Home Network puzzle...

Anthony.Ralph

Anthony.Ralph

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Anthony Ralph
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We have three computers here; two laptops and a desktop. The laptops connect to the router using wifi and the desktop via an ethernet cable. All machines talked to each other when we were on Windows 8.1 but since the upgrade to Windows 10 (the desktop being a clean install) one of the laps can see and communicate with the other two machines, but not the other way round. In the case of the second laptop and the desktop machine, they can maintain a two-way communication as before.

Needless to say, I have checked and tried many things; advanced network settings, credentials and on the desktop , gpedit.msc but to no avail. If anyone cares to suggest any ideas or suggestions, I would be only too happy to try them or at least indicate if I have done so already.

Anthony.
 
turn the firewalls off briefly, see if they can talk then. Can they all ping each other?
 
Hello Byker, Turning off firewalls on desktop and the 'non-talking' laptop didn't help I'm afraid but pinging it by name returned okay (33ms round trip as it happens).

Thanks for the reply however.

Anthony.
 
Interestingly, I can see a network device for the 'non-talking' laptop and when I click on it I can see music, pictures and videos. This 'appears' to be a read-only view, as I cannot drag any files to it from one of my desktop folders.

Anthony.
 
Hello Neil:

Thanks for the thoughts. Shares are set up and I believe user names and passwords are the same - I cannot be sure as I don't seem to be able (lack of knowledge) to find where to check these.

Appreciate the help I am getting...

Anthony.
 
I'm wondering if it's more a master browser type problem. Reinstalling a new OS on the desktop has changed which machine is elected master browser, so it's a case of whichever machine is now elected the master browser isn't aware of all the machines on the network.

In a network that isn't solely reliant on DNS ... for instance, most home networks where there are Windows PCs (or even Linux OOB distributions running SAMBA) one machine is designated "Master Browser" and becomes the go to point for all the other machines on the network when it comes to finding resources (i.e. other PCs) on that network. There is an election process between the machines on the network to determine which is the master browser. Factors like OS Version, Uptime come into play. I had the situation where I'd turn my desktop on and it would become Master Browser because it was running the latest OS. Other machines on the network could find the desktop, but not each other. I resolved it by editing registry keys to stop any of the PCs electing themselves as Master Browser and enabling the Master Browser function on my Synology NAS, which of course was always switched on.

Now I'm running a completely different set-up with a proper DNS server so it's no longer a problem.

Some more info here:
http://scottiestech.info/2009/02/14/how-to-determine-the-master-browser-in-a-windows-workgroup/
 
Hello afasoas: Thanks for the link - downloaded the program and ran it with the result as you can see in the attached picture. It shows all three machines in the workgroup okay with the desktop (Aida) as master. I can access my laptop (Turandot) which has the same user account password as the desktop. The problem comes with the other laptop (GURU) where using it, I can access both the other machines, but they cannot in turn access it.

Anthony.
View attachment 44742
 
In which case, it sounds like your network set-up on GURU isn't right.
What version of Windows is it running? XP/Vista/7/8 etc.
 
All the machines are using Windows 10. Previously they were all on Windows 8.1. The laptops are upgraded (home) versions; the desktop once upgraded had a clean install which is the Win 10 pro version.

Before the upgrades, whilst on Win 8.1 all machines could access each other.

Anthony.
 
I still cannot get my Desktop and one Laptop to talk to the other laptop, despite lots of time spend researching and (carefully) trying things over several days. The only thing I thought I might try would be to create a new HomeUserGroup and see if I can get all the machines onto that. Your comments about this idea, together with any advice how best to do it would be appreciated...

Anthony.
 
Sorry i'm not knowledgeable enough to comment on the specific Win10 Network settings to assist here. But at least you can fairly comfortably rule out any network issues, rather an issue on the specific laptop. Perhaps rebuild that laptop rather than spending too many hours troubleshooting.
 
rich_ said:
Sorry i'm not knowledgeable enough to comment on the specific Win10 Network settings to assist here. But at least you can fairly comfortably rule out any network issues, rather an issue on the specific laptop. Perhaps rebuild that laptop rather than spending too many hours troubleshooting.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your input Rich. I am going to have a cogitate for a few days and reconsider all options.

Anthony.
 
This issue sounds very similar to what I experienced when adding a new laptop to our home network that used a different version of Windows 7 to the other computers (including Windows XP) in the house - i.e. the 'Professional' version has advanced security features versus 'Home' - I too experienced various file sharing issues when all the computers were connected via a "workgroup" which I have assumed you are.

What I did was to create a "Homegroup" following the tutorial (see here) on the Microsoft website running it on each individual PC/Laptop because the instructions can vary for different Windows operating systems. And then created 'shares' or excluded files and folders from being shared as appropriate on each computer.

