Windows 7 Starter network error

I have checked around in this forum for a fix to my problem and none of them have worked so far so now the post. I have a Toshiba netbook that when I try to connect to the home network, it can't or won't. I can connect to the internet but nothing I have done will let me connect to the home network.

I have reinstalled drivers, downloaded new drivers, done some ip renew, disabled the lan, nothing works. All the network icon shows is the indicator as grey with a yellow star. Anyone have a different idea?

Can you define the difference between "home network" and "internet"? Are these two different networks?

Here is a screenshot of what I have showing. When I click on connect to a network, it brings up my wireless connections and I am already connected to the network for internet which is the same as the home network (ATT U-Verse). I've run the troubleshooter for homegroup, internet and wireless but nothing is fixed. Although, when I disconnect and reconnect, it pop up for a second the home network but it seems it doesn't identify it, or maybe it does and then goes back to what you see on the screenshot.

I would assume we are talking a wireless network.

What I would try doing first is on the left hand side of that window, choose Manage Wireless Networks.

If your network of choice is displayed in that window, delete it. What this is doing is removing any pre-saved settings you may have (which may be incorrect causing the lack of connection).

Down on the bottom right, click the wireless icon (signal bars with star) and choose your network. If it works, you should be asked for a password or key. If you have wireless encryption turned on, and you should, this is what you would enter. If you are still having problems, try to connect when you're in the same room as the wireless router.

If you STILL can't connect, show us how strong your router signal strength is.

You may also want to re-install your wireless card drivers. Given the specs you have posted are not for this machine, please list the make and model of this netbook. (I assume it is a netbook as it's the only type of device in the United States that Microsoft issued Windows 7 Starter on.)

What does this mean? I'd like to know as well!

If your internet works but the networking and sharing center says you are not connected, and the troubleshooters don't fix it, there is some deeper problem.

Can you log on as an administrator? If so, you could try the system file checker. From an elevated command prompt (as administrator) type sfc /scannow and wait until it finishes, then reboot.

How does the Network and sharing center look after that? Can you now join a homegroup or workgroup and share files?

@Johnathan, unfortunately I have tried all of those suggestions and still doesn't work. I did them again to be sure but nothing. Also, I am in the same room as the router at the moment. I know the signal is strong as my main computer is showing excellent signal strength.

@fafhrd, That means, Not Connected, connections are available BUT next to my internet connection, it says connected. I have tried your suggestion and no errors, restarted and still have the same problem shown above.

My notebook model is: Toshiba NB505-N500BL, Windows 7 Starter loaded.

Can you show us where it says "connected"? Everything I've seen so far says the netbook is not connected to anything.

Here is the screenshot of being connected to the internet but not the network.

Mirage - there's no need to be coy about revealing the broadcast SSID names of your router or those of your neighbours - they are "public", like your MAC addresses for any of your ethernet interfaces, your IP address given by your ISP, or indeed even the private IP addresses within your local network are handled by your router. They are not spammable like your email address is for instance!

From that Network and Sharing Center screen select the Change adapter settings item on the left hand side.

Next right click the Wireless Network Connection that is working, right-click and select status, move the little status window to the left and then select properties, and move that little properties window to the right so that we can see all screens as shown below on my netbook.
Press PrtSc and paste the screen to Paint, save to attach to your next post.


Some of these details mentioned above will appear in the information I am asking you to give next - %computername% identifies the computer the batchfile is running on net start lists the running services on the laptop, and ipconfig /all shows the ip configuration details for the laptop, arp-a displays the address resolution protocol (local IP addresses), nbtstat shows NetBIOS over TCP/IP information, netsh wlan shows detailed wireless information (but not passwords, keys etc., of course) then the final command opens Windows Explorer in the C:\Users folder:

Copy the following to notepad and save as C:\Windows\System32\netinfo.bat so that it is in the path for your system.


I would use an elevated command prompt (run as administrator) to be sure that all information is available.

Run the batchfile by typing netinfo at the command prompt.

The following step is needed because it seems impossible to run zipfldr.dll natively in Windows to create zipfiles from the command prompt!

Next, when explorer has opened, select the files above that have just been created, all starting with ~ -so they are not likely to overwrite similarly named files already there - then right click and send to a Compressed (zipped) folder and attach the ~nstart-FAERIEGIRL-PC.zip file to your next post. Here's mine:View attachment ~nstart-NETBOOK.zip

You can do this for your netbook and your main Windows 7 Ultimate machine for comparison, so that we can see which services are and are not working.

Here is the requested information.

My comments are:

MIRAGE:

There's a lot to go through - but can you disable the "Apple Mobile Device", "Bonjour", "IPod", "PowerPanel Personal Edition Service", "Secunia", and "Shrewsoft" products you have running, and restart the netbook, please? If there is a difference, add them back one at a time - Bonjour (Apple software updater), in particular, is notorious for causing odd effects on various Windows machines.

On the FAERIEGIRL machine

IKE and AuthIP IPsec Keying Modules seems to be associated with the Shrewsoft product; - revised this - it is a MS service
LMIGuardianSvc, LogMeIn, LogMeIn Maintenance Service - are they LogMeIn remote access software?

On the face of it, your IPCONFIG results show both MIRAGE and FAERIEGIRL set up identically for wireless, but the ARP tables show that neither sees the other.

The Netbrowser info shows that MIRAGE has registered the network name of FAERIEGIRL in the Workgroup.

One thing about Workgroups is that they can take some time to propagate all the information about all the connected machines, up to about 36 minutes may be required for 2 machines, although 12 minutes should see a new machine connected to a server normally.

All the stuff in red has some reports of interference with Windows 7 or wireless network operation - check them out. It's possible that their additional security on top of Windows 7 is locking out the connection. You may need to get identical users and passwords set up on both the machines for the additional security programs if you need them.

