Network problems with Windows 7

poet123

We have just increased our broadband speed to 50 meg, prior to that all our laptops were connecting to the net. Now, mine which is the only one to run Windows 7 is not connecting without a lot of messing about.

The settings have to be redone every time I log on, and even then it is hit and miss. It seems to be something to do with the homegroup.

When I log on, and sometimes when the PC is left for a time, it defaults to a public network instead of a home network. Do I need new drivers? or can anyone suggest what the issue is?

poet123

Can anyone help?

enigma52

have you saved any changes you made to enable you to get on the web with the win 7 machine, otherwise next time you try to get on you are starting from old settings. Homegroup? you will only have that on win 7 machine therefore it is not required.

poet123

Yes, I save the chamges every time, but it defaults to the public network when left for a time, or on start up.

enigma52

is this wireless or ethernet connection

RussJK

Have you set your preferred network?
Control Panel > Network and Internet > Manage Wireless Networks

The highest one will be the first it uses.

enigma52

RussJK wrote: »

Have you set your preferred network?
Control Panel > Network and Internet > Manage Wireless Networks

The highest one will be the first it uses.

how do you know its wireless? The op hasn't said what it is yet.

esuhl

I had a nightmare trying to get Windows 7 to connect persistently to my network. My ISP advised me that there's a known bug in the OS that prevents it from accepting an IP address assigned by DHCP in certain situations. I'm not 100% whether that's true, but setting a fixed IP address on the local machine has definitely fixed the problem.

Also, it's probably best to avoid using the "Homegroup" feature as I don't think it's compatible with other OSes.

poet123

Thanks for that, it is wireless, and it does occasionally (but not always) say the problem is no assigned IP address. It also has probl3ems seeing other computers in the group.

So can you tell me how to give it a fixed IP address?

debitcardmayhem

poet123 wrote: »

Thanks for that, it is wireless, and it does occasionally (but not always) say the problem is no assigned IP address. It also has probl3ems seeing other computers in the group.

So can you tell me how to give it a fixed IP address?

Open Network and Sharing Centre
Change Adapter Settings
Double Click on the Wireless adaptor
Click on Properties (not wireless properties)
Double click on TCP/IP V4
Select Use the following address
put it 192.168.x.y (whixhis outside your DHCP range
subnet mask 255.255.255.0
Def Gateway 192.168.x.zzz where zz is your router address
Use this DNS again use your router address or if you use something like DynDNS put that in