Solved Homegroup Headache (or Network Headache -- I don't know which).

[ndmuscutt]

I cannot get my two machines to see each other, for file sharing purposes.

Machine 1 - Desktop
Windows 7 64 Pro

Machine 2 Laptop
Windows 7 64 Home Prem

Machine 1 is connected via LAN to a D-Link DSL-2640 modem/router. DSL feeds into the modem/router. The laptop communicates via wifi with the modem/router.

Both computers can access the internet just fine.

On the network, the computers do not see each other although file sharing is enabled.

When setting up the homegroups, there is no indication that the computers can see each other.

On Machine 1 the Network Map of the "Local Area Connection - Network" looks like this:

Desktop------Switch-----Gateway-----Internet

|
​

Laptop- - - - -MyNet

(MyNet is the name I set up for my home network)

The Network and Sharing Center shows the basic network information as:

Desktop-----Network-----Internet

On Machine 2 the Network Map of the "Wireless Network - MyNet" says "Windows cannot discover any computer or device."

The Network and Sharing Center for the laptop shows the basic network information as:

Laptop-----MyNet-----Internet


If I create the homegroup on the desktop, it gives me the password. I turn over to the laptop and in the Network and Sharing Center, it doesn't give me the option to "Join" a homegroup, but only create.

Earlier on, in my struggles, the laptop did give me the option of joining a homegroup, but when I entered the password that the desktop homegroup gave me, the laptop would not take the password. This leads me to believe that it didn't see the desktop homegroup at all.

I have a feeling that the issue has to do with the "Switch" and "MyNet" having the connection, and the Laptop only being connected with that intermittent line to MyNet (which I presume means wireless).

I think I have laid out the detail I need to. Can anyone give me some help? Thanks.

 

[chev65]

Try this Homegroup trouble shooting guide, it covers most problems you might run into when setting up a Homegroup.

Home premium can most definately Homegroup with a Windows pro machine but it may work best if you create the Homegroup on the Win pro machine first using wired connections for both.

Ultimate Troubleshooting Guide for Windows 7 HomeGroup Connection Issues

 

[brady]

home premium won't Homegroup with the pro machine... You'll need to setup "shares" with the everyone group granting permissions.

 

[ndmuscutt]

home premium won't Homegroup with the pro machine... You'll need to setup "shares" with the everyone group granting permissions.

You've got to be kidding. Can anyone else confirm this? How stupid is that, that Pro cannot homegroup with Home Premium?

Now I have another issue. When I go the Network and Sharing Center on either the laptop or desktop and click on "full map," it just comes up saying "Windows cannot discover any computer or device." If I ping the laptop from the desktop, the laptop pings just fine. However, if I ping the desktop from the laptop, it says that there is no response.

If this is a Home Prem & Pro networking compatibility issue, which just seems ridculous to me, then how do you set up shares? In fact, what are shares? Because if it's just good ol' fashioned networking, and my PCs are only pinging one way, then I am completely stumped.

 

[chev65]

home premium won't Homegroup with the pro machine... You'll need to setup "shares" with the everyone group granting permissions.

You've got to be kidding. Can anyone else confirm this? How stupid is that, that Pro cannot homegroup with Home Premium?

So my next question is, how do you set up shares? In fact, what are shares? Same as normal networking? If so, even when the two computers are set up to network, sharing the same workgroup, subnet mask, etc. They still can't see each other on the network. This can't be a Pro/Home Premium network issue.

Of course it can. I'm not sure what the heck Brady is talking about but he is mistaken. I'm pretty sure I already mentioned that. You won't get far if you continue to ignore my posts.

Most likely which ever A/V software you have installed is causing the problem, you will need to either reconfigure the A/V to work with Homegroups or uninstall your A/V to fix the problem.

 

[ndmuscutt]

I tried everything in what the link you sent me chev65. I had already done all of that. As it turns out, I thought I had a BitDefender firewall running on the laptop, but it was the W7 firewall, so I had to disable it. Then they pinged both ways. Then, both computers popped up on each other's network. Then I had to get past the username and password issue. I just went and disabled passwords for sharing (though I want to have passwords soon since we have a renter who's running W7 too).

Then, finally, I synced homegroups! Hurrah!

As for the Home Prem & Pro non-compatibility thing from brady, dude, you can save a lot of hassle now.

Firewalls. A love-hate relationship.

 

[chev65]

I tried everything in what the link you sent me chev65. I had already done all of that. As it turns out, I thought I had a BitDefender firewall running on the laptop, but it was the W7 firewall, so I had to disable it. Then they pinged both ways. Then, both computers popped up on each other's network. Then I had to get past the username and password issue. I just went and disabled passwords for sharing (though I want to have passwords soon since we have a renter who's running W7 too).

Then, finally, I synced homegroups! Hurrah!

As for the Home Prem & Pro non-compatibility thing from brady, dude, you can save a lot of hassle now.

Firewalls. A love-hate relationship.

I think that Brady was a bit confused,... you can't create a Homegroup with Windows 7 starter but you can join a homegroup with any edition of Windows 7. You can only create one in Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate, or Enterprise editions.

I'm not sure what the issue was with the Win7 firewall but usually when you set up a Homegroup the firewall rules are made right then and usually work well. Seems like bit defender had a hand in the problem.

As you found out, the advanced sharing settings do just about everything else you want.

You should also remember that Homegroups folders only point to the actual folders that reside in your Users folders, they aren't the actual file but mearly a picture icon of the file that resides in your User folders. There aren't two of each file as that would consume too much space on the hardrive.

Homegroups are very useful though because you can have pictures or videos from many different harddrives showing up all in one place.

Anyway I'm glad you got it all working.