ICS Client can't access shared printer

Ljooba

I really hate it when I'm cornered in such a way that I have to ask for help :eek:
But, this community looks nice so, I'll try to get some helpfull advices from u guys

And, the story goes:

3 PC's operating XP PRO - all have windows firewall fully disabled
1 shared printer
all in the same workgroup and share the same subnet
all share the same link to the Internet through ICS
all see each other in the workgroup

Only ICS host (PC #1) has Sygate 5.5 PRO firewall installed
Sygate FW is set as to enable browsing and sharing files and printers on NICs that belong to local network
Also, advanced rule has been created, specificly (by their local IPs) allowing other PCs ALL trafic, both ways

But the problem is that:
Only PC #1, which is also a host for the printer, can access shared folders of the other 2 PCs

Other two can access to PC #1 shared folders and printer ONLY if Sygate FW is set to ALLOW ALL (un)security level, whilst NORMAL security level is not allowing PC #2 and #3 access to files and printer of #1???
Secondly, I'd say even more bizzare thing is happening when I set Sygate FW to ALLOW ALL level: ALL Internet traffic is lost? MSN, ICQ, Firefox and DC++ client are all "dead"!

I know that Sygate FW is discontinued, but, over the years, I grew to love it, and it seems to me that the love is mutual, cuz when I remove it from the system, it "kills" all Internet connectivity??? A jelouse piece of software it is :rotfl:

Any ideas? And, please, don't recommend ZoneAlarm unless you're positive about it fixing my bizzare problem

Thanks a lot in advance!

PaulK_3

How are you removing it? Unistalling it should not be causing a complete loss of connectivity.

Ljooba

Incredibly, but it does!? I'm following civilized procedure of uninstalling it and then getting rid off of all registry garbage that has been left out... There's no other way to connect to the Internet again but to delete my ISP's connection and ICS and then recreating it all from the ground up, which is nothing hard, but does eat up my nerves :P

Ljooba

Before, I also tried looking for specific port(s) that file and printer sharing uses on windows XP, but without any success.
For example, I have enabled specific TCP and UTP ports on my ICS host machine as to allow other PCs to use torrent and DC++ clients... somehow I think that in that bush the rabbit hides, as local proverb goes... but can't find any info on that :eek:

PaulK_3

ISP? Which one? Sounds like the firewall is removing more than just it's own settings when you try to get rid of it.

Ljooba

Amazing! It took me ages first to ask anyone, but as I did, I figuret out for what should I google, and voila! the problem is solved!

In Sygate FW, I opened UTP ports 137, 138 and 445 and TCP 139 and 445 only for IPs of the other two PCs on my network, and guess what? It works!!! :T :j :beer: :rotfl:

My mistake was in trying to open ports in Advanced settings tab of ISP connection or NICs of local network, whilst I was only supposed to figure out exactly which ones are those ports and to open ONLY them in Sygate FW.
Somehow, openig everything on local network NIC's wasn't good enough

Thanks for showing interest in my problem PaulK, appreciate it, m8! :beer:

BTW, ISP is SBB - Serbian BroadBand cable operator, but it is of less importance now, since I'll never again have to put my FW in "allow all" mode

I'm soo ridicilously happy now I wanna get wasted drunk :rudolf:

PaulK_3

Erm never open ports anywhere except in the firewall, doing it anywhere else is pointless and won't work as you have realised. If a firewall is causing an issue then it's settings within the firewall that need adjusting, trying to open ports on a NIC will get you nowhere as they are open or respond to triggers by default as far as I know, which is why we need firewalls to hide/ close them.
A router is a much simpler option sometimes