Can’t See Other Computers on a Network? Fixes For Windows, Mac, and Linux

Here are the settings and configurations to check

If you’re trying to share files between PCs on a local network, but you just can’t make a connection, it could point to a problem with your network configuration. You may be connected to your network, but accessing other PCs and devices on your network might be blocked.

This is often due to incorrect settings on your device or a broken network connection. Thankfully, it’s usually an easy process to fix if you can’t see other computers on a network. Windows, macOS, and Linux PCs all suffer from this problem from time to time, but here are some quick fixes you can use to resolve the problem.

Enabling Network Discovery on Windows 10

For most 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.

Once network discovery has been enabled, you should be able to see other computers in theNetworkstab—but only if those devices have network discovery enabled, too. You can also access devices directly by typing their IP address or hostname in the address bar at the top of theFile Explorerwindow.

The Windows Firewall is designed to block unnecessary traffic to and from your PC. If network discovery is enabled, but you still can’t see other computers on a network, you may need to whitelistFile and Printer Sharingin your firewall rules.

You’ll need to repeat this process for any other third-party firewalls you may be using, including a network firewall (if you’re using one).

Enabling the Computer Browser Service on Windows 10

This is unlikely to be the cause of your issues, but if you’re running out of software solutions to try, you should see if theComputer Browsersystem service is enabled and running on your PC. This is used by Windows to list local PCs on your network in File Explorer.

Checking Your Local Network Configuration

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

One way to check this is to use thepingcommand from a PowerShell or command line. This will allow you to see whether your PC is connected to your network correctly and can detect other local network devices, but to do so, you’ll need to know the local IP or hostname for another local PC.

If thepingcommand responds with a reply, then a network connection issue shouldn’t be preventing you from seeing other computers on your network. This would likely suggest a software or network configuration issue elsewhere.

If Windows detects any problems with your network configuration, it will automatically attempt to fix them. This might detect, for instance, that a static IP address is being used for your network device—if this is set up incorrectly, you won’t be able to interact with other devices on your network.

You might also find that the problem isn’t with your PC configuration, but with your network. For instance, a feature calledwireless isolation(sometimes calledclient isolationorAP 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 feature, but you should be able to find it under your local router’s wireless settings.

How To See Other Computers On Network With macOS

Apple devices are usually very good at detecting other Apple devices, thanks to the Apple Bonjour networking service, and it can usually detect other Windows and Linux PCs, too. If you want to see other computers on macOS, you can do this by clicking theNetworktab in the core macOSFinderapp.

Once checked, you should be able to see aConnected serverstab in Finder, where your connected PC will be shown for you to access. If you can’t view or connect to another PC or Mac, or if no devices are visible in theNetworkstab in Finder, it may be caused by a problem with your macOS network connection.

You can double-check this by clicking theApple menu >System Preferences > Network. In theNetworksettings menu, check your connection type in the left-hand menu—the icon next to your connection should be green.

If it isn’t, you’ll need to run through some obvious checks (physical wiring, WiFi connectivity, etc) to restore your connection, then repeat the steps above.

How To See Other Computers On Linux

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

To check if your PC can see other devices, you can use thearp-scannetwork scanning tool to scan your network for devices instead. This will list all available devices on your network.

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 terminal.

If it fails, it will likely indicate a problem with your overall network configuration or firewall. You can take the usual steps (physical checks and connection tests) to try to resolve these.

If you’re using Ubuntu, you can quickly view and connect to detected network devices by opening theFile Managerapp and clicking theOther Locationstab.

Setting Up Your Network Correctly

As our fixes above show, there are quite a few ways totroubleshoot a network connectionif you can’t see other computers on a network. Most problems can be resolved with an improved network setup, including checking your device is in a good position for WiFi or, if you’re using ethernet, that your wiring is correctly connected.

If your WiFi connectivity is causing problems, switching to an all-wired network could resolve the problem over the long term.Ethernet is better than WiFifor certain situations—but it isn’t a miracle fix.

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

Ben Stockton is a freelance technology writer based in the United Kingdom. In a past life, Ben was a college lecturer in the UK, training teens and adults. Since leaving the classroom, Ben has taken his teaching experience and applied it to writing tech how-to guides and tutorials, specialising in Linux, Windows, and Android. He has a degree in History and a postgraduate qualification in Computing.Read Ben’s Full Bio

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Can’t See Other Computers on a Network? Fixes For Windows, Mac, and Linux#

Enabling Network Discovery on Windows 10#

Configuring Your Firewall to Allow File and Printer Sharing#

Enabling the Computer Browser Service on Windows 10#

Checking Your Local Network Configuration#

How To See Other Computers On Network With macOS#

How To See Other Computers On Linux#

Setting Up Your Network Correctly#

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