So I have this nice in-house network, between my system (Presario 5600N running Mandrake 10.1/XP Home dual-boot), my blind housemate (Toshiba laptop running Win98SE) and my computer-hostile housemate (Dell running XP Home). We're using a Netgear router, because we're sharing a cable connection to the ISP.
Now here's the fun part. Computer-hostile housemate's system only appears on the network randomly. It can use the internet connection, no problem. Sometimes it can talk to the 98 box. Sometimes it can SEE my box, but cannot talk to it. Ever. I can always see both other boxes, and can always access the 98 box, but can only access the Dell when the moon is the right shade of blue. And this holds true whether I'm using Linux or XP on my system. Meanwhile, the 98 box can talk to my box all the time, and talk to the XP box about as often as I can.
We're down to suspecting that maybe the problem is the network interface on the Dell motherboard, but don't want to mess up the housemate's internet connection if we're wrong.
Anyone have any ideas?