diff --git a/src/ui/settings_window.py b/src/ui/settings_window.py
index ed4102e..68fa9b3 100644
--- a/src/ui/settings_window.py
+++ b/src/ui/settings_window.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import socket
 
 from datetime import datetime
 from PyQt6 import QtCore
-from PyQt6.QtCore import Qt, QSettings, pyqtSignal as Signal
+from PyQt6.QtCore import Qt, QSettings, pyqtSignal as Signal, QThread, pyqtSignal
 from PyQt6.QtGui import QIcon
 from PyQt6.QtWidgets import QApplication, QMainWindow, QListWidget, QListWidgetItem, QStackedWidget, QVBoxLayout, \
     QWidget, QLabel, QCheckBox, QLineEdit, \
@@ -21,6 +21,16 @@ from src.version import APP_AUTHOR, APP_NAME
 
 settings = QSettings(APP_AUTHOR, APP_NAME)
 
+class GetEngineInfoWorker(QThread):
+    done = pyqtSignal(object)  # emits the result when finished
+
+    def __init__(self, parent=None):
+        super().__init__(parent)
+        self.parent = parent
+
+    def run(self):
+        data = RenderServerProxy(socket.gethostname()).get_engine_info()
+        self.done.emit(data)
 
 class SettingsWindow(QMainWindow):
     def __init__(self):
@@ -110,7 +120,7 @@ class SettingsWindow(QMainWindow):
         startup_layout = QVBoxLayout()
         # startup_layout.addWidget(QCheckBox("Start application on system startup"))
         check_for_updates_checkbox = QCheckBox("Check for updates automatically")
-        check_for_updates_checkbox.setChecked(settings.value("auto_check_for_updates", True))
+        check_for_updates_checkbox.setChecked(settings.value("auto_check_for_updates", True, type=bool))
         check_for_updates_checkbox.stateChanged.connect(lambda state: settings.setValue("auto_check_for_updates", bool(state)))
         startup_layout.addWidget(check_for_updates_checkbox)
         startup_group.setLayout(startup_layout)
@@ -169,19 +179,23 @@ class SettingsWindow(QMainWindow):
         enable_sharing_checkbox.stateChanged.connect(self.toggle_render_sharing)
         sharing_layout.addWidget(enable_sharing_checkbox)
 
+        password_enabled = (settings.value("enable_network_sharing", False, type=bool) and
+                            settings.value("enable_network_password", False, type=bool))
+
         password_layout = QHBoxLayout()
         password_layout.setContentsMargins(0, 0, 0, 0)
         self.enable_network_password_checkbox = QCheckBox("Enable network password:")
         self.enable_network_password_checkbox.setChecked(settings.value("enable_network_password", False, type=bool))
         self.enable_network_password_checkbox.stateChanged.connect(self.enable_network_password_changed)
+        self.enable_network_password_checkbox.setEnabled(settings.value("enable_network_sharing", False, type=bool))
         sharing_layout.addWidget(self.enable_network_password_checkbox)
         self.network_password_line = QLineEdit()
         self.network_password_line.setPlaceholderText("Enter a password")
         self.network_password_line.setEchoMode(QLineEdit.EchoMode.Password)
-        self.network_password_line.setEnabled(settings.value("enable_network_password", False, type=bool))
+        self.network_password_line.setEnabled(password_enabled)
         password_layout.addWidget(self.network_password_line)
         self.show_password_button = QPushButton("Show")
-        self.show_password_button.setEnabled(settings.value("enable_network_password", False, type=bool))
+        self.show_password_button.setEnabled(password_enabled)
         self.show_password_button.clicked.connect(self.show_password_button_pressed)
         password_layout.addWidget(self.show_password_button)
         sharing_layout.addLayout(password_layout)
@@ -210,7 +224,7 @@ class SettingsWindow(QMainWindow):
         # toggle showing / hiding the password
         show_pass = self.show_password_button.text() == "Show"
         self.show_password_button.setText("Hide" if show_pass else "Show")
-        self.network_password_line.setEchoMode(QLineEdit.EchoMode.Normal if show_pass else QLineEdit.EchoMode.Normal)
+        self.network_password_line.setEchoMode(QLineEdit.EchoMode.Normal if show_pass else QLineEdit.EchoMode.Password)
 
     def create_engines_page(self):
         """Create the Engines settings page."""
@@ -267,12 +281,12 @@ class SettingsWindow(QMainWindow):
 
         engine_updates_layout.addLayout(engine_download_layout)
 
-        check_for_engine_updates_checkbox = QCheckBox("Check for new versions on launch")
-        check_for_engine_updates_checkbox.setChecked(settings.value('check_for_engine_updates_on_launch', True, type=bool))
-        check_for_engine_updates_checkbox.setEnabled(at_least_one_downloadable)
-        check_for_engine_updates_checkbox.stateChanged.connect(
+        self.check_for_engine_updates_checkbox = QCheckBox("Check for new versions on launch")
+        self.check_for_engine_updates_checkbox.setChecked(settings.value('check_for_engine_updates_on_launch', True, type=bool))
+        self.check_for_engine_updates_checkbox.setEnabled(at_least_one_downloadable)
+        self.check_for_engine_updates_checkbox.stateChanged.connect(
             lambda state: settings.setValue("check_for_engine_updates_on_launch", bool(state)))
-        engine_updates_layout.addWidget(check_for_engine_updates_checkbox)
+        engine_updates_layout.addWidget(self.check_for_engine_updates_checkbox)
         self.engines_last_update_label = QLabel()
         self.update_last_checked_label()
         self.engines_last_update_label.setEnabled(at_least_one_downloadable)
@@ -292,7 +306,7 @@ class SettingsWindow(QMainWindow):
 
     def change_ignore_system_installs(self, value):
         settings.setValue("engines_ignore_system_installs", bool(value))
-        self.installed_engines_table.update_table()
+        self.installed_engines_table.update_engines_table()
 
     def update_last_checked_label(self):
         """Retrieve the last check timestamp and return a human-friendly string."""
@@ -338,7 +352,7 @@ class SettingsWindow(QMainWindow):
                                 f"Unknown error while deleting {engine_info['engine']} {engine_info['version']}.",
                                 QMessageBox.StandardButton.Ok)
 
-        self.installed_engines_table.update_table(use_cached=False)
+        self.installed_engines_table.update_engines_table(use_cached=False)
 
     def launch_selected_engine(self):
         engine_info = self.installed_engines_table.selected_engine_data()
@@ -419,12 +433,19 @@ class EngineTableWidget(QWidget):
 
     def showEvent(self, event):
         """Runs when the widget is about to be shown."""
-        self.update_table()
+        self.update_engines_table()
         super().showEvent(event)  # Ensure normal event processing
 
-    def update_table(self, use_cached=True):
+    def engine_data_ready(self, raw_server_data):
+        self.raw_server_data = raw_server_data
+        self.update_engines_table()
+
+    def update_engines_table(self, use_cached=True):
         if not self.raw_server_data or not use_cached:
-            self.raw_server_data = RenderServerProxy(socket.gethostname()).get_engine_info()
+            self.worker = GetEngineInfoWorker(self)
+            self.worker.done.connect(self.engine_data_ready)
+            self.worker.start()
+            return
         if not self.raw_server_data:
             return