Can't see any remote OPC servers!

[John_Howard]

There has GOT to be something simple I am missing here.

I have a "Master" computer running XP Professional, with all of NI's latest software (LabVIEW 7.0 Express, DSC, NI-DAQ 7.1, TestStand 3.0 ...).

I also have a remote computer running XP Prefessional with NI-DAQ 7.1, and a bunch of NI hardware.

DCOM is setup on both computers to the lowest security settings for OPCEnum and NI-DAQ OPC. (I've gone through configuration setting recomended by NI's app. notes as well as the opcactivex.com web site.)

It seems like no matter what I do, the TAG Engine can not see any OPC servers on the remote computer. Server Explorer can't see them either. Server explorer keeps telling me "Unable to connect to \\MCS-Rack1! Make sure that the c
omputer is on the network, has remote administration enabled, and that both computers are running the remote registry service."

I know both computers are on the 'network' (they are using file and print sharing), and the remote registry service is running on both machines. I don't know how to check remote administration, although I kind of doubt this is the problem.

The only unique setting I can think of is the internet connection sharing that is setup. (The Master conputer has an internet connection that it is sharing with the remote computer.) Could this be causing problems?

I just don't know what to try next. Does anyone have any ideas or recommendations? Is OPC and DCOM always this frusterating? (I am beginning to regret our decision to use it.)

Thanks,

John Howard

[Remzi]

Hi John,

Since there are couple of on-line documents available at ni.com, I want to make sure you have looked into the one linked below.
http://zone.ni.com/devzone/conceptd.nsf/2d17d611efb58b22862567a9006ffe76/3ea0c311bd5ad012862569ee007bb22f?OpenDocument

Also, as it is mentioned in the document, there are two ways in which you can access a remote OPC server:

1. Access the remote OPC server directly from the client machine
2. Redirect a local OPC server (on the client machine) to the remote OPC server

Let me know in which way you try to access the remote OPC server.

Regards,
Remzi A.