Networking multiple computers

[barryjo]

If someone can point me to a good article on this topic I would appreciate it. Here is my issue. I have 5 PCs running W10. I would like to have all computers in the same workgroup and have all computers able to read from the hard disks of the other computers. I have a user name and password on all computers. I think I have set up all computers the same way, however, the viability of computers from the others is baffling. A can see B but B cannot see A. Yesterday, A can see B. Today A cannot see B. Actually, the computers are visible but when I try to connect I get a window asking for credentials. I enter user name and password and I get the same window again asking for credentials. Sometimes, I get two windows at the same time asking for credentials, i.e. user name and password. I thought W10 would make networking easy but it is a total mess!

 

[Tim Locke]

If all your machines are W10 then perhaps a Homegroup would be the simple way.

I wonder from the symptoms if your machines are confused as to which one is the Master Browser.

So All computers should be set to Private network
All computer in the same Workgroup
Then on all computers go to Advanced sharing which is in Network and Sharing centre and set them all to:

Network discovery on and tick the automatic setup box
File and printer sharing on
and
Allow Windows to manage Homegroup settings

Then click on All Networks and turn on Public folder Sharing, use 128 bit encryption and turn OFF password protected sharing.

You had better have a good firewall(s) when you do this.



Reboot the lot and see if it works.

If not then try the homegroup I would do that by powering all off. Boot one of them and set up a homegroup. Should not need a reboot but it would do no harm.
Then one by one boot the others and in each one join the homegroup.

 

[barryjo]

If all your machines are W10 then perhaps a Homegroup would be the simple way.

I wonder from the symptoms if your machines are confused as to which one is the Master Browser.

So All computers should be set to Private network
All computer in the same Workgroup
Then on all computers go to Advanced sharing which is in Network and Sharing centre and set them all to:

Network discovery on and tick the automatic setup box
File and printer sharing on
and
Allow Windows to manage Homegroup settings

Then click on All Networks and turn on Public folder Sharing, use 128 bit encryption and turn OFF password protected sharing.

You had better have a good firewall(s) when you do this.



Reboot the lot and see if it works.

If not then try the homegroup I would do that by powering all off. Boot one of them and set up a homegroup. Should not need a reboot but it would do no harm.
Then one by one boot the others and in each one join the homegroup.

I thought about the homegroup thing but I get the impression that you have to specifically state what you want to share, i.e. photos, files, music, etc. I just want to share the hard disks themselves, i.e. C drive, D drive, etc. so I thought the workgroup might be better. Thanks for the suggestions, I will keep plugging.

 

[Tim Locke]

Ignore the homegroup thing, do the rest of it and set the root of each drive to shareable. IIRC Windows will half heartedly complain that sharing the root of a drive (i.e. C:\) is insecure and so it is

 

[barryjo]

Ignore the homegroup thing, do the rest of it and set the root of each drive to shareable. IIRC Windows will half heartedly complain that sharing the root of a drive (i.e. C:\) is insecure and so it is

I will try.