Windows 7 Fix for "Unidentified Network" / No Internet Access

[rickyQ]

It seems from Cisco router questions, such as Article No. 16786 on Search that the tech term is "cascading" routers is appropriate for my connecting the two routers and that my connection is LAN to WAN, where as far as I can see the only setup requirement is that the routers' IP addresses be in different ranges to avoid a conflict. So, 192.168.1.254 and 10.0.0.1 would work, as indeed it does. I found this because I was looking up details re the Cisco router of a friend I am visiting tomorrow; I have not found any similar "cascading" info yet from Thomson or Netgear, but imagine this info is not router brand specific. So, another reason for not amending the connection (yet). Saltgrass - this is per your set up trial, but I cannot see where your attached pictures sit in this thread, now that several days have passed they seem to be absent as I review, but I would like to look at them again.

Running out of ideas, to resolve this. When I get back will try simply disconnecting the 120120 network i.e. switching off the 2nd router.

 

[Saltgrass]

I believe we still feel the problem lies with your computer. Something on it is causing the problem. My suggesting plugging it into the other router would have confirmed the assumption. Having a problem with your internal network might mess up your ability to connect, but you say a hardwired laptop connects fine to the ADSL gateway and gets a Default Gateway address.

I did set up a network like yours and it did work, so that was not a question either.

I am not sure which pictures you are referring to.

I suppose the bottom line is, you have a computer with both a hardwired and wireless connection available. But you are unable to obtain, or assign, a Default gateway on either adapter with either router.....but other computers work fine. Are you taking your computer to your friends house, you could test it there?

 

[rickyQ]

Thanks. It looks like I didn't mention clearly that I did indeed try your suggestion of plugging in another router instead of the one on which it does not see a default gateway. I have become reluctant to break a perfectly working (i.e internet and all respective devices / computers seen) pair of cascaded networks, so when I found an old router I used that one. The "problem" computer assigned itself (or rather, the router I suppose assigned) an IP address to suit the router. But the tower still had no default gateway, so, if I had looked up my internet credentials it still would not have connected to the internet. I am unable to collect the problem PC before I reach my friend and I will next see the PC at the weekend. If I have misunderstood what you suggested I try, please let me know and I will have another go.

 

[Saltgrass]

I think we all agree, all the tests have pointed to that one computer...

I wish I knew what might be causing it, but I do not...still think something is running on it, that has set it so as to not be able to obtain a default gateway. I have no other logical explanation...

 

[rickyQ]

This registry key may be of interest: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Tcpip so it's in the attached zip, but labelled with a .txt extension - there are 2 copies, one gathered in NM i.e. Normal Mode and the other obtained in SMN i.e. Safe Mode with Networking. I imagine they are identical.

I have also attached routing tables for the two boot modes as a long shot, but it is because I have now heard of them, I do not know what they represent.

Finally there is a Safe and a Normal autoruns report.

Two things I can remember happening at approx the same time as this machine lost its internet for the 2nd time, which I have not believed to be related and so had not mentioned, but I could be wrong, so here goes:

I'd found an obscure site to export my Nokia phone contacts using Nokia PC Suite - one had to change the default PC Suite server addresses to those of the developer. Then his app would allow me to import them into my new iPhone. Having amassed hundreds (approx 450 addresses over the years and until then keeping them all within Nokia program), this transfer to iPhone was going to be much appreciated). However, only about half transferred. I reset the Nokia PC Suite server settings to standard, then I reset the program by re-installing it and finally, with the iPhone in use I uninstalled PC Suite.

Also round about the failure I noticed a pre-GUI flash of an onscreen message too quick to read. I don't remember it from older times, but it always happens now. I have tried but failed to Pause the boot at the correct time. I have now got the idea of videoing the boot of the computer using the iPhone and trying to extract or see the correct frame, so I will return with that as poss.

Hope this isn't too much!

 

[Saltgrass]

I have gone through the Registry entries and compared them with two of my machines. I will just highlight some differences I
noticed. I have tried to track down if these entries might be causing a problem, but cannot tell with any certainty.

