The network can't be identified, what requirements must the interface meet?

Solution 1:

Networks are identified according to the MAC address of the router. So if you have no gateway defined, this causes a problem. You need a gateway address to be set in your TCP/IP settings, or if you are getting these by DHCP ("Automatic") then you need to make sure the DHCP server is giving out the correct gateway IP.

Note: if you are on a wireless network, your network location has nothing to do with the SSID (network name) or the IP or MAC of the access point, but of the router. In an integrated wireless/wired/router device, this may have several MAC addresses for the different interfaces, but should tell Windows the right one for the router, so you can connect through wired or wireless and have it recognise that you are on the same network.

Solution 2:

I found a workaround here:

http://blogs.msdn.com/dimeby8/archive/2009/06/10/change-unidentified-network-from-public-to-work-in-windows-7.aspx

Remove the // lines as they are not the right way to comment lines in PowerShell and will spew out a ton of errors. If you want, replace them with # to make it right.

Adding the default gateway as suggested by TargeT-San is the easier method.

Solution 3:

As I read from one forum, there's just one thing for Win7 to identify network - presence of default gateway. It can be achieved by static define or by tricks with external DHCP server installed on your PC (since Win7 hasn't one). I assume it's a crude logical error in Network Manager since: a) in small home networks where one PC servers to others as a gateway to provider, ICS via NAT is selected. b) in this case, this PC becomes default gateway for others and has only one gateway - provider's one. Provider network should be Public, but local one is Home. c) this is unreachable since stupidish lock which prevents changing settings for unidentified network or identifying it manually. Also, group policies which allow this are present but they don't work. Someone, please send feedback about this to MS. P.S: What's so special with those homegroups? They work only in Home locations and with Win7 PCs. My second PC in local network is WinXP, so homegroups are just a junk for me.