PC can't see homegroup

[Barry144]

I've got a laptop and a desktop, both running Win7 Pro. Both are cabled to simple 1Gbps network. If I create a homegroup on one, the other reports "there is currently no homegroup on the network." Same result when I try both ways. Firewall services are off.

Both computers running IPv4 and IPv6. HomeGroup Troubleshooter yields nothing.

Any suggestions?


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looks like my two computers can't ping each other, so maybe there's some fundamental issues with the networking; firewall is off, both computers plugged into same unmanaged switch

 

[samuria]

Open a cmd prompt type
ipconfig /all

post results for both pcs are they connected to a router?

 

[Barry144]

I seemed to have fixed ping by adding a Windows Firewall rule that enables "echo request" for ICMPv4.

The current status has changed and is as follows:
Both PC's can ping each other. PC A hosts the homegroup. PC B is able to join the homegroup. PC A can connect to file shares on PC B. PC A doesn't show up at all in PC B's Network browse (even though it was able to see and join PC A's homegroup) so PC B is unable to connect to files shares on PC A.

Any troubleshooting tips to allow PC B to browse/connect to shares on PC A?

(Both are connected to router and DHCP and network config looks good; both can access all other resources on network)

 

[samuria]

Run this on both pc does it see it and which is master browser this often kick it into life. You should be able to connect via ip \\192.168.1.2\share

 

[Barry144]

returns "the network path was not found"

 

[samuria]

You replaced the IP with the correct one for your pc? did the scanner find it

 

[Barry144]

running command on PC A returns Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password. Running command on PC B returns the network path was not found

 

[samuria]

Post results from post 2 and the scanner results

 

[Barry144]

please expand on what I do to obtain "scanner results"

 

[samuria]

The output from ipconfig and from the scanner showing pcs and master browser

 

[Barry144]

Below are screen captures. The master browser "Desktop" cannot access file shares on "Barry-HP", which is in the Workgroup. Network access error screenshots from Desktop.



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View attachment 423647

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The above is with Windows Firewall running on both computers. If I turn off Firewall on Barry-HP and run the diagnostic again on Desktop, the returned message is now this. Is there a setting I need to change on Barry-HP?

 

[samuria]

Several problems can you access \192.168.1.56\c$
The subnets are wrong the subnet should be 255.255.255.0 and the lease is only 2 hour you may need to change this on the router or if not on the network card you want a lease of 24 hours or more as it will go off line for a short time as it renews the lease

what are the last 2 entries as they dont show as workgroup

 

[Barry144]

last two entries are NAS and a printer

I fixed subnet mask and added address reservations (there's no ability to change DHCP lease time on Deco X55 router)

When I try to browse Barry-HP from Desktop, I still get Barry-HP is online but isn't responding to connection attempts

 

[samuria]

Did you try \192.168.1.56\c$
have you setup shares on the pc?

 

[Barry144]

yes, shares are setup on Barry-HP and Everyone has read access

 

[samuria]

Have you got any firewall or security running on that pc?

 

[Barry144]

That was with Windows Firewall running on both computers. If I shut down the Firewalls, I get the same result (network path not found). Barry-HP disappears from the Windows Explorer Network browse if I shut down the Firewalls. Ability to ping each other also disappears without the Firewalls running.