Some time in the past few months, one of my PC's has vanished from the network. It seems to be an issue with Network Discovery. The PC is accessible if you type in a path from another PC, it is also present in the Homegroup, but it is missing from the list of PC's in Windows Explorer, Network.
Nothing has been changed on the PC and Network Discovery is enabled.
Does anyone have any idea what this could be?
Is NetBIOS enabled and which pc is the master browser it needs refreshing open for prompt type net view then for each of type nbtstat -a pcname do this for each name one will show up as msbrowse
Sorry I don't understand what you mean.
NetBIOS is set to the same as the other PC's ~ Default.
I don't understand what you mean by "master browser". The PC that is invisible is invisible to all PC's on the network, including itself.
I typed net view and it only comes back with the PC I am on at the moment.
What do you mean by msbrowse? Sorry, but you have completely lost me on this one.
OK I have been reading and I sort of understand what NetBIOS is, but what I am not sure is, are you telling me to enable it, or disable it? I am also curious as to why this problem has occured. Surely with all new machines this shouldn't be an issue? Why would just one PC require something different?
On a local network one of acts as Master browser so when you look for PCs it doesn't search it asks the master what's there and it tells it if the Master goes offline and a new PC comes it may not pick it up when it comes back so it won't show up until it's refreshed. As long as NetBIOS is running and PC is on the same subnet it should be picked up
1. I do net view and the bad PC doesn't show up in the list. Even when I do the command from the bad PC, it doesn't show itself.
2.Executing nbtstat I can confirm that the first PC is the Master Browser.
3. The Master Browser is ALWAYS on when the bad PC is powered up, but it doesn't pick it up. Even if I refresh, it still doesn't pick it up.
I can confirm that enabling NetBIOS on the bad PC cures the problem. Disable it, and the problem is back again immediately.
But I am not happy, lol. Why is this problem happening?
I am actually starting to think that this is an issue with the router. I changed the port the bad pc was plugged in to and suddenly the bad PC is no longer bad. Now eveverything is working as it should. I think that the router was maintaining some data or other even when the PC was off, so powering the PC up again, even after many hours, the problem persisted. Does this sound reasonable?
And the following day it's gone again. It can't be the router becuase this is only happening to one of the PC's. I am at a loss. However, searching the internet I have seen exactly this problem with NAS drives.
Hi there
Windows Networking is ALWAYS a DOG !!
1) Disable ANY HOME GROUPS --these are always a 100% TOTAL DISASTER for any sort of sensible Home networking -
2 Use Connect by account and User name for shared connections
3) NetBIOS is deprecated --not sure who uses it any more --some older NAS boxes might though
5) In your NAS / Linux shares set this up in the [Global] section of Samba.conf
[global]
max protocol = SMB3
# can set it to SMB2 if you want experimental SMB2 support.
#
workgroup = WORKGROUP
server string = Samba Server Version %v
; max protocol = SMB2
log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m
max log size = 50
security = user
passdb backend = tdbsam
name resolve order = bcast host lmhosts wins
load printers = yes
cups options = raw
; printcap name = /etc/printcap
# obtain a list of printers automatically on UNIX System V systems:
; printcap name = lpstat
; printing = cups
Note -SMB3 is fine for W10
This is for HOME type situations SIMPLE basic sharing ---- not things with Logon Domains etc
You don't need to enable WINS support either but no harm leaving it in the config file
Cheers
jimbo
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