Windows update 1803 ruined my network.

[Monkey Shoulder]

I only realised last week that the latest update ( 1803 ) had caused serious problems when I tried to show, on my laptop, a photo that had been uploaded to my main PC. No  homegroup. No PC. No file access. I have been struggling to recreate the network without success. At some point I tried “Network Reset” and fear that I have done more harm than good.
I have  read the helpful posts in the thread
https://forumite.co.uk/forums/topic/networking-2-computers/
and I have searched in vain to find a fix on the internet, which is still full of helpful advice about how to set up a network in windows 7, or how to set up a Homegroup, which of course no longer exists. Now I am stuck.
All I want to do is to be able to access files on my PC from another room in the same house with my laptop, and vice-versa. I used to have a Homegroup, that both belonged to. Now the laptop can only see the WiFi Network and the PC, which is cabled into the router, only an “Ethernet” network that seems to have been named by Windows. I cannot find a way to allow both devices to share a network.
When I try to “share” files or folders, with “specific people”, it refuses to admit that the computer names and user names that I enter exist at all… “Windows was unable to find PCName …” or “Windows cannot access Laptop\Username…” etc. Yet both devices can see each other as “Media devices” and I can open my music library on the PC from the Laptop with Windows Media Player!
What the heck are Microsoft thinking? To completely disable Homegroup without a replacement.
What can I do to get back to my comfort zone?

MS

Philosophy is the new rock and roll.

[Ed P]

Unfortunately Microsoft has gone crazy in the interests of pushing you towards their nasty Cloud alternate. You now have to go through the hassle of individual folder-level sharing using File Explorer. This link explains the somewhat cumbersome way of sharing on a home network.BUT it does not always work as the Networking carp often does not show all computers on your network. Possibly coupling  this method by Andre Costa may enable it to work.

Probably before this you should log in on each computer as an Administrator and give each computer a meaningful name. I have to agree with you this was a NASTY update. I share my files through a Synology NAS and don’t need this carp.

[Dave Rice]

I’m glad I mothballed my Windows 10 based file server last year. I have totally given up on Microsoft Peer-to-peer networking. It always was a PITA and they were always moving the goal posts.

BTW don’t worry about the name that Windows gives the network on each PC, it’s just an internal label and they’ll all be different even though it’s the same network. You will probably be better off trying IP addresses rather than computer names. However if you have a BT Home Hub that can add all sorts of “fun” to the mix. I regularly have to replace them when they decide to stop parts of the network seeing each other.

The easiest way forward for documents is with a shared Cloud storage account. For large files, like videos, it’s with your own server like a Synology. Another possibility is if your router allows the sharing of a USB drive but this can be slow.

[Ed P]

Sorry Dave I disagree. Renaming the PCs to something meaningful makes it a lot easier to sort out which computer is invisible and needs sorting out.

[Richard]

SMBv1 was the pathway for several recent worm attacks so I removed the functionality of SMBv1 a while ago; I have just checked to make sure it was no longer active. Homegroups were introduced somewhat recently; I found them confusing and, less than useful as the then network ran as I wanted. In general it still does with file sharing suffering the odd hiccup but the server still doing what it should, do with daily backups and file serving when wanted. File sharing at the media level has expanded since the use of connected PVRs and I usually use their interface in preference to that on the ‘connected’ TV.

Most PCs have a name assigned to ID them as Ed suggested, but also a narrative name to allow them to be further identified if needed, though some network hardware is unpredictable about being identified at all.

[Dave Rice]

ED, the reason is my experiences with local DNS are so hit and miss that’s why I use IP addresses. They always work. It’s not the DNS server at fault.

That’s the network tab on my laptop. No sign of the other PCs currently turned on. It’s found the two Synologys as “other devices” and the DLNA server on one of them but no sign of the shares.

If I want to go to the Synology servers I need to type \\servername or quite often \\ipaddress to get to the shares. They open up straight away so it’s not a permission thing.

After they kicked WHS in the head MS said just use MS networking built into W8, then workgroups. Now they have just dumped people into this mess.

[Richard]

I agree with the idea of using the good old \\PCName approach and recording the resulting shares against a letter.

My network tab can show things two ways:

and,

Both omit a significant number of devices.

[Ed P]

@Dave – you made an interesting comment about BTHomeHub causing visibility issues as that is what I use. What router do you recommend as a replacement?

[The Duke]

I’m interest in a good replacment. My Asus is coming to end of life. It’s dropping out almost hourly now. Not even consistent on which device it drops.

Have been putting it off for about 6 months as I have many iot crap set up, I can’t with be bothered to re do, or simply can’t remember how to.

[Dave Rice]

I prefer Draytek Vigors even here at home. They aren’t straight forward to set up as you can make them do any number of wonderful things. They are totally OTT for most home users but the build quality and technical support is superb with plenty of How Tos. The 2762 range is my current favourite.

