well as if it has a firewall).

Or in layman's terms - when you walk down the high street you can see the banks but it doesn't mean that they will let you in (never mind enter the vault)

mb

urban

iTrader: (1)

OK.

PC in question is on same subnet, all machines use DHCP
Machine is XP, but there are other XP machine in office too - no problem.
I've a firewall switched on?
I can ping my ip address from other machines?

What other information do you need?

dunx

iTrader: (3)

No XP expert, but if you assign folders as shared you can access the files within...

dunx

urban

iTrader: (1)

Yeah
But I'm talking about the administrator hidden share \\UNCName\C$

warrenm2

yep, sounds like windows firewall is on for that machine. Do you not have a group policy for the office that sets this? If so, the policy hasnt applied and you have bigger problems!. If not, as an administrator, go to control panel, windows firewall, advanced, icmp settings button, and tick the first entry, allow incoming echo request. Ok out of it all and it will ping. (You have got the correct ip address for that machine haven't you?!)

As for the admin share, you are an administrator on that machine aren't you....?