Why doesn't windows allow me to disconnect from a network?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

Every now and then I make a trip to a friend's house and stay for a week or
so. He lives with his brother and daughter, and all three have computer on a
home network. When I go up there I hook my computer into the network.

However, when I come home I am no longer on a network. Yet when I start up
or reboot my computer the system takes 5 or more minutes before it logs into
my DSL. And any program that access the web is unusable for that time period.

I am assuming that the reason it is taking so long is that my system is
attempting to look for my friend's network. Part of the reason I think this
is cause when I reconnect to his network there is no delay at all. Only when
I am at home is there any problem.

I have tried all that I can think of to fix this problem, but nothing has
worked so far. I am getting really frustrated with this. It's typical
Microsoft mentallity that thinks that everyone is connected to a network at
all times. And that no one would have a reason not to be connected to a
network. Thus no reason to have a simple "I am no longer on a network, please
don't look for one" option.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
1. When you come home from your friend's house and connect to your DSL
modem, you are connecting to a network - it's just a different one.

2. You are correct that the switch over process should not take this long.
However, delays can result because your computer is trying to renew an IP
address which did not come from your ISP, and your ISP is trying to assign
your old IP or some new IP. All of this involves DHCP broadcast
communication which is prone to failure resulting in rebroadcasts,
collisions, etc.

3. Three things you can try to speed up the process:

a. Before you disconnect from your friend's network, run this command:
ipconfig /release.

b. When you come home, disconnect the power source to your DSL modem, wait
several minutes, then reconnect it.

c. When you connect at home, if you don't get Internet connectivity, run
this command: ipconfig /renew.

Doug Sherman
MCSE, MCSA, MCP+I, MVP
 
So you are saying that I have to wait till the next time I visit my friend
before I can fix this problem? That's not practical. He is a 7 hour drive
from me. I visit maybe twice a year. You are talking about me waiting 5 to 6
months to fix this problem. That's just not right.

And the "DSL is a type of network" is not right either. I know DSL is a type
of network. It's just not the type of network I am talking about. Microsoft
thinks everyone should be hooked into a home or business network. They ignore
the fact that at least 50% of the people out here are in homes with only ONE
computer. And have no interest in being part of a home or business network.
THAT was my point. If your point was pertinant then I would ask then why
there is no option to disconnect from a home network like there is to
disconnect from DSL....

M problem is that windows is trying to connect me to a non-existant network.
How do I stop it from doing that? Without having to wait 6 months to hook it
up to the network it is not now connected to.
 
Let's start over.

The Internet uses a protocol called TCP/IP which requires that your computer
have a unique IP address. In your case, this address is assigned by a
service called DHCP which is provided by your ISP. Microsoft did not invent
these protocols or the rules about how they work.

By default Microsoft uses these same protocols on Windows networks such as
your friend's; and as a result, you get a new IP address when you connect to
his network. The same thing would or could happen if you connected your
machine to a different DSL modem instead of a LAN network. The delay you
are experiencing is a result of the additional communication required when a
computer seeks to renew an IP address which is no longer valid. Microsoft
did not invent this process either.

One thing you could do to avoid this delay, is configure an alternative
static IP address compatible with your friend's network. This is easy to
do. However, you will need to obtain information about your friend's
network addresses, subnet mask, default gateway and DNS server. If you want
help I would be happy to provide it. Otherwise, a 5 minute delay twice a
year doesn't exactly sound like a savage indictment - you've already spent
more time than that complaining about it.

Doug Sherman
MCSE, MCSA, MCP+I, MVP
 
Maybe I'm misunderstanding you - are you saying that it is not just the
first time you connect to the Internet after visiting your friend - ie.
EVERY time that you connect to the Internet there is a 5 minute delay?

If this is the case, then it is highly unlikely that this is the result of
network settings you picked up from your friend's network. There are
several possible causes/fixes. Please provide more information.

Doug Sherman
MCSE, MCSA, MCP+I, MVP
 
Yes, the delay happens at my home, every time my computer reboots I get the
delay. If I manually disconnect and then reconnect there is no delay. But
when I boot I have to wait several minutes before the system will connect to
the net.

Now, when I am at my friend's home there is no delay. However, he is always
connected to the net (on a dsl line). when I boot up there there is no delay,
I can access the internet right away.

I am sorry for coming across so pissy. I did not know that you were
misunderstanding my problem and was frustrated. Sorry.

My system is setup to receive the ip from the provider. I do not have a
specific address assigned. At least I do not think so. I have checked
properties on the dsl connection and the local area network (which windows
will not let me disable without killing my dsl connection (why this is so,
only microsoft knows).

And so you know, the reason I am so harsh on microsoft and networking is
cause of the .NET crap. Forcing me to install a service to me system that
then made me log into my own computer which I am the ONLY one who uses showed
me that microsoft is obsessed with the misconception that everyone runs a
home network. Thank god they fixed that, but this problem I am having now
where there is not simple way to disconnect from a network I am no longer
hooked up to is bringing the frustration back. Sorry if it spilled onto you.

