Win 11 Home Networking

I had hoped Microsoft would have helped improved the ability to create a "simple" home network when they came out with Win Eleven. I have spent hour upon hour, month after month for years now (of course, off and on) attempting to do what should be a simple task! I have combed the internet found article after article saying how simple it was to do, however, upon following countless different instructions ( many I've repeated several times) NONE of the solutions work. I have three computers, 2 desktops (this one and another) and a laptop. I'm running Win 11 on this computer, Win Pro 10 on the other desktop and Win 10 Home on the Laptop. I am able to do anything I need on these computers EXCEPT get them to see each other!!! I'm not an I-T person, but have had reasonable success in helping out family and friends to solve many different problems on their computers. I'm not brilliant by any means, but nothing I have done makes me feel as stupid as trying to connect my three computers! And if the answer to creating a simple three computer home LAN is simple, I must be stupid.... Once you've finished laughing at my stupid ranting, maybe someone would be so kind as to give me some more suggestions about what I could try. All my computers have their own unique names, are on the same "workgroup", I've tryed with and without my VPN on and also disabled anti-malware and anti-virus programs.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions . . . totally frustrated, Dave

The first thing I would check: in Control Panel -> Network and Sharing -> Advanced Sharing Settings, make sure network discovery, automatic setup and file and printer sharing boxes are ticked. Also that the network connection is set to private.

shaverdave said:

I am able to do anything I need on these computers EXCEPT get them to see each other

Click to expand...

Dave,

I hope you don't mind if I just check something -
1 Are you saying that the computers don't show up in File explorer, Network section
and/or
2 Are you saying that the computers don't show up in File explorer if you enter this format of address in the File explorer address bar
\\COMPUTERNAME\

I'm afraid that I won't be any help to you if both of these fail. I have not had enough experience of network problems myself. I've always used this procedure [WinXP, Win7, Win10 - and it keeps working on the one I've upgraded to Win11]
A consolidated network setup checklist [post #2] - TenForums
and, as I say, it has always worked reliably for me.

Best of luck,
Denis

I have a network but don't have a need to 'see' other computers on it. It consists of a Wireless Router, 8 port Switch, 5 Wired Desktops with 4 different OSes, 2 x 2TB NAS drives, 2 Printers [LaserJet Pro, OfficeJet Pro] and 1 port for my workbench. It will also have various Notebooks connected. I have the 2 NAS drives for data storage and Map the Public folder on whatever machine needed at any time. It's convenient for my wife with her Notebook and printing E-Mails and recipes from the other room. And no particular machine has to be running to gain access to the NAS drives and printers.

Networking at the basic level is quite simple. Let's see if we can sort that out for you.

#1). From any machine, run a command prompt. type: ping computername (where computername is the unique name for your other computers). Does this come back with a reply from, or a reply timed out?

#2). From any machine, hit Win+R, type: \\computername (where computername is the unique name for another one of your computers that happens to have a network share). Once you hit enter, did you see your share listed?

Let's leave it there and go forward after we see where we are.

Identical for W11 except menus in different places.

I have read all the posts here on home networking - everyone keeps saying it's simple to read your other computers on your LAN/WiFi network. I have tried every suggestion I've found - repeated many over and over- using different sequences of checking settings and I found Windows Home Networking to be, at best, "etherial"!
Then I discovered I COULD see shared folders on opening the network in explorer, BUT ONLY! after warm booting (restarting). It DOES NOT show my other computers and my USB/to/router connected drive on a cold startup! I have never been able to just turn on my computer and have my other computers/drives available.
This is the reason I've been so frustrated with networking, it was by accident that I finally discovered the need to restart. Before that it appeared sometimes it would work and sometimes it wouldn't????!!

And still, some shared folders can be opened, others cannot?!

Any idea why this is happening? (See why I see networking as "etherial" and difficult?)

Why can't or won't Microsoft offer an easy way to setup home networking for the average computer user who has no need for all the sophisticated security that requires one to have to jump through hoops searching for, checking, and changing various settings??! I can't believe there are not many others who agree.

Thank you . . . shaverdave

shaverdave said:

Then I discovered I COULD see shared folders on opening the network in explorer

Click to expand...

Have you tried addressing them by putting this in the File explorer address bar
\\ComputerName\ShareName

My normal setting up checklist, written for Windows 10, is at A consolidated network setup checklist [post #2] - TenForums

Denis

Hi folks
@shaverdave

Start right from scratch --

1) enable Network discovery on ALL computers

2) ensure on ALL computers : "Allow remote connections to this computer" is enabled (via control panel etc -- the bottom half of the pane and ensure the 2nd box is left unchecked).



3) while testing disable ALL 3rd party Anti-virus software and Windows firewalls -- you can re-enable security after getting things working

4) enable SMB1 on all the computers --- this is the easiest to get networking running -- you can disable that after Network is running OK.

5) ensure you've set up sharing on relevant disks

6) re-boot router and all computers -> note you should be using DHCP and computers should all be on the same network "subnet" usually something like 192.168.1.xxx -- simply use ipconfig on all of them and on any computer type ping 192.168.1.yyy where yyy is part of the LAN address of any other network.

Here I've got a single laptop running W11 and a NAS server -- no problems



With things like Networking especially on HOME networking - get rid of as much of the security systems as possible while testing. When its working gradually tighten up security more and more until you are satisfied. Otherwise you won't know if it's a Network or security access problem.

(Note some ISP - Internet providers have routers that dish out IP adresses for a limited lease time -- set that on the router to something sensible like 30 days -- usually to get to the router settings use a browser to address 192.168.1.1or similar -- should be in the ISP's or router docuentation with the admin password).

Cheers
jimbo

Thanks, jimbo! I'll go through your suggestions as soon as I get a chance - I'll let you know if it works for me:)