Question : DNS Server does not work on Windows XP PC

I have a PC that has an internet connection but cannot locate other PCs in the same workgroup on the LAN.

I connect to two network printers using the IP address.  But I cannot "find" a color printer attached to another PC in this workgroup.

I am running Windows XP Pro with SP3. -- all windows updates applied.

Network Diagnostics for Windows XP shows:  DNS failure

I can ping a workgroup PC via IP address -- but not by name
ping steve  fails
ping 192.168.1.8  connects to steve

This PC is a ThinkPad laptop connected via a docking station. Everything worked 6 weeks ago. I am not sure what has changed. She does take it home and use it on a wireless network on occasion.

Any suggestions appreciated.  I am not next to the PC so it will take me some time to respond to suggestions.

Thanks!

Answer : DNS Server does not work on Windows XP PC

I resolved the problem when my partner (who has been working with me on this for several hours) found this MS article:  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/903267/

I repeated a bit of the article below. I found and deleted DHCPnodeType in the registry (as described below) and it resolved the issue.  It would be nice to know how htis machine got into such trouble -- did we do something wrong? Can we avoid it in the future? ....BUT -- it seems to be working fine now.
--------------------MS Article below-------------------------

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
322756  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756/ ) How to back up and restore the registry in Windows
To resolve this issue, follow these steps:

   1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
   2. Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\NetBt\Parameters
   3. In the right pane of Registry Editor, delete the following values if they are present:
          * NodeType
          * DhcpNodeType
      Note If the NodeType value is present, this value will override the DhcpNodeType value. If neither subkey is present and if no WINS servers are configured for the client, the computer uses b-node mode. If at least one WINS server is configured, the computer uses h-node mode.
   4. Quit Registry Editor.
   5. Restart the computer.
   6. Try to view workgroup computers on the network again.