Laptop can't find with home network since Win10 upgrade

[tinpanalley]

The issue is as simple as the title says. I upgraded my laptop to Windows 10 and was using only WiFi, but then I went and plugged in the ethernet cable I always use and it doesn't see the home network that all my devices are on. In fact, it looks like it's just seeing my WiFi network but via ethernet. How is this happening, why, and does anyone know what I can do to get my desktop's home network to show up so that I can access my SMB shares, printers, etc?

Thanks!

 

[VirtualLarry]

When you first connected to the wifi network, did you enable or disable network device discovery? That might be the problem.

 

[tinpanalley]

When you first connected to the wifi network, did you enable or disable network device discovery? That might be the problem.

Hmm. That's entirely possible. But actually the problem is bigger than that. It only sees the WiFi network and is calling the ethernet connection by the same name. So, the one on my desktop called "Network 4" isn't seen. Only the one with my SSID. It's as if it's connecting to my router signal via ethernet. How is that even possible?

 

[XavierMace]

Can you elaborate on your network setup? Do you actually have your WiFi running on a separate network? "Network 4" isn't the name of your network nor is it shared between computers so there's no guarantee it's going to show up as "Network 4" on different computers.

 

[tinpanalley]

Can you elaborate on your network setup? Do you actually have your WiFi running on a separate network? "Network 4" isn't the name of your network nor is it shared between computers so there's no guarantee it's going to show up as "Network 4" on different computers.

Ok, good point...
I have a TV box/router that sends out both my ethernet wired signal to my desktop and my WiFi router signal. Typically, when I get internet on the desktop it's called 'Network X' in this case Network 4 as there've been four different tv/internet boxes on this install of Windows. As I said, this box also sends out a WiFi network named with the SSID I gave it. Normally, I'd connect to the WiFi called [WiFiName] and log into that with mobile devices and laptops but the moment I'd plug in an ethernet cable to my laptop, I'd see the same name as on the desktop, 'Network 4'. What's happening now is that I'm plugging the ethernet cable into the laptop and seeing [WiFiName] instead which I think is why I'm not seeing any of my shared folders on the computer. Does that all make sense?

On the laptop, when it's connected to [WiFiName], I don't see my desktop in the Network folder of File Explorer. I used to. Yes, all sharing is turned on.

 

[XavierMace]

"Network 4" has zero impact on anything. Based on the setup you just described you only have one network. It sounds to me like network discovery is turned off.

 

[tinpanalley]

"Network 4" has zero impact on anything. Based on the setup you just described you only have one network. It sounds to me like network discovery is turned off.

Ok. Well, network discovery is on on my laptop and my Windows tablets and the laptop is the only one that can't see my desktop for some reason.

 

[XavierMace]

When you plugged in the ethernet cable to the laptop the first time after upgrading to Windows 10, did you specify it was a home network?

Can you manually connect to the UNC path for your desktop?

 

[tinpanalley]

When you plugged in the ethernet cable to the laptop the first time after upgrading to Windows 10, did you specify it was a home network?

Come to think of it, it didn't ask. But I turned on WiFi first.

Can you manually connect to the UNC path for your desktop?

Don't know how to do that but I can look it up.

 

[tinpanalley]

I have no idea what changed now but it's fine. I can see the desktop.
Completely confused. I'm going through every single setting to see if I changed something by accident and not seeing anything. I'm not however, yet able to see the laptop from the desktop but I'll play with the laptop settings as well.