Intermittent access to a shared folder

I have a small network with around 5 computers, but no server. So I setup a shared folder on one of these computers for the other computers to access. This normally works fine, but every now and then one or two computers cannot access the shared folder, giving the following error:

Windows cannot access <shared folder>

You do not have permission to access <shared folder> ...

At the same time, other computers can access this folder. As I write this question, two laptops connected over WiFi cannot connect, but the computers connected by cable can.

The computers that cannot connect can see the host computer and ping it successfully.

The host computer is running Windows 8, the other computers are a mix between Windows 8 and Windows 10.

When I ping the host computer it has a IPv6 address if this makes a difference.

rhughes

Posted 2016-03-02T00:56:23.637

Reputation: 499

Answers

Do laptops get same IP range as computers are getting? Try to ping from PCs to laptops and try it vice versa. Make sure they are under same LAN as well as DNS.

Also, check firewall is off. It has nothing to do with IPv6.

How did you setup the permission on the shared folder? You need to make sure users trying to access the shared folder must have at least read right permission.

PaddyKim

Posted 2016-03-02T00:56:23.637

Reputation: 156

This issue often affects the computers seemingly randomly. They work, then they don't. This doesn't just affect the laptops, but also the desktops too. – rhughes – 2016-03-02T03:03:09.133

There are many variations that you need to look at in order to find out why computers cannot access to the shared folder randomly. Have you checked you assigned everyone with at least read/write permission? Try to create a new shared folder to see if that happens as well. – PaddyKim – 2016-03-02T06:15:16.363