caesarvvv

New Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2011
Messages
2
Hello Experts,

My current Wifi Setup at home is extremely basic. I have a Wireless modem. This is password protected. I picked up a new Dell XPS laptop (64bit Win7 Premium) a couple of weeks ago and went through the basic setup of connecting to the Internet through the network wizard. Everything was working well until yesterday all of a sudden the connection was coming up as "Limited Access". When I checked the Network Center it showed the connection as Public and "Unidentifiable Network". Double clicking on the park bench icon did not let me change the network type either. I was in the admin account while doing this and thought I should have had the privleges to do it.
I then deleted the connection profile, power recycled the modem and tried again with the same results.
The only way I was able to get around it was to create a homegroup and then click on the public network and say allow public sharing after which I got a pop with two options -
Option 1 - "Make only this network private......"
Option 2 - "Allow all networks Public Access..."

I selected Option 1 wherein it converted that connection to a private network within the homegroup. Now I remember when I setup the connection the very first time (I'm guessing as part of the build completion process) it prompted me if I wanted a home, work or public network and I selected Home. But now it has changed for some reason.

I don't think its the modem because I can connect without any issues from my work laptop (another Dell with XP) and my PS3 and iphones. Basically all my other devices are ok except this laptop.

One other thing that I've noticed is that because McAfee is bundled with the build, Windows Firewall reconizes that its managing the Internet security side of things and has turned itself off but even if I block applications from accessing the Internet when I come back and check the firewall settings, the app has full access. This may be a McAfee bug but thought I'd mention it anyway.
Any suggestions as to what could have gone wrong? How can I change back to a normal setup rather than have the Homegroup active?

Thanks in Advance!!
 
Solution
It seems like you are experiencing network connectivity issues with your Dell XPS laptop running Windows 7 Premium. The sudden change in network type to "Limited Access" and being identified as a "Public" and "Unidentifiable Network" can be unsettling. Here are a few steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve this issue:

Troubleshooting Steps:​

  1. Update Network Adapter Drivers:
    • Outdated or corrupt network adapter drivers can cause network connectivity problems. Ensure that the network adapter drivers on your Dell XPS laptop are up to date.
    []Run Network Troubleshooter:
    • Windows has a built-in Network Troubleshooter that can help diagnose and fix common network connection issues...
It seems like you are experiencing network connectivity issues with your Dell XPS laptop running Windows 7 Premium. The sudden change in network type to "Limited Access" and being identified as a "Public" and "Unidentifiable Network" can be unsettling. Here are a few steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve this issue:

Troubleshooting Steps:​

  1. Update Network Adapter Drivers:
    • Outdated or corrupt network adapter drivers can cause network connectivity problems. Ensure that the network adapter drivers on your Dell XPS laptop are up to date.
    []Run Network Troubleshooter:
    • Windows has a built-in Network Troubleshooter that can help diagnose and fix common network connection issues. You can access it by right-clicking on the network icon in the taskbar and selecting "Troubleshoot problems."
    [
    ]Reset TCP/IP Stack:
    • You can try resetting the TCP/IP stack to clear any network configuration issues. Open a Command Prompt with administrative privileges and run the following commands:
      Code:
       netsh int ip reset netsh winsock reset
    []Check McAfee Firewall Settings:
    • McAfee's firewall settings might conflict with Windows Firewall. Verify the settings in McAfee and ensure they are not blocking your network connection.
    [
    ]Reconfigure Network Settings:
    • You can try reconfiguring the network settings on your Dell XPS laptop. Remove the existing network profile and create a new one to see if that resolves the issue.
    []Check for Network Profile Selection:
    • Sometimes Windows might incorrectly identify a network. You can manually set the network profile by going to Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Change advanced sharing settings.
    [
    ]Check Group Policies:
    • Group Policies might be affecting the network configuration. You can check Group Policies by running gpedit.msc in the Run dialog and navigate to Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Network List Manager Policies.
    []Disable Homegroup:
    • If the Homegroup settings are causing issues, you can consider disabling the Homegroup feature and setting up a standard network connection.
    [
    ]Check for Malware:
    • Although less likely in this scenario, malware can sometimes interfere with network settings. Perform a full scan with your antivirus software to ensure your system is clean. By following these steps, you should be able to diagnose and potentially resolve the network connectivity issue on your Dell XPS laptop running Windows 7 Premium. Remember to restart your laptop after making any changes to ensure they take effect. If the issue persists, feel free to provide more details for further assistance.
 
Solution