SOLVED ! SOLVED !
I am a twit to put it mildly.
It seems to be the 'subnet mask'. I had set this on both machines in
a rather randon manner to be 254.0.0.3 and 254.0.0.6 corresponding to
their main addresses.

In desperation I set both to 0.0.0.0 and noticed that windows would
not let them stay like that, it reverted them both to 255.255.0.0

But they are now talking and the database semms ok !

So Sorry to have caused so much agro. Clearly it pays to know more
about tcp/ip than I do.

ANyway thanks for all your help. It was a teaser. And I am most
grateful to have a newsgroup to assist !
Dave

--- In ib-support@y..., comesailing@b... wrote:
> 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