Networking between Windows2000 and Windows95/98

When installing a network between a Windows95/98/Me and a Windows2000 system, just
make sure that you configure both systems with all required components.
(same rules apply when networking between WIndows95/98/ME and WindowsXP)
(see also the Microsoft Knowledge Base article Q258717 ) :

1) Common protocol: Either install on all system NetBEUI protocol or TCP/IP:

Since the default protocol for
Windows 2000 is now TCP/IP,
you should also use TCP/IP on
the Windows95/98/ME system.
(for details on the selection/
installation of protocols, please
view the Adjust the Network
Configuration )

Check on TCP/IP properties:
for Windows95, you must
define manually an IP-address,
for Windows98/ME, you can
select to use the Windows 98
TCP/IP AutoConfiguration.
however: since the Windows98
Auto-IP-configuration will cause
a delay at startup, I strongly
suggest to assign manually an
IP-address (use an address from
the range 192.168.x.x with
subnetmask 255.255.255.0 )

test, that you have a working
network connection to the
Windows2000 system by
making the TCP/IP PING test.

Verify the Windows 2000 Network.
By default, TCP/IP is installed
and configured for an
Automaic IP-configuration.
Although it will not delay the
startup, the network will not
be ready for a while, since the
IP-address will not yet be
defined.
I suggest to define the IP-address
manually, assigning an IP-address
in the same range as defined on
the Windows95/98 system.

test, that you have a working
network connection to the
Windows95/98/ME system by
making the TCP/IP PING test.

2) Install File-and-Printer Sharing:

You need to install the "File-and-Printer Sharing" on Windows95/98/ME as part of the Network configuration.	"File-and-Printer Sharing" is installed already by default, see the Windows 2000 Network Verification.

3) make sure to be in the same workgroup:

	Check in the Network-Configuration, tab: Identification, that the name of the workgroup is the same as defined on the Windows 2000 system.
	Check in the Properties of "My Computer", tab: Network Identification, that the name of the workgroup is the same as defined on the Windows95/98/ME system. if required, adjust it.

4) Make the resources available by Sharing disks/folders on Windows95/98/ME and by
sharing disks/folders on Windows2000.

5) create a Windows2000 Username for the user working on the Windows95/98/ME system:

use Windows 2000 User Management to
create a username and password to be
used to logon on the Windows95/98/ME system

6) Login on the Windows95/98/ME system on startup with the username and password defined
in the step above:

7) the Windows95 "Network Neighborhood" should allow you now to access the
Windows2000 system and the Windows 2000 "My Network Places" / "Computers Near Me"
access to the Windows: