Why does Windows Network Map - like - never work?

[Sonicmojo]

Howdy,

Been doing some home LAN uipgrades and updates (Added new RT-AC66U router last week) and have been having some strange issues with Windows Network Map (As seen from the Network and Sharing Center) on any typical Windows 7 workstation.

We have 5 workstations and a Windows 2008 R2 server on the LAN. Several switches are in play before any of them actually reach the RT-AC66U.

What I am struggling with is that while each WS is correctly configured with standard Intel NICs (LLDP enabled on all) - I still cannot get a Network Map to show on any of them. Always get some weird message about how Network Map cannot be created and some device is "delayed" or not supported etc etc.

While I realize this "map" is not the be all and end all - would be nice to get it working even in a basic way.

Appreciate any updates.

Cheers,

Sonic

 

[L&LD]

Not sure if this will work in your situation, but turn off all your network devices and clients, modems, switches and all, and leave them off for at least 10 to 30 minutes.

Now power on the modem, wait 5 minutes, router, wait 5 minutes, switches then the server, wait 5 minutes, then the clients, order or waiting shouldn't matter for the clients.

Did anything positive result?

 

[Zeppelindork]

same experience here

Your question is too philosophical!

Bugs are a harsh reality. I think MS finds them cute! Try this on Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, and probably 8.1

Open the included CALCULATOR accessory

key in: 4 squareROOT - 2 =

That is, what is TWO subtracted from the SQUARE ROOT of FOUR?

Please limit your answer to less than 30 significant digits! :+D

(BTW, Linux doesn't have a problem computing the correct answer)

My Windows 7 Network and Sharing Center icon in the system tray has a big red X through it ALL of the time. I tried Googling up some solutions, but gave up after a suitable amount of frustration. Instead, I came up with my own solution: deactivate icon in notifications area! This was a couple of years ago. As far as the Network Map goes, the "basic network information" shows the PC, a park bench, and a globe (impressive "MAP", huh?). When I clicked "see full map", I used to have problems similar to yours. These days, however, I can't even get Windows to come up with a lame excuse! It just informs me that "Windows cannot discover any computer or device", even though my XP computer in the basement is sharing up a storm.

So my 2 cents worth of humble advice is this: if the main features are working ok, but there are bugs beneath the floor boards, ignore and work around them the best you can. That stupid icon in the system tray doesn't bother me in the slightest, now that I can't see it (ignorance is indeed bliss)!

 

[System Error Message]

windows networking is terrible and fails under stress however network map in windows relies on 2 things. The first is the service being enabled and the 2nd is the network configured for it that means the network needs to support windows homegroups, domains, services, etc. Its not a bug but rather its a bunch of extra burden that is simply too costly for network vendors to implement in their products and a lot of effort to configure the network to make that feature work.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

We have 5 workstations and a Windows 2008 R2 server on the LAN. Several switches are in play before any of them actually reach the RT-AC66U.

The 2008 R2 server...is it running active directory?
What are the workstations using for DNS?

 

[azazel1024]

windows networking is terrible and fails under stress however network map in windows relies on 2 things. The first is the service being enabled and the 2nd is the network configured for it that means the network needs to support windows homegroups, domains, services, etc. Its not a bug but rather its a bunch of extra burden that is simply too costly for network vendors to implement in their products and a lot of effort to configure the network to make that feature work.

Huh? What network vendors need to support any of this? Most of these features are operating using TCP (all of them?), so unless your "network vendor" doesn't support TCP, it'll support anything windows "networking" related.

Also since Windows is THE largest OS, especially in business, I can damn well guarantee you all network vendors worth anything "support" whatever it is that is needed.

Network mapping not working is an issue within windows itself, not with the network, unless you are specifically blocking NETBIOS or LLDP. Because of how windows builds the network map, it has never been overly reliable even when it works.

The issue is that Win8+ does NOT actively support network mapping. It still has network discovery, services discovery, etc., etc. See my comment above about it never having been reliable for why MS stripped the functionality.

This is combined with Master browser issues that have been around since NETBIOS was created (IE sometimes something on the network decided to promote itself to master browser, when there is an existing one, often an issue with non-Windows boxes screwing with it) and it is buggy.

It doesn't have anything to do with network vendors.

 

[System Error Message]

I was talking about features such as homegroup. There are times when i stress test my network only to find that windows networking has failed but doesnt show it which i have to reboot to fix.

 

[stevech]

I don't use HomeGroup in win 7 non-domain.

I just config it to be like it was in XP.

There can be an issue of who is the "Master Browser" Google that.
I used to have trouble with that, with red X in network display, but no more. It's self-healing.
I have a mix of
Win 7
Linux NAS (Synology)
iPad
iPhone
Android phone
Android tablet
various IoT things

no problems.

on my main desktop PC, I do run a script to speed-up discovery of network shares.

 

[azazel1024]

I was talking about features such as homegroup. There are times when i stress test my network only to find that windows networking has failed but doesnt show it which i have to reboot to fix.

Homegroup failing is directly a windows thing, not the network backbone gear.