"Home Network" setting cannot be saved

[churin]

For some reason the active network shows "Public network", so I wanted to change it to "Home network", but the changed setting could not be saved or the "Save Changes" was grayed. This happened on my home network. What could be wrong?

 

[kegobeer]

Usually you can click on the picture of the park bench and then have the option to change the network. If you can't, then you can use the group policy editor to change things. You will also be able to change the default behavior - it sounds like you might have accidentally picked public and then picked the box that says don't ask again.

Click the orb, then type gpedit.msc. Under local computer policies -> computer config -> windows settings -> security settings -> network list manager policies, you'll find your network, unidentified networks, identifying networks, and all networks. If you double click on your network, go to the network location and change it to private. Then, go to all networks and make sure that all of the settings are set to "not configured". That should fix your problem.

This can also be caused by not having a default gateway. For example, if you have two computers (or a computer and another device) connected via ethernet, and you don't give the Windows 7 computer a default gateway, by default it will be a public network. If you edit your IP settings and enter a default gateway (use the other computer/device's IP address), the network type will change and you can pick the one you want.

 

[churin]

Thanks for your reply.
Let me explain what I am trying to do as follows:

I have a router A which includes a built-in access point but is disabled in its configuration settings. I have another router B with its DHCP disabled and a unique SSID assigned to its access point. I cascaded the router B with A. The problem I described in my original post happened when I attempted to access the router B access point. The connection does not go beyond the local network or to the Internet, which was not mentioned in my original post.

 

[kegobeer]

Router A is a wifi access point, but you do not use it as a wifi access point, but it is your DHCP issuing device? Is that correct?

Router B has DHCP disabled, but is your wifi access point? Is that correct?

Router A and Router B need to be on the same subnet (or have the appropriate subnet mask), and Router B needs to have a static IP address outside the DHCP range of Router A. For example:

Router A: IP=192.168.0.1, wifi disabled, DHCP enabled with range of 192.168.0.50-192.168.0.200, with network cable from WAN port to your cable modem.
Router B: IP=192.168.0.10, wifi enabled, DHCP disabled, with network cable from port 1 to port 1 on Router A. Do not connect the network cable to the WAN port on either router.

 

[churin]

The problem appeared to be that the router B was not configured how I thought it was. To review the configuration of the router B I attempted to access the router but could not. I reset the router then I reconfigured it the way it should be. Then the problem was resolved. The following is how both router are configured:

Router A:
IP: 192.168.1.1
DHCP range: 192.168.1.100 to 149

Router B:
IP: 192.168.1.2
DHCP: Disabled
WiFi: Enabled

My original post indicated that the WiFi access point functionality of the router A was disabled. But this was for trouble shooting purpose. Now it is enabled.
Purpose of adding an access point as above is to try extending WiFi range using a spare router at hand.

Presently, a unique SSID is assigned for each of these access points. I wonder if the same SSID can be assigned.
Any comment is appreciated.

 

[kegobeer]

Yes, you can use the same SSID. Each access point needs to use a different channel.

 

[churin]

If the same SSID is assigned but two different channel are used, then does the mobile device automatically switch channel to one which becomes stronger as it moves around? How can I check if it does? Note that the same encryption type and the security code are used for both access point.

 

[kegobeer]

Yes, that's how it works. The router channel is fixed, and the computer NIC will switch automatically. You can look at computer's nic status and see what channel is being used.

 

[churin]

I looked NIC status. It has only one tab being labeled as "General" and in which there was no channel info. I looked into "Details" and "Wireless Properties" but found no channel info there either.

While reviwing "Wireless Network Properties", I noticed there was an option of "Connect to more preferred network if available" which is presently not turned on. This appears to be intended for public WiFi access points, but wonder if this option can be used for a home network with two access points each having unique SSID.

 

[kegobeer]

It appears you can't see what channel you are using. I thought I saw it in there. I was probably thinking about the channel info you can see/set on the router. You could go to the router's config page and see which clients are connected to the router, though.

If you have multiple SSIDs, I don't think you can move between them in such a small area and expect Windows to move to that one. You'd pretty much have to move to the edge of the range of one and lose the connection - then if the other network is available it might auto-connect, but I think you'd have to manually connect.

