Thanks for that, Bob. Am printing it as we speak!
See more questions/comments in body below. . .

>>It sure looks like one of the subsequent installs clobbered a 'working' component with one of "lesser effectiveness", but I have no way to get the system to use components from the original WIN98 CD-ROM!@#@!
>>
>>Can anyone suggest some course of action to resolve this??
>>
>>Thanks in advance,
>>
>>Jim N
>
Realized that I forgot to mention that MS Combat Flight Simulator and the MS Force Feedback joystick were installed after last known working network. Oddly, the MS Combat FltSim *may* have been implicated in similar trouble under Win95 - just cannot be certain but timeframe is awfully close.

>Not sure if you got all this setteled yet, but I wanted to correct some inaccuricies I say in the thread...
>
>** AS someone said, keep it simple, and test the cable first!!!
>
>1. You only need TCP/IP on the Win95 machine... that is a valid protocol for MS networking clients, which is what you are using. (I only have TCP/IP on my Win95 machine at work and I can see it fine.)
>
>* - I just verified this, on page 1007 of the Win95 resource kit. Also page 415 states this.
>
>2. You must have MS Networking Client (or family networking if you want/ yuck) on all machines.
>
>3. Make sure TCP/IP is bound to the adapter!
>
I presume I can say that it *is* when I see an arrow from TCPIP to SMC Ether..

>4. In your TCP/IP setup, each machine must have it's own IP address... I assume you have no NT machine/DHCP server. If to machines have the same TCP/IP address the second one you bring up won't go on the network. (of course, you should get an error message) There is a standard Class C address you are supposed to use that doesn't exist on the Internet, I forget what it is, maybe someone here knows. But, all your machines should have the same first three numbers in the IP address, or you would need a router running to pass packets from say 1.1.1 to 1.1.2. (I think, been a while since I passed my TCP/IP exam)
>
I wouldn't know how to "setup the TCPIP" much less specify an address. I do know that I have not needed to specify any kind of 'address' to have the network working before. I assumed that NIC card had this on it.

>5. Make sure in the Identification section of the network setup, each machine has it's own name, and, make sure they have the same workgroup name... I have seen where this was case sensitive at times. Of course, for access control, you have to set to shared level, since you have no domain set up (I am assuming)
>
>6. If all the above is working, you should be able to see all three machines listed in the network neighboorhood.
>
I was instructed to set up a DOMAIN which is available only through dial-up after I have booted. But without that I cannot communicate with the office! I have no idea how all this works!

>7. Now, if you want to share devices on any machine you have to enable File/Print sharing. This is done with the button on the network config dialog by pressing the "File and Printer Sharing..." button (belive it or not) If you have either of these checked, the system should add "File and Printer Sharing" component to your network setup.
>
Yes, that is there and proper on all machines. Other two machines (Win95) both working OK between themselves. They just cannot see third, as third cannot see them.

I sure am hoping it is the cable! All this other technical stuff is interesting and even helpful, but all I really need is some networking capability and it doesn't even have to be 'optimized' as long as it work reliably and reasonably quickly. It had been both until this!

Thanks again, and I'll let all know when it is solved.

Jim N

>Good luck!