Windows 7: Frustrating Network problem...

This is getting old. I have an intermittent problem with networking my desktop machine to my laptop. Sometimes after I hibernate my laptop and then wake it up, I am unable to access my shared drives on my laptop from my desktop. I am always able to go the other way (access shared drives on desktop from laptop. When it does this, even reboots of both machines don't help. I just asked Windows 7 to diagnose and I get this. Usually after "messing" with the network settings, log offs, reboots, who knows, it usually starts working both ways again until some later hibernation restart of laptop. I wish I could pinpoint some common things that cause it but I just can't figure it out. Any ideas?

After about 30 minutes, magically working again! I wish I knew what this problem is.

SS

do you have IPv6 turned off in network and sharing?

What about remote desktop compression?

Which firewall and antivirus?


So you are unable to share from win to other? or from other to win? windows firewall maybe?


Ken

Seems to be triggerd by sleep mode so maybe some adjustments to sleep settings in the power plan will help.

Hi Ken!

IPv6 is on. Don't know about remote desktop compression. Where do I find that setting? Both machines are Windows7 RTM. Both machines using built in firewall along with Windows7 firewall control and Avast 4.8. I can ALWAYS access my desktop from my laptop. SOMETIMES, after a hibernate/restore, I can't access the laptop from the desktop. Its not consistent though.

Not sure if this is what caused it to reconnect, but I turned off password protected sharing and changed Homegroup connections to Use user accounts and passwords to connect to other computers. Working for now but time will tell... Only made these changes on my laptop.

Check for latest drivers for the network cards(s) and also the system (motherboard drivers). I have seen this cause difficulties after sleep.

You may want to check in the device manager under power management for the NICs and ensure allow windows to put device to sleep is off.

Another thing to check is "Away mode" support this can be found normally in the Bios (if supported). I have found that this is best disabled under Windows 7

Hi Barman,
I've turned off the allow windows to put device to sleep on my USB wifi adapter. My laptop has nothing in its bios about away mode at all. My desktop had a setting of allow remote wake-up which I disabled. I'll try those settings for a while and see if the problem returns.

Thanks,
Gil

Just found the problem (I think). On my laptop, if I select Password Protected sharing and Allow Windows to manage homegroup connections, I can't connect. With Turn off password protected sharing and Use user accounts and passwords to connect to other computers, it connects reliably. Not sure why, all of my other computers have those selections on. I kinda like having to enter the user and password to access shares but for some reason, my laptop doesn't like those settings!

It is Remote Differential Compression, it does not effect the network only when using Offline Files. And then you want RDC on. RDC will not and is not causing the OP's problem.