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Sudden network issue between two computers

Greetings all.  I'm not sure if this is where this post belongs, or if I should even be posting the question on Hangar45, but I'll take my chances.

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I have two computers both running Win10 Pro on my home network.  One computer is named FS-COMP (Gigabyte) and the other is named Gauges (Asus).  They are both home built and work well.  I have several shared locations on both FS-COMP and Gauges and all shared locations were accessible without issue on each computer until a week ago.  The event that seemed to trigger the problem was putting a powered USB 3.0 PCIE card into FS-COMP, but I can’t imagine why.  The PCIE card loaded the same drivers as other USB HID’s in Device Manager.  I removed it as it did not solve a USB problem I was having with a piece of flight sim hardware.

The Issue:

On FS-COMP:  Via Windows Explorer, \\Gauges shows on the network and all \\Gauges shared locations are selectable via FS-COMP.

On Gauges:Via Windows Explorer, \\FS-COMP shows on the network but shared location are not accessible by selecting \\FS-COMP.  I have attached a snip from the web.The names are not the same but the Network Error is.  It would read Windows cannot access \\FS-COMP.

However, if I type the \\FS-COMP network location into Windows Explorer as \\192.168.1.14 then that location shows on the network And I Can access shared \\FS-COMP locations via the \\192.168.1.14.

 So, \\Gauges can access \\FS-COMP via \\192.168.1.14 but cannot access \\FS-COMP via the \\FS-COMP icon that shows in the network section of  Windows Explorer.  There appears to be a name resolution problem but I can’t identify it. I have been through all the standard debugging steps without luck (drive sharing, permissions, network discovery etc etc.)

I'd be thankful for any suggestions.  Thanks.

Bruce

 

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Add that 192.168.1.14 to your LMHosts file.  That's where Windoze will look to resolve a local machine name before chasing a DNS.  (It looks there FIRST, and if it's not there it goes looking for a DNS somewhere on the network.  If you put that local address in the LMHosts file, it'll find it and resolve the name right away.  For help with the specific steps to do this search on "LMHOSTS file".  Windoze comes with a dummy hosts file in each installation and the instructions for using it are in the dummy file. (lmhosts.sam)  It's just a text file, easy to edit and add whatever you need.

 

Having said that - I'd want to know if something related to installing that USB card is causing this issue in another way.  You need to be *DEAD CERTAIN SURE* that the USB3 driver hasn't caused this issue.  "Removing" it ain't the same as "uninstalling" it (!!) and if there are remnants of it still in the registry there is no telling what Win10 might do with it.

 

DonnyRay

Hi Donny.

I don't know if you meant to reply but there was nothing in the body of your reply.

Bruce

 

 

Yeah - I saw that, and I've asked Ron to figure out what happened.  I did a copy/paste operation from an e-mail I sent him earlier and apparently doing that turns on the "invisible" font.  If you look HARD at the invisible reply it's actually THERE but the font color is such that you can barely detect it.  I dunno......

The short version is this:  Add that IP address to the LMHOSTS file and that should fix it.

DonnyRay

Donny -

I see your post perfectly now and will give it a go.  Thanks very much for your reply.

Bruce

Donny!

I could call you Hero but that wouldn’t be enough.  I could also call you Saint and Savior but that would fall short of the mark too.

I first looked at the Host file in the same location as lmhost and both computers were listed in the file, however, the IP address for FS-Comp was wrong.  I can only guess that for some reason a couple weeks ago FS-Comp was dynamically allocated a new LAN address and that’s when things came to a screeching halt.  Yesterday I deleted all my router fixed ip’s (I do run in dhcp mode) and re-added them with the correct names and addresses.  Today I changed one digit in the FS-Comp address in the Host file and I was instantly up and running.  Both computers talking, WideFS connected and the JET45 gauges up and running.

Of all the postings I made about the issue, and after reading countless articles and trying the same old things over and over, YOU are the only person who suggested this simple and elegant fix.  I doubt I would have ever figured it out.

Thank you ever so much.  I was so frustrated I was getting ready to do a complete top to bottom reinstall.  Now I can just go fly.

Bruce

Bruce,

Excellent news!  I'm happy to help!

Since you run DHCP and not static-IP addresses this issue may return on you.  For security reasons, many routers expire a DHCP address after a period of time and re-issue the client a new address.  If the new address is different than the address in your hosts / LMhosts file you'll lose connectivity again.  I generally suggest that sim builders run their machines with static-IP addressing.  That's what I do - not because it's clever - but because I'm lazy and don't want to chase and troubleshoot the vagarities of DHCP as delivered by various brand routers.  So if your connectivity issue comes back without warning, check and see if your clients have new DHCP addresses.

DonnyRay

 

I do run DHCP but I have the two flight sim computers on fixed ip’s.   I think I should be okay but boy will I know where to look if I lose it again.

Thank you.