If the netsh command has not been used to reset the TCP/IP maybe that would be an option. You may want to export the keys below before doing so, in case you need to restore them.

SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\DHCP\Parameters\

Anyway, these are the only things I noticed that were different from my machines.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Tcpip\Parameters]

"IPAutoconfigurationSubnet"="0.0.0.0"
"IPAutoconfigurationMask"="0.0.0.0"
"EnablePMTUBHDetect"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{044D28DB-2701-4C1A-9BFA-6A49B580EB99}]

"DhcpServer"="255.255.255.255"

"DhcpInterfaceOptions" are different in Normal and Safe mode.

Notes:
EnablePMTUBHDetect entry seems to be related to "black hole routers".

IPAutoconfigurationSubnet - Determines the subnet address that the IP autoconfiguration feature uses to assign an IP address to
an interface.

IPAutoconfigurationMask - Stores the subnet mask assigned to the client by the IP autoconfiguration feature

Eagerly awaiting the picture you promised....

 

[rickyQ]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have not managed to pause the machine boot with the very brief message in order to be able to read it, so I have taken a video of the boot. I have been able to freeze on the frame in question. I do not know how to extract one frame and the whole video seems v big to send, 17Mb, for just one frame, so here is what the message onscreen says:

Intel Management Engine BIOS Extension V.3.0.3.004 (c) 2003 - 2007
Press Ctrl P to Enter Intel ME Setup

This "tool" which is also known as the Intel PXE Pre-boot Execution Environment I have found documented at Link Removed due to 404 Error
and in these instructions there is massive amounts (well, far too complex for me) of DHCP and TCP / IP settings. So, we may have found the cause of having no internet.

I would say on reflection that I cannot be sure that the Ctrl P (as now known) pre-boot msg was maybe not always there, I became much more on the lookout when the system failed to connect. What I can say is that until now, I never identified it by using video frames or went into the "tool".

A series of screenshots shows me entering the utility today, but, apart from creating a password in order to do so, making no changes as the only area I could see is what modes ME power is on, and I do not understand nor wish to meddle blindly. I do not see any of the network settings referred to in the pdf, but the section on password was required in order to enter the tool.

When the PC, obtained from a reputable supplier who is my main IT provider, arrived new about 2 + years ago, I had serious doubts as it booted oddly and needed to be reset from some unusual configuration. I spoke w ith the supplier, who had no info and then with the manufacturer as the online warranty lookup appeared to relate to it being in use for a while somewhere overseas. However, the manufacturer, IBM Lenovo, said I would receive the full warranty armed with my proof of purchase as their records seemed wrong and the machine was behaving normally for me and looked new in proper manufacturer's carton and packing. Perhaps regrettably in my keenness to get going I continued with the machine and it was approaching one year, before this problem of no internet happened for the first time, disappearing "spontaneously" despite my then best efforts, a few weeks later. It was a further 6 months I think before it returned and fixing it is the current nightmare.

I am wondering about the scope of the Intel Extension. Does someone have remote access to switch on and off my internet? What is the point of this tool? How do I switch it off, but WITH the internet accessible and without any remote access to my machine settings, if indeed it is the culprit?

This story develops...!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Saltgrass]

Have you disabled the ME in the bios?

Since I have never used that system, I don't know much about it. Probably some company bought the system and then sold if for some reason. If the password was still the original, maybe they never set it up, but it could have been pre-installed from the manufacturer.

I think the network stuff they set up is for an outside access to the system. It is supposed to be used in an Enterprise environment so remote IT folks can have access, even when it is asleep, or maybe even off. I have no idea if there is something they can do to restrict your internet connection process.

I don't think it is part of the PXE setup (but might be involved), since I have that. It is supposed to allow the system to boot from a network connection. That option is, on my system, just below the Enable LAN in the bios.

