Windows 10 Pro won't connect to a Mac on my LAN

S

silvanet_1

On my LAN I have a desktop PC and a laptop both running Windows 10 Pro. I also have two MacBook Pros, one older one running High Sierra 10.13.6, the newer one on Catalina 10.16.7.


Both of the Macs have exactly the same network settings, well except for their IP and MAC addresses.


Both the Macs have no problem connecting to the PCs on the LAN. I'll focus on just the desktop, because it is wired to the router. Everything else on the LAN connects via WiFi.


As I am checking this now, the two Macs are connecting on the same WiFi.


I can simply go to Finder, Go, Connect to Server, type in the smb network address to the pc, and voila, I can access all the folders I have shared on the PC.


Both Macs can just as easily connect to each other and access shared folders.


I can ping both Macs from the PC, and vice versa ping the PC from both Macs, of course, since they both easily connect and share folders.


When I try to connect from the PC to the Macs, I open the File Explorer and type the Macs IP addresses in the address bar (preceded by the \\.


As you know, the PC pops up a dialog asking for user and password to access the files on the LAN Macs.


Let me be clear, I know my username and passwords for both Macs and for the PC.


On the older Mac, I type in my username and password and after a delay get access to the Mac folders I've shared with the PC.


For the newer Mac, first, the PC has a heck of a time dealing with its IP address (this is even though it pings it almost instantly). When the File Explorer finally seems to recognize that there is something there, it pops up the credentials dialog. I type in the username and password and the PC tells me the username or password are incorrect! They're not. I had to use them to get access from each of the Macs to the other's shared folders.


I have even tried turning off the Defender Firewall, but the failure persists.


I've tried the Windows Troubleshooting, but nothing useful returns, just the obvious, that the Mac cannot be accessed.


It seems to me this is a problem on the Windows side, and specifically with the File Explorer, but I don't know how to track it down any further.


If you have any ideas on what I can do to solve this, please share them.

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