W10 network wierdness

[Hood]

I hate networks but mostly they work ok after I manage to get them set up.
Yesterday however I had a weird one and I am still none the wiser as to where the problem lies.

I went to grab some files from the Laptop to store them on the desktop and when I went into Network I did not see the laptop listed, I then noticed the Chiron milling machine was not listed either or for that matter the Plasmas computer. The only one that was listed was the lathes control which is via wifi to my router (same as laptop )
I can see all PCs on the network from each other but the desktop I can not see any. I have shortcuts to the plasma and Chirons G Code folders and I can gain access to them no problem from the desktop but I can not see them at all listed in Network, see image below.

I downloaded Netgear Genie and the computers (that were turned on) showed as being on the network.
Anyone know how I can get them back in the Network page?

 

[zx9]

On the network 'view' tab you have view hidden items and another button on the top right to hide / view hidden items.
Edit: I have just noticed that I can not see the printer either way so I don't think that is it.

 

[eSCHEn]

Spotted this last night Robin and then promptly fell asleep as I was knackered

When you say "can't see" do you mean just in the explorer screenshots or are the un-pingable / routable ?

 

[MoreWellie]

Just above the first picture you posted you should see a box containing "Network"

click in there and try entering \\Workshop-PC
or whichever PC name you want to access shares from

This often brings up the PC when it isn't the network that is a problem but is windows networking browsing

Windows network has ALWAYS been problematic when you have different versions of windows on the same network regardless of whether it is a mix of windows 7 and windows 10 or just a mix of windows 10 sub versions but usually naming them directly works ok

When you see the share in the window right click on it and "map network drive" which should (mostly always) come up ok

 

[Hood]

Spotted this last night Robin and then promptly fell asleep as I was knackered

When you say "can't see" do you mean just in the explorer screenshots or are the un-pingable / routable ?

Aye, can ping them no problem.
Can access them via the shortcuts I had and have now mapped them as network drives but still most do not come up in the Network page view.

This is what I see today with a new router, I was hoping that was the issue but sadly not

But looking via Genie I have all these connected.

 

[Hood]

Just above the first picture you posted you should see a box containing "Network"

click in there and try entering \\Workshop-PC
or whichever PC name you want to access shares from

This often brings up the PC when it isn't the network that is a problem but is windows networking browsing.....

Tried that and I can get to the computer that way but still don't show up in Network page.

Thing that annoys me is yesterday al was fine as I had transferred files over to the Chiron and plasma but ater on in the day they have all gone

 

[MoreWellie]

The most likely thing is one or more of the computers has installed a windows update that has changed the way that it networks with the others which is causing the problem. The worst situation is Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 and 10 being mixed on a single network as the chances of "Network" displaying properly on all machines are slim

On a windows network like this the network is controlled by the browsemaster. Pretty much any PC can become the browsemaster for the network usually by being the only one on at any given time and if the browsemaster gets shutdown or restarted then the others hold an election and decide who will be the new browsemaster

What is visible in Network can be as simple as which particular machine has become the browsemaster and you can influence that by turning all the PCs off and then back on in a specific order

Mostly I suggest people create mapped network drives and use those so they can ignore what does or doesn't appear in the Network page, appreciate this is a workaround rather than a fix but the fix may well not be worth the effort

 

[Hood]

Only one computer has updates turned on and that is the desktop, the rest have no internet access except the laptop.
As far as I know the desktop didn't update as usually it will tell you when shutting it down.

I have a mix, there is W7 home on the laptop, W7 pro on Chiron and Plasma and W10 on the desktop.

I now have the drives mapped so I should be fine unless something screws up with that but it is annoying not being able to see things via the normal route.

 

[mdr]

It's been a while since I had to troubleshoot Windows networking. However, from memory I'd initially be checking if the Computer Browser service is running.

Open services, scroll down to 'Computer Browser' and check if it's started. Maybe stop it (check it stops in a timely manner, then start it (in a timely manner). Restarting individual services is slightly better than restarting all of them with the line "have you switched it off and on again".

 

[Hood]

Will have a look next time I am at the workshop, sadly I think I have to do tiling this weekend

 

[mdr]

Will have a look next time I am at the workshop, sadly I think I have to do tiling this weekend

While you're there I'd check these are able to run/restart them...

1. Computer Browser (Running) (manual)
2. Function Discovery Resource Publication (Running) (automatic)
3. UPnP Device Host service (Running) (manual)

 

[qwakers]

check they are all on the same workgroup.

 

[Hood]

check they are all on the same workgroup.

Not sure how to do that but as they all showed up there before I must assume they are.

 

[Hood]

When I shut down last night windows did an update, today my network computers all show

 

[MoreWellie]

Great

good job you took a picture so you will know what should be there the next time it disappears