Asus ZenWiFi internet connected but W11 Pro LAN problems

W11 Pro 64, 22H2, 22621.2428

I'm running W11Pro on one PC and W10Pro on another. My AiMesh ZenWiFi AX has 2 units. One is wired to an AT&T fiber ISP modem. The W11 PC is direct hard wired to that first AX unit, the gateway. My second unit is across the house. It's hard wired to a PoE adapter. My W10Pro PC is hard wired via the paired PoE adapter in another room. Both PCs get their IP addresses assigned via DHCP from the gateway AX unit. I notice that the second AX unit is assigned its own IP address. All wireless devices connect depending on their location.

From the W11 PC, When I open the network on the File Explorer, I see the icons for (right now) the two hard wired PCs and one MacBookPro that is connecting via wireless. They're all getting internet. So, I'm seeing three icons on the network: the W11, the W10, and the MBPro. If I click on the W11 icon, I can see the folders it is sharing. Clicking on either of the other two network icons takes forever and results in network path not found. The problem is occurring on the W11 PC.

From the W10 PC, I see all the icons in the network: itself, the W11, and the MBPro. Clicking on any of the W10 icon shows me the files it is sharing. On the MBPro icon, I'm asked for the remote username & password. When I enter them, I can see all the files the Mac is sharing. But just as from the W11 I can't see anything when I click on the network icons except its own shared files, from the W10 I get path not found errors for the W11 and the MBPro, nothing zilch. W11 warns it is removing the Troubleshooter and gives no help, essentially taking away features formerly available on W10, and interfering without notice in some nanny manner that makes LAN connections impossible. Help please.

Hey, I just noticed that if I type the IP addresses instead of the computer name for the MBPro, I got the username & pw request and the shared paths opened. But immediately trying to reproduce that, it failed again, this time not giving the path not found error, but unspecified error. I tried doing the IP address to connect with the Win10 PC and that didn't even work there on the first try. I tried this again, first trying to connect from the MBPro to the W11 typing the IP address and selecting Connect As, pre-filling in the uername and password. What do you know, the Apple was able to connect immediately to the W11. Then, as I was already connected, I tried doing the same from the W11. I typed the IP address of the MBPro in the W11 Network bar. It immediately connected to the Mac and showed its shared folders. What a muddy way to connect. Is there somewhere on the W11 that I can set the Network to automatically search the MBPro's IP address, instead of on the named icons?

1. From WIN11 PC run cmd (admin) ping -a <IP-address Win10 PC>
2. From WIN10 PC run cmd (admin) ping -a <IP-address Win11 PC>

then wait for some minutes and repeat step 1

oddly, running from W11 ping -a to Win10 PC times out.
from W10 to W11 returns instantly with 4 sent, 0 received, 4 lost packet loss. What's the -a do?

Waiting few minutes changes nothing.

learning by doing
type: ping /?

I have the same problem when I try to access a WIN10 machine. Usually the problem solves after 5-10 minutes.
I would give the 2 LAN-connected WIN PCs a fixed IP-Address.
Firewall?
Private Network on both machines?
Workgroup?
SMB-Settings in Features?

I'm sort of pausing on that. I set up OpenDNS to provide the DHCP addresses, and that required me to set my Win11 PC's Private Network manually. I think that is why I'm getting the message from my router: "Your router's DHCP server is configured to provide a DNS server that's different from your router's IP address. This will prevent clients from using the DNS Privacy servers."

I'm not exactly sure what that means, but could that be what is causing my LAN problem? I'm sure what I did was set the WIN11 IP to fixed, and the other IP addresses are handed out by the OpenDNS server, including that of the WIN10 PC.

I tried temporarily disabling the firewall and my AV just in case those could be interfering.

What do you think now that you know I changed the DNS server from Google to OpenDNS?

I have an ASUS Router as well and from time to time I have to unplug the power supply, wait for a couple of minutes and plug in again. It's not enough to reboot the router!
In the Router Navigation Panel (Network Map) (Default LAN IP = 192.168.50.1 ?) you should see the Clients connected to the Router. See Client Status.
Advanced Settings>LAN>LAN IP tab IP=192.168.50.1 SubnetMask 255.255.255.0
The ping 192.168.50.1 should work from all clients.
Advanced Settings>Administration>Restore/Save/Upload Setting ==> Save your current setting.
To Restore select Upload

Advanced Settings>LAN>LAN DHCP tab
IP Pool Starting Address 192.168.50.100
IP Pool Ending Address 192.168.50.200

On PC 1 static IP-Address 192.168.50.10
On PC 2 static IP-Address 192.168.50.20
For all PCs:
Subnet: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.50.1
DNS: 192.168.50.1

Allow your WiFi components to run in DHCP-Mode

I don't know if you have to operate your 2nd unit in WDS, Repeater or Access-Mode
I assume that your firmware is up to date
Good luck

Giving home LAN computers a fixed IP address just seems bonkers -- especially if you want to allow visitors to your home to be able to access shared folders on a LAN -- file explorer should just simply be able to display drives / folders users are allowed to access. !!! Who needs to remember a load of IP addresses - and do you want visitors kids typing in IP addresses.

cheers
jimbo

jimbo45 said:

Giving home LAN computers a fixed IP address just seems bonkers -- especially if you want to allow visitors to your home to be able to access shared folders on a LAN -- file explorer should just simply be able to display drives / folders users are allowed to access. !!! Who needs to remember a load of IP addresses - and do you want visitors kids typing in IP addresses.

cheers
jimbo

Click to expand...

When people don't understand network they post s.th. like this.

POLYSIUS said:

When people don't understand network they post s.th. like this.

Click to expand...

You must be one of those "Over-egoed" I.T admins.

IF WE KNEW ALL THE ANSWERS WHY WOULD WE POST ASKING FOR ASSISTANCE (Caps intended).
Typical response for someone who probably has zero teaching or social skills.

Cheers
jimbo

jimbo45 said:

Typical response for someone who probably has zero teaching or social skills.

Click to expand...

I am teaching the mathematical models used in weather forecasts and climate research and my audience is well educated.
And believe me or not: Silvanet did not ask for that kind of assistance you gave! Your answer was just useless!

I w

POLYSIUS said:

I am teaching the mathematical models used in weather forecasts and climate research and my audience is well educated.
And believe me or not: Silvanet did not ask for that kind of assistance you gave! Your answer was just useless!

Click to expand...

I wasn't giving a solution - just asking for stuff !!!. If the answer IS useless then show the faults. Judging by your attitude I'd hate to be the recipients of weather models you are teaching. I was merely suggesting that I didn't think having to set a whole load of machines to have fixed IP LAN addresses on them when you've got 8 year old kids who need to connect to shared folders on a LAN - I have neither the time nor inclination to do that. They have always used file explorer which in the past allows them to directly connect to shared folders -- what's wrong with that.

not wasting any more time on this.

cheers
jimbo

What a day! Today I have learned a new english word: bonkers

A good description for your input!
Greetings to the people in Hafnarfjörður

cheers