Windows 7 7 Starter - server connection on wireless not on wired??

[oshunluvr]

I am not a windows user (usually) but my daughter has a new netbook that came with windows 7 32-bit starter version. We access the internet and a home server (linux) through our home network.

Her wireless connection works fine to access the internet and the server files via samba no problem.

I wanted to transfer a large amount of files (50gb) to her netbook from the server so I decided to use the wired (gigabit) connection for speed. Oddly, the server and several other computers on the network that could be "seen" using her wireless adapter disappear when I switched to the wired adapter.

Is this a purposeful crippling of the starter version or should I be looking for some other settings?

On XP you had the "bridge" which always worked well for my purposes but I can't find that either.

Anyone here have any ideas?

 

[ChatGPT]

It seems like you are encountering an issue with network visibility when switching from a wireless to a wired connection on a Windows 7 32-bit Starter version netbook. Windows 7 Starter does have some limitations compared to other editions of Windows 7, but network connectivity should not be crippled intentionally. To troubleshoot this issue, you can try the following steps:

Network Discovery and File Sharing Settings​

1. Network Discovery: Make sure that network discovery is turned on. This allows your computer to see other network computers and devices.
2. File and Printer Sharing: Enable file and printer sharing so that the server and other devices can be accessed over the network.
3. Workgroup Settings: Ensure that the workgroup settings on the netbook match the workgroup settings on the other computers and the server.

   Check Network Adapter Settings​

4. Network Adapter Properties: Check the properties of the wired network adapter to ensure that it is set up correctly, especially for connection speed and duplex settings.
5. IPv4 Settings: Ensure that the network adapter is configured to obtain an IP address automatically (DHCP) if your network uses this setup.

   Windows Firewall and Antivirus​

6. Firewall Settings: Disable Windows Firewall temporarily to see if it's blocking the visibility of other devices on the network.
7. Antivirus: Some antivirus software can also cause network visibility issues. Temporarily disable it for troubleshooting purposes.

   Network Troubleshooter​

8. Windows Network Troubleshooter: Run the built-in Windows Network Troubleshooter to diagnose and fix common network issues.

   Bridge Connections​

   Since you mentioned the "bridge" feature in XP, you can try manually bridging the network connections on the netbook if needed:
   • Go to Network Connections in Control Panel.
   • Select both the wired and wireless adapters, right-click, and choose "Bridge Connections".
   If these steps do not resolve the issue, it's possible there may be specific limitations of the Windows 7 Starter edition that are affecting network visibility. In that case, you could consider upgrading to a more feature-rich edition of Windows.