Windows 10: NetBIOS discovery

Hi---one of computers connected to home LAN running Windows 10 can't be viewed in Network control panel of others. What are the services required to be started on both guest and host computers to show local computer automatically in Explorer under Network branch? I have walked all services on the "invisible" computer and didn't find anything related to NetBIOS, SMB. I still can access shared resources of the "invisible" computer by specifying them by UNC path, ie. \\ASUS\Windows_10\ opens the system drive root folder on any computer.

:)

 

WSD vs Netbios Network Discovery


I have to say this must be a question no one can answer in a straight forward way. Let's start with saying that Microsoft has introduced an undated (or a new version of) network discovery topology in Windows 10 that is not compatible with older Windows OS's. I never had issues with Windows 7 and Windows XP home networking. I don't remember having to deal with services called "Function Discovery...". Never had issues with my computers "not" being listed in Network Places either. Of course the so-called discovery method between W7 and XP was NetBIOS.

In my mixed W10 (Home and Pro) and W7 network, WSD has problems maintaining the list of computer names in Network Places. Specifically, the computer name associated with the computer running W10 Home keeps disappearing after 30 minutes or so. The only way to make it reappear is to restart the "Function Discovery Resource Publication" service on the computer. This is a major pain. So I assume this is an undocumented bug. I don't know if Microsoft is aware or has addressed it.

My solution was to disable the service and let NetBIOS take over as the discovery method for the computers on my LAN. Here's what I did: https://social.technet.microsoft.com...tpronetworking

I would like to use WSD, but until MS fixes the service on W10 Home, I'll stay with NetBIOS. Is it true that MS is dumping Network Places in Windows 10? If so, what will replace it?

 

WSD vs Netbios Network Discovery


Good stuff. I agree with it all. I don't mind which discovery method is used mind you. I just wished it actually worked. On my W10 Home computer, the FDRP service just dies even though the service displays it is running when I open services.msc. I know this by looking in Network Places on the other computers on my network. The W10 Home is not found in the list. When I restart the service, bam! It comes back. As for NetBIOS, that discovery method and using one computer (with the Computer Browser service on) to maintain the list in a mixed Windows network environment consistently works.

I don't know where MS is trying to take us in terms of a home networking methodology, but I hope they get there soon and tell us what to expect. I hope it's not that HomeGroup crap either. Every update is causing me hours of frustration getting my file sharing to work again. I make changes and the updates seems to revert my changes to MS defaults. Mind-boggling.

 

WSD vs Netbios Network Discovery


Oh no. Guess what I just discovered. Like I said, it doesn't really matter which discovery method is used. Just want it to work. I know NetBIOS does. But W10 Home computer name disappears in Network Places when not using NetBIOS which means WSD is being used. So I performed another tweak.

- Disabling NetBIOS over TCP/IP for all adaptor properties
- Turn on Network Discovery from Advanced Sharing Settings>Network discovery
- (This was the first additional tweak) On the W10 Home computer uncheck the box for "Turn on automatic setup of network connected devices"
- Disable the Computer Browser service on all
- Set FDRP (publication) and FDPH (provider) services to "manual"
- (This was the second additional tweak) On the W10 Home computer I set HomeGroup Provider service from "manual" to "automatic"

Now all the computer names are displayed and stable. But, you mention MS is going to get rid of HomeGroup. That's the thing which makes WSD stable in my mixed network environment.