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[ScienceOfThePS3]

On my old Linksys WRT54G router with DD-WRT v24 SP1, I was able to get NetBIOS fully working so that I can access my computers that I have through the "Network" explorer on Windows Vista.  But after switching to a DIR-615, I can't see any of my computers over my network, but I can see the WMP media shares from those computers.  My PS3 can see the media shares too and I can also connect to all my PCs through remote desktop connection fine.  I've been reading around and I read that setting your router to a class C network (192.168.0.1/255.255.255.0) fixes NetBIOS, but it didn't.  I've set the router to all types of NetBIOS modes, including just setting it to "Learn NetBIOS from my WAN", but I still can't see my PCs

Sorry if I sound like a total noob but this is the first time that I've ran into a problem like this.  So, any suggestions here?

Cheers!

[ScienceOfThePS3]

-bump-

[funchords]

On the Setup Network screen,

Enable NetBIOS Advertisement
    Check this box to allow the DHCP Server to offer NetBIOS configuration settings to the LAN hosts. NetBIOS allow LAN hosts to discover all other computers within the network, e.g. within Network Neighbourhood.

Leave NetBIOS Scope blank or insert your workgroup name (I'm not sure on this one)
    This is an advanced setting and is normally left blank. This allows the configuration of a NetBIOS 'domain' name under which network hosts operate.

NetBIOS Registration mode
    Set this to Broadcast (B-Node), this indicates to use local network broadcast first. 

After making this change, restart the DIR-615 and ALL of the wireless computers.  They should receive these settings via DHCP. 

[ScienceOfThePS3]

On the Setup Network screen,

Enable NetBIOS Advertisement
    Check this box to allow the DHCP Server to offer NetBIOS configuration settings to the LAN hosts. NetBIOS allow LAN hosts to discover all other computers within the network, e.g. within Network Neighbourhood.

Leave NetBIOS Scope blank or insert your workgroup name (I'm not sure on this one)
    This is an advanced setting and is normally left blank. This allows the configuration of a NetBIOS 'domain' name under which network hosts operate.

NetBIOS Registration mode
    Set this to Broadcast (B-Node), this indicates to use local network broadcast first. 

After making this change, restart the DIR-615 and ALL of the wireless computers.  They should receive these settings via DHCP. 

I tried what you suggested and I still can't see any of my PCs.  Here is a picture of what I'm talking about:



The "MATT-PC" computer icon is my wireless laptop of which I took the snapshot from, the three "WHS-SERVER" icons are media shares from my wired Windows Home Server computer, and the "Wireless N Router is obviously the router itself.  However, my other wired and two wireless "computer icons" should be shown but aren't.

I hope that the picture kinda helps out and clarifies what my problem is.

[funchords]

Hmmm, you rebooted all the machines? 

Well, you can force it, but you have to do so in each Windows machine. If you're running Linux, you'll do something similar in samba.conf.

1. In the Registry (start, run, regedit.exe), navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Netbt\Parameters

2. Look for the key NodeType (not DhcpNodeType). If it already exists (it probably does not), then go to step 4

3. Right click on the Parameters key, create Key, Dword, called "NodeType"

4. Right click on the NodeType key, modify its value from it's current value to 1 (hex value is 0x1, decimal value is just 1).

5. Exit from RegEdit and restart that machine.

After making this change, the IPCONFIG /ALL configuration should have changed, reflecting the node type as Broadcast. Doing this on each machine affected should help them find one another.

To reverse this change, repeat the above steps but delete the NodeType key. This will return the default behavior appropriate for your Windows version and DHCP parameters.

[ScienceOfThePS3]

Hmmm, you rebooted all the machines? 

Well, you can force it, but you have to do so in each Windows machine. If you're running Linux, you'll do something similar in samba.conf.

1. In the Registry (start, run, regedit.exe), navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Netbt\Parameters

2. Look for the key NodeType (not DhcpNodeType). If it already exists (it probably does not), then go to step 4

3. Right click on the Parameters key, create Key, Dword, called "NodeType"

4. Right click on the NodeType key, modify its value from it's current value to 1 (hex value is 0x1, decimal value is just 1).

5. Exit from RegEdit and restart that machine.

After making this change, the IPCONFIG /ALL configuration should have changed, reflecting the node type as Broadcast. Doing this on each machine affected should help them find one another.

To reverse this change, repeat the above steps but delete the NodeType key. This will return the default behavior appropriate for your Windows version and DHCP parameters.

Nope, still doesn't work.  Here is a snapshot of what the results I received from ipconfig /all.  See if you can spot something that I'm missing.  Oh, and Merry Christmas!

[funchords]

I'm sorry to say that all looks correct. 

