Intermittent home network using 3 machines and Windows 11 on all


Sigurd

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OS
Windows 11
Setup - Windows 11 on both laptops and main Pc.
Networking via BT Hub 3 and ethernet cable.

I assume I have it all setup correctly because if the wind is in the right direction, it all works perfectly. At other times for no rhyme nor reason it doesn't.

On the problem days whichever machine I use to see the others either I don't see the machine I am trying to connect to or I see one but not the other. If I look from another machine I may or may not see the same ones. Also some request user name and password for access (although I have set all accesses not to do so as not required for a home network with not critical data to worry about.

I am inclined to strip it all down and start from scratch. I have looked at the tutorial index and I see a few that may be useful to me but I'm not sure which of the various routes listed to take. Or even if I have a problem or if I do it is not one of my making.
 
Windows Build/Version
Windows 11, latest and all machines. BT Home Hub 3

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Updated Chillblast
    CPU
    Intel i7 12700K Twelve Core 3.6Ghz
    Motherboard
    MSI PRO Z690-A DDR4 Motherboard
    Memory
    Corsair 32Gb Vengeance RAM
You are not alone. I gave up on using the network map a long time ago and access my shares by computer name instead. I made shortcuts to the other 2 on my network and pinned them to quick access.
To access file shares by computer name, in Open Run command and type \\computername. (To find computer name in 11 settings>system. It's listed at top of page)

Alternately, you can use a little portable app called Advanced IP Scanner. Advanced IP Scanner - Download Free Network Scanner.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.3296
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 7080
    CPU
    i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
    Motherboard
    DELL 0J37VM
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    none-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Integrated Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1tb Solidigm m.2 +256gb ssd+512 gb usb m.2 sata
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell Premium
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    so slow I'm too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 22H2 19045.3930
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 9020
    CPU
    i7-4770
    Memory
    24 gb
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    256 gb Toshiba BG4 M.2 NVE SSB and 1 tb hdd
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell factory
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Internet Speed
    still not telling
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
I also do it differently. Needing only accessible file storage I added a NAS drive via Ethernet cable to the Wireless Router. I can Map the Public folder on the drive from any computer I'm on whether Wired or Wireless. I don't have a need to access any particular computer such as by Remote Access. And no particular computer has to be running to also gain access to the 2 printers attached to the Router.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro RTM
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Vostro 3400
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 11th Gen. 2.40GHz
    Memory
    12GB
    Hard Drives
    256GB SSD NVMe
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro RTM x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Vostro 5890
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 10th Gen. 2.90GHz
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Onboard, no VGA, using a DisplayPort-to-VGA adapter
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" Dell
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD NVMe, 2TB WDC HDD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender/Microsoft Security
Setup - Windows 11 on both laptops and main Pc. Networking via BT Hub 3 and ethernet cable. I assume I have it all setup correctly because if the wind is in the right direction, it all works perfectly. At other times for no rhyme nor reason it doesn't.

On the problem days whichever machine I use to see the others either I don't see the machine I am trying to connect to or I see one but not the other. If I look from another machine I may or may not see the same ones.....
I have no such problems, I have a mixed network of Win7/8.1/10/11 machines, most are PCs, some are VMs.

Possibly the reason I don't have issues is that in order to access a usb HDD plugged into my BT Hub 6 as a network drive I have to have 'SMB 1.0/CIFS Client' enabled in Windows Features for all my Win10/11 machines.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Lattitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
You are not alone. I gave up on using the network map a long time ago and access my shares by computer name instead. I made shortcuts to the other 2 on my network and pinned them to quick access.
To access file shares by computer name, in Open Run command and type \\computername. (To find computer name in 11 settings>system. It's listed at top of page)
I use the same idea except I have shortcuts to all the network computers.

2023-01-10 02_33_09-My Network.jpg
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS TUF Gaming A15 (2022)
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 6800H with Radeon 680M GPU (486MB RAM)
    Memory
    Micron DDR5-4800 (2400MHz) 16GB (2 x 8GB)
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA RTX 3060 Laptop (6GB RAM)
    Sound Card
    n/a
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6-inch
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080 300Hz
    Hard Drives
    2 x Samsung 980 (1TB M.2 NVME SSD)
    PSU
    n/a
    Mouse
    Wireless Mouse M510
    Internet Speed
    1200Mbps/250Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom build
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    ASUS PRIME X370-PRO
    Memory
    G.SKILL Flare X 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-RTX3060TI-08G-V2-GAMING (RTX 3060-Ti, 8GB RAM)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung S23A300B (23-in LED)
    Screen Resolution
    1080p 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    2TB XPG SX8200 Pro (M2. PCIe SSD) || 2TB Intel 660P (M2. PCIe SSD) ||
    PSU
    Corsair RM750x (750 watts)
    Case
    Cooler Master MasterCase 5
    Cooling
    Corsair H60 AIO water cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech K350 (wireless)
    Keyboard
    Logitech M510 (wireless)
    Internet Speed
    1200 Mbps down / 200 Mbps up
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge, Chrome
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes (Premium)
    Other Info
    ASUS Blu-ray Burner BW-16D1HT (SATA) || Western Digital Elements 12TB USB 3.0 external hard drive used with Acronis True Image backup software || HP OfficeJet Pro 6975 Printer/Scanner
. I made shortcuts to the other 2 on my network and pinned them to quick access.

