New Laptop, Different windows 7 versions homegroup

[Deaf_Raiders]

i have a new Laptop with Windows 7 Home Premium and a PC Windows 7 Professional how do i make them both the same homegroup i don't see the join button on both i tried to leave one and join one but the join button is not shown.

The laptop is Wireless and connected to the Netgear WNDR3300, the PC is wired to the router. I read somewhere that both need to be on IPv6 to make this work they both are enable.

Can someone help me? I have just gotten new to this HomeGroup. XP was easier enough!

[zeke009]

Are both not showing the homegroup "join" button? Different versions of Win7 should not make a difference though. My wife has Win7 Pro and I have Win7 Ultimate and we're in the same homegroup. I had a laptop with the RC build running and that was in the same group as well.

IPv6 isn't a requirement as far as I know.

[Deaf_Raiders]

Are both not showing the homegroup "join" button? Different versions of Win7 should not make a difference though. My wife has Win7 Pro and I have Win7 Ultimate and we're in the same homegroup. I had a laptop with the RC build running and that was in the same group as well.

IPv6 isn't a requirement as far as I know.

Yeah both are not shown the join button they. One of it a homegroup they other state create a homegroup

[blade1269]

Hey,

This is what i had to do one time or another. First only turn on you main pc, (desktop) create homegroup, You should wait for the Homegroup to connect to your network (desktop) then turn on your laptop, and try connecting.

[DreadBoat89]

from my experience, only my desktop was able to create a homegroup... my laptop only was able to join, not create

[Stokkolm]

It doesn't matter what computer you create the homegroup on, whether it is a desktop or notebook doesn't make a difference.

[ToneKnee]

You need to have IPv6 enabled on the network adaptor.

[Deaf_Raiders]

So nobody knows then? I'll try that different times tomorrow

[Mr aldo]

You don't need IPv6 to use Homegroup. I turned IPv6 off on both computers, and it is still working.

[+BudMan MVC]

"IPv6 isn't a requirement as far as I know"

'You don't need IPv6 to use Homegroup."

IPv6 is a requirement for homegroups.

I assure you I have IPv6 disabled fully

reg add hklm\system\currentcontrolset\services\tcpip6\parameters /v DisabledComponents /t REG_DWORD /d 255

There is no way homegroups will work on my machines ;)

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/2009.07.cableguy.aspx

HomeGroup relies on IPv6 connectivity and the Windows Peer-to-Peer Networking Platform on computers running Windows 7 on a single-subnet home network.

http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/guides/2010/09/homegroup-a-practical-guide-to-domestic-bliss-with-windows-7.ars/2

HomeGroup is designed so that it can only communicate on link-local IPv6 addresses, and only on networks that you've denoted as a "Home network."

Now I have to run, but will check back later -- but IPv6 is a requirement for homegroups to work plain and simple.

So if you have it disabled your going to have issues creating or joining a homegroup.. You create on one machine, gives you a password - you use this password on other machines to join the homegroup. Take a look at the second link for a good walkthru of getting homegroups up and running, etc.

Im sure its all spelled out here

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff362232%28v=PROT.10%29.aspx

[MS-HGRP]: HomeGroup Protocol Specification

I have not read through the whole thing, its 277MB download.. But I tell you for sure that it uses IPv6!!

I have it running on test boxes at home, easy enough to do a sniff of the traffic and see if its using ipv4 or v6, and then disable v6 and see can still move files, etc..

[+BudMan MVC]

Ok quick read of the MS-HGRP protocol specification

Point out some quick highlights

1.4 Relationship to Other Protocols

This protocol depends on [DPWS] to enable the discovery of a homegroup on the subnet, and [MS-PPSEC] to create a PeerGroup for communication between members of the homegroup. These two protocols are used independently of each other; that is, neither protocol sits above the other in the relationship hierarchy.

This protocol also requires that all machines implement the Internet protocol version 6 (IPv6) protocol.

1.5 Prerequisites/Preconditions

All members of the homegroup are required to have an IPv6 address and to be able to support the cryptography technology defined in section 3.1.4.5.

Snipping out some stuff here - but under section 2.2.1.1

The HomeGroup invitation includes the PeerGroup invitation (which is required to join the PeerGroup) and other relevant information about the homegroup, as described in this section. The invitation is serialized into an XML string and then published on the local subnet using WSD.

<snipped>

<xs:element name="ADDRESS" type="xs:string" minOccurs="1" />

<snipped>

ADDRESS: The IPv6 addresses of the network adapter to which the PeerGroup is connected. This list of addresses is semicolon delimited and can be specified using any valid IPv6 address format, as described in [RFC3513]

Now from the overview

1.3 Overview

The HomeGroup Protocol is used to create a trust relationship that facilitates the advertising and publishing of content between machines via a peer-to-peer infrastructure. This relationship is achieved with the use of Web services on devices (WSD) and a PeerGroup infrastructure. There is no client-server relationship in this protocol; in order to participate in homegroup, all machines implement the protocol in the same manner.

If you look into the PeerGroup protocol you will see IPv6 is needed.. If you look into another required protocol PNRP, IPv6 again required.

homegroups requires ipv6 to function correctly, clearly spelled out in the protocol... Now can you create and join and then disable ipv6 and have it still work??? Hmmm??? Maybe so? But Im not seeing the other machine on the box I disabled ipv6 on. Would have to turn it back on, etc. etc..

But I don't really see a need.. You clearly can not create or join a homegroup with it off, and clearly in the protocols used it states IPv6 is required, dont really see how messages will be exchanged if ipv6 is off since peer-group uses it.

[Deaf_Raiders]

my IPv6 is inable if i go into Network Properties of my network card and IPv6 is checked that means it is on correct? I don't have any static IP address on the IPv6 but i have on IPv4.

[+BudMan MVC]

Have you even ran the homegroup troubleshooter?

[Deaf_Raiders]

Yeah nothing seems to solve it.

[Southern Patriot]

Have you checked that IPV6 is enabled correctly on your router as well?

[Deaf_Raiders]

I don't know where to find that in my router it has a DD-WRT firmware on it, I'll check tonight

[+BudMan MVC]

IPv6 does not have to be enabled on the router for homegroups to work.. Run the homegroup troubleshooter on one of your win7 machines - what does it say?

[Deaf_Raiders]

The problem was the IPv6 on the router it was disable now it is able

Thanks for your help