Member Avatar for joshuu

There is this computer I came across in my workplace that was okay but at sometime it could not see the other computers connected to the LAN .I have checked the IP address and I think its okey.What could be the problem.

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A short diagnostic note tied to the suggestions already in the thread: ’s symptom (only 4 of ~40 machines visible) can follow from several different layers — application, name resolution, OS/services, and physical/network segmentation. and pointed at sharing and cabling, raised the OS question, and hinted at direct access; the checklist below prioritizes low-risk checks that narrow the root cause.

Quick non‑invasive checks (run on the affected PC and compare results with a known-good machine):

ipconfig /all
ping 192.168.x.y
ping other-hostname
arp -a
nbtstat -n
nbtstat -A 192.168.x.y
net view
(smbclient -L //192.168.x.y -N    on Linux)

What to look for: matching subnet mask/gateway, reachable IPs (ping), entries in ARP/NetBIOS tables, and whether net view lists shares. If IP-level pings fail to most hosts, the problem is lower-layer or routing/VLAN related; if pings succeed but browsing fails, name-resolution or service/filtering is likely.

Service, binding and firewall checks: confirm the adapter has File and Printer Sharing bound, and that Windows services like Server and Workstation (and Computer Browser on older Windows) are running. Verify NetBIOS over TCP/IP is enabled where required and that modern SMB settings aren’t blocking legacy hosts. Temporarily disable third‑party or Windows firewall for a short test (only with permission).

Segmentation and hardware: workgroup browsing uses broadcasts — machines on different subnets or isolated VLANs won’t appear. Compare the IPs of the 4 visible hosts to the rest. Inspect switch port LEDs, try a known-good port/cable, and check for duplicate IPs or port security on managed switches. For deeper diagnosis, capture traffic (Wireshark) to see whether NetBIOS/LLMNR/MDNS broadcasts are present — do this only with network admin approval.

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Member Avatar for dlh6213

There could be many things, but the first thing that comes to my mind is, is there a Shared Folder on each of the systems that are trying to see each other? The folder also needs to have at least one file in it.

Member Avatar for joshuu

This computer is in a workgroup and should be able to see other comuters when one opens my network neighborhood but it only sees only 4 machines out of more than 40

Member Avatar for dlh6213

If this computer can see four others on the network, then it should be set up properly. Assuming the other four computers can see the rest of the network of 40+ computers as well as this one, then it seems there must be a problem with the physical connections somewhere. Have you tested all the cables to make sure they're good? With that many computers, there must be some routers, switches, and/or hubs; one of those could be bad. Other than that... :rolleyes: I dunno.

Check those things and post the results. If that doesn't fix it, maybe someone else will have some ideas.

Member Avatar for DuncanIdaho

I'm with dlh6213 on this one, bad cable would be the first thing I'd be looking at, as I've seen this exact error with a cable that was severely pinched, (had a kink in it, pulled tight!).

Member Avatar for alc6379

What OS are the machines running?

Member Avatar for Kamex

Try opening any folder and typing \\computer where "computer" is the name of the computer you want to access.

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