If yous're trying to share files betwixt PCs on a local network, simply you just tin't brand a connection, it could indicate to a problem with your network configuration. You may exist continued to your network, but accessing other PCs and devices on your network might be blocked.

This is ofttimes due to incorrect settings on your device or a broken network connection. Thankfully, it's usually an easy procedure to fix if you can't see other computers on a network. Windows, macOS, and Linux PCs all endure from this trouble from time to fourth dimension, only here are some quick fixes you can use to resolve the trouble.

Enabling Network Discovery on Windows 10

For nearly Windows users, the biggest cause of hidden PCs on a network is due to the network discovery settings on Windows. When this setting is disabled, your PC is hidden from the local network, and other PCs are hidden from you.

  • You can bank check whether network discovery is enabled by opening Windows File Explorer. In the Navigation Pane on the left, press the Network tab.
  • Windows will alert you immediately if network discovery is disabled. You tin head to Settings > Network & Cyberspace > Sharing Options > Turn on network discovery to re-enable this, but Windows will helpfully provide a shortcut to enable it at the top of the File Explorer window. Printing the yellow bar that appears at the pinnacle to bring up a quick options carte.
  • In the options menu that appears, printing Plow on network discovery and file sharing.
  • If your network is currently set as a public network, Windows will ask you if you lot want to switch your network to private, or otherwise let network discovery on public networks. This isn't usually advisable—if you're on your own network, select the No, make the network that I am connected to a private network option instead.

Once network discovery has been enabled, yous should be able to encounter other computers in the Networks tab—but only if those devices take network discovery enabled, too. You can as well access devices direct by typing their IP address or hostname in the address bar at the meridian of the File Explorer window.

Configuring Your Firewall to Let File and Printer Sharing

The Windows Firewall is designed to cake unnecessary traffic to and from your PC. If network discovery is enabled, only yous still can't encounter other computers on a network, you may demand to whitelist File and Printer Sharing in your firewall rules.

  • To do this, correct-click the Windows Start carte and press Settings. In the Windows Settings card, press Update & Security > Windows Security > Firewall & network protection.
  • In the Firewall & network protection menu, click the Allow an app through firewall pick.
  • In the Allow apps to communicate through Windows Defender Firewall window, printing Change Settings to let access. Scroll through the list until you discover the Fill and Printer Sharing and File and Printer Sharing over SMBDirect options and click the checkbox for each selection nether the Individual column to let this through the firewall.

    You lot tin also enable the checkboxes nether the Public column if you want to let public networks admission, but this isn't recommended. Press OK to save once you're washed.

Yous'll need to repeat this process for whatsoever other third-party firewalls you may be using, including a network firewall (if you lot're using one).

Enabling the Computer Browser Service on Windows 10

This is unlikely to exist the cause of your bug, but if yous're running out of software solutions to effort, you should see if the Computer Browser system service is enabled and running on your PC. This is used past Windows to listing local PCs on your network in File Explorer.

  • To offset, press the Windows central + R on your keyboard. In the Run dialog box, blazon services.msc, so printing OK to launch.
  • In the Services management console window, locate the Calculator Browser service and wait at the current condition for it under the Status column. If the status is currently Stopped or Disabled, you lot'll need to re-enable it—correct-click and press the Backdrop selection.
  • Click the Showtime button to enable it in the Computer Browser Properties window, then select Automatic under the Startup blazon drop-downward menu to ensure it starts automatically in future. Press OK to salve.

Checking Your Local Network Configuration

If you yet can't see other computers on a network, you lot'll need to double-check if your PC is correctly continued to your local network. Run a physical check on your router cables if you're on a wired network, and if you lot're on a wireless network, make sure your connection to the wireless access point is active and stable.

1 mode to bank check this is to utilize the ping command from a PowerShell or control line. This will permit you to see whether your PC is connected to your network correctly and can detect other local network devices, but to practice so, you'll need to know the local IP or hostname for another local PC.

  • To use ping, correct-click on the Windows Start menu and press Windows PowerShell or Windows PowerShell (Admin). From the PowerShell terminal, type ping x.x.ten.x or ping hostname, replacing x.x.ten.10 and hostname with either a local IP address or PC hostname.

If the ping command responds with a reply, so a network connection event shouldn't be preventing you from seeing other computers on your network. This would probable propose a software or network configuration issue elsewhere.

