Windows Home networking SUCKS! and you know it.

I'm Ripping what's left out of my hair
I have a home server running windows 10 every computer in the house can see it but my PC with a fresh windows 11 install.
It was working before and its hit or miss some times ill install and it will just work some times I have to fight it for weeks!

I can only see 1 computer in my network and its my laptop none of the other are there nothing is different in the setting.

my PC







What my laptop can see

 

Summoning @386SX

 

*spawning in this thread*

Hey @mbk1969 , where did you learn THAT magic?

@MKube402
I guess there is no firewall installed between server and client, correct? I assume all computers are within the same subnet and nothing is in between what may block a connection attempt. If I am wrong please tell me.

Are you able to ping your server or otherwise get a connection like

Code:

powershell /nologo Test-NetConnection [server-ip] -Port 3389

?
It checks if the RDP port TCP 3389 is open, use 137, 138, 139 and 445 to check for SMB.
It should show success on all of these SMB ports.

Otherwise I could think of your Win10 server providing SMB 1.0 shares. SMB 1.0 got deactivated by default on W10/11, so you may have to manually enable that in IE / Edge options iirc.

All network profiles should be the same (private or domain, NOT public!) and device discovery should be enabled, but you already said configs are the same.

If you navigate to "Computer" and click on "map network drive" in the ribbon menu, are you able to access a share of your server by that method? Or do you get something like "host not found"?

 

ok so it was the SMB 1.0 it was deactivated I whet in to "windows features" and had to turn it on, it works fine..
Thanks for the help

 

It should work well without SMB 1.0 support. I wouldn't use any Windows server or workstation versions as a consumer, they can have tighter default security configurations: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/t...g/guest-access-in-smb2-is-disabled-by-default
Also applies to some non-official Windows .isos provided by users that contain multiple license versions.

 

SMB 1.0 is not required for Windows 10/11 machines to appear on the network neighbourhood of a Windows 11/10 machine.

This is only required if you want to browse Windows XP network clients.

 

... but it solved OPs issue. But I agree, further troubleshooting is needed.

If the issue is related to guest access, use

Code:

net use Z: \\your-server\your_share /user:YOURUSER YOURPASSWORD

... to map drive Z: to the server's share by using user YOURUSER with password YOURPASSWORD.

Maybe it may help to specify the login "domain" (where is the username checked for authenticity) by using

Code:

net use Z: \\your-server\your_share /user:your-server\YOURUSER YOURPASSWORD

(Note "your-server\" is added before the username)

If you are able to map the drive, the issue is related to guest access I would guess. If not we have to come up with new ideas.

 

indeed, could be an issue with the Master Browser not updating.

 

Could be, but servers should make themselves easily discoverable via WSD regardless.