I have setup WSS 3.0 on a Server 2008 (32-bit) machine using the directions from this site: http://grounding.co.za/blogs/brett/archive/2007/08/23/a-developer-s-101-to-installing-windows-sharepoint-services-3-0.aspx I have created a site collection which I can connect to on the server. When I try to access the site from either my laptop or other desktop, I can only get to the site by entering the IP address of the server. The site name returns "Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage" I have disabled every firewall including the router. I checked SQL and the account has the recommended administration rights. I tried flushdns. What am I missing?

From your laptop can you ping the name of the server that you are trying to access? If not make sure that you have an entry in your dns to resolve the name to the ip address. You can also check your alternate access mapping. Have a look at the answer in this thread: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/sharepointadmin/thread/807bf86e-1bea-49eb-a2c4-a33f757bc428 Serge

Thank you for your response. Yes, I can ping the server by <hostname>.local or 192.168.0.x. I checked out the suggested link, but not sure If I understood the solution properly. Additionally I don't think it is the same problem; all of my computers are within the same workgroup as WORKGROUP. I'd like to point out I'm relatively new to this. I'm wondering if maybe this is something as simple as a folder not being shared. Otherwise, are the following settings correct? In IIS, [note: Default Web Site is listed as "stopped" and Port matches <sitename> which is not "stopped"] under Sites, click on <Sitename> click Bindings select under type "http" (only one listed) in Edit Site Binding dialog, IP address: "All unassigned", Port:"80", Host name: is blank In SharePoint 3.0 Central Administration for Alternate Access Mappings, there are 2 sites (one is for Central Administration, the other is http://sitename click Alternate Access Mapping Collection, choose "Change Alternate Access Mapping Collection" in new window pop-up, choose http://sitename click Edit Public URLs, only Default has info. That info is http://sitename Note: If I physically add the IP address and <sitename> to the hosts file on my laptop, then I can connect. However, this solution seems like a very inefficient and error-prone method if I were to have a large infrastructure. I found the workaround at: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/ff679917.aspx The rest of the video did not resolve my issue.

Note: If I physically add the IP address and <sitename> to the hosts file on my laptop, then I can connect. However, this solution seems like a very inefficient and error-prone method if I were to have a large infrastructure. I found the workaround at: I imagine you may have already tried this, but what you say above indicates this is a straightforward DNS issue. You mention you have tried pinging "<hostname>.local or 192.168.0.x", but what about "sitename"? Can you ping that from your laptop? If "sitename" doesn't resolve from your laptop without a host file entry it is probably just a DNS resolution problem which is not a SharePoint issue. HTH.Benjamin Athawes Twitter SharePoint Blog