Windows 7: Random loss of LAN

I bought a new PC just over a week ago and it's running under Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit. My problem concerns my home network. Sometimes the Compaq (Windows 7) loses the HP (XP Home SP3) from 'Network'.
The Compaq still sees the Internet, that's how I can type this; still accepts file tranfers from the XP machine; its shares are still visible on the XP machine.
There are several things that can't be done from the XP machine, because of the ultra pedantic security on Windows 7, so although I can live with this issue I would really like to fix it.
The machine is a Compaq Presario CQ5222UK, AMD Athlon II X215 processor
Not sure about the motherboard, it isn't specified in the documentation.
AMI Bios 5.11 Nvidia nForce 10/100 mbps Ethernet adapter and something called teredo Tunneling adapter.
Thanks for reading this
Merry Christmas
Steve

Hi Steve and welcome
Merry Cristmas to you as well


I think your problem stems from your probable use of homegroup and IPv6. Homegroup is designed solely for homogeneous win 7 only environments. To verify it is the problem you can easily set up a new network using the workgroup model. If it works (and it should) you can disable IPv6 and kill homegroup.

Vis-a-vie the shares. they should work in IPv4. If you need help with win 7 ludicrous security set up let us know



Ken J+

I did as you suggested and remove the homegroup. Now the Compaq only sees the router on the network, not even itself.
How do I remove it from its existing network and create a Workgroup Network please?

Leaving the Homegroup totorial here> Homegroup - Leave

Try this tutorial for joining a workgroup.
How to Join a Network Workgroup in Windows 7 at Kroy’s Blog on Video Production and Marketing

Another way here to join or create a workgroup.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...te-a-workgroup

My Windows 7 PC was already in the right workgroup and as far as I can tell it's no longer in a Homegroup.
Today, such is the nature of random faults, it's working as expected.

The network issue is causing Windows and applications to hang.
If the network is visible everything works, but if It isn't the system won't close down. Unfortunately the only way to discover that it isn't working is to access a networked drive, in which case the chances are very high that the system will hang.

nine months between posts?

is your lan that bad?

No, it's worse:
The XP PC has no trouble accessing the LAN, or Internet.
The Windows 7 PC refuses to talk to anything except the router about 70% of the time. The rest of the time it sort of works. ie Like Vista it sometimes takes 30 minutes, or more, to respond to a simple request. Programs that work most of the time just die for no apparent reason.
I'm used to LAN errors screwing up Word documents, but screwing up the operating system is a real pain.
What really annoys me is that the Reliability Monitor blames applications (Windows Explorer is the program that hangs most often), or the User (I have to force the PC to switch off, if I want to use it). Have you heard the phrase "Teflon shoulders"? It means that criticism just slides off.
Microsoft have a Teflon corporation.

I suspect that there is also a problem with USB hard drives too, but haven't gathered enough evidence - been too busy trying to work out what's wrong with the LAN