In the DIR-655 Advanced - Wireless, ensure Wireless Partition is disabled.
In each client, make sure that File and Printer Sharing is enabled in Windows Firewall.

[ScienceOfThePS3]

Wireless Partition is disabled and File sharing is enabled.  Could this be that the router just doesn't like what my old WRT54G router did to my network?  I mean, all I can say is that it must be something with the router that's preventing NetBIOS from properly working.  But what?

[funchords]

1.  On the "Properties" page of "My Computer" there is a section that talks about Computer Name and Workgroup name.  The "Computer Name" should be unique for each computer.  The "Workgroup" name should be the same on all computers and unique to your network.   Please check this. 

2.  Also, on each machine, in a Command Prompt window (with Admin privileges) do this:
NET START SERVER
NET START WORKSTATION
NET START BROWSER

All three commands should give you an error that the service is already running.  If it is not, then you should investigate that.

If these suggestions help, your computers were mis-configured and probably something other than replacing the router caused it.

One last thing -- I don't have the DIR-615 -- so if anyone else is having problems seeing all the computers in Network Neighborhood, please say so. 

[ScienceOfThePS3]

1.  On the "Properties" page of "My Computer" there is a section that talks about Computer Name and Workgroup name.  The "Computer Name" should be unique for each computer.  The "Workgroup" name should be the same on all computers and unique to your network.   Please check this. 

2.  Also, on each machine, in a Command Prompt window (with Admin privileges) do this:
NET START SERVER
NET START WORKSTATION
NET START BROWSER

All three commands should give you an error that the service is already running.  If it is not, then you should investigate that.

If these suggestions help, your computers were mis-configured and probably something other than replacing the router caused it.

One last thing -- I don't have the DIR-615 -- so if anyone else is having problems seeing all the computers in Network Neighborhood, please say so. 

Yep, all three services are running.  I still think that it has something to do with the router, because all this happened after I switched to this one.

[funchords]

At this point, I'm tending to suspect that you're right. 

Sanity check:

With your computers set up this way, can you save your DIR-615 configuration and then reset it to factory defaults?  Then wait 15 minutes then check to see if Windows Networking has come back.  If it hasn't, then I think it's probably the DIR-615.  If it has, then it's something about your DIR-615 configuration. 

As a sanity check, is your old router still available?

[ScienceOfThePS3]

At this point, I'm tending to suspect that you're right. 

Sanity check:

With your computers set up this way, can you save your DIR-615 configuration and then reset it to factory defaults?  Then wait 15 minutes then check to see if Windows Networking has come back.  If it hasn't, then I think it's probably the DIR-615.  If it has, then it's something about your DIR-615 configuration. 

As a sanity check, is your old router still available?

I wish I could do that but the problem is that most of my PCs are wireless.  I do still have my old router right now.  (And this is why I never got rid of it; in case problems arise with my new router!)

[alxmedic@yahoo.com]

I had this same problem till I set the DHCP SERVER SETTINGS as follows:

DHCP Server Settings
Use this section to configure the built-in DHCP Server to assign IP addresses to the computers on your network.

Enable DHCP Server:   CHECKED

DHCP IP Address Range: 192.168.1.1 to  192.168.1.10 {OR WHATEVER NUMBER OF DEVICES YOU HAVE}

DHCP Lease Time:  1440 (minutes)

Always broadcast:  CHECKED (compatibility for some DHCP Clients)

NetBIOS announcement: CHECKED 

Learn NetBIOS from WAN: UN-checked {unless your ISP provides this}

NetBIOS Scope:  (optional)

NetBIOS node type :  

• Broadcast only (use when no WINS servers configured)
• Point-to-Point (no broadcast)
• Mixed-mode (Broadcast then Point-to-Point)
• SELECTEDHybrid (Point-to-Point then Broadcast)

Primary WINS IP Address:  192.168.1.1 {OR WHATEVER YOU SET AS YOUR ROUTER'S ADDRESS}

Secondary WINS IP Address:  0.0.0.0


These settings will force your router to be the repository for your LAN registrations and broadcast that list to all the LAN members.

Hope this resolves your issues.

Good Luck
Alex Szanto

[ScienceOfThePS3]

I followed each of your steps exactly and it STILL doesn't work.  I even rebooted both the router and all of my connected PCs.  Anyway, here is a snapshot I took of my config just in case I did miss something.

[ScienceOfThePS3]

Well, the good news is that that I can now see all of my PCs on my network.  I don't know what I did but it now works.  The bad news is that I can only access the two wired servers on my network, but I can't access my other wireless Vista computers and thus I can't wirelessly print from one PC to another.  Also, my other PCs cannot see my PC, even though I see them.  Any help here?