Windows machines can't browse network until router is rebooted

[jtvang125]

Home network consists of:

2 desktops on Win7 Pro x64 (wireless)
1 laptop on Win7 Pro x86 (wireless)
1 laptop on WinXP Pro (wireless)
1 HTPC on Win7 Pro x86 (wired)
1 Server on 2003 Server (wired)

It seems like just about once a week one of the desktops and the winxp laptop will lose the ability to see other computers on the network. Internet will continue working fine for all PCs. Being able to remote into the working PCs is a hit or miss when this happens too (using their PC name). Other PCs will see the 2 but can't browse any shares. The moment I reboot the router everything is fine again. Router is a Linksys E2000 that's only about a month or two old.

 

[JackMDS]

If the Router can do IP reservation, use it.

Otherwise use Static IPs.

 

[Modelworks]

Have you set the server to be the only master browser on the network ? Windows networking works okay as long as the one computer that is the master browser stays on and remains that master. In a home it gets bad sometimes as computers turn on and off and the master browser changes.

In windows 7 to keep it from trying to be the master browser there is a registry setting.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Browser\Parameters
change Maintain Server List from AUTO to FALSE

I suspect the reboot works because you killed the master browser connection at the time and when the router restarts the computers do another browser election and that fixes everything until whoever is master disconnects.

 

[Saithegeek]

Try making the Server the DHCP server.