The BT hub at my cousins B&B started playing up and I replaced it with a TP-Link TD-W9970 http://tinyurl.com/ybexkrya. It supports VDSL, ADSL  and Ethernet (they have FTTC 80 / 20). The wireless is “only” 300 N but has 2 x 5dbi antenna, so it serves the top floor of a big 3 storey Victorian house http://brookdalebandb.co.uk/ (one of Lee’s websites) from a cupboard beneath the stairs and has an isolated Guest network. It does have USB sharing but I couldn’t get on with it and as I didn’t need it I didn’t try too hard. There are business functions such as IPSEC VPN tunnels (LAN to LAN not dial in though). There is also a basic parental control option via MAC addresses and a timetable.

So a step up from your ISP router with decent enough wireless  and £35 is a bargain IMO http://tinyurl.com/y7rff8gr

As you know I favour a separate dedicated WiFi set up (my Vigor 2760 has no WiFi) but if I were looking at an xDSL with AC I would certainly consider the £77 TP-Link Archer VR400 AC1200 http://tinyurl.com/ycaxf5av, but once you get over £100 I’d just go straight to the £145 DrayTek Vigor 2762ac AC1166 http://tinyurl.com/yc3rljzf and be done with it.

[Richard]

The Duke wrote:

I’m interest in a good replacment. My Asus is coming to end of life. It’s dropping out almost hourly now. Not even consistent on which device it drops. Have been putting it off for about 6 months as I have many iot crap set up, I can’t with be bothered to re do, or simply can’t remember how to.

You are not alone is having a non standard setup that basically precludes using an ISP basic system, about which it is hard to remember the gradually evolved set up created over a number of years. I have fixed assignment ranges for different functional types, DHCP reserved ranges, though trying to set up the previously unused guest range at the drop of a hat was a challenge. The relation who dropped in to ‘help’ my wife demanded access to a tightly screwed down network and could not understand why I did not just hand out the Wi Fi password – all my friends do that.

I guess they did not understand that with four different networks to chose, which password would have been the first issue. Dave’s idea of an ‘industry strength’ item is attractive. The present router replaced a TP-Link one that died early (yes no receipt of course) so was a distress off the peg purchase to placate a difficult resident user.

[Dave Rice]

This is how the Vigor goes about setting up a Guest WiFi network.

Firstly set up the LAN subnets, this is a 2762 so we have 2 to play with. IP address ranges are whatever you want and setup on the details page. We’ll use the second for the Guests. All subnets can access the internet, but here we also say if they can see each other. We don’t want them to.

Now we set up the WLANs. We have 4 SSIDs available but we only need 2 here.

Now we tell the Ethernet Ports and SSIDs which virtual LAN(s) and subnets they belong to. Our Guest SSID is Billy No Mates in all respects.

A bit more convoluted than just ticking a Guest Network box, but I’m sure you can see how powerful this can be especially as with the more expensive models you could have 8 subnets.

[The Duke]

Luckily I have a guest network set up, with a very simple router. It can’t enter the house networks, so it’s not an issue.

Its lights, smoke alarms, thermostats etc..  Or a Fixed ip for a minecraft server, the list goes on, I’) have to reccy the house so I don’t miss anythings. Not it all down, and hope I rememeber how I set it all up.

Another potential is issue, is some of the set up is build up over time, so it is likely to be layered.

That’s not to mention all the pc’s, laptops, macs, phones, tv boxes setting them back on like, but then also getting my router hdd to be seen on all them devices.

It just seems a lot more work, than it was 4 or 5 years ago when I got my last router.

[Dave Rice]

It needn’t be as onerous as you fear. Download and run https://www.advanced-ip-scanner.com/ 

That will give you a list of everything that’s live on your network. Anything outside of your DHCP scope will have a fixed IP. Check the DHCP server to see if you’ve reserved any IP addresses that way.

On the new router use the same IP subnet, DHCP scope and reserved IPs; set the WiFi networks up with the old SSIDs and passwords and everything should just reconnect. Your Windows machines may identify it as a new network and ask you to select private or public.

[Richard]

Thank you Dave, I downloaded it and ran a demonstration run, it was very interesting and I can see its value right away. It found most items straight off and gave useful information about them, much better than other tools.

[Wheels-Of-Fire]

• Dont forget that home groups are gone but all your PCs still have to be in the same work group for windows file sharing to work. At least that was true yesterday ?

[Jukebox]

Going back to Monkey Shoulder’s problem, the same thing happened here. I got round it using ‘Map Network Drive’ (in file explorer menu). Only disadvantage seems to be that if you boot up with the remote PC not live you get an error message ‘unable to connect all network drives’

[Author]

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