Thanks for the replies helping me to sort out this problem.
few answers to questions asked. While the reinstall goes on! ( going to look at the SAMBA config files before i start the samba server this time. see if anything changes in there. slow way of doing things but i'm learning all the time!
when i tried to find other computers with smb://IP, konquorer just sat there and did nothing for a while and then came back with the same message. (network unreachable) (found the "internet server" though with its static IP)
my apologies to not getting back Laurie:
Check DNS, dhcp and WINS.
Do smbclient and/or smbmount work? If not, what are the synptoms?
being the floundering newbie that i said i was this made my head pop! i did have a look in the control centre and alas "play with" (not check) dchp, DNS and wins. For some reason this killed konquorer and my ability to browse anything including email :-( hence the reinstall (getting really good at that now!).
smbclient/smb mount will take some more investigation by me as i dont know what to do with them (I assume they are console commands).
might be up and running this afternoon with a fresh beast to slaughter.
I somehow think that i'll be back with other symptoms later.
thankyou all for now
i'll be in touch.....
Fletch.
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