Cannot Browse Network Neighborhood or My Network Places Using a Dial-Up Connection (181501)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
  • Microsoft Windows 98
  • Microsoft Windows 95
This article was previously published under Q181501

SYMPTOMS

When you connect to your network using a dial-up connection and then double-click Network Neighborhood in Windows 95/98, or My Network Places in Windows Me, one of the following events may occur:
  • You receive the following error message:
    The network is not accessible.
    Unable to find the device on the network.
  • You see only your computer and Entire Network. If you double-click Entire Network, you see your workgroup. If you double-click your workgroup, you see only your computer.
However, you can connect to network shares, map network drives, and run programs across the network.

CAUSE

This behavior can occur if you connect to a dial-up server and no computer on your local area network (LAN) is specified as a browse master.

RESOLUTION

To work around this behavior, make one of the computers on your LAN a browse master. To do so, follow these steps:
  1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
  2. Double-click Network, click "File and printer sharing for Microsoft Networks" on the Configuration tab, and then click Properties.
  3. In the Property box, click Browse Master, click Enabled in the Value box, click OK, and then click OK.
  4. Click Yes when you are prompted to restart your computer.
Note that you must have the "File and printer sharing for Microsoft Networks" service installed to browse Windows 95 and Windows 98 peer networks.

If a Microsoft Windows NT server is installed on your LAN, it automatically becomes browse master for your network.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:12/16/2004
Keywords:kberrmsg kbnetwork kbprb KB181501
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.