Network in explorer does not display other computers on the network.


Local time
10:19 AM
Posts
2
OS
Windows 11 Pro
Hi Good people,
All my PC's talk to each other, even the newbie,

MeLE Quieter3Q Fanless Mini PC Windows 11 Pro Celeron N5105 Small Desktop Computer 8G LPDDR4 128G ROM Micro Form Factor PC Support WiFi 6,BT 5.2,Gigabit Ethernet,Dual 4K HDMI for Office/Home/Business​

however it refuses to show them in explorer. I have gone over the settings and they appear OK and the Network is set to private.
The trouble shooter tells me that there is an issue with the firewall (Defender) however disabling the firewall makes no difference and no amount of restarting helps.

I am able to swap files with it from the other machines in the network, however this is often inconvenient because they are spread throughout the premises. The other computers have a mixture of O S's from XP Pro, Windows 7, Windows 10 and Linux and are all visible to each other. The little box, however, doesn't see any of the other 6 computer though it does see the NAS via Qfinder Pro. Just wondering if anyone has any idea what might be wrong.

The OS is Windows 11 Pro and updated as far as Windows can to 21H2 I think, because the damn thing is downstairs and I am not going downstairs to find out definitively.

Any assistance would be appreciated.
 
Windows Build/Version
21H2

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MeLE Quieter3Q Fanless Mini PC
    CPU
    Celeron N5105
    Motherboard
    Integrated fanless hybrid
    Memory
    8gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel, and a good question because there is no information on it
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Up to 4K, supports up to 3
    Screen Resolution
    up to 4K
    Hard Drives
    C: On board Rom 256 GIG, D: 512 Gig SSD Samsung
    Cooling
    Fanless
    Keyboard
    Mini Multifunction Key board and mouse via USB
    Internet Speed
    1Gigabit ethernet 812 megbit wifi
    Browser
    Windows edge
    Antivirus
    Windows built in Defender
    Other Info
    This little PC is in a network of 7 computers and a NAS which among other things serves as a backup station for all of them. Other things in the network are Blu-ray players and stereo system and dedicated internet radio receivers. The network has a base NBN modem from Optus and a gigabit extender via powerlines all named the same and all wifi is hidden and protected with allow lists.
Hi again,
The plot thickens. It appears that there is some kind of communication problem between WIFI and the Cable Networking in the Windows 11 Pro Machine. If I turn on a PC in the Wifi Network also shared by the Windows 11 Pro box then Miraculously a Network tree appears in explorer however if I am trying for a connection to a Machine on an ethernet cable Windows 11 Pro will not display the tree. The attached file shows the appearance of the tree with just a few changes to names etc for the sake of privacy. Can anyone explain this to me since all the network names are the same and all the equipment is on allow lists with permissions across the network being the same. One more curious thing, Only The Windows 11 Pro Box has a D drive but the tree shows both have a D Drive. Haven't had time to check inside yet to see if it has grown one....Just kidding.
 

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My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MeLE Quieter3Q Fanless Mini PC
    CPU
    Celeron N5105
    Motherboard
    Integrated fanless hybrid
    Memory
    8gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel, and a good question because there is no information on it
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Up to 4K, supports up to 3
    Screen Resolution
    up to 4K
    Hard Drives
    C: On board Rom 256 GIG, D: 512 Gig SSD Samsung
    Cooling
    Fanless
    Keyboard
    Mini Multifunction Key board and mouse via USB
    Internet Speed
    1Gigabit ethernet 812 megbit wifi
    Browser
    Windows edge
    Antivirus
    Windows built in Defender
    Other Info
    This little PC is in a network of 7 computers and a NAS which among other things serves as a backup station for all of them. Other things in the network are Blu-ray players and stereo system and dedicated internet radio receivers. The network has a base NBN modem from Optus and a gigabit extender via powerlines all named the same and all wifi is hidden and protected with allow lists.
If your computers are talking to each other correctly then I suggest you just put up with the fact that File explorer's Network section does not always display them.
File explorer has had this problem for years.

Like many other people, I use shortcuts to network computers & ignore that File explorer's Network section.
\\COMPUTERNAME\SHARENAME
And do note that you do not need to set up a separate ShareName if you want to create a shortcut to a subfolder of a share. You'd just use, for example,
\\COMPUTERNAME\SHARENAME\SomeSubFolderOrOther

All the best,
Denis
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home x64 Version 23H2 Build 22631.3296
@Try3 is spot on. This problem has been going on for years and usually there's no rhyme or reason why for some people some computers show up on the tree and some do not.

I've fought the issue on 2 out of 5 of my machines for years, resorting to using Denis solution of using a shortcut to access by computer name. With my 2 main computers, one of them being one of the problem machines, I've use Remote Desktop as both run Pro and I constantly access files between them. It makes doing maintenance tasks much easier, too.

I've gotten sidetracked from my project of setting up one large NAS drive which I intend to attach to my router. It's a tedious project as I'm housecleaning and organizing years of files as I go. My goal is to do away with simple file sharing altogether and use a poor-man's server.
 
Last edited:

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 don't Map a computer as I usually need just file storage to which end I have a NAS drive connected by cable to my Wireless Router, can access from any computer I use to Map the Public folder on the drive, not the drive itself. Command is \\WDMYCLOUD\PUBLIC. The drive has the Volume label WDMYCLOUD
 

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
I don't Map a computer a
I'm didn't have to map it. All the mapping is done automatically within the router. I connected an old powered 3.0 external drive to the usb port on the TP Link Archer router and it showed up as TP-Share. If I wanted to use a non-powered 2.5 drive I could but I had this one that wasn't being used. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm supposed to be able access my media on my ipad.
 

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

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