0

I have a Windows PC that uses a cheap USB Wifi adapter to connect to my home network. I can not ping or connect to the Windows PC from a Linux or macOS machine. Another Windows PC has no problems pinging or even using remote desktop to the one with the USB wifi.

I have tried enabling network discovery, file and printer sharing, disabling the Windows firewall and using a different wifi adapter with a different chip. No help. If I use a wired connection there is no problem connecting.

Any suggestions on what else to try or is this a driver issue that the only allows Windows to Windows connections?

6
  • 1
    That doesn't make any sense and isn't how TCP/IP communications work... Can elaborate on the connectivity of the Linux and MacOS machines? What is the subnet(s) and IP addresses involved here?
    – acejavelin
    Commented Jun 24, 2023 at 2:51
  • Basic home network. Dlink router, 192.168.0.x ip addresses, 255.255.255.0 subnet assigned by DHCP. A Dell Windows 10 PC using a Wifi usb adapter. A Mac Mini running 10.15 and a Chromebook can't ping the Dell. If I connect the Dell wired to the router there is no problem.
    – venatorgh
    Commented Jun 24, 2023 at 4:27
  • (1) Are all computers connected to the router by wifi? (2) What are the IP addresses of Mac & LInux? (3) Does the router have any kind of isolation settings? (Add to your comment @harrymc for me to be notified.)
    – harrymc
    Commented Jun 24, 2023 at 8:00
  • @harrymc 1. All PC's are connected to the network by wifi. IP addresses are all in the 192.168.0.x range, for example 192.168.0.123 dell, 192.168.0.143 chromebook. It is a Dlink commercial router from Best Buy so not many user controls but I don't see anything that should be blocking wifi traffic.
    – venatorgh
    Commented Jun 24, 2023 at 14:24
  • Do Linux/Mac even see the Windows computer in the network? If the router has a screen for all attached devices, is it showing the Windows computer differently than Linux/Mac?
    – harrymc
    Commented Jun 24, 2023 at 14:43

1 Answer 1

0

I kind of go with one of the comments here, that doesn't make sense. If you're able to perform network discovery on the machine from another windows machine, icmp is going to work the same on a Linux box.

The only thing that could be happening is the router itself is blocking traffic between the machines.

That is the only point of failure of a crossover connection works between the machines in question: the transmission medium and network appliances servicing it.

You're not using VLANIng or anything right ?

Edit: check the router settings for something preventing comm or read its docs. This should not be happening if they're all on the same subnet.

See if you had disabled discovery by other machines on the windows os that would create the behavior you're talking about across the board. Meaning wired and wireless connections would not be able to "see" one another, meaning windows wouldn't reply to pings. If you had firewall settings that blocked all incoming traffic that would prevent other connections. You might check your adapter settings on the os, as maybe that is where the problem is happening but I doubt it. A quick search on that level is not revealing anything.

But simply switching between wifi and wired should not allow this connection to suddenly occur. Its the same network series of protocols in the stack above the ethernet/802.11 layers.

With your update I would suspect the adapter settings.

Do you have a usb drive you can place a linux iso on ?

If you do, make it and run the thing in the scenario suggested and try to do a ping then.

If you do that and it works its windows.

More later after you try this.

1
  • No VLan. I just replaced the DLink router with a small travel router, GL-iNet 300M, and same behaviour. All PC's are connected by Wifi.
    – venatorgh
    Commented Jun 24, 2023 at 14:21

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .