How do I correctly set up my network connections?

Hey everybody,

I'm still struggling to get along with my new Windows 7 x64; and it seems I have some mess in the network connections. I'm a total dummie, and I think I'm in it way over my head. I need some help.

First off, this is a standalone home computer. Ok, maybe not totally standalone, since it is supposed to go online into the internet, but there is no home network, no other computer to connect to, NO file sharing or printer sharing, NO need/want for remote desktop configuration or whatever, NO home groups, no wifi, no nothing.

All it needs is its internet access "WAN Miniport PPPOe" - as far as I can tell, a broadband connection - and this one actually works. I'm online, after all.



There are two items under my 'Settings/Network Connections': 'Local Area Connections' and 'Internet'.

In its properties box under 'networking', the internet connection has only two items checked:

Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6)
Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)

There are also two entries that are not checked:
Client for Microsoft Networks
File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks

I don't need either of them, internet works fine, so I think that one is good.


But there is also the 'Local Area Connection' that keeps sitting on 'Identifying...'.

In its properties, it has only one tab, 'networking', with the following items:

Client for Microsoft Networks
Qos Packet Scheduler
File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks
Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6)
Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)
Link Layer Topology Discovery Manager i/O Driver
Link Layer Topology Discovery Responder

They were all on. I unchecked 'client for Microsoft Networks' and 'File and Printer Sharing', but it didn't change much. Should I try uncheck everything?

I tried to disable the whole thing, but that caused the internet connection to quit functioning, so I turned it back on.

Worse, I believe it messes with the windows firewall (that I have still running, since I still haven't found a suitable replacement for my good old Sygate (which sadly doesn't work in win7). The windows firewall keeps quitting on me, a behaviour that started when I turned the firewall settings to 'block all incoming connections' in the 'home or work/private networks'. I did that because the firewall left an open port 135 and this was my only way to close and stealth it.

The firewall settings also define my internet connection as 'public network' as in 'Networks in public places such as airports and coffeeshops'.... Huh? That sounds nonsensical to me. I'm home. However, anything else comes along with that homegroup and file sharing nonsense, so I just left it at that. (Add husky, grouchy voiceover: We don't need no stinkin home group...)

The firewall settings also maintain that 'Home or private networks' are not connected, and the 'public network' is connected.

It's a big freaking mess, and I don't know what to do with it. But I do feel that the way it is now is not quite right.

Please advise..

Thank you!

Old Owl

What is confusing is how you connect to the internet do you have a router or a modem if it's a modem your PC is live on the net hence public network very dangerous as anyone in the world can connect directly to your PC. If it's a router your on a private network protected. If your not sure tell us make model of modem. Open a cmd prompt then type

Ipconfig /all

Post results

With all the data a xxxxx the post is useless so I cant see whats going on every pc in the world has numbers like 192.168.1.1 so there is no danger

Ok thanks - it just freaked me out when you said my computer is open for everyone.

If the numbers are not 'dangerous', here's the unaltered output:

Code:

Windows IP Configuration

   Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Sam
   Primary Dns Suffix  . . . . . . . :
   Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
   IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
   WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

PPP adapter T-Online:

   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : T-Online
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . :
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
   IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 91.0.5.26(Preferred)
   Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
   Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
   DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 217.0.43.33
                                       217.0.43.17
   NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) 82579LM Gigabit Network Connecti
on
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : F0-92-1C-E5-01-04
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
   Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::c495:eaac:e9ae:d41c%11(Preferred)
   Autoconfiguration IPv4 Address. . : 169.254.212.28(Preferred)
   Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
   Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
   DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : fec0:0:0:ffff::1%1
                                       fec0:0:0:ffff::2%1
                                       fec0:0:0:ffff::3%1
   NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Tunnel adapter isatap.{ACF6DA47-BE0F-43E2-817C-C91E30297B44}:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Maybe it would be better to simply create a new network connection, but I don't really understand what I did wrong with the first (two).

