Network & Sharing says no network, but I am connected.

[runningbot]

In my Vista 64 Home Premium (fully updated) under Network and Sharing Center (NSC) it shows my computer and the red "X" between it and the Internet. However I am able to connect to the internet as evident of this post.

I'm trying to get this machine to see my home network. Network discovery is ON, File sharing is ON, Public folder sharing is ON. Windows is unable to "diagnose and repair" the problem reporting that "Windows did not find any problems with your Internet connection." So what is the deal?

I've searched around (google) and found several other mentions of this problem with no solutions. I believe it may have come about after SP1 but I can't verify that. Anybody have a clue as to how to resolve this issue?

 

[aford10]

Are you using a wireless router? If yes, you may be using it's wireless config program, instead of the WLAN Autoconfig.

 

[runningbot]

I'm wired in.

 

[aford10]

Open up the network sharing center. On the left, click on manage network connections. You should see all the LAN, dial-up, VPN..etc connections installed.

Which connection is marked as connected? If it's not the one that's listed in the network sharing center, you can disconnect, and connect a different one. This often happens if there are multiple LAN connections installed.

 

[runningbot]

There is no network listed in the network sharing center. There is:

(this computer)==X== Internet

Not connected
You are currently not connected to any networks.

But I can access the internet without any problems, I can see my router on my network when I go to Start Menu >> Network. But I can't connect or too or see any of the other machines on the home network. (they see each other though and the printer).

 

[aford10]

Look at the first 2 pics in this link. Notice, in the first pic, on the left, there is a 'tasks' menu. There should be a 'manage network connections' link. That should bring the 2nd picture, where you can see all other network connections.
http://www.woodwardweb.com/vista/windows_vista_t_2.html

 

[runningbot]

I know where the manage network connections link is. I did as you instructed in your second post.

I have one network connection called "Local Area Connection", it is enabled.

You then said "If it's not the one that's listed in the network sharing center..." but as I said I don't have any connections listed in the NSC. On my other vista machine I have:
Network (Private Network)
Access - Local and Internet
Connection - Local Area Connection.

So my problem is that in NSC it can't see any networks at all. Regardless of what I'm actually connected to, in this case "Local Area Connection" as seen under "Manage network connections".

Sorry if I haven't been clear.

 

[aford10]

Open up the control panel-->programs-->is there any other network management software installed?

 

[runningbot]

Other than Realtek Ethernet Driver (but I'm pretty sure that's just the motherboard diver.) nothing.

 

[aford10]

In NSC, right click and check the properties of the network. Is it public or private?

In this article, it mentions that if it's not setup as a private network, it'll hide the other connections for security reasons.
http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/biztools/article.php/3667576/Microsoft-Vista-Home-Networking-Setup-and-Options.htm

 

[runningbot]

I looked through the article you linked. However I think, again, I've failed to make my problem clear. Nothing in (Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center [NSC]) is right click-able. In the article they refer to right clicking on the on network connection its self under (Control Panel > Network Connections). This would allow me to trouble shoot issues locally (on this machine) if my network adapter wasn't connecting properly to the router and/or the internet.

This however is not my problem. I can connect to the internet correctly. My router uses DHCP and correctly assigns my computer with an IP address (I can even ping it from other computers on the network). Rather the problem is somewhere in vista and it's "workgroup/lan" configuration. Vista simply refuses to believe that this computer is connected to anything. Vista sees this computer as completely stand alone, no connections what-so-ever, as if I had unplugged the Cat5 cable.

 

[aford10]

I understand what you're saying. And I believe it is addressing the issue.

If your network is a public network, it hides the other connections in the workgroup. If you want your computer to be able to see them, it needs to have the exact same workgroup name, and be private.

I'm not a network guru, but I do believe that's what you're describing, and what it's saying.

 

[runningbot]

Best answer selected by runningbot.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey