Unable to authenticate in simple peer to peer networking share

Question

I have two windows 11 pro laptops connected via ethernet to a simple 5 port switch. they are configured with manual IP addresses 192.168.1.10 and 192.168.1.20 and each have a subnet of 255.255.255.0. Network profile is set to public and I cannot change it to private.

I have turned on file and printer sharing on both and shared a folder on the main laptop. when accessing the shared folder from the secondary machine I get authentication error when the user name and password is 100% correct.

I have turned SMB 1.0 on with no joy. I have ensured that NetBIOS over TCO/IP is enabled. I have turned off file sharing password protection.

This should definitely not be this hard

Answer 1

Hi Tony George,
Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum. I'm happy to help.

Please try my suggestions bellow:

• Do not turn on SMB v1. It's unsecure and not recommended. You only need SMB v1 for very old devices.
• Run this command on PowerShell (Run as Administrator):

    Set-SmbClientConfiguration -EnableInsecureGuestLogons $true
  

• Open Credential Manager > Windows Credentials > find SMB credentials > Remove.
• Restart your computer then try connecting again.

I hope that above information is helpful to you.

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Answer 2

It sounds like you're experiencing issues with authentication when trying to access a shared folder between two Windows 11 Pro laptops. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot the issue:

1. Network Profile: Since your network profile is set to public, consider changing it to private if possible. This can help with file sharing permissions. If you cannot change it, you may need to adjust your sharing settings accordingly.
2. File and Printer Sharing: Ensure that file and printer sharing is enabled on both machines. You mentioned that you have turned it on, so double-check that the settings are correctly applied.
3. Disable Password Protected Sharing: Since you have already turned off password-protected sharing, ensure that this setting is applied correctly on both laptops. This allows users to access shared folders without needing a username and password.
4. SMB Settings: You mentioned enabling SMB 1.0. While this may help in some cases, it is generally recommended to use SMB 2.0 or higher for better security and compatibility. Ensure that SMB 2.0 or higher is enabled on both machines.
5. NetBIOS over TCP/IP: You have enabled NetBIOS over TCP/IP, which is good. Make sure that both machines can resolve each other's hostnames correctly. You can test this by pinging the IP address of one laptop from the other.
6. Firewall Settings: Check the firewall settings on both laptops. Ensure that file sharing is allowed through the firewall. You may need to create exceptions for File and Printer Sharing in the firewall settings.
7. User Permissions: Make sure that the user account you are using to access the shared folder has the appropriate permissions. You can set permissions when sharing the folder to allow access to specific users or to everyone.

If you continue to have issues, consider reviewing the security event logs on your devices for any authentication failures that may provide more insight into the problem.

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References:

• Can't access shared folders from File Explorer in Windows 10
• Set up your small business network