Windows Networking Woes (Long)
Posted: June 17th, 2022, 10:12 pm
Warning: lengthy so I can provide fullest info and pre-empt need to ask me some of the basic questions.
Following relocation to UK I've been struggling over the past week or so to get an old ASUS laptop and used Surface Go tablet (both recently acquired) happily co-existing on a Private network through a Technicolor DGA0122 (ISP-provided). No MS Account though my local account on each has the same name but no password.
Both machines are now running Windows Home 19044.1766 (not S edition, Surface having a recent clean install & mode switch) and they've had the same twiddles applied in increasing desperation. ASUS sometimes lists itself, Surface and Router as Computers and also recognises as a Media Device the extension disk in router's USB socket acting as DLNA server storage. Kodi on Firestick also auto-discovers this UPnP server and ASUS lists the Firestick as Other Device. The router is also listed as Infrastructure. On the ASUS I can use File Explorer to drill down in shares on Surface and into the router's external Samba-enabled disk - but that's all only when the ASUS feels obliging whereas it usually won't list the Surface or router as Computers
The Surface only ever lists itself and the ASUS as computers (both in the same Workgroup - as is Samba in router's external storage) but sometimes shows the DLNA Server as a media device and the router as Infrastructure. Attempting to drill down in the ASUS in File Explorer gives a 'cannot access' error: 'the network path was not found', 'check spelling' or run diagnostics (which either finds no problem or else encounters 'unexpected error' so the wizard can't continue). Once or twice the Surface allowed the ASUS to be opened in File Explorer to display the shares - but attempting to expand a share prompted a 'you don't have permission' error which, unsurprisingly, also appeared when I mapped it to a drive and attempted to open that drive but a few minutes later trying to open the drive gave the 'location unavailable' error.
Private network profile active with Network Discovery (& auto-setup) turned on - along with File & Printer Sharing. All Networks has Enabled 40/56-bit encryption (just in case) and Password Protected Sharing is turned OFF. Another 'just in case' is enabling SMB1 Client (only) in Windows Features (and disabling Auto Removal) though I doubt the router might be demanding SMBv1.
Services.msc confirms the Function Discovery services are both running. Both are set to Manual start with Resource Publication being Trigger Start. I haven't bothered trying to force Automatic start: the fact they are Running (on both machines) is enough for me at the moment.
No VPN on Surface and the VPN installed on ASUS was only ever fired-up manually as and when needed (on different LAN abroad with different router).
Enabled gpedit on both machines to check: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Network > Lanman Workstation where I configured as enabled 'Enable insecure guest logons'. This should have nil effect as I understand a non-configured setting allows insecure guest logons anyway - but I've become desperate enough to force it.
I found in regedit that: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanWorkstation\Parameters did not show AllowInsecureGuestAuth as asserted so altered that. Again, this should have nil effect as Group Policy should supersede local.
I'm sharing the root of the data disk(s) on each machine with Everyone having Full Control Permission. Turning off Firewall for Private Network on both machines makes no difference. Enabling NetBIOS over TCP/IP on the Advanced Properties (WINS) of the WiFi on each machine makes no difference.
Testing is tedious as I have to assume a restart could be necessary and there seems to be a long (but inconveniently variable) delay before each machine lists other kit it might discover on the network (however incompletely). Particularly peeving is when discovered kit disappears from the list during a session - possibly after a sleep(?). Test results can be inconsistent and this is all incredibly messy but doesn't work for me even when made so very 'open' - so any clue would be most welcome. Thanks for reading this far... unless you didn't.
Following relocation to UK I've been struggling over the past week or so to get an old ASUS laptop and used Surface Go tablet (both recently acquired) happily co-existing on a Private network through a Technicolor DGA0122 (ISP-provided). No MS Account though my local account on each has the same name but no password.
Both machines are now running Windows Home 19044.1766 (not S edition, Surface having a recent clean install & mode switch) and they've had the same twiddles applied in increasing desperation. ASUS sometimes lists itself, Surface and Router as Computers and also recognises as a Media Device the extension disk in router's USB socket acting as DLNA server storage. Kodi on Firestick also auto-discovers this UPnP server and ASUS lists the Firestick as Other Device. The router is also listed as Infrastructure. On the ASUS I can use File Explorer to drill down in shares on Surface and into the router's external Samba-enabled disk - but that's all only when the ASUS feels obliging whereas it usually won't list the Surface or router as Computers
The Surface only ever lists itself and the ASUS as computers (both in the same Workgroup - as is Samba in router's external storage) but sometimes shows the DLNA Server as a media device and the router as Infrastructure. Attempting to drill down in the ASUS in File Explorer gives a 'cannot access' error: 'the network path was not found', 'check spelling' or run diagnostics (which either finds no problem or else encounters 'unexpected error' so the wizard can't continue). Once or twice the Surface allowed the ASUS to be opened in File Explorer to display the shares - but attempting to expand a share prompted a 'you don't have permission' error which, unsurprisingly, also appeared when I mapped it to a drive and attempted to open that drive but a few minutes later trying to open the drive gave the 'location unavailable' error.
Private network profile active with Network Discovery (& auto-setup) turned on - along with File & Printer Sharing. All Networks has Enabled 40/56-bit encryption (just in case) and Password Protected Sharing is turned OFF. Another 'just in case' is enabling SMB1 Client (only) in Windows Features (and disabling Auto Removal) though I doubt the router might be demanding SMBv1.
Services.msc confirms the Function Discovery services are both running. Both are set to Manual start with Resource Publication being Trigger Start. I haven't bothered trying to force Automatic start: the fact they are Running (on both machines) is enough for me at the moment.
No VPN on Surface and the VPN installed on ASUS was only ever fired-up manually as and when needed (on different LAN abroad with different router).
Enabled gpedit on both machines to check: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Network > Lanman Workstation where I configured as enabled 'Enable insecure guest logons'. This should have nil effect as I understand a non-configured setting allows insecure guest logons anyway - but I've become desperate enough to force it.
I found in regedit that: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanWorkstation\Parameters did not show AllowInsecureGuestAuth as asserted so altered that. Again, this should have nil effect as Group Policy should supersede local.
I'm sharing the root of the data disk(s) on each machine with Everyone having Full Control Permission. Turning off Firewall for Private Network on both machines makes no difference. Enabling NetBIOS over TCP/IP on the Advanced Properties (WINS) of the WiFi on each machine makes no difference.
Testing is tedious as I have to assume a restart could be necessary and there seems to be a long (but inconveniently variable) delay before each machine lists other kit it might discover on the network (however incompletely). Particularly peeving is when discovered kit disappears from the list during a session - possibly after a sleep(?). Test results can be inconsistent and this is all incredibly messy but doesn't work for me even when made so very 'open' - so any clue would be most welcome. Thanks for reading this far... unless you didn't.