And just for clarification, I am an avid gamer. Been so since the days of
DOS 2.11. I have to frequently reboot so as to have a clean system for better
performance. So it is several times a day that I get to encounter this
problem. Weeeee :)
 
OK, let's see if we can make a dent in this thing. First, although I think
it is unlikely that connecting to your friend's network is the cause of this
problem, we need to eliminate that possibility:

1. When you connect to your friend's network, are you required to

a. Join a domain or otherwise change the way you log onto your XP machine;
and/or

b. Install any software for the purpose of joining the network; and/or

c. Do you map drives to any of your friend's computers - if this is the
case, then eliminating those mapping may solve the problem you are currently
having; and/or

d. Change any settings on your machine - especially on your local area
connection or in Internet Explorer, and/or

e. Do you connect to your friend's network with the same adapter/port that
you use to connect to your DSL modem? If you use a different port/adapter
to connect to your friend's network, we should try disabling that
connection.

2. I suspect that the answers to the above is No, and if this is the case,
it is unlikely that your friend's network is the source of the problem.
Nevertheless, make sure that your machine is free of viruses and spyware.
If a second logon eliminates the delay in your Internet connection, then it
is unlikely that viruses etc. are the cause of your problem, but it is a
possibility and you may have been infected while on your friend's network.

3. Try this:

Click Start/Run gpedit.msc ENTER

Expand Computer Configuration, expand Administrative Templates, expand
System, and click on Logon.

In the right pane, double click on "Always wait for network connections
......... Check the box to enable this policy.

Close down Group Policy and reboot the computer. As a result of enabling
this policy it may take you a little longer to get to your Desktop on
startup, but it shouldn't be anything like 5 minutes.

Please advise. If none of the above helps or is otherwise applicable, we'll
try to determine whether you have a PPPoE connection and change some
settings accordingly.

Doug Sherman
MCSE, MCSA, MCP+I, MVP
 
1> a. The very first time I hooked this computer up to my friend's network I
had to setup a new internet connection. Instead of the MSHOME default I had
to make one with just HOME instead. I don't remember doing anything else. I
have tried to find the HOME network here, but can't find it anywhere. And
have even tried going through the create new network process again to no
avail.

b. No software was installed

c. When I am hooked to his network I can see his 3 computers through my
computer. However, his systems cannot see mine. We have not figured out why
(I just realized that I have file and folder sharing disabled on my system,
might be why). I do not see his drives listed when I am at home (part of the
reason I am thinking my system is trying to look for his network before doing
the DSL connection).

d. Besides setting up the new network connection (HOME), no changes.

e. I use the same adapter

2. My system runs an anti-virus (which has no problem loading at boot-up). I
also regularly update and maintain the system (I have to, I am a computer
gamer, as such I cannot afford ANYTHING to slow my system down.

3. There is no file "gpedit.msc" on my computer. I did a complete seach and
it is nowhere to be found. I am running Window XP Home edition Version 5.1
(Build 2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.050301-1519: Service Pack 2). Does that file come
with this configuration?

Thanks again for your help :)
 
My bad - XP Home won't have gpedit.msc.

But, I now think that the problem is resulting from the new Internet
connection created on your friend's network. The solution may be as simple
as recreating your original DSL connection, but:

1. When you initially set up your DSL connection, did you have to install
software and do you still have it?

2. When you connect to the Internet at home do you have to logon - ie.
user name and password - even if this is automated?

3. Click Start/Control Panel/Network Connections. Please describe the
listed connections - you should have one called Local Area Connection - what
else?

Doug Sherman
MCSE, MCSA, MCP+I, MVP
 
1. Besides the drivers for the network adapters, no, no software is installed
to specifically connect me to my ISP.

2. My system must login to the DSL service each time I connect with an user
name and password. I have this automated via windows (wish I could figure out
a way to turn off the stupid caption ballon informing me that I am "connected
to SBC", but the only way I have found to do so also turns off the internet
connection icon in the taskbar which I do like to have there since I can see
if the connection is sending and receiving). Anyways....

3. In my network connections I have 2 major catagories. First is Broadband
which has "SBC", which is my dsl connection (I've copied this to my startup).
The other catagory is "LAN or High-Speed Internet" which has Local Area
Connection 2 in it. If I remember right, this was added when I ran the .NET
update. I do nothing with this file. However, if I try to disable it my DSL
connection is shut off and I am unable to reconnect. Those are the only 2
items in that area.

Am really appreciating you keeping with this :)
 
Heya. Welp, while you was gone I went and tried a few things. One of the
things I found that I had not done was to go and delete my DSL connection,
then disable the network card in windows, then reboot and disable the network
in bios (my network is built into my bios). I then rebooted a couple of times
(the local area connection disappeared duriing this process), then connected
the card back up in bios, and then
enabled it in windows (which brought the local area connection back), and
then did a fresh setup on my DSL connection.

Now when I boot up, I still have to wait forever for the DSL connection I
moved into the startup folder to run, but I can manually click on the icon on
the desktop and it will connect right away.

