Network map doesn't see both laptops, screenshots attached please.

[quartz1]

Hi
I'm trying to homegroup up two W7 laptops, the network map from each system is shown as follows
The A531 is the "master" laptop with the homegroup defined, with the A557 as the one I want to "connect to existing homegroup" but as the screenshots show, for some reason the A557 isn't seeing the A531 -- whereas the A531 can appear to find both laptops (with one line dotted)

Network map from the A531 "master"



Network map from the A557 "slave" - or "join homegroup" system



I don't know what that "unknown" link is - I have VPN software running on both but the VPN's aren't active on either at the moment

The purpose of wanting to find both on the same network is for the A557 to join the A531's homegroup

Any advice welcome

- - - Updated - - -

Update....

One reboot later, this is what the network map looks like. The A557 isn't seeing the homegroup created by the A531. I.......don't know why there are the hubs and switches in this layout? that is, I don't know why they aren't directly connected to each other with 1x hub and 1x switch as needed....

 

[samuria]

Do you ip6 running on all pcs? run this scanner on all pcs does it see everything it often kicks it into life NetBScanner - NetBIOS scanner

 

[quartz1]

ta -- I think I've actually made progress. I 192.168.0.1'd in to the routers setup page, and did some removal and refreshing of IP addresses connected to my router. For some reason I had 2x devices which had 192.168.1.13 IP's. I've run an IP scan of devices visible from this Windows 10 laptop, and it's seemed to assign proper IP addresses to what is connected (a smartphone, printer, some other things)

Went to the A531, left and created a new homegroup. Went to the A557, left the homegroup, restarted etc....got the option to join a homegroup, and found the one the A531 had created