Windows 7 Networking Problem!

LazyLion

LazyLion

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the networking in Windows 7 is one thing I don't like about the new OS. It makes things unnecessarily complicated and all the settings are spread out over ten different pages.

Anyways, I re-installed Windows 7 on a friend's computer, but I did it at my house. He brought his computer over and I plugged it into my network and then re-installed everything. I chose "Home Network" as the default network configuration on his computer, but I did not actually connect to my HomeGroup.

Now, when I gave him his computer back and he plugs it into his network at his house, it says "Unidentified Network" and it will not allow him to see any of his other WinXP computers.

We tried everything, we removed the network adapters in Device Manager, we removed the Network configuration and tried to set it up again, we tried to join a new Home Group... nothing. It just keeps going back to "Unidentified Network"

How do I get him set up at his house so he can see his other computers? BTW, the network at my house has internet access, but his doesn't it is just a LAN.
 
perhaps its password related. if you go into the security policies, (if you don't have passwords set on the pc's) go into Local Policies, and Security Options: disable "Limit Local account use of blank passwords"

Also, goto Network Sharing Center, goto Advanced Sharing Settings, click on Home or Work, and make sure everything in there is Turned ON especially File and Printer sharing.

The alternative for the first bit I said, set passwords for each pc, then you don't have to go fiddle with the Security Policies, but make sure your file and printer sharing is enabled!

If this all fails, manually set IP addresses for the pc's.

Good luck
 
perhaps its password related. if you go into the security policies, (if you don't have passwords set on the pc's) go into Local Policies, and Security Options: disable "Limit Local account use of blank passwords"

Also, goto Network Sharing Center, goto Advanced Sharing Settings, click on Home or Work, and make sure everything in there is Turned ON especially File and Printer sharing.

The alternative for the first bit I said, set passwords for each pc, then you don't have to go fiddle with the Security Policies, but make sure your file and printer sharing is enabled!

If this all fails, manually set IP addresses for the pc's.

Good luck
 
thanks guys, we did try the repair option and it said "cannot repair", we also tried setting up passwords to be the same, but the computers still refuse to see each other.

He knows that his switch and cables work cos he was LANNING with them not too long ago.

I googled for the problem and it seems to be a common problem in Vista / Windows 7 whereby the computer cannot get an IP address from the switch.
 
Static ip's? Then set it back to obtain auto.

Have you tried uninstalling the network card and letting windows 7 reload it upon restart?
 
Last edited:
Have you tried turning off the windows firewall for all networks?
 
Agreed Win 7 networking is iffy. I had to remove myself from all groups as such to get connectivity to XP machines on my network at home.

Have one other issue that is persistant, I havent resorted to re-installing yet. Using Route Sentry, when ever I have a connection open either, local, international or both. I lose all network connectivity on the lan. Internet works hundreds, but cannot connect to the other machines. I have to disable the network controller and re-activate for the connectivity to be restored.

Any ideas?
 
Gary does he have only one network socket? i have 2 and sometimes i need to swap them around or i get unidentified network.

Maybe a silly question but are all the computers using the same name for workgroup?

I know windows 7 default is workgroup so i ran the network wizard and made all my xp pc's workgroup as well, i know you have more than likely done this but worth asking i guess :D.
 
killadoob said:
Gary does he have only one network socket? i have 2 and sometimes i need to swap them around or i get unidentified network.

Maybe a silly question but are all the computers using the same name for workgroup?

I know windows 7 default is workgroup so i ran the network wizard and made all my xp pc's workgroup as well, i know you have more than likely done this but worth asking i guess :D.
Click to expand...

thanks, I'll check, but yes I think so.

he does have two network sockets, we did try both.

I think both workgroups are set to WORKGROUP but I will check that as well, although it should not make a difference cos in XP you could still connect to computers on a different workgroup.

Thanks anyway for the suggestions, keep them coming.
 
bekdik said:
switches are not normally dhcp servers.

does he have a switch or adsl modem?
Click to expand...

not an ADSL modem... no internet connectivity of any kind.

It is def. a network switch. So where do the IP addresses get assigned then? Who is the DHCP server?
 
Garyvdh said:
not an ADSL modem... no internet connectivity of any kind.

It is def. a network switch. So where do the IP addresses get assigned then? Who is the DHCP server?
Click to expand...

That would explain the problem.

IP needs to be set up manually.

Check the IP setting on one of the other PC's look for Gateway address and dns address (which is probably not set).

set the new machine gateway as per above and set its IP address to the IP address + 1 - if that gives a duplicate IP message, add 1 again.
 
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