Unable to connect to home network

sleepless · 20 May 2023

I have two PC's on my wireless home network. A desktop used as an HTPC and backup storage (ASROCK-HTPC), and a laptop (DELLITUDE-E6530). Both have Windows 10. Until recently, I have never had trouble connecting to the network using my laptop. I just enter the username/password and I have access to all shared files/folders on my backup HTPC.
About two weeks ago (I did NOT change any settings on either PC), suddenly Windows would not give me access to the desktop PC. It would not accept the password and said I did not have permission to access the device. I went through this process many times, restarting and checking settings etc. Then it changed and now I no longer get the password option at all. Just a message: "Network Error, Windows cannot access ASROCK-PC ..."
Oddly, I CAN STILL ACCESS THE LAPTOP VIA THE DESKTOP, but not the other way around, which is what I need.
No problems connecting to internet, just the home network via the laptop. I have checked internet settings and used the troubleshooter. Version 1909 (OS Build 18363.1556)
Please Help?

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Samuria · 20 May 2023

Find the ip of the asrock by typing ipconfig /all from CMD prompt
On the desktop open a CMD prompt type
Ping asrock-htpc
Ping 192.168.1.3 change this to the ip you got from asrock

Try contacting via ip ie \\192.168.1.2\sharename. Use the ip of asrock

Post results

sleepless · 20 May 2023

ASROCK-HTPC (desktop) IPv4 Address = 10.0.0.113

Unable to connect to home network-capture-ping-1.png

*note: if i ping the laptop (DELLITUDE-E6530) from the desktop (ASROCK-HTPC), I get 4 replies.
But when I ping the desktop from the laptop, nothing is received, all timed-out.

Samuria · 20 May 2023

If it can see the desktop it suggests firewall or security setting blocking it check your setting and compare with other working one. Often updates set security to very tight

Try3 · 20 May 2023

I suggest you work through each step of
A consolidated network setup checklist for Windows 10 and 11 - my post #4 - TenForums

Best of luck,
Denis

MisterEd · 20 May 2023

I had just the opposite problem. I could access the desktop from my laptop but could not access the laptop from my desktop. I tried everything I could. The checklist mentioned did not help. After dealing with this problem for a month I gave up and reinstalled Windows 10 on my desktop computer. I was glad to see networking was working OK again. I hated to have to reinstall Windows again but I wish I had done it sooner.

sleepless · 21 May 2023

OK, so after disabling the Windows Firewall on the desktop, I was able to get the password screen on the laptop again, entered the password and it worked! Also got replies from the Ping test.
I guess an update must've changed the firewall settings. The only problem is figuring out which specific entries were changed.
I looked at inbound/outbound groups "File and Printer Sharing" and "Network Discovery" and found that only the Public entries were enabled. All of the "Private" and "Domain" entries weren't enabled. So after enabling those Private entries it has been working.
Not sure if there might be some other entries that should be changed too, but at least file sharing is working right now.

Thanks, appreciated.