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#1
HomeGroup and network connectivity oddities since upgrading
Update Aug 15th: The network issues have been resolved by modifying SMB2 settings in the registry, as per my posts on page 2. Now, just a persistent HomeGroup error remains.
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Ok, first off, a quick run-down on my setup - the "core" of my network consists of a media PC, my primary PC, and my wifes' laptop. Upgraded my PC to Win10 when the "free upgrade" became available, and the media PC yesterday once I decided it likely wasn't going to kill it. Wife's is still on 8.1 and is working perfectly fine for everything, but to be upgraded soon.
All machines are on a 1Gb connection via Cat6 cable through a Gb switch.
Ever since I upgraded my machine to Win10 from Win 8.1 when it became available, I've not been able to access the Media PC via the HomeGroup, or through the network connection that it discovers - when I try, I get an instant (for network browsing. When trying the HomeGroup it takes a fair bit longer to time out, while it looks for other machines) error advising that the location can't be found.
So - what I've found so far is:
- I can't connect to the media PC through Explorer using either HomeGroup or Network (even though Windows has "discovered" it and lists it as a machine on the network)
- Trying to access the HomeGroup, which *should* have three machines in it (mine, the wifes laptop and the media PC), results in an eventual time-out and the message "No other homegroup PCs are available at the moment"
- I can access the wifes' laptop through Explorer without issue.
- I can browse to the media machine via IP address in Explorer without issue.
- I am able to ping the media machine, via host-name, on both IP6 and IP4 without issue. I can also tracert.
- I am able to connect to the machine using the host-name via VNC (am actually doing my diagnostics on that machine via VNC, connected using the host-name)
- I've removed all machines from the HomeGroup, and re-created it with the media PC as the host. Both the laptop and my PC joined it without issue. The laptop can "use" it, my machine times out saying it can't be found.
- I've done an ipconfig /release and /renew on the media PC - it didn't have a reserved IP address in DHCP initially, so guess that it would have changed at some point (both machines run pretty much 24x7, so wouldn't change IP often at all anyway). It's now reserved back to the IP that I know it's been at for the majority of the time it's been up.
- All machines have been rebooted multiple times
- I found an article that suggested that saved permissions may have been an issue, so I removed the cached auth stuff, which also hasn't helped.
- I've checked the WAN settings on my modem and can confirm that the DNS servers are set to those of my ISP (they weren't initially, which has been working for me for years. Set them just to be sure). Modem has been reset a couple of times, also just to be sure.
- There's other stuff I've done, but to be honest, I've looked at, and tried, so much stuff, I've lost track of it all.
I found this article http://www.7tutorials.com/fix-proble...eing-available which seems like it could relate to some of my problems, except I'm running Defender, and that setting they're talking about isn't an option. It IS, however, a Service - which Win10 won't let you stop. There was talk of modifying a reg key to do it manually... but I'm not too sure I want to do that, especially considering I have symptoms other than those relating directly to HomeGroup.
So - if you're still with me, and not fallen asleep from the wall of text (I'd rather put as much info about what I've done/seen/tried up here up front in order to save both you and I some time)... any suggestions/tips on what I can look at/try next, please?
It's VERY rare for me to not be able to track down the source of a problem with stuff like this, so it's vexing me more than a little. Your assistance in helping me exorcise this particular demon would be very much appreciated :)
Last edited by bobdabuilda; 23 Aug 2015 at 03:24.