Using Multiple computers using octopus

[mcphail08]

well I've been researching to figure out this problem and well this is what I think.

I can ping both computers from eachother and they are both in the same workgroup.

but for some reason when I look at the workgroup on my main computer which is running vista I cannot see my other computer which is running xp in the workgroup.

Both computers have the internet working perfectly and can ping eachother so I dont understand whats wrong...please help

[mcphail08]

Ok I got it to connect but how I did it was rather then type in the name of the computer I was trying to access into the connect bar near the bottom I just typed in the ip of the computer I was trying to connect to. Why did that work but not the computer name? is there something i need to fix in my network or something?

[skarlot]

my copy will tell me "Failed to resolve blah blah" if the hostname doesn't resolve. You said it said couldn't connect, so I assume the hostname is valid but its pointing to the wrong IP?

If DNS names start to piss me off I will just set static IP's (either in my router via DHCP and MAC addresses or in the TCP IP properties for the network adapter), and then edit C:\Windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts. Then its all said n done, and you don't have to worry abuot Windows DNS incompetence. Theres too many unknowns to possibly tell you why it is like it is, and this might not even work. For example, I have no idea what kind of internet setup, NAT on a router? ICS? I have no idea how your DNS is configured, on a router? etc.. you can't possibly expect anyone to tell you exactly what to fix.

[Ughmahedhurtz]

Ok I got it to connect but how I did it was rather then type in the name of the computer I was trying to access into the connect bar near the bottom I just typed in the ip of the computer I was trying to connect to. Why did that work but not the computer name? is there something i need to fix in my network or something?

If you're using Vista, you have to enable network discovery for names to work. Grats on getting it to connect at all. If you're running XP SP2 or Vista, you have a firewall, you just may not know about it.