[Question] Wifi Networking Issues

[Nadz]

Hi all,
I have a small network set up at home for all members of the family to access each others files and I think the connection has mood swings...
Here is a break down of the layout or "map" so to speak...
DSL Router connected to :
PC 1 via cable
PC 2 via WiFi
PC 2 via WiFi
PC 2 via WiFi
All PC's are running windows 7 Professional.
Now, some days we have no problem accessing all PC's on the networks and some days it just does not want to work (like today) nobody changed any settings nobody restarted the router or their PC's, it just stops working, PC 1 always connects to all other PC's but PC's 2 - 4 only work when they feel like it. Even if PC 2 - 4 cannot share files the internet access is there all the PC's have constant access to the internet it is just the file sharing that does not work.
I have reset the router to factory default numerous times, sometimes the connection stable for a few hours and then it dies again, if I ping PC 2 from PC 3 for example this is the result:

Pinging 192.168.1.199 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 192.168.1.148: Destination host unreachable.
Reply from 192.168.1.148: Destination host unreachable.
Reply from 192.168.1.148: Destination host unreachable.
Reply from 192.168.1.148: Destination host unreachable.

Ping statistics for 192.168.1.199:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),

Sometimes when the network dies and the other PC's still show up under networks I try and open it and I get an error saying path not found.

All the PC's show up on the control Panel on the router's setup screen as connected.

Sorry for the essay but I have Googled the hell out of this and none of the proposed fixes worked.

Tanks in advanced for any help!

[desi]

Temporarily disable windows firewall on all affected PCs and see if that could be the issue. Also ensure that none of the destination PCs are in sleep mode when attempting to access them.

[Dave A]

One question is whether this is a WiFi networking issue or a Windows 7 Professional networking issue

If all pc's have access to the internet, but can't see or communicate with each other, it really sounds like workgroup (or homegroup) setting and permission issues.

Are they all on the same Workgroup?

[bones]

i had same problem and i left the wifi
thing alone but because your wifi is
working i recommend taking the time
and google "set up your home group"
find a video like this one

i did these steps and all our printers
are accessible file sharing is easy
it just works there are also tutorials
that has step by step wifi
instructions

because of the size of the files we
stopped with the wifi thing and did
standard 1gbit lan

[Nadz]

I'm not sure if it's WiFi or Win7... haha I think it's a bit of both. I'f I connect with a cable I have no issues with file sharing but when I connect via WiFi all can access internet but cannot file share. All of the PC's are connected to the same workgroup (I've tried setting up a homegroup as well, it connected with no issues for exactly 2 hours then it just stopped.) If I manually enter an IP of one of the other PC's it connects, sometimes. I forced the IPv4 to use the same DNS's that worked for a few days then stopped again....