Windows 7 computer defaults to wireless connection, want wired.


  1. ouch
    Posts : 3
    Windows 7 64 bit
       New #1

    Windows 7 computer defaults to wireless connection, want wired.


    Hello...

    I really need help with this and I apologize as I am a complete noob with networking. I searched the forum for others with this problem, but couldn't find anything quite like the issue I am having.

    I have a linksys router (firmware is up to date) and three computers (two windows 7 64 bit, and an Apple mac) connected to the internet through this router.

    I have the two Win 7 computers wired in physically to the router. The Mac is connected wirelessly.
    When I got the first Win 7 computer, the wired connection was fine, then one day it went to the wireless connection for whatever reason. The connection was flaky at first which is why I noticed.
    I fooled with it a bit and I don't remember how I did it, but managed to disable the wireless connection on the Win 7 machine and this forced the wired connection (I think). I was happy with that.

    Then when we got rid of an old xp puter, and got another Win 7 I had the same problem, but couldn't connect it wired, only wirelessly, meaning I had it connected with the cable, but the computer insisted on the wireless connection and didn't "see" the physical connection. (Mind you, I didn't pursue the issue after that).

    Today, I shut my computer down completely and turn it back on to discover it no longer has a connection. I fooled with the cables, etc shutting things down and back on, with zero results. I had to re enable the wireless adapter to get a connection to the internet again, and now here I am. I am certain that it is not my internet cables themselves... they are new and look fine. Maybe it is that, but two cables not working at the same time?
    So here I have two Win 7 computers that will not connect to the internet through my preferred connection, a wired one. Both are connected physically to the router but that connection is not seen by the computer.

    Can anyone please help me find why? What to do?
    Thank you
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  3. PooMan UK
    Posts : 2,726
    Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit
       New #2

    Hiya and welcome to the forums :)

    You could always try using a static IP address on both machines.

    Firstly Open "control panel" click on "network and sharing center"

    Click on "local area connection (1)" then follow the image clicking through to (5)
    Once at 5 enter your IP address .... this will depend on what address your network is running on (I'm hoping that you know this already) I've given an example. If you router is set to eg 192.168.0.1 then you will need to enter this into the "default gateway" and "preferred DNS (6)" (I've marked the last number with an "X" as this could differ) When you enter your IP address just change the last number to anything between say 10 - 20 eg. 192.168.0.10

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  4. cluberti
    Posts : 2,528
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       New #3

    You didn't specify what wireless spec was used, but be aware that (by default) Windows will choose the network path it believes to have the best performance. If you have a Wireless N router that you're connected to (for example), that connection can be seen as higher than 100Mb/s, so if you are wired to a 100Mb/s port and also use a wireless N device, Windows 7 may very frequently prefer to use the wireless. There are ways around this, both free and non-free. I personally like the use of a script to enable/disable the wireless NIC based on a task scheduler event, but in an enterprise environment sometimes the paid-for solutions work much better and are more manageable.
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  6. ouch
    Posts : 3
    Windows 7 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       New #4

    Hi... Long time since last post.
    I discovered that my machine, when a cold shutdown has been done (not a "restart") the physical connection is shut off for some weird reason.
    It is an HP machine and hasn't a power on/off switch at the back.

    If I shut my machine off for the night, and turn it on in the morning for example, the little light where you plug in the internet cable (the one that looks like a phone jack) turns off... there is no light. The computer then chooses the wireless connection.
    If I shut it down again, unplug it for close to a minute (there is a green light by the power cord) and wait for this green light to extinguish, then plug it back in and power up... the internet cable light on the back of the machine comes back on and I have a physical connection again. Does this make sense?

    What settings have I got that may be shutting that off when I shut my computer down? And why does unplugging the power cord change that setting for that one time?
    Thanks again for any help.
    :)
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  7. ouch
    Posts : 3
    Windows 7 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       New #5

    Bump?
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  8. cluberti
    Posts : 2,528
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       New #6

    Other than resetting the BIOS to safe defaults and restarting, I'm not sure this isn't a hardware problem that you should talk to HP about...
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