New Asus Router working with Internet but not PCs

[Tracey Woodmason]

Hi

I have just signed up to this forum on the recommendation of a member of tenforums since he felt I could get better help here than could be provided there. This post is pretty much what I posted on tenforums with a few minor changes plus a PS.

I seem to have a problem which on the face of it is purely due to installing an Asus RT-AC68U router. Prior to installing the router, I had a Netgear installed (WNR3500L) and all PCs had access to the other two PCs on our network; lets call them A, B and C. Since installing the new router I only have two way access between A and C. When A and C try to access B, after two minutes they both come up with a Path Not Found error (0x80070035). When B tries to access either A or C a message asking for credentials appears (there seems to be some sort of pattern there in that when an attempt is made to access B the path can't be found but when B tries to access the other PCs, credentials are requested -- does this mean anything to anyone?). We have NEVER used credentials at ANY time and nothing has been changed re the setting up of the three PCs - the only thing that HAS changed is the router.

The router installed is an Asus RT-AC68U which I now have working with the internet and a wired network. Until a few days ago I thought it was working between PCs but then I found this is NOT the case and I am seeking help in getting this sorted as I have no idea what may be wrong. All four services that are supposed to be running for network discovery are running but quite frankly I just don't know what to try next. However, something tells me I had to enter details of the other PCs on the network into the Netgear before it would work properly but its so long ago (eight years) I cannot be absolutely sure.

My ISP is BT (BT Infinity) and all PCs are on the latest version of Windows (1909) and all updates are installed on receipt. Any help out there would be most appreciated. I'm sure there are questions that need to be asked so please ask away and I'll do my level best to help but please will you help. Thanks.

Tracey

PS I should add that I have no plans to use AiMesh or AiCloud at this point. I'm just trying to get the router back to working as a basic router where each PC can readily access the other two as well as the internet (which is currently working fine on all PCs -- its just the inter-PC comms that is lacking).

 

[martinr]

Welcome to the forum.

You didn’t mention your firmware; are you running Merlin’s custom firmware, and, if so, which version number?

 

[Tracey Woodmason]

Martinr

Sorry about that. I have been made aware of Merlin firmware but have no idea what it is. From my searching around I gather its some third-party replacement for the Asus firmware but beyond that I know nothing. As you may gather I haven't got it installed -- yet! Are you suggesting I DO install it and what does it have that the Asus firmware doesn't. As you may gather I'm not up to much when it comes to online protocols etc. and although I do have a little idea of what is needed I really don't know the ins and outs of things so really I need to be lead rather carefully on this although I have reason to believe that I catch on pretty quickly to what is needed. Sorry. This message seems to be a bit rambling but I hope you know what I'm trying to say.

Tracey

 

[dave14305]

Did your LAN subnet change when you swapped routers (e.g. 192.168.0.1 to 192.168.1.1)? The PCs’ firewalls may not trust the new subnet if so. You’d need to update those firewall rules.

Are all these PCs wired? If so are they all wired directly to the router? Or are any wireless? If wireless check to make sure the router does not have AP Isolation enabled in Wireless Professional settings.

Are you accessing the other machines by name or IP address? Make sure the machines are using the router as a DNS server if accessing by name. Make sure your IP addresses haven’t changed with the new router and DHCP server if accessing by IP.

Otherwise there shouldn’t be any interference from the router because LAN to LAN traffic doesn’t get routed by any of the router features. It’s just switched.

Need to better understand your network setup on these network forums in more depth than tenforums might.

 

[martinr]

Martinr

Sorry about that. I have been made aware of Merlin firmware but have no idea what it is. From my searching around I gather its some third-party replacement for the Asus firmware but beyond that I know nothing. As you may gather I haven't got it installed -- yet! Are you suggesting I DO install it and what does it have that the Asus firmware doesn't. As you may gather I'm not up to much when it comes to online protocols etc. and although I do have a little idea of what is needed I really don't know the ins and outs of things so really I need to be lead rather carefully on this although I have reason to believe that I catch on pretty quickly to what is needed. Sorry. This message seems to be a bit rambling but I hope you know what I'm trying to say.

Tracey

Thanks. I half wondered if you were running Merlin’s firmware, and, yes, you are correct in what it is, except it might be more accurate to say it’s an enhancement of Asus’ own firmware.

This forum is ideally for Merlin’s firmware specifically; however, we’re a very tolerant and helpful lot and, as you have seen, one of the experts has already jumped in despite your not having Merlin’s firmware. No-one here would refuse to help because of that.

Once your problem has been solved for you - and I can almost guarantee it will be - you might then want to consider installing Merlin’s firmware depending on just how central a place your router occupies in your life. (And how much you enjoy being a member of this forum )

 

[Smokindog]

You mention it's been running for days but I'll ask direct (implied in other post). Did you restart/reboot EVERYTHING - switches, hubs, PC's, ........

 

[Tracey Woodmason]

Hi All

Sorry I've taken so long to reply but my husband's in hospital at Cambridge 44 miles away and I went up to see him yesterday. Anyway back to my problem.

martinr
Would it be better if I were to install the Merlin firmware. I've had a look on YouTube and it seems to be easy enough.

Smokindog
Yes that is one of things I did do right from the start. I've only got a modem and router, no switches or any other network equipment.

Dave14305
No as far as I am aware we are still on the same range of IP addresses as with the Netgear.

For some reason, PCs A and C cannot communicate with B or vice versa. Interestingly when PC B boots up it doesn't automatically run up into windows any more but stops at the lock screen until I press ENTER and enter his Pin Number. It always used to start up straight into Windows but not now. I guess this is a symptom of the problem I've got. Its almost as though the router doesn't recognise B as part of the network. Both A and C run up fine straight into Windows. B works fine with the internet though.

