Question Can't access PC's on network ?

[thedoctormd]

Hi all

Long story short, I've got a NetComm modem/router connected to my ISP (ethernet to WAN) with a PC connected via ethernet to that modem/router and a second ASUS RT-AC68U connected LAN to LAN to that modem/router as well. The ASUS is set up as an access point and i've got a second PC connected via Wifi to this router. The ASUS is set up in a shed in the backyard.

What I'm trying to do is be able to share files between these computers. I can see each PC on the other however when I click on each of them (depending on which PC I'm sitting at) but when I click to open I get "Windows cannot access \\XXX - error code 0x80070035" (I'm using windows 11 on both PC's by the way).

I've obviously got a set up issue going on but I'm not really across the IP requirements and how I go about changing them. For what its worth the modem/router's IP appears to be 192.168.20.1 and the ASUS IP is 192.168.20.10 (using the ASUS discovery app).

Any advice about how to get access to these two PC's would be amazing!

Cheers
Doc

 

[Cyberat_88]

Default setup on all wi-fi is to separate clients, thus invisible to each other.
Also need to setup the Asus on the NetComm as either router behind router or access point.

I would also bounce the Asus IP out of range, like x.x.x.128 or set to x.x.40.1. Have the networks ranges separate and not intersect.
Something like 192.168.20.2 - 32 and 192.168.40.2 - 32. That way you don't have IP address collisions.

 

[thedoctormd]

Thanks for your response Cyberat_88.

The Asus router is already set up as an AP. I should have said also, that it is an AP set with a dynamic IP as I use wifi to connect a personal PC and a work laptop (as well as Phones etc) so was of the understanding that it was not a good idea to have a static IP. Am I wrong about this and should set up using a static IP in the range you're talking about?

Doc

 

[Murissokah]

Thanks for your response Cyberat_88.

The Asus router is already set up as an AP. I should have said also, that it is an AP set with a dynamic IP as I use wifi to connect a personal PC and a work laptop (as well as Phones etc) so was of the understanding that it was not a good idea to have a static IP. Am I wrong about this and should set up using a static IP in the range you're talking about?

Doc

For home networks it is indeed generally better to leave clients in DHCP (dynamic addressing), but your AP is not a normal client. Since it's part or your network infrastructure, it's better to leave it's static and avoid unnecessary address changes.

As for the reason it is not working, I'm guessing you have different networks for clients on the AP and on the router and at least one of the two is missing rules to allow SMB traffic between those networks. Or maybe hosts can't resolve DNS for eachother. If you could give us more details as to what the network addresses are, how the AP is set up and what are the settings on the router firewall we might be able to help more.

 

[Cyberat_88]

Setting a Range is not the same as Static IP, you're not manually assigning IPs per device, you're just making sure the networks don't intersect and don't collude with router IP.