Question Ethernet and Wireless not Visible

[ktriebol]

On my home network, I have a router with two computers connected to it (a desktop and a laptop). If both computers are connected to the router via ethernet, I can see both computers on the network in microsoft explorer from either one of them. The same is true if both computers are connected via wireless. The problem is when one of these computers is connected via ethernet and the other one is connected via wireless, then I can only see the computer that I am on, and not the other one. Shouldn't I be able to see both computers even though one is connected via ethernet and the other via wireless? Both computers are on Windows 10 version 1809. Here is my IP adress data:
Desktop ethernet 192.168.2.244
Desktop wireless 192.168.2.198
Laptop ethernet 192.168.2.112
Laptop wireless 192.168.2.138

 

[jimmysmitty]

Unless your router is segmenting the wireless and Ethernet traffic somehow then yes you should as they should be on the same subnet. I would check your router settings and make sure you don't have some sort of block not allowing traffic between the two networks. You IP scheme seems correct though so it would be very odd unless the router has rules blocking it.

 

[jsmithepa]

Do u follow the standard DNS configuration? All your preferred DNS servers defined at the NAT box (and this is also the DHCP server box on a simple home LAN), then all clients have tcp/ip configured as auto/dynamic for everything.

 

[ktriebol]

Unless your router is segmenting the wireless and Ethernet traffic somehow then yes you should as they should be on the same subnet. I would check your router settings and make sure you don't have some sort of block not allowing traffic between the two networks. You IP scheme seems correct though so it would be very odd unless the router has rules blocking it.

Thanks for the reply, Jimmy. My router is a Tenda AC18. I have looked over the router settings for something that would segment or block ethernet vs. wireless, but couldn't find a setting for something like that. It must be something else.

 

[ktriebol]

Do u follow the standard DNS configuration? All your preferred DNS servers defined at the NAT box (and this is also the DHCP server box on a simple home LAN), then all clients have tcp/ip configured as auto/dynamic for everything.

Jsmith, in the LAN setting area of my Tenda AC18 router, there is a switch for DNS settings, and I have that switched off. If I switch it on, there are blank fields for Primary DNS server and Secondary DNS server. Should I turn that switch on and enter something into those fields?

 

[jimmysmitty]

Is there an automatic DNS option when the switch is on or off?

When you have a system connected to the wireless and one to the ethernet, can you ping the wireless IP address at all or no?

Its hard to say for sure since every manufacture has their own firmware which is different.

 

[ktriebol]

Is there an automatic DNS option when the switch is on or off?

When you have a system connected to the wireless and one to the ethernet, can you ping the wireless IP address at all or no?

Its hard to say for sure since every manufacture has their own firmware which is different.

I have studied the operating manual for my router some more, and found that if I have the DHCP server switch on (to automatically assign IP addresses), it will also automatically assign DNS server addresses even though the DNS server switch is off. That is how I have it set.

I was able to successfully ping the ethernet to wireless arrangement, and the wireless to ethernet arrangement. Ping time was about 2ms for both tests.

Still can't see both computers with one on ethernet and one on wireless.

 

[jimmysmitty]

If you can ping then there is communication. How do you have file sharing and discovery setup on these systems?

I still wonder if there is a rule or switch somewhere in the router that needs to be flipped to allow full sharing between wired and wireless networks. Manuals typically don't cover every little thing but give a more overall guide on how to use and set it up.

If you were to put the IP address to one of the systems in say file explorer (\\192.168.x.x\ and press enter does it go anywhere?

 

[ktriebol]

I have file sharing and discovery set up to the max on both computers.

Here is another clue that I came upon this morning. I use the Macrium Reflect Image/Cloning software, and today I executed the definition file that I have saved on Macrium Reflect which automates the Image saving process. It will save an Image from my wireless laptop to my wired desktop. I executed that file, and the Image saving process started as normal. While that was going on, I went into file explorer on the laptop, and under Network, I could see the laptop, but not the desktop. I then went into file explorer on the desktop and there I could see both the desktop and the laptop. Macrium Reflect issued a message of success at the end of the Image saving process, and I could see that the new Image was saved on the desktop. This leads me to believe that there is a problem with Windows on my laptop such that the desktop isn't showing up in file explorer/Network, even though it is actually connected and communicating. I did experience some bad blocks on the laptop SSD recently, so that may be the cause of the problem. I think I am going to buy a new SSD and do a fresh installation of Windows 10 on it.

 

[jimmysmitty]

Clean installs never hurt. It could very well be a faulty block corrupting a part in the OS.