Hope this provides a bit more food for thought.

Tracey

 

[follower]

Hi

I have just signed up to this forum on the recommendation of a member of tenforums since he felt I could get better help here than could be provided there. This post is pretty much what I posted on tenforums with a few minor changes plus a PS.

I seem to have a problem which on the face of it is purely due to installing an Asus RT-AC68U router. Prior to installing the router, I had a Netgear installed (WNR3500L) and all PCs had access to the other two PCs on our network; lets call them A, B and C. Since installing the new router I only have two way access between A and C. When A and C try to access B, after two minutes they both come up with a Path Not Found error (0x80070035). When B tries to access either A or C a message asking for credentials appears (there seems to be some sort of pattern there in that when an attempt is made to access B the path can't be found but when B tries to access the other PCs, credentials are requested -- does this mean anything to anyone?). We have NEVER used credentials at ANY time and nothing has been changed re the setting up of the three PCs - the only thing that HAS changed is the router.

The router installed is an Asus RT-AC68U which I now have working with the internet and a wired network. Until a few days ago I thought it was working between PCs but then I found this is NOT the case and I am seeking help in getting this sorted as I have no idea what may be wrong. All four services that are supposed to be running for network discovery are running but quite frankly I just don't know what to try next. However, something tells me I had to enter details of the other PCs on the network into the Netgear before it would work properly but its so long ago (eight years) I cannot be absolutely sure.

My ISP is BT (BT Infinity) and all PCs are on the latest version of Windows (1909) and all updates are installed on receipt. Any help out there would be most appreciated. I'm sure there are questions that need to be asked so please ask away and I'll do my level best to help but please will you help. Thanks.

Tracey

PS I should add that I have no plans to use AiMesh or AiCloud at this point. I'm just trying to get the router back to working as a basic router where each PC can readily access the other two as well as the internet (which is currently working fine on all PCs -- its just the inter-PC comms that is lacking).

Credentials issues?
Clean Install of Windows required.

 

[Tracey Woodmason]

Clean Install of Windows required.

Why???

 

[Val D.]

Interestingly when PC B boots up it doesn't automatically run up into windows any more but stops at the lock screen until I press ENTER and enter his Pin Number. It always used to start up straight into Windows but not now. I guess this is a symptom of the problem I've got.

Focus on this PC, the router probably has nothing to do with the issue you have.

- Sign-in options were changed - Settings -> Accounts -> Sign-In Options -> Require sign-in
- Network profile was probably changed - Settings -> Home -> Network & Internet -> Change connection properties, set to Private
- Check what this computer shares with others - Settings -> Home -> Network & Internet -> Change advanced sharing options

 

[Tracey Woodmason]

I must be honest and say that I am most disappointed that a clean install of Windows is likely the only way of sorting this problem. On top of this it is something that I DAREN'T do as it is not my PC, its my husbands and he'll do anything not to have to do a clean install. Since he is in hospital at the moment and unlikely to get out sadly for many weeks it looks like my only recourse is to reinstall the Netgear router. On the face of it I've wasted some £126 on a router I can only use if I do a clean install. So why do PCs A and C communicate OK???

 

[RMerlin]

Check your security software suites on these computers to ensure it's not a firewall blocking access.

Also make sure all PCs are connected to the same network (i.e. make sure you don't have PCs connected to the Wireless Guest Network).

A router should have no impact on inter-PCs communication (especially if connected over Ethernet, because the router only acts like a dumb switch then). That's why the issue is more likely to be related to the PCs themselves.

 

[Tracey Woodmason]

Does it really have to be a clean install though? Wouldn't a reinstall over the top be just as good or does Windows retain the settings of the original installation? As you can see I'm really not keen on doing a clean install.

 

[RMerlin]

Does it really have to be a clean install though?

Not necessarily. Depends how far you are willing to go to troubleshoot this. People often jump right at the Windows reinstall (or in Windows 10's case, Windows Refresh) because it's often the simplest way to solve the vast majority of problems. But as a first step you can start by examining the elements I mentionned. Also investigate your Windows Event Viewer entries for any info that might help. Finally, make sure that you have unique hostnames for all your computers, and that you have the same SMB versions installed (older installs might still be configured for SMB1, while newer installs will have SMB2 only).

You will find a lot of online documentation for these things if you try a Google search, as this is mostly beyond the scope of the router itself.

 

[RMerlin]

BTW, anonymous share access gets automatically disabled whenever a new Windows 10 release is applied. If you had disabled password-protected sharing in the past, you will have to re-disable it.

If you use authenticated access but rely on the Windows users for credential handling, make sure they are matching on all computers. For instance if two computers are being logged in as "User" but they have different passwords, it will prevent share authentication from working properly.

 

[Val D.]

I must be honest and say that I am most disappointed that a clean install of Windows is likely the only way of sorting this problem.

You definitely don't have to reinstall Windows. Better wait for your husband to come back.

 

[Smokindog]

I must be honest and say that I am most disappointed that a clean install of Windows is likely the only way of sorting this problem. On top of this it is something that I DAREN'T do as it is not my PC, its my husbands and he'll do anything not to have to do a clean install. Since he is in hospital at the moment and unlikely to get out sadly for many weeks it looks like my only recourse is to reinstall the Netgear router. On the face of it I've wasted some £126 on a router I can only use if I do a clean install. So why do PCs A and C communicate OK???

Can you browse the internet on PC B? I've seen no indication that this PC ever got properly reconnected after the swap. The need for the PIN tells me it's unable to communicate with his MS account and more data that says it's just not connected properly.

Please take a screen capture similar to this. I realize yours will be wired.