A bit more info:
If I sit on PC1 and ping PC1 I get the response
'pinging PC1 (169,254,0,3)' followed by a series of reponses to pings.
So all fine but no network involved.

If I sit on PC1 and ping PC2 I get the response
'pinging PC2 (0,0,0,0)' followed by a response of zeros.
So it looks as though the 'hosts' file is not being interpreted.

But if I sit on PC1 and ping 'Fred' I get the reply
'unknown host Fred'

So pc1 clearly knows about pc2 but can't resolve the host IP address
properly. ???
Perhaps I shall have to re-install win98...Heaven forbid!
Regards Dave.

--- In ib-support@y..., comesailing@b... wrote:
> Thanks Lester
> It in win98 SE.
> Yes each can see its own data using a Local database. And can see
its
> own data when addressing itself as though it were remote, as in
your
> note. (was the double backslash a mistake on your part ??).
> The two can see each other as a workgroup using netbeui and can
> exchange files etc Using netbuie.
> I removed NetBuei from both, then of course this lost
> the 'workgroup', connection and I just left tcp/ip on their network
> interfaces.
> So far as I know I am using the last Firebird beta.
> When I ask it says W1-TI.0.0.338 Firebird Beta2.
>
> one other strange thing I noted about the install routine as
supplied
> was that it did not update the gds32.dll in windows (which was left
> from IB5.6). I had to do that by hand, afterwards. Perhaps the
> install routine goofed generally !! ??
>
> --- In ib-support@y..., lester@l... wrote:
> > > Now there is one other bit of info in that I had many months
ago
> set
> > > up Linux on both machines. But this is now abandoned and
derilict.
> > > Could this have got in the way of the windows install ?
> >
> > Should not make any difference - but Microsoft are involved
> > so...
> >
> > > How can I tell if the windows install has somehow connected the
> > > Firebird to the port ?
> > > All further help welcomed I have wasted two days on this so
far !
> >
> > Back to basics.
> >
> > Which version of 98? Second Edition works better ( and
> > different ) to First.
> >
> > I thought you had local connections working, is this still
> > the case ?
> >
> > Can you do a local connection with 'PC1:c:\\ifixed.gdb' ON
> > PC1 ?
> > ( and the same on PC2 )
> >
> > You can ping both PC1 AND it's IP address from PC2 ?
> > This is important as windows can seem to be using one
> > address when it actually uses a different one. ( But it
> > should work anyway )
> >
> > Are we talking the latest Firebird Beta - the one where you
> > can change the port number so that it's not 3050. In which
> > case 'c:\\ifixed.gdb' will work and 'PC1:c:\\ifixed.gdb'
> > will not.
> >
> > I have to admit that I usually have the 98 machine working
> > quite quickly using the simple hard coded ip addresses,
> > baring in mind the listed problems, so it has to be
> > something funny.
> >
> > --
> > Lester Caine
> > -----------------------------
> > L.S.Caine Electronic Services