TCP/IP & XP Config ??'s

Hi all,
I'm at my wits end with XP-Pro and Network Neighborhood. I've got 2 XP-Pro units, 1 Win98se serving as a gateway, and a Linksys 8 Port Hub. I have NAT software on the Win98se machine which also is a DHCP server. I've tried every which way I can think of to configure TCP/IP networking. Over the past 10 years I've configured many peer networks and never had this kind of headache. Posts i've read say you need NetBEUI, others say no. Those that say no say you need to have TCP/IP properly configured. Posts have said you need NWLink NetBIOS and NWLink IPX/SPX Protocol installed. I've posted my configuration to various forums but no help as of yet. Prior to XP I never had NetBUEI or IPX/SPX installed in Win9x. So this is what I have as a configuration.
Gateway:
IP=172.16.2.1
Mask=255.255.0.0
P-DNS=xxx.xx.xxx.x (Actual value of ISP DNS-verified)
GW=172.16.2.100 (Address of NAT Software)
domain=myisp.com
host=commserv
workgroup=HOMER

XP Unit1:
IP=172.16.2.2
Mask=255.255.0.0
P-DNS=172.16.2.100 (Address of NAT Software)
GW=172.16.2.100 (Address of NAT Software)
domain=myisp.com
Workgroup Name=HOMER
Unit Name=Unit1
Firewall=No
TCP/IP=Filtering=off
XP Unit2:
IP=172.16.2.3
Mask=255.255.0.0
P-DNS=172.16.2.100 (Address of NAT Software)
GW=172.16.2.100 (Address of NAT Software)
domain=myisp.com
Workgroup Name=HOMER
Unit Name=Unit2
TCP/IP=Filtering=off
The guest account has been enabled on each XP machine. I have tried simple and advanced sharing. I have created a new share (advanced sharing) other than the default C$ (for example). I've tried DHCP IP configuration, doesn't work either. The 4 default services and protocols are installed; Microsoft Client, File and Print Services, QoS Packet Scheduler, and Internet Protocol. I can connect to the internet through the gateway no problem. I can see the share on the gateway (which I enabled just to see if could see anything off the gateway). I can ping any of the IP addresses on any of the machines. I just can't see anything in Network Neighborhood. In many cases the "My Network Places" simply stops responding when I double click on the workgroup icon. I will ctrl-al-del and see that the window is "Not Responding". So does anybody see anything that I may be doing incorrectly? I've installed XP fresh three times because things get so hosed from trying various configurations. I don't know what else to do. I hate to go back to Win98 but, at least I know I can get the file sharing to work. Any help from you guys would be greatly appreciated. TIA!!!!!

1. RE: TCP/IP & XP Config ??'s
lbyard Feb-11-02 05:28 PM
In response to message 0

>Posts i've read say you need NetBEUI, others say no.
Not with XP on the same network. It may fix problems with a Windows 9x-only network.

>Those that say no say you need to have TCP/IP properly configured.
My network works fine with just TCP/IP.
>Posts have said you need NWLink NetBIOS and NWLink….
MWLink is absolutely not required unless you have an application (or server) that specifically needs it.

>IPX/SPX Protocol installed.
IPX/SPX is not required unless you have game/application that requires it or you bumped into a very rare problem (http://duxcw.com/faq/network/browsenet.htm).
>GW=172.16.2.100 (Address of NAT Software)
The gateway shouldn’t have a gateway. You need two network adapters in the gateway computer unless your NAT supports doing it with one (e.g., the latest version of Sygate)—one to the Internet (however you are connected?), the other to the local network. Most NATs have a DNS proxy server built-in and the clients are set for no DNS.
>domain=myisp.com
You shouldn’t be logging into a domain unless you have a domain server (Windows NT Server, Windows 2000 Server, etc.). If you were to, the domain name and workgroup names have to be identical. Or is that in the TCP/IP DNS configuration (in which case, it should conform to what your ISP says it should be and does not have to = the workgroup name).
I would use the XP to share the connection (using the ICS capability of XP). Actually, I would use a router if it is a broadband connection with an Ethernet interface on the MODEM (http://duxcw.com/faq/ics/waysshare.htm). Larry