Not sure what you are asking me to do but I have disabled bonjour on Mirage and went ahead and uninstalled the other software in red for now. No change on netbook. I uninstalled LogMeIn on the netbook but you should know, I had this problem before that software was installed. After the software uninstall, still no change on netbook.

After uninstalling both machines, you restarted both, OK? None of the red programs are running?

Secunia and Shrewsoft on Mirage - what do they do? They would appear to be security enhancements, on top of the Windows built-in security. Some elements of the Shrewsoft program appeared to have been running on Faeriegirl.

There are reports of wireless network problems associated with both programs on the internet - you may wish to check their websites out for patches etc.

Do they use the Windows logon for authentication? Is the logon for the netbook the same as a user on the main machine?

LogMeIn was likely not to be a problem here, but since your wireless configuration is generally fine, I'd look to 3rd-party software as a cause of your problems.

If both machines have been on a while, try connect to a network/join a homegroup again from the network and sharing center on the netbook - then you could now rerun the batch files, and post again. I'll be back in about 6 hours.

One other thing I have done is uncheck unnecessary networking components - see my earlier screenshot.

Secunia is a program that monitors software installed and makes sure it's all up to date. Shrewsoft is a VPN software I use for work. That could also use the same file for LogMeIn since it was on both machines and I am sure thats it. I keep software up to date so I don't think thats the problem.

They don't use the windows login for anything and I tried making the same account on the netbook and still no change. I even created a new homegroup, still nothing, but I will rerun the batch later in the morning.

Shrewsoft is a VPN software I use for work. That could also use the same file for LogMeIn since it was on both machines and I am sure thats it.

Click to expand...

LogMeIn is running on FAERIEGIRL only and Shrewsoft is on Mirage only it appears. Both have similar functions as VPN or remote access software, and apply 3rd party security layers to the Windows systems underlying them.

Secunia is supposed to enhance security by updating vulnerabilities existing in older application software as the manufacturers release fixes. It is only on Mirage.

Having looked at some of the things that were there that may have a role in your problems, that you believe not to be the case, here are some services that are not running and possibly should be:

FAERIEGIRL - services not started on the netbook that may have some bearing on what you experience:

Computer Browser service

Diagnostic System Host service (also not started on MIRAGE)

HomeGroup Listener service

IPsec Policy Agent service (also not on MIRAGE -could Shrewsoft have replaced this with their own IPSEC version?)

SSDP Discovery service

UPnP Device Host service
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MIRAGE - in addition to those services mentioned above, is not running

IKE and AuthIP IPsec Keyring Modules

PNRP Machine Name Publication Service

Remote Access Connection Manager

I started all services mentioned, unchecked services as you mentioned in your screenshot, computers have been running overnight and rechecked again, still nothing. I have reattached batch files run just a minute ago.

EDIT: Oh, I shut down the other computer on the network in case it was interfering somehow. And, I even turned off startup programs on Mirage to see if that made a difference. Nope.

There are still a few services that are not started which may be relevant. There is an attached zipfile with this in.

I am coming round to the opinion it is your gateway, probably being incompatible with IPv6 - can you uncheck all but Internet Protocol version 4 (TCP/IPv4), File and Printer Sharing and Client for Microsoft Networks in your wireless connection properties?

Then follow this with a reboot, or ipconfig /release followed by ipconfig /renew at an elevated command prompt.

I would do MIRAGE first then FAERIEGIRL - you should do both.




There appears to be nothing at all wrong with your wireless connections, or the IPv4 side of your network, but there are things going on in IPv6 that are not clear, not least due to the number of tunnelling connections present but not connected.

In the zip, the WORD document here I have attempted to clarify what I think is trying to connect to what, and in the EXCEL file, which services are still not running, and what the workgroup browsers actually see of other computers and workgroups which is not a lot! View attachment Ipconfi1.zip

Could it be your gateway / ISP? The following suggests a workaround:

2Wire U-Verse IPv6, Connectivity problems, FIX | Mr. W's world of expression

Well, I followed all instructions on the files and see screenshot as to where I am. I also followed the instructions on the website and still no fix so I put my security setting back. Now, as to the screenshot, whenever I run the troubleshooter, it fixes the internet BUT goes back to my original problem. When I do a ipconfig /release, my network shows up (as shown), MIRAGE sees FAERIEGIRL but FAERIEGIRL can't see MIRAGE. On the screenshot, I don't have internet access when it's like that. What do you suggest?

Sorry, I do understand that you are frustrated by this, but your last post is somewhat breathless and hard to follow, and does not actually give me any information as to the reasons why things are happening, or indeed exactly what you might have achieved at each stage, apart from not what you really want.

Please reread your last post from my point of view and try to guess what it might tell me! Not a lot, I am sorry to say.

Again, please use the tools I have provided and let me know at each stage what the zipfile output is output is. Look at the output of the text files yourself to get an idea of what may be happening. Ask some questions as to what things mean.

What does the batch file report with IPv6 turned off?

What happens with WPA off and WEP on?

You can add a small textfile to the zip saying what you did immediately before running it, and screenshots too.

Having "the other computer" on the network may be a useful tool to see what is going right. Is it back on, and what information can that PC provide?

When "MIRAGE sees FAERIEGIRL" , on FAERIEGIRL, can you go to Computer, Map Network Drive, and connect to \\192.168.1.65\sharename as drive z:\ where sharename is the shared name of a shared folder on MIRAGE? Can Mirage map a drive to \\192.168.1.76\sharename on FAERIEGIRL?

Do any mapped drives persist if you change things so that internet access is working? Are shares on "the other computer" available to FAERIEGIRL, and vice versa?

Do you have or can you borrow ethernet cables and connect via wired connections, temporarily disabling the wireless connection?