Network discovery can stop showing other PCs and devices suddenly, but the fix is usually a few settings or services away. If Network discovery doesn’t work, it’s typically caused by a firewall rule, stopped services, the wrong network profile, or a driver/feature being disabled — and this article walks you through nine common causes and how to fix each one.
You’ll learn how to check and enable services, configure Windows Firewall and network profiles, update drivers, enable required features (SMB/Client for Microsoft Networks/IPv6), and use diagnostic commands so discovery works again.
Key Takeaway
Most network discovery failures are caused by stopped or misconfigured Windows services or by firewall/network-profile settings; ensuring the Function Discovery services are running, the network is set to Private, and the firewall allows discovery and file/printer sharing resolves the issue in the majority of cases.
Quick Fix Guide
| Reason for the Problem | Quick Solution |
|---|---|
| Services required for discovery are stopped | Start and set Function Discovery and related services to Automatic (Delayed Start). |
| Network profile is Public | Change the connection to Private under Settings > Network & Internet. |
| Windows Firewall is blocking discovery | Allow Network discovery and File and Printer Sharing through the firewall or reset firewall rules. |
| Third‑party security software blocking traffic | Temporarily disable or configure the third‑party firewall/AV to allow discovery. |
| File and Printer Sharing or Client for Microsoft Networks disabled | Enable File and Printer Sharing and Client for Microsoft Networks in adapter properties. |
| SMB or discovery protocols disabled or missing | Enable required features (SMB, Link-Layer, UPnP/SSDP if needed) and ensure IPv6 is enabled. |
| Network adapter or driver issues | Update or reinstall the network adapter driver or perform a Network reset. |
| Router or subnet problems / VPN interference | Ensure devices are on the same subnet and disable VPN while testing. |
| Recent Windows update or corrupted settings | Run sfc /scannow, DISM, or reset network settings; reinstall services if necessary. |
Detailed Fixes for “Network discovery doesn’t work”
1. Required services are stopped or misconfigured
Why it causes the problem:
Network discovery depends on several Windows services that publish the PC and discover others. If these services are stopped, discovery won’t work.
Step-by-step solution:
- Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
- Find and configure these services:
- Function Discovery Provider Host (fdPHost) — set Startup type to Automatic (Delayed Start) and click Start.
- Function Discovery Resource Publication (FDResPub) — set Automatic (Delayed Start) and Start.
- SSDP Discovery (SSDP) — set Manual or Automatic and Start.
- UPnP Device Host (upnphost) — set Manual/Automatic and Start.
- Optional helpful services: DNS Client, Workstation, Server, Network Location Awareness — ensure they are Running.
- To restart all at once (admin PowerShell):
Get-Service fdPHost, FDResPub, SSDPSRV, upnphost | Restart-Service -Force
Notes:
- Use Automatic (Delayed Start) for Function Discovery services to avoid boot delays.
- If any service fails to start, check Event Viewer under Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows for errors.
2. Network profile set to Public instead of Private
Why it causes the problem:
Windows disables discovery on Public networks by default for security. If your network is Public, devices won’t be discoverable.
Step-by-step solution:
- Open Settings > Network & Internet.
- Choose Wi‑Fi or Ethernet (depending on connection), then click the network name or Properties.
- Under Network profile, select Private.
- Verify in Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center that Network discovery is on for the Private profile: Change advanced sharing settings > Private > Turn on network discovery.
Notes:
- Changing to Private is safe on trusted home/office networks; leave it Public on untrusted hotspots.
3. Windows Firewall blocking discovery
Why it causes the problem:
Firewall rules control discovery services and file/printer sharing traffic. If rules are disabled or overly restrictive, discovery won’t pass.
Step-by-step solution:
- Open Windows Security > Firewall & network protection > Allow an app through firewall.
- Click Change settings and ensure these entries are checked for the correct network type (Private):
- Network Discovery
- File and Printer Sharing
- If you prefer command line: open Command Prompt (Admin) and run:
netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group=”Network Discovery” new enable=Yes - If rules are corrupted, reset firewall to defaults:
netsh advfirewall reset (Admin), then re-enable discovery.
Notes:
- If using a corporate GPO, firewall rules might be overridden; check with IT.
4. Third‑party antivirus or firewall interference
Why it causes the problem:
Third‑party security suites can block discovery or the ports/protocols required (SSDP, UDP 1900, SMB ports).
Step-by-step solution:
- Temporarily disable the third‑party firewall/AV and test discovery.
- If discovery works, open the third‑party app’s firewall settings and allow:
- mDNS/SSDP/UPnP or allow the Function Discovery and File and Printer Sharing services.
- Allow inbound on TCP 139, TCP 445, UDP 137, UDP 138 if SMB is used.
- Re-enable protections and add specific exceptions rather than leaving protection off.
Notes:
- Some security suites have a “Home/Office” network mode that allows discovery — switch to that if available.
5. File and Printer Sharing / Client for Microsoft Networks disabled
Why it causes the problem:
Windows network discovery and file sharing need the network adapter’s binding to these components to be active.
Step-by-step solution:
- Open Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network Connections.
- Right-click your active adapter and choose Properties.
- Ensure the following boxes are checked:
- Client for Microsoft Networks
- File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks
- Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) (see next section)
- Click OK and restart the PC.