I'd just use the same SSID. If the connection level drops to a magical point (Windows will determine that), it will automatically switch to the stronger signal with the same SSID.

 

[churin]

It appears you can't see what channel you are using. I thought I saw it in there. I was probably thinking about the channel info you can see/set on the router. You could go to the router's config page and see which clients are connected to the router, though.

To know whether the channel switch-over happened or not, I need be able to check the channel info at the client side.

If you have multiple SSIDs, I don't think you can move between them in such a small area and expect Windows to move to that one. You'd pretty much have to move to the edge of the range of one and lose the connection - then if the other network is available it might auto-connect, but I think you'd have to manually connect.

In this case(two different SSIDs are used) I can see if the client changed the access point by checking the SSID.

I'd just use the same SSID. If the connection level drops to a magical point (Windows will determine that), it will automatically switch to the stronger signal with the same SSID.

In this case I lose ability to use the SSID as above. But I have just gotten an idea and will give it a try.

 

[kegobeer]

I guess I don't understand why you are that interested in which AP you connect to. It doesn't really matter. If you are that interested, you really should log into the router to see what is connected to the router.

 

[churin]

The DHPC client list shows what devices are connected and their IPs, device names and MAC addresses, but no channel being used by these devices. Probably I have to look for a utility or something if I really want to check the channel info.
I am just interested to check how dual-AP works or how well doubling the AP works.

I appreciate your response which prompted me to review the router settings and resolved the problem stated in my original post.

 

[kegobeer]

If you log into router a, any devices connected to it will be on that router's channel. If you log into router b, any devices connected to it will be on that router's channel. Even though you disabled DHCP on the "access point", it will still tell you what devices connect to it.

 

[churin]

I appreciate your continued follow-ups.
My experiment indicates that all devices regardless of which AP being connected to, are listed on the router A and none on B. This makes sense because there cannot be such DHCP client list on the router B. However, I notice that the router B still has its DHCP list which shows the device used to setup the router B. It stays even the device is shut off and cannot be erased. The IP is the first one in the default DHCP range for the router B so that it must be the one assigned to the device when being used to configure the router B.

Another thing: I have started the experiment for using two SSIDs. The public network problem came back which is the topic of this thread. This indicates that this configuration may not be stable. As a matter of fact this is the second time that it happened. When it happened for the fist time I started this thread.

 

[kegobeer]

I've had two routers (one as an access point) on the same network, with different SSIDs, configured as I posted earlier, without any issues. If you try those settings you should be fine. Do you have them connected via ethernet cable? If not, make sure you do that as well.

 

[churin]

Do you have them connected via ethernet cable? If not, make sure you do that as well.

Yes.

Do not connect the network cable to the WAN port on either router.

The above is quote from your earlier post. I think you meant to say that the WAN port of the router B should not be used for cascading the router B with A. Another word, the Ethernet cable should be run from LAN port to LAN port. Is this correct?

I think my configuration using the two routers is the same as yours except the IPs assigned to the two routers, and the DHCP range of the router A.

The problem I encountered (being the topic of this thread) is that the settings of the router B appears to be for some reason, screwed up. And when this happens I can no longer access the router B to determine how it is altered.
I will continue the experiment in an attempt to find out what is exactly happening.

 

[kegobeer]

Yes, connect the routers via LAN port.

What routers are you using?

 

[churin]

I am using D-Link DIR655 v.A4 as router A (DHCP enabled) and Linksys WRT54G v5 as router B (DHCP disabled).

 

[kegobeer]

I use a DIR-655 v2 (firmware 1.21) as my access point, and an E3000 as my wifi router. Is there a specific reason why you are using your 54G? Are you having your G only devices connect to it? If that's the case, then you'd probably want to use different SSIDs.

I don't know why things are going south for you. If you have a standard router setup on your 655 (including wifi enabled), with a DHCP range from about 50 to 100 (or whatever), and you have DHCP disabled on the 54G with a static IP set outside of the DHCP range, and the 54G is connect to the 655 via ethernet cable (on the LAN ports), things should be fine.

It might be worth doing a factory reset on the 655, after writing down your custom settings so you can set them again after the reset. To be honest, the 655 got to be a real pain in the butt for me, which is why it's just an access point now instead of my main router.