What I also found is that there does not appear to be an easy way to completely reset all existing sharing options, so if you have any existing shares, you may wish to first cancel them individually on each computer. The simplest method for viewing all the files you have shared is to open Windows Explorer, click Network and then the name of your computer. You will see a list with all the folders shared by your computer with the network.

Good luck in getting it sorted. :)
 
None of the computers on the network have the same name do they?

Note the computer name is not the same as the user name
 
This probably isn't the answer but it's worth checking your anti virus s/ware assuming you have it. I had a problem with my old XP desktop talking to my new Windows 10 laptop (desktop would 'see' the laptop but not the other way round) which had me tearing my hair out and turned out to be the anti virus. If the computers are all in the same network 'group' it shouldn't be that, but worth a check.Mine weren't but now they are everything works.
 
It sounds like File & Print Sharing isn't enabled on GURU. Although you said you've checked advanced network settings, I think it would be worth checking F&PC again.
 
Snapsh0t said:
It sounds like File & Print Sharing isn't enabled on GURU. Although you said you've checked advanced network settings, I think it would be worth checking F&PC again.
Click to expand...

Promise you it is enabled - honest! Thanks for the thought nevertheless...

Anthony.
 
Jannyfox said:
This probably isn't the answer but it's worth checking your anti virus s/ware assuming you have it. I had a problem with my old XP desktop talking to my new Windows 10 laptop (desktop would 'see' the laptop but not the other way round) which had me tearing my hair out and turned out to be the anti virus. If the computers are all in the same network 'group' it shouldn't be that, but worth a check.Mine weren't but now they are everything works.
Click to expand...

All using the same AV etc. I have turned off all AV and Firewalls on all machines during my tests, but to no avail. Thanks for the thought anyway..

Anthony.
 
Keith W said:
None of the computers on the network have the same name do they?

Note the computer name is not the same as the user name
Click to expand...

Nope; they are all named differently and the Usernames are all different to too. Good thought, thanks.

Anthony
 
lostsoulal2 said:
This issue sounds very similar to what I experienced when adding a new laptop to our home network that used a different version of Windows 7 to the other computers (including Windows XP) in the house - i.e. the 'Professional' version has advanced security features versus 'Home' - I too experienced various file sharing issues when all the computers were connected via a "workgroup" which I have assumed you are.

What I did was to create a "Homegroup" following the tutorial (see here) on the Microsoft website running it on each individual PC/Laptop because the instructions can vary for different Windows operating systems. And then created 'shares' or excluded files and folders from being shared as appropriate on each computer.

What I also found is that there does not appear to be an easy way to completely reset all existing sharing options, so if you have any existing shares, you may wish to first cancel them individually on each computer. The simplest method for viewing all the files you have shared is to open Windows Explorer, click Network and then the name of your computer. You will see a list with all the folders shared by your computer with the network.

Good luck in getting it sorted. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for this. I will take a little time and digest what you have written and the details in the link As Capt. Oates said "...I may be gone some time"

Anthony.
 
Have you tried connecting to the machine where you are certain file sharing is enabled but can't see it via IP address?

Open explorer; Windows+E
Type in the address bar: \\IP_adress_of_computer [ENTER]

That way you know for certain whether it is a browser issue or a service issue on the host computer.
 
dejongj said:
Have you tried connecting to the machine where you are certain file sharing is enabled but can't see it via IP address?

Open explorer; Windows+E
Type in the address bar: \\IP_adress_of_computer [ENTER]

That way you know for certain whether it is a browser issue or a service issue on the host computer.
Click to expand...

Thanks Dejongi. Doing just that allowed me onto the laptop (at last) I changed a couple more permissions on the laptop to allow access to the areas I needed. If I click on the network name (GURU) I still cannot get on however. Interestingly, this afternoon using my other laptop , I left the homeusergroup and then rejoined. When I went to this laptop,and clicked on the network name of the laptop I have been having all the trouble with, it asked me to sign in (user name and password) and once I did that, I was able to access GURU okay.

I have pinned the ip address to GURU onto my quick start menu for now so I can get to GURU at any time from my main machine. Can I force a username/password sign-in to another pc on the network; I am wondering if I have inadvertently entered the wrong username/password at some point or the wrong one has been picked up during the Win10 upgrade/clean install process.

Many thanks for getting me much further forward to solving this tiresome problem.

Anthony.
 
You are welcome :) glad it helped.
 
I would just like to say thank you for all the helpful suggestions, advice and help I have received in this thread. Whilst I haven't been able to *quite* solve the problem, I have a sensible working process* and that is fine.

Regards: Anthony.

* Which appears to be the case for many people as I have, this evening, been reading in a very long thread of some nine pages spanning about six years!

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...s/84791143-b70a-4ec2-b700-98df657fe45c?page=1 )
 
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