SAMBA bet RH 9 & W2K with Netgear Router - can't see W2K share
 

Goal:
To configure SAMBA server on a laptop running Redhat Linux 9 (laptop), such that my W2K (PC) can ping the laptop and view a vfat partition (commonfat) on laptop using My Network Places.

Achieved thus far:
- Installed RH linux (workstation option) w/RPM for Samba and samba-config
- have root, jim, and bob users
- configured NIC to recieve IP from DHCP (netgear router)
- established internet connection just fine!
- using RH GUI app ran samba server config. workgroup = sopranos (this matches my W2K workgroup name), security = user, encrypt passwords = yes, guest account = nobody
- using RH GUI app, made samba user bob (which is the user name on the W2K box)
- added the /commonfat share w/ read/write priveldges
- edited the smb.conf file to allow wins support
- edited /etc/sysconfig/network and network = tonysbox.localdomain
- edited /etc/hosts and it looks like this:
127.0.0.1 localhost.localhostadmin localhost
127.0.0.1 tonysbox.localdomain tonysbox
- did nothing to the W2K box
- rebooted Redhat
- I still have Internet access! And when I run Network services, I can see the sopranos workgroup in smb:///, THIS IS GREAT - i double click it and I can see the W2K box and when I click on that it asks me for username and password (transmitted unecrypted)

PROBLEM#1: From the W2k box (logged in as bob) I can't see tonysbox. I can't ping tonysbox, I can only ping its IP address 192.168.0.4
Problem#2: WHen accessing the W2k box from tonysbox it asks for user id and password, but it tells me that the password will transmit UNencrypted. WHY! IS this a problem? How serious?
Problem#3: From tonysbox I can see the W2K box and its shares but I cannpt see the Printer which is shared as xerox. This is not as serious as my first 2 issues.

If anyone has some info that would help I would appreciate it. Step by step instructions are best as I am fairly new to LInux.

Thanks,
C