I setup my win 7 machine and during the network setup I accidently added a character on the end of the name of my network. It now will only show the network by this name so I am unable to see or access my home server or the other 4 Vista machines. I can access the internet but not the other resources on the network. I have went into properties and changed workgroup name, deleted connections and the wireless connection is called the same as my network name but it still shows the network as the wrong name. In vista you could merge networks to get rid of this problem but not here that I can find. Help please.........
Windows 7 Can't change network name
- Thread starter maddjaxx
- Start date
SKJoy2001
New Member
Hi, forgive for my ignorance, but I didn't know WinXP has this NETWORK LOCATION TYPE thing and personally I believe managing networks with WinXP is seriously more comfortable than of this Win7
I have a win 7 machine and an XP laptop and they network just fine. They did not in 7058 but in 7077 this is fixed.
You cannot use the home group for a network unless all machines are on win 7. I am not sure about the name as I never had to enter a network name on my machine. But that is Ethernet and not wireless..
You cannot use the home group for a network unless all machines are on win 7. I am not sure about the name as I never had to enter a network name on my machine. But that is Ethernet and not wireless..
SKJoy2001
New Member
Dear, lets just say I have no other network, just one WiFi card connected to a simple NetGear access point I set up at my home. I want to use a static IP for the WiFi connection. The interface connects fine to the access point and networking is working just fine. The trouble is that the Win7 system can't recognize the network and names it UNDEFINED NETWORK and makes the location type to PUBLIC which I can't change from the Network and Sharing Center, the work PUBLIC is not clickable there!
rickwookie
New Member
Hi there.
I don't know if this is only fixed for some build newer than 7000 (I only found this by accident after installing 7100 today) but I had another go to see if I could change the network name since I didn't manage before (with 7000) and I found that clicking on the network icon in 'Network and Sharing Center', NOT the name of the network or the link to the type of network, e.g. 'Home Network', but the actual image (in my case a picture of a house) brings up the hidden 'Set Network Properties'!
Here you can change the 'Network name', 'Network Icon' and also 'Merge or delete network locations'.
How hidden is that!
You may worship me, unless of course this is now common knowledge, but I cetainly couldn't find out how to do this when I looked using Google when I first tried the beta (build 7000).
I don't know if this is only fixed for some build newer than 7000 (I only found this by accident after installing 7100 today) but I had another go to see if I could change the network name since I didn't manage before (with 7000) and I found that clicking on the network icon in 'Network and Sharing Center', NOT the name of the network or the link to the type of network, e.g. 'Home Network', but the actual image (in my case a picture of a house) brings up the hidden 'Set Network Properties'!
Here you can change the 'Network name', 'Network Icon' and also 'Merge or delete network locations'.
How hidden is that!
You may worship me, unless of course this is now common knowledge, but I cetainly couldn't find out how to do this when I looked using Google when I first tried the beta (build 7000).
We salute you regardless
but you may also read carefully (not just a quick scan as you can miss it)the entire "companian post" to this thread in this Forum http://windows7forums.com/windows-7-networking/4416-how-change-network-type.htmlBut your posting this way highlights that option for all to see a lot more clearly .
rickwookie
New Member
How to change network type. Is that what the OP was asking then? I suppose re-reading it, that probably was the case. I just found this thread because I googled for '"windows 7" change network name' (since that was my original problem) and this thread was the first hit.
I thought I'd found just another user with the same problem, so once I figured it out for myself, I thought it only polite to post back to this same thread. At least now anyone else doing a similar search hopefully will find a useful solution and not just another problem that sounds similar to theirs (from the title) but is actually different. ;-)
Had same problem, and it turned out you can click on those network connection icons, and then a window will pop up to allow name changes. 
SKJoy2001
New Member
Sorry, that was not the case here.Had same problem, and it turned out you can click on those network connection icons, and then a window will pop up to allow name changes.
rickwookie
New Member
Hi, changing network name is easy:
in Network and Sharing Center there is a link 'Change adapter settings'
it is locatedat left upper side of window.
From there its possible to change network name
You can change the adapter name there (or connection name as it seems to be also called) but not the network name. Unless I'm mistaken, in which case could you provide step by step instructions?
SKJoy2001
New Member
WRONGHi, changing network name is easy:
in Network and Sharing Center there is a link 'Change adapter settings'
it is locatedat left upper side of window.
From there its possible to change network name
Windows 7 will NEVER let you change the network name for the network that it can't detect the network type which it labels by UNDEFINED NETWORK.
Roomraider
Senior Member
See post #7 to answer your question. The Icon that he mentions is under "View your active networks" in the Network & Sharing Center.
I think I am misunderstanding this thread? Isn't this the same as changing the domain or workgroup?
If it is, (forgive me and ignore if on the wrong thread) then this is , of course done through the Control Panel - System - Advanced System settings - Computer name tab. The network name is then changed with the bottom item.
If it is, (forgive me and ignore if on the wrong thread) then this is , of course done through the Control Panel - System - Advanced System settings - Computer name tab. The network name is then changed with the bottom item.
SKJoy2001
New Member
This has nothing to do with WORKGROUP or DOMAIN NAME.
Roomraider
Senior Member
Wrong Thread, Changing the "Network" name is totaly different than the Workgroup/Domain/Computer name. Network name is the device that connects all your computers together.
I've had a home network going for years. I've used XP Home, XP Pro x64 Edition, Vista, Ubuntu Linux and now Windows 7. There was a lot to learn and a lot of different things to deal with. But I've never had to deal with "Network Name". The only names I ever had to deal with was the "Computer Name" and the "Workgroup name". I think you're messing with something you need to leave alone.
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