Edit: There may even be some type of restrictions set up in the Group Policy. If this was an Enterprise machine, there may be some things buried you are not aware of. Maybe a startup script or something else. Type gpedit.msc to see if you can find anything. Again, Trouble knows more about this type of stuff than I.

 

[rickyQ]

I did look, twice, in the BIOS for anything related. I saw nothing but will look again for "ME". The tool refers to it being a pre-boot BIOS extension, so is the extension in the BIOS or outside (somewhere), I wonder. This machine was bought and paid for as being high spec and new, so in my rush to use it I should instead probably have sent it back, two years ago, but I needed it running and achieved that after doing probably a factory restore from some strange but unremembered state it arrived in. Yesterday, after Ctrl P I had to set up the password for first time use, in effect, after entering into the Ctrl P environment, which slightly reassures.I am now comparing the Local Group Policies of this machine with the laptop sitting next to it (both with the same network connections i.e. router and SSID's) and will post any differences seen.

 

[rickyQ]

After backing up I have been through the registry entries as identified, in particular removing the ones not found in the referred to system and indeed they are not on my neighbouring laptop either.

These are:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Tcpip\Parameters]

"IPAutoconfigurationSubnet"="0.0.0.0"
"IPAutoconfigurationMask"="0.0.0.0"
"EnablePMTUBHDetect"=dword:00000001

However the {044D28............} key is not present in that location in the neighbouring laptop whilst the DHCPServer entry is present in some other (...} keys, so I have left it.

This had been referred to:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{044D28DB-2701-4C1A-9BFA-6A49B580EB99}]

and "DhcpServer"="255.255.255.255"

I cannot tell that the "DhcpInterfaceOptions" are different in Normal and Safe mode, so have left them.

Before all this I did export the two registry keys and also ran netsh in both safe and normal modes, with no visible result.

In normal mode the machine has started telling me this week that it cannot check to be genuine as there is no internet and thinks it's fake and so will switch off its MSE security program within 30 days. At the mo since doing those amendments the warning has not appeared and it does not appear in safe mode either. The Windows is, of course, genuine. T

The internet in normal mode is not connecting.

I am out of ideas and possibly thankfully will shortly be on holiday, returning to have another go at this cussed machine. Will watch out for any posts whilst away, thanks for everything so far.

 

[khan2k3]

Solved ..................................

The problem was resolved by going into the wired adapter (Local Area Connection networking controller) in windows device manager selecting the device right clicking Properties, choosing advanced --> property --> network address --> value and entering any mac-address (OR the existing by checking ipconfig/all from command prompt CMD) then ok button. after that internet access was restored.

I don't know what caused this issue. with the machine in question i did a factory restore to fix another issue which the restore resolved and while trying to update windows discovered this issue. I don't really like this fix because it may trip things up later if by chance another device has the same mac-address as the one i madeup.

anyway, thanks for your help -techguyisme


oops, i forgot to say what the problem was! the mac-address of the wired nic adapter was all zeros 00:00:00:00...(see the ipconfig /all output in the original post); so i changed it to something other than all zeros

 

[rickyQ]

I tried to find a place in the NIC advanced settings for a MAC address but it wasn't present.
The only entry I can change is for "Locally Administered Address" and when I enter a random value I do get connectivity for about 40 seconds. Indeed any change to the network card, such as disabling and then re-enabling it, has this short-term effect. But then the network returns to being an undentified public network at the end of which, on the connection diagram in Network and Sharing, is the internet (not NO internet).

Two other things happened during the brief period of connection:

A new network - Network 2 - was foind and I was asked to identify its type, which I chose as "Home", however the process moved along slowly and at the end the new network was not visible, nor was the internet more importantly.

And I was (incorrectly) told that my computer had Counterfeit Windows - it is the same Windows, as on the machine from new, from a major brand. I tried to resolve online, but the internet was goneso I could not do so.