  • You tin exam your network configuration for issues in your Windows settings—right-click the Start carte and press Settings to access this. From at that place, printing Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Network Adapter and click Run the Troubleshooter.

If Windows detects whatsoever problems with your network configuration, it will automatically try to fix them. This might find, for instance, that a static IP accost is being used for your network device—if this is gear up up incorrectly, you won't be able to interact with other devices on your network.

  • To change this, correct-click the Start menu push button and press Settings. From the Windows Settings bill of fare, press Network & Internet > Status > Alter adapter options.
  • In the Network Connections menu, right-click on your network device and press Backdrop. In the Properties window, click Internet Protocol Version iv (TCP/IPv4) and press Properties.
  • In the IPv4 Backdrop window, brand sure that Obtain an IP accost automatically and Obtain DNS server address automatically are selected and enabled, then press OK > Close to save.

Yous might as well find that the trouble isn't with your PC configuration, but with your network. For example, a feature called wireless isolation (sometimes chosen client isolation or AP isolation) on some routers will hide wireless devices from each other on a local network, preventing you from connecting to them from your PC.

You may need to consult the user manual for your wireless router to determine how to disable this characteristic, merely you should exist able to notice it under your local router's wireless settings.

How To Run across Other Computers On Network With macOS

Apple devices are normally very expert at detecting other Apple devices, thanks to the Apple Bonjour networking service, and it can ordinarily discover other Windows and Linux PCs, too. If you desire to come across other computers on macOS, you tin exercise this past clicking the Network tab in the core macOS Finder app.

  • If you can't encounter any other computers on your network at this point, y'all may need to connect to information technology manually. To exercise this, open the Finder app and press Go > Connect to Server.
  • In the Connect to Server window, type the IP address or hostname for the PC you desire to connect to in the Server Address box. Press Connect to connect to the server, post-obit any on-screen instructions to provide the correct credentials to make the connectedness.
  • If y'all can't see the network PC afterwards making a direct connection, you'll need to make certain the option to view it is enabled in Finder. To exercise this, press Finder > Preferences from the carte bar.
  • In the Finder Preferences window, make sure that the Connected servers checkbox is enabled in the Sidebar tab.

Once checked, you should be able to encounter a Connected servers tab in Finder, where your continued PC will exist shown for you to access. If y'all tin can't view or connect to another PC or Mac, or if no devices are visible in the Networks tab in Finder, information technology may exist acquired by a problem with your macOS network connexion.

Y'all tin can double-bank check this by clicking the Apple carte > System Preferences > Network. In the Network settings menu, cheque your connectedness blazon in the left-mitt menu—the icon next to your connection should exist green.

If information technology isn't, yous'll demand to run through some obvious checks (physical wiring, WiFi connectivity, etc) to restore your connectedness, then echo the steps above.

How To See Other Computers On Linux

Linux software packages vary from distribution to distribution, and so there's no one-size-fits-all approach if you can't encounter other computers on a network from a Linux PCs—at least with a graphical user interface.

To bank check if your PC can see other devices, you can use the arp-scan network scanning tool to scan your network for devices instead. This will listing all bachelor devices on your network.

  • You'll first demand to install the arp-browse package to run this scan. On Ubuntu and Debian-based operating systems, yous can exercise this past opening a last and typing sudo apt install arp-scan.
  • One time arp-browse is installed, type arp-browse -fifty in the terminal and press enter. If it doesn't piece of work, try sudo arp-browse -l instead.

A list of available devices on your network will be listed, with IP addresses, MAC addresses, and device types shown. If this command works, then network discovery is possible from your Linux PC, and you should be able to view and connect to other PCs using your Linux distribution's file management tool or by using the final.

If it fails, information technology will likely indicate a problem with your overall network configuration or firewall.  You can have the usual steps (physical checks and connectedness tests) to endeavour to resolve these.

If you're using Ubuntu, you can quickly view and connect to detected network devices by opening the File Manager app and clicking the Other Locations tab.

Setting Up Your Network Correctly

Equally our fixes above evidence, at that place are quite a few means to troubleshoot a network connection if you tin can't come across other computers on a network. Nearly bug can exist resolved with an improved network setup, including checking your device is in a good position for WiFi or, if yous're using ethernet, that your wiring is correctly connected.

If your WiFi connectivity is causing issues, switching to an all-wired network could resolve the problem over the long term. Ethernet is better than WiFi for sure situations—just information technology isn't a phenomenon fix.

Let united states know your own tips and fixes for network problems in the comments below.