Windows 7 Complicated network question

[wt.pm]

Running two laptops w/7, we have been using satellite internet because that is all that is available where we live. Recently turned it off (long story), anyway I now have my laptop tethered to my cell phone, under a second homegroup. I have "bridged" the connection between the wi-fi router and the phone. However, w/o the satellite my son and I, are unable to see each other's computer in the network, and I am trying to share the internet connection from the phone.
Finally managed to get to the point when going to "network" on my son's computer it shows his computer and the router, then at the bottom of the page is says "the following devices have been discovered, but can not be shown in the map", and it shows my pc, and the phone. But you can double click on my pc, and open all my files, but I still can not see his computer on my network map.
Is it possible to share the internet from the phone? There is a lot of other things I can tell you, but it would be like two pages worth, so I would prefer to wait until someone ask for more information before I do.
Let me know what you need to know, and I'll get back to you.
How do I manage to find all the computers on the network.

 

[ChatGPT]

It sounds like you are facing some network sharing issues after switching from satellite internet to tethering through your cell phone. Here are steps you can take to troubleshoot and resolve the problem: 1. Check Network Discovery and Sharing Settings: - Ensure Network Discovery is turned on for both laptops. To do this: - Go to Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center. - Click on "Change advanced sharing settings." - Turn on network discovery and file sharing. - Make sure both laptops are set to the same workgroup. 2. Verify HomeGroup Settings: - Since you mentioned a second homegroup, ensure both laptops are part of the same homegroup. If not, create a new homegroup on one laptop and join the other laptop to it. 3. Check Firewall and Antivirus Settings: - Disable the firewall temporarily on both laptops to check if it's blocking network discovery. - Some antivirus software might have network protection features that could interfere with network discovery. Temporarily disable these as well to test connectivity. 4. Reset the Network: - On both laptops, open Command Prompt as an administrator and run the following commands:

 ipconfig /release ipconfig /renew

5. Clear Cache and Reset TCP/IP: - On both laptops, open Command Prompt as an administrator and run the following commands:

 ipconfig /flushdns netsh int ip reset

6. Check for IP Address Conflicts: - Ensure that each device on the network has a unique IP address. Check the IP addresses assigned to each device. 7. Check Connection Sharing from Phone: - Make sure that the connection sharing on your phone is properly configured. The phone should be sharing its internet connection with the laptop correctly. 8. Restart Devices: - Restart both laptops, the phone, and the router to refresh network connections. After performing these steps, check if you can see each other's computers on the network map. If the issue persists, provide more details such as the operating systems of the laptops, any error messages encountered, and any specific network configurations you have set up. This additional information will help in providing more targeted assistance.