 

[khan2k3]

Right Click My computer, Select Manage, Select Device manager, Select Network Adapters, Select Your Network Card ( I have realtek RTL Family PCI-I fast ethernet NIC) Right click Properties, Select Advanced tab, In property Select Network Address and type the mac address in Value [00000000000000E0]

I tried to find a place in the NIC advanced settings for a MAC address but it wasn't present.
The only entry I can change is for "Locally Administered Address" and when I enter a random value I do get connectivity for about 40 seconds. Indeed any change to the network card, such as disabling and then re-enabling it, has this short-term effect. But then the network returns to being an undentified public network at the end of which, on the connection diagram in Network and Sharing, is the internet (not NO internet).

Two other things happened during the brief period of connection:

A new network - Network 2 - was foind and I was asked to identify its type, which I chose as "Home", however the process moved along slowly and at the end the new network was not visible, nor was the internet more importantly.

And I was (incorrectly) told that my computer had Counterfeit Windows - it is the same Windows, as on the machine from new, from a major brand. I tried to resolve online, but the internet was goneso I could not do so.

 

[rickyQ]

Yes, my NIC is an Intel 82566DM-2, but in the Advanced Property entries there is no Network Address setting and no MAC Address setting either. In the Locally Administered Address there is the ability to enter any 12 digits, so I have tried a foreshortened IP address and MAC sample address, resulting in 20 - 30 seconds of connectivity.

Previously I also tried other NIC's including a USB-NICand I have also replaced my broadband router.

I have just removed in driver a piece of hardware I do not recognise Trusted Platform Module 1.2, but no change to Internet connectivity.

It is curious that the PC sees the Internet at the end of the Network and Sharing short form of the diagram, without any 'X' to it, but as the Network is Unidentified and Public, not as it should be a named Home network. This is different from a diagram showing no Internet.

From the afflicted PC I have just noticed I can browse my Network shares (Sharing is to one named user - rickyQ - on the computers. And I have just switched on sharing of the problem PC user files, with instant success.

But no internet.

 

[rickyQ]

Very Long Term "Unidentified Network" / No Internet Access is now Complicated in Troubleshooting by Part-Time Fake Windows

The Unidentified public Network with no internet instead of the named Home Network with Internet access has been a feature of this 3 yr old tower PC for probably the last year or more and has been the subject of exhaustive trouble-shooting. All I want is the internet back, but instead I was forced after many weeks to stop trying to rely on the machine.

It did occur to me as I reported that a relatively new feature of the situation is the machine's failure to pass Windows validation, I should investigate this. It happens when the machine has seen the internet, albeit that is only ever for about 20 secs or so. A message crops up re "counterfeit Windows" being present. This disappears spontaneously as soon as he Internet is lost.

Now, I recall, as anyone looking all the way through the history - the long long history - of assisted troubleshooting will see, that the Internet is available in Safe Mode (steps to isiolate start up items not present in Safe Mode did not resolve the situation as a clean boot did not allow the internet and so one probably needs to find what DOES start in SM but not in a clean boot and also not in SM).

Searching for WGA online I saw a Microsoft tool named MGA which when run lists a lot of details about WGA validation of any specific machine. I have, installed and run this tool, obviously in SM, and it reported that the Windows is Genuine. It may be useful to run this tool in normal mode during the few secs of connectivity and then again a few secs later. But before doing all this I wonder if anyone recognises the scenario and can offer any steering..... Thanks. Rick.

 

[Hawkera]

Absolutely brilliant (Halcion1, top of thread)! Been trying for months to find a solution to this huge annoyance. You wouldn't believe the 100's of rubbish suggestions out there claiming to fix it. Some work, but have to be carried out every time you power on, some don't. This is the only permanent solution I've come across. Huge thanks. P.S., For info, on my machine the problem first appeared when I started connecting via PowerLink plugs, instead of wirelessly.

