I wanted to install a Debian server then work on it from my physical XP through PuTTY with a SSH session. It only worked once. Actually, it failed shortly after authentication request.

I use a Windows XP physical computer linked to internet with a modem-router, a Netgear. Three other computers are on the network: 2 XP Sweet and 1 Ubuntu.

I've installed a virtual machine I plan to use as server for my network, it's a text-only Debian5 virtualized with Vmware player 3.0.1 build-227600. Its virtual network connection is set as bridged. I also have a graphical Debian virtual machine I set for tests, virtual network connection bridged as well.

Every machine in the network, physical or virtual, have fixed IP. They all ping the other machines in any direction you want.

I tried SSH sessions from my test Debian and it worked flawlessly. People from outside the network could also when I opened a route for them.
After installing OCS-NG server on the virtual machine (through SSH from the test Debian), I've deployed (manually) the agents on the machines in the network, their inventories all appeared, except for my XPs. Similarly, I can access the web interface of OCS-NG from any machine of the network except this one.

It seems that from my physical machine, only ICMP packets can reach the virtual machine.

I thought at first it was a firewall problem from my machine but I've opened the required ports on the firewall of XP. Also after a test, I could SSH to the server of a friend, without problem.

I'm running low on ideas as to why both machines won't communicate.