PC fully connected but not pingable by other PC on the home network

[wiiiindy]

PC1 is XP Pro SP2
PC2 is XP Home SP2
PC1 can ping the router and network printer but not PC2
PC1 cannot access shares on PC2
PC2 can ping all devices on the network and access shares on PC1
Both can access the internet
All devices have fixed IP addresses.
All devices have been reset/restarted multiple times during troubleshooting.

Problem started when PC2 (laptop) was changed to DHCP for use in a hotel.
Changed back to fixed address for use at home.
No does not respond to pings in fixed, DHCP, wired, or wireless modes.

PC2 firewall is OFF.

Any ideas??

[Computer Hope Admin]

I'd turn off all firewalls on both PC1 and PC2. Nine times out of ten this type of issue always boils down to a firewall related issue. Make sure that not only your Windows firewall is disabled but if you have Norton, McAfee, AVG, etc. virus protection that if it has a firewall it too is disabled.

If you're still unable to ping get to a command prompt on both computers and do the below steps

ipconfig /release

ipconfig /renew

ipconfig

This will release the addresses and then renew them with your router. Once that's done ipconfig will display your ip address. I'm sure you probably know these commands but just in case you don't here they are.

Once this is done make sure you're pinging the right address and try again. If that doesn't work just to make sure you don't have software running causing issues booth the computers into Safe Mode with network support and try again.

[wiiiindy]

Thanks.  Been there done that.   Renewing the IP address is only meaningful if you are using DHCP but I did try it when I had it configured for DHCP.   I also tried turning off the firewalls in both computers .......  ahhh - it just struck me that even when Zone Alarm is turned off there is a stub running.   I'll have to reboot to get it out of the way entirely.   I'll report back but I am not hopeful.

Any other ideas out there???

[2k_dummy]

(This is from an older version of ZA Pro on a 2K machine.)

You might not have to disable ZA. Bring up ZA by double clicking its icon in the system tray. Click the advanced button. Click Zone Alarm Settings tab. Check the list to see if ICMP (ping) is allowed. Be sure the settings are saved and reboot. Try pinging again.

[wiiiindy]

Thanks 2k_dummy.   However ZA cannot be blocking ICMP since I can ping the router, the printer, and all over the internet.   It is pinging from the ZA equipped computer to the non-ZA equipped laptop that the ping is not acknowledged - even with the Windows Firewall disabled on the laptop.

I am stumped.