I now have the stupid local area connection icon in my system tray
constantly "acquiring network address", which is annoying, but as it doesn't
seem to be hurting anything I am just going to leave it alone (which is
COMPLETELY against my nature, as I am type that if something is wrong with my
computer I HAVE to try and find out what is wrong and fix it). I now see it
as a flashing poster for Microsoft "I am stupid, I can't work right, I am
stupid".

BTW, why could I never just delete my local area connection and just start
over fresh? Was this just too simple a solution for MS to use? No, don't
bother answering that. I don't want to know.

I do want to thank you for all your help. It's much appreciated even though
we didn't do much. At least now I don't have to sit around waiting to connect
up.

PS. Microsoft has an amazing mentality on forcing people to do things the
hardest way possible. It's like this stupid Display Name below. EVERY single
time I post here I have to type in a display name. Why? When I type in
GSchaller it says I am using a different one then then the one I am
registered under. If it knows that then WTF don't it use that one instead of
forcing me to type in another one? I don't remember what my origional one is,
but at the very least they could put it in the field and if I want to use
another one then I could THEN type it in. Not force me to type in a new one
every single time. Typical MS I guess.
 
Whenever you have a network adapter installed (or an ethernet device built
into the motherboard) and you have drivers etc. installed for it, Windows
will create a Local Area Connection for it. The only way to delete a Local
Area Connection is to uninstall the adapter or if it is built-in, disable it
in BIOS.

I don't think this had anything to do with the problem. What happened was
that at your friend's house you connected to the Internet with a standard
LAN connection. Your home connection is PPPoE - not all DSL connections use
this - and the two connection types are not totally compatible. Probably
you will have to re-create your DSL connection every time you first switch
from a LAN connection, but you shouldn't have to do anything else - this is
basically what I suggested in my last post.

Having to double click on a PPPoE connection in order to initiate an
Internet connection is fairly common. You 'may' be able to automate this by
putting a shortcut in your startup folder, which I take it is what you did
before. This time try putting it in the All Users startup folder - see:

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_p.htm#xp_pppoe

Also, if you installed a router which supports PPPoE, this would give you an
always on connection - ie the router would maintain the PPPoE connection,
and you would be connecting through a LAN even though there was only one
computer on it.

Doug Sherman
MCSE, MCSA, MCP+I, MVP
 
I can see by your replies that you are not reading all that I am writing. I
am sorry for drolling on. I do appreciate your willingness to help. And I
apologize for piling my frustrations on you. It's simply that these things
have been bottled up for a long time. Microsoft obviously doesn't want to
hear from it's customers. It has a "vision", and I've been stuck with no
outlet for my frustrations with this series of problems I've been having with
the software for years (I used up my 2 customer calls long ago).

So I am sorry again for droning on about the "evil" microsoft, and sorry for
making you sift through all the crap to find my current problem. Now back to
the droning.

I never had problems with the local area connection before the .NET crap got
introduced into windows. I had my DSL set into my startup and it would run
just fine. After the .NET crap came along, I was suddenly a "user" on my own
computer, not the "owner" of it. I had to "log-in", and literally fight it to
do what I wanted it to do. I guess that is why I am so bitter about it. I
became a stranger on my own computer. Back in the DOS days I was the master,
and the computer did my bidding. Now, I am lucky if the computer will allow
me to touch it, let alone ask it to do something for me.

For instance, I had completely forgotten that there is an "all users" folder
on my computer. Logically, there shouldn't be one. There has only been ONE
person to ever use this computer.

I was suprised when I went into that folder, as there were a couple of items
in there that shouldn't have been, items I had deleted on my system ages ago.
If they had been in the startup folder that is in my taskbar menu (where they
logically should have been), I would have known about them, and gotten rid of
them a long time ago. But I deleted them now, and moved my sbc connection
into there. It made no difference, my dsl connection won't startup
automatically. I still have to manually start it up. It did before, just not
anymore.

It's really curious why my DSL was compatible before and not now. And why a
big company like SBCGlobal would use software that isn't compatible with the
major (only) operating system....

As I have previous stated. It would simplify things if Icould just delete
the local area network and have windows create one from scratch. As it worked
fine the first time it did that, and only seems to have corrupted itself
after I hooked up to my buddys network, now that I am not currently hooked up
to that network, it should be able to create the LAN data fresh. But that
would be too simple eh? As it currently is, uninstalling the adapter isn't
working because windows is saving the wrong data (the data that is making my
system think it is still hooked up to my friend's network) somewhere on the
hd and including that bogus data when the adapter is re-enabled. DELETING the
data would remove the bogus info, which is why I keep harping on that as
being the best solution.

For now, I get to live with the LAN in my system tray constantly looking for
a network address (you would think that after a time it would quit, but no,
it's a never ending problem loop). A constant reminder that no matter how big
MS got, it is still clueless.

Thank you again for your help. This will be my last entry in this thread. I
am going to start a new one asking how to get rid of the stupid LAN in my
system tray. If you are tired of listening to me drone you can ignore that
thread.

Good luck to you,.
 
"to get rid of the stupid LAN in my system tray" right click My Network
Places and select Properties. Uncheck the box for Show icon in taskbar when
connected.

Doug Sherman
MCSE, MCSA, MCP+I, MVP
 
Back
Top