Windows 7: Homegroup Changes to Public Network

So I have fibre optic broadband and I connect my PC and Xbox 360 together through my PC motherboard LAN connections.

To explain what I have done is I have two LAN connections on my EvGA 680i motherboard and I have bridged out these two ports because I find it is is easier connecting the Xbox this way as I don't have to deal with the firewall issues and programme each file to access it and it is just smoother with no dropouts.

The problem that I have though is as soon as I start up the Xbox 360 then my PC and any other laptop has this issue.

Firstly the two laptops connect wirelessly.

As soon as the Xbox fires up firstly it switches on my partners HP DV6000 laptop and this might be because it is a media laptop and has an infra red remote which perhaps frequencies are crossing. I can live with this.

The issue is the network.

Both my PC and the laptops automatically switch from a homegroup to a public network.

My PC is fine if I reboot, it will revert back to the homegroup but my partners laptop will not. It stays on this public network and so she can't access the internet.



I have tried changing and managed to change back to a homegroup but it is confused in that it does not know which homegroup to connect to.

I have typed in the WPA code but it does not appear to recognise this as our network.

Has anyone experienced a similar situation please?

Is it because I have bridged the LAN ports and it is confusing Windows?

All are using Windows 7. PC and HP laptop are Ultimate and other laptop is Professional.

A homegroup is different from a network identified in the network and sharing center as a "home network." From context, you're talking about a home network rather than a homegroup. To rephrase your issue using normal terminology, network recognition on your Windows 7 PCs is misidentifying your home network when your Xbox is connected.

What happens if you plug your Xbox directly into your wireless router rather than bridging it through your PC? It shouldn't happen, but using bridge mode might be confusing your other Windows PCs.

I realised this and will try. However why would it confuse the other laptops given that they are only connecting to the router wirelessly and yet they are still affected?

I have tried connecting directly to the router and it is still the same. Network on PC and laptops change to unidentified network.

In the control panel under networking and sharing centre it shows that I am connected to a Home network but like I say as soon as I connect the Xbox then all laptops and PC network changes to unidentified.

I thought that the Xbox was designed to connect with no problems to a windows based system with no troubles.

Beats me what the issue is.