 

[rickyQ]

Hi Hawkera / Forum

I don't know from your post what it is that you've just done to get your Unidentified Network / No Internet Access working again, but I have been stuck on this for about 18 months and invested in a new laptop as my way out, whilst my lovely Win 7 tower with oomphs of go remains offline. It intrigued me to read that your problem started when you used HomePlugs as I too employ these. My problem tower actually connects straight wired ti the modem-router, but off of the router run various other internet devices and PC's and laptops, about half of them via a number of HomePlugs (actually the brand is Comtrend, but it's the same operation).None of the other devices suffers Unidentified Network, no matter wired, wi-fi or HomePlugged, including wi-fi off a HomePlugged extending router. And the problem PC doesn't connect whether its internal NIC or external USB NIC's are used, except always for a few seconds.

So, is there a new answer, can you point me to the actual post, please?

 

[Hawkera]

Hi rickyQ,

Sorry. Totally new to forums and probably didn't use the right etiquette. I only registered so that I could thank Halcion1 for solving a problem that I've had for so long.

The solution (to my particular problem, at least) is right at the start of this thread, and is not at all what I would have expected it to be. In a nutshell...

Check to see if you have this little devil in your services list:

"##Id_String2.6844F930_1628_4223_B5CC_5BB94B87 9762 ##"

If you do, stop it and disable it. It is actually the Bonjour DNS Responder Service, and I believe it is the cause of the "Unidentified Network."

The Unidentified Network disappeared after stopping this service and a quick disable/enable of the NIC, restoring Internet access.

I don't have any technical knowledge, so don't know whether it would solve your problem, but it worked a treat for me. By the way, I don't know how you'd normally find your services list, but at some point I installed a little programme called 'God Mode' which is a sort of extended Control Panel, so I used this to search for 'services', and then listed them. The one shown above was at the top of the list.

Regards,

Hawkera

 

[rickyQ]

Hi Hawkera

I'm unclear about Forum etiquette too, we should possibly be having a private message chat but what we write may help others so I'm not worried and I expect that Halcion1 is very pleased to learn he is still helping people with his solution.

I did look for Bonjour at the beginning of my troubles and it is absent on the problem machine, whilst my local services viewer in control panel and anywhere else I can think of has no entries starting "##Id_...." or anything else remotely similar. Actually, on the replacement laptop, Bonjour service is running and there are no internet issues, so it all seems very involved.

Anyway, I am glad for you it is fixed and thank you for showing me "God Mode" too.

One last thought, I will shortly have a Windows 8 Licence number and I was wondering whether using it on the "problem" PC might be a smart move, overcoming its problems via the upgrade, or a silly one, wasting the P & P cost to obtain it and losing it for anywhere else, if anyone would care to comment?

rickyQ

 

[halcion1]

Hi Hawkera

I'm unclear about Forum etiquette too, we should possibly be having a private message chat but what we write may help others so I'm not worried and I expect that Halcion1 is very pleased to learn he is still helping people with his solution.

I did look for Bonjour at the beginning of my troubles and it is absent on the problem machine, whilst my local services viewer in control panel and anywhere else I can think of has no entries starting "##Id_...." or anything else remotely similar. Actually, on the replacement laptop, Bonjour service is running and there are no internet issues, so it all seems very involved.

Anyway, I am glad for you it is fixed and thank you for showing me "God Mode" too.

One last thought, I will shortly have a Windows 8 Licence number and I was wondering whether using it on the "problem" PC might be a smart move, overcoming its problems via the upgrade, or a silly one, wasting the P & P cost to obtain it and losing it for anywhere else, if anyone would care to comment?

rickyQ

Hi Rick -

Wow - I never thought that my simple fix for the RC version of Win 7 would get so much traction, but I'm really happy that it was able to help so many people! - I'm intrigued by your issue, as the solution that I posted was for very early adopters of Win 7...I've done countless installs of Win 7 since then with no issues...

you're still having connection issues on this box? If so, then I think you are past the point of driver updates and should try a new NIC. I'm happy to help if you need it - just post here and we can troubleshoot. Bonjour runs smoothly nowadays...no issues there - I have not tried checking services with the godmode utility mentioned earlier on my machine, but I've upgraded and reinstalled Win 7 at least 4 times since that original post. Something else is going on if you are having issues...