I need just one...

The t online is live on the internet so anyone can see it the other one isn't getting an IP so it's not used but that's the one you need to use. How is the modem connected to the PC and do you know the type of connection you have IE cable or ADSL?

You need to get a router asap the difference is your PC is live on the net with a modem but with a router the router is live and the PC gets a 192 range IP which can't be seen on the net

Thanks. Samuria.

I think I have DSL - it's the same line my (analog) telephone is on, and computer and phone are separated by a socalled splitter. I know it's Broadband PPPOe.

Unfortunately, I'm not going to buy anything the next 4 to 6 weeks - the reason I'm changing to Win7 is that my old motherboard died and I had to get a new computer, along with a Windows 7 dvd. Used, though, but the computer still depleted my meager funds. To top it off, my oven also decided to call it quits - those disasters always come in pairs.

So for now I think I rather fix what can be fixed. You said I need the first one - do you mean the 'Local Area Connection'? Someone told me that's for home networks and home groups and such, and since I didn't want a part of that, I took another one. I guess that was a mistake?

Would it be a good idea to go offline, delete or disable both connections and set up a completely new one under 'Local Area Connection'? (Hoping it won't result in any file sharing or peer-this and peer-that...)

Or should I create a new network connection first and then delete the first two? Oh, I just remember - I could only delete the second one - the first one, the 'Local Area Connection', can only be disabled.

I've read on a website now that one shouldn't have two connections, and I think I do have two right now - one that works and shouldn't and one that should work and doesn't?

Yikes, my head hurts...

Old Owl

You didnt answer the make and model of the modem so I can see if it is a modem or a router setup wrong modems are rare

It's a Teledat 302. I know it's old, but I cannot change it right now.

And I'm still more eager to set up a proper network connection. Right now, I've got a mixture of two - and I want to have only one like I had on XP and 98/SE. Something is not quite right with the way it is now on this Win7 machine. The second one goes online and the first one can't, but the second one won't work if I disable the first.

I'm not sure how to go about it. Delete the second connection that says 'public network' (and is the only one actually connecting to the internet right now)? And then what? I cannot delete the first one (Local Area Connection), I can only disable it. And then I'd still end up with two.

I'm also still wary about the 'Local Area Connection' and that the hardware buddy said it's for 'home groups', 'internet connection sharing' and 'peer networks' and stuff - all things I simply do not need and do not want. I've disabled the stuff in services.msc - maybe that's why the 'Local Area Connection' will not work properly. But I'm not going to enable 'internet connection sharing', 'file and printer sharing', 'home groups' - or worse even, 'remote registry' and things like that.

This is one single computer with only me sitting in front of it (apart from a few cats). All it needs is to go online like it did with XP or 98/SE. They did it with the same old modem and didn't cause any problems. Of course, they had their Sygate firewall.

Or is that simply not possible with Windows 7?


Old Owl

I've changed some settings for the 'Local Network Connection', following a website:

The ipconfig /all now reads:

Code:

Windows IP Configuration

   Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Sam
   Primary Dns Suffix  . . . . . . . :
   Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
   IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
   WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

PPP adapter T-Online:

   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : T-Online
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . :
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
   IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 91.0.11.8(Preferred)
   Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
   Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
   DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 217.0.43.33
                                       217.0.43.17
   NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) 82579LM Gigabit Network 

Connecti
on
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : F0-92-1C-E5-01-04
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
   Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::c495:eaac:e9ae:d41c%11

(Preferred)
   IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.101(Preferred)
   Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
   Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
   DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
                                       218.248.240.23
   NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Tunnel adapter isatap.{ACF6DA47-BE0F-43E2-817C-C91E30297B44}:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

The 'Local Area Connection' has changed from its neverending 'Identifying...' to 'Unidentified network'. Maybe I should've given it the exact same numbers that the other one has. I really have no idea.

Either way, it still doesn't work; and I still use the other one to go online.


Old Owl