XP My Network Places - "Not Responding"

Hi Guys

I have a small home network all on XP SP2.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not. When I go to My network Places it goes into thin air, and then comes up with "Not responding".

Yet other times it works first time.

Sometimes I have to reboot all 3 machines.

Do you think this is my network or my hardware ?

Kind Regards

Digby

What kind of hardware do you use?
How do you connect all of you computers?
RJ45 stp twisted pair or something else?
What kind of firewall/Antivirus do you use?
Is this a new issue or is this problem happened since the beginning of your home network setup?

If you have a domain check the controllers dns.
Check your subnetting.
Check the ip's of all the pc's are correctly configured.
check the cables one by one to see if you have a break in the wire or are they all seated in the nics.
Check your router is correctly configured.
The list is endless.

If a firewall is preventing the packets necessary to periodically reacquire an ip address something similar could happen.
Which firewall if any are you using?

HI Guys

Thanks for the replies.
I am using Zonealarm.
The network has worked perfectly for 1 year, now sometimes it does, sometimes it does not.

I have not changed any hardware or cabling etc.
If I reboot all 3 machines it seems to work OK.
I am going to apply for a Static IP address. so that might help.

What really annoys me is the way XP just goes off into nowhere, and says it is not resposnding, instead of saying why it's not repsonding !

Are you using a router or a cable to connect all your pc's together?

Have you done any zonealarm software update to a new version?

Are all the computers have xp as os?

Sounds like an IP addressing issue,Like battues says are you using a router? If so maybe you have 1 of the machines with a static IP and its conflicting. Anyway as you said static IP addressing will sort that. Also check all the connectors are sitting correctly in there NICs. Next time you post tell us your setup...Router,switch etc then we will get a better picture of whats going on.