I use the same idea except I have shortcuts to all the network computers.
While I can see all my PCs in the network map I do have one device that doesn't appear there - my router which is sharing a usb HDD. This is not a failure of Windows networking, it is the router's fault, by design it doesn't announce itself to the network.

Rather than using a shortcut I have added its share as a network location so that it is listed in This PC.

1673364007297.png

I could equally well add any PC's shares there, but I can see them all so don't need to. If I did it would appear like this:

1673364203654.png
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Lattitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
So, here's a little checklist I keep in my head to ensure networking works smoothly. Hopefully I won't forget anything :-)

For EACH system participating in the network, check the following:

Make certain that the system is configured to participate in a private network in the Network & internet area of settings.

Image1.jpg

On that same page, select Advanced network setting > Advanced sharing settings

Ensure that both Network discovery and File and printer sharing are enabled under the Private networks section.

Expand the All networks section. Turn OFF Password protected sharing.

If you use Windows Hello (a pin, facial recognition, fingerprint reader, etc.) make sure that log on using your password at least one time after Windows hello was setup. If you don't do this, then your credentials will not work, although I believe that if you share to EVERYONE that should still work (would have to test this to be certain).

In the File Explorer options, check to see if you have the Sharing Wizard enabled.

Image2.jpg

NOTE: With this option enabled, when you share a folder, Windows will also set the appropriate NTFS file permissions. If you do not use the wizard, be aware that in addition to sharing the folder, you will need to manually set the NTFS file permissions for that folder to allow access to whomever you are sharing with (for example, EVERYONE).

If you use Hyper-V, then there is a whole lot more to be said because Hyper-V creates virtual adapters that can "Hijack" the physical adapters. If that is your scenario, we could have a whole separate discussion about that.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-11700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z590-A
    Memory
    128GB Crucial Ballistix 3200MHz DRAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - CPU graphics only (for now)
    Sound Card
    Realtek (on motherboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Envy 32
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB NVMe Gen 4 x 4 SSD
    1 x 2TB NVMe Gen 3 x 4 SSD
    2 x 512GB 2.5" SSDs
    2 x 8TB HD
    PSU
    Corsair HX850i
    Case
    Corsair iCue 5000X RGB
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black cooler + 10 case fans
    Keyboard
    CODE backlit mechanical keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Additional options installed:
    WiFi 6E PCIe adapter
    ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 PCIe adapter
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
A lot of information to digest and work on. Thank you all for your help. It will keep me entertained for a few hours and solve the problem.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Updated Chillblast
    CPU
    Intel i7 12700K Twelve Core 3.6Ghz
    Motherboard
    MSI PRO Z690-A DDR4 Motherboard
    Memory
    Corsair 32Gb Vengeance RAM
I have no such problems, I have a mixed network of Win7/8.1/10/11 machines, most are PCs, some are VMs.

Possibly the reason I don't have issues is that in order to access a usb HDD plugged into my BT Hub 6 as a network drive I have to have 'SMB 1.0/CIFS Client' enabled in Windows Features for all my Win10/11 machines.
Interesting comment.

I have used a "15 point" check list including SMB 1.0, Control Panel, network sharing , and GPE settings, "everyone" permissions, etc etc, for 2 years. and still 90% of time the sharing icons dont appear , inc Windows 11 v. 22621/1105.

The Advanced IP Scanner previously mentioned is a good suggestion, as it shows all sharing content, and allows file sync between different machines.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 64 bit / Windows 3.11 Emulator
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self build Dec 2023
    CPU
    Pentium I9 14900K
    Motherboard
    Asus Rog Z 790 / E Wifi 7
    Memory
    64 GB Corsair Dominator DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD RX 590 8GB Special
    Sound Card
    Creative Soundblaster X3 External
    Monitor(s) Displays
    32" Toshiba TV / PC
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    2 x Corsair MP 600 Pro 500GB M2 drives ( Main ), + 1 Samsung M2 + Hitachi Sata Drive
    PSU
    1000 w
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 240 , 5 fans built in system
    Cooling
    Silentium PC Spartan 5 Max
    Keyboard
    Seenda Luminous
    Mouse
    1) Aston Martin DB9 Car ,2) McLaren Yellow P2 car , 3) Seenda Wireless
    Internet Speed
    385 mbps
    Browser
    6 Main ones, inter changeable
    Antivirus
    Norton 360 , 10 User
    Other Info
    Pertelian X2040 ,
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Microsoft Surface Go
    Memory
    8GB
    Hard Drives
    128 GB and 256 GB Micro SD

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