LAN - can access xp machine but cannot ping it.

English Network/Internet
#1

I can access my XP machine on the LAN through Nautilus, having setup samba. (working but no idea if its set up properly). But I am unable to reach the XP machine when I try to ping it. I can ping this machine from XP. I can also log into the router and view all connected PCs and know the IPs are correct. I have tried from another OpenSUSE 11.4 x32 machine on the LAN and it was able to ping this machine.

I do have a software firewall enabled on both PCs but have also tried with them disabled.

Using OpenSUSE 11.4 x64
Router is a Actiontec Qwest PK5000 (from ISP)
and the other machine is running Win XP SP3

Im not really sure where or how to troubleshoot this. Any help is appreciated. Any other info I can provide, let me know.

#2

Is the only problem the inability to ping? If that’s a “yes”, then check that wins is switched on in the hosts line in the file /etc/nsswitch.conf. Locate the line beginning with hosts and see that wins comes before dns as follows:

hosts:       files mdns4_minimal [NOTFOUND=return] wins dns

Might help

#3

Is the only problem the inability to ping? If that’s a “yes”, then check that wins is switched on in the hosts line in the file /etc/nsswitch.conf. Locate the line beginning with hosts and see that wins comes before dns as follows:

hosts:       files mdns4_minimal [NOTFOUND=return] wins dns

Might help

#4

Pings can be selectively blocked by an OS. So the success of ping (which is ICMP) and the success of IP access can be independent.

#5

Thanks, Swerdna. Still no change though. I had rebooted also just to be sure.

Following Ken_yap’s lead, I poked around in ICMP things and OpenSUSE was good. Found my problem in XP and was able to resolve this. My AV firewall had slipped past me and was blocking echorequests.

I still know nothing about what I’m doing, but am thankful for the help finding my way.

Happy Thanksgiving, if you celebrate. And still thanks, even if you don’t.