Notes:
- Some VPN clients disable these components; confirm after installing/uninstalling VPN software.
6. Required protocols or features disabled (SMB, IPv6, LLTD, etc.)
Why it causes the problem:
Discovery often uses multiple protocols (SSDP/UPnP, Link-Layer / LLTD, SMB). Missing features or disabled IPv6 can interfere with discovery.
Step-by-step solution:
- Ensure IPv6 is enabled: see adapter Properties and check Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6).
- Enable optional features if you rely on them:
- Open Control Panel > Programs and Features > Turn Windows features on or off.
- For legacy scenarios, enable SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support only if necessary (not recommended unless legacy devices require it).
- Confirm Windows SMB Direct and SMB 1.0 settings based on your environment.
- Ensure Link-Layer Topology Discovery Mapper I/O Driver and Responder are present in adapter properties (for LLTD discovery).
Notes:
- Avoid enabling SMBv1 unless absolutely needed — it has security risks.
- Many modern devices use mDNS or SSDP; enabling IPv6 is often helpful for multicast discovery.
7. Network adapter driver or hardware issues
Why it causes the problem:
A faulty or outdated driver can break discovery and network services.
Step-by-step solution:
- Open Device Manager (press Windows + X > Device Manager).
- Expand Network adapters, right-click your adapter and choose Update driver > Search automatically.
- If problems persist, choose Uninstall device, then Action > Scan for hardware changes to reinstall.
- Optionally download the latest driver from the adapter or PC vendor’s website.
- Use Settings > Network & Internet > Status > Network reset to reset networking if drivers seem fine but settings are corrupted (this will reinstall adapters and set settings to default).
Notes:
- Reboot after driver changes. Network reset will remove Wi‑Fi profiles — back up passwords.
8. Devices are on different subnets, VPN, or router isolation settings
Why it causes the problem:
Network discovery works on the same local subnet; VPNs, guest network isolation, or AP/client isolation on routers can prevent visibility.
Step-by-step solution:
- Ensure both devices are connected to the same network and subnet (IP addresses should share the same first three octets, e.g., 192.168.1.x).
- Temporarily disconnect VPN clients on either machine and retry discovery.
- Check router/AP settings for Guest Network, AP isolation, or Client isolation — disable isolation for discovery.
- Ensure the devices are on the same VLAN if in an advanced network.
Notes:
- In multi‑router setups, inter-router firewalling or NAT might block discovery; test with both devices on the same physical router.
9. Corrupted system files or recent Windows update broke discovery
Why it causes the problem:
Updates or corruption can remove or misconfigure system components used for discovery.
Step-by-step solution:
- Run system file checker and repair tools (open Command Prompt (Admin)):
- sfc /scannow
- If issues found, run: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
- Reboot and re-check services and firewall settings.
- If a recent update caused the issue, consider uninstalling the update temporarily: Settings > Update & Security > View update history > Uninstall updates.
- As a last resort, perform a Windows repair install (In-place upgrade using the latest Windows 10 ISO) to preserve apps and files.
Notes:
- Keep Windows fully updated after repair; apply cumulative updates that may fix known discovery regressions.
Additional section: Diagnosing with commands and logs (useful tools)
Why this is useful:
Quick command-line checks reveal whether discovery ports/services are active and whether the machine can reach network peers.
Useful commands and what they show:
- ipconfig /all — displays IP configuration; check IP, subnet, and DNS.
- ping
— verifies basic connectivity. - netstat -an | findstr 1900 — check for SSDP UDP port activity.
- netsh advfirewall firewall show rule name=all — see firewall rules (administrative).
- Get-Service fdPHost,FDResPub,SSDPSRV,upnphost (PowerShell) — shows status of discovery services.
- Event Viewer > Windows Logs > System and Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > FunctionDiscovery-ProviderHost — check for service errors.
Tip:
Collect logs before contacting support: run msinfo32 (save to file) and capture Event Viewer errors/time stamps around the discovery failure.
FAQ
Q: Will enabling Network discovery make my PC less secure?
A: Only on untrusted networks; on a Private home/office network discovery is intended and safe. Keep Public profile on unknown networks.
Q: Why can I see shared folders but not the PC in Network view?
A: This often means the Function Discovery Resource Publication (FDResPub) service isn’t running; start that service so the PC advertises itself.
Q: Do I need IPv6 for network discovery?
A: IPv6 is not strictly required for all discovery, but some multicast discovery protocols and modern services perform better with IPv6 enabled — enabling it is recommended.
Q: My printer is discoverable but PCs aren’t — why?
A: Printers often advertise via mDNS/UPnP independent of Windows Function Discovery. PC-to-PC discovery requires Windows services and SMB/LLTD to be working.
Q: How can I prevent this problem from recurring?
A: Keep drivers and Windows updated, avoid unnecessary third-party firewall changes, and create a restore point before major updates so you can roll back if discovery breaks.
Conclusion
Network discovery failures are usually fixable by enabling the right services, allowing discovery through the firewall, setting your network to Private, and ensuring adapter features and drivers are correct. Follow the steps above to diagnose and repair why Network discovery doesn’t work, and you should have devices visible on your Windows 10 network again.
