Networking & wireless forum: Connecting to named computer

Are both PCs using Win7? Workgroups or homegroups? Tell about common usernames and passwords. Shares?

Both computers use w7 home premium, workgroup, not Homegroup. Each has its own user name, same as computer name. No passwords. Sharing "My documents", and 2 printers. I made a shortcut with the ip address, which is reserved, and that connects to the computer, and shares, flawlessly. Its only when I try to connect to the named computer, which is displayed under "Network", that I am told that "the network path cannot be found". I found the suggestion for the shortcut on another message board. I can ping the other computer, as well, with the ip adress. The name just doesn't seem to ring a bell.

All PCs should have at least one common account by username and share the same password if passwords are used. It's best if that is an admin account and that the account is given access permission to the share(s). There's also the sometimes issue with firewalls and especially third party types. Some AV programs are known to mess with networks. My experience had been with Symantec products blocking traffic. You did mention a username being the same as the computer name. I can't say that could cause a problem but it is something I'd never do and it won't suffice as a common user because each PC needs a unique name. Two PCs with the same name will conflict on your network

I still don't understand why I can access the other computer, and all of its shares, using an explicit IP address, but not using the name listed in my network list. I can do that even though I do not have a common user account on both computers. I guess I'm looking for a configuration item here. I can, of course, create the common user account, and I will give that a try.

http://windows7forums.com/windows-7-networking/2443-windows-cannot-access-network-error-code-0x8007035.html

If nothing there, I'd create that common user. I've made a habit of always using passwords with all accounts...except guest, of course...and never a mix of password protected and non-password protected users. It's all or none.

not working. Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP or do LMHOSTS. Google those.

The addition of an LMHosts file did the trick! Thank you to all who posted. I didn't change anything else. This was a problem that developed slowly. When I first set up the network, everything worked fine. My network slowly lost the ability to resolve computer names. Perhaps this will help someone else.

I've used the hosts file before but what you noted was something we used over a decade ago and no longer.

that shouldn't happen. I suppose you cannot ping the target too using computer name. If that is the case, name resolution in broken in your W7 configuration. If you can afford to experiment, change networking to homegroup to see if it fixes. If you don't want to do that or if you don't want to re-install the OS, live with your IP method.