Installing a network card on Windows 7. Video: how to enable a network card using the BIOS. Network Equipment Identification

Windows 7 supports the vast majority of network cards. Moreover, most modern network equipment is designed specifically for Windows, with all the ensuing problems, because Windows is not famous for its stability. However, Microsoft quickly solves most of the problems that arise with network equipment, honor and praise to them, but those that inevitably arise will be discussed in detail in this article.

First of all: in order to expand the potential range of tasks that a client computer performs on the network, there is a need to change the basic parameters of the network card.

Here are examples of such tasks:

How to view a list of available network adapters (network connections) in Windows 7?

The list of available devices on Windows 7 can be seen in two ways:

The second method begins by opening Device Manager using the Run window:

Enabling a network card, including using the BIOS

Read the instructions for all BIOS versions in the article -

On laptops, turning the network interface on and off is done by pressing a key combination; on desktop computers, through the BIOS menu.

To enable the wireless network adapter on laptops there is a combination “Fn + F12”, although some manufacturers make a special key for this function.

Installing a network driver on Windows 7, including without the Internet

Since the network adapter is equivalent to the Internet, its absence makes it very difficult to download a driver to the network card. The issue is resolved by pre-recording drivers onto media.

Drivers are downloaded and written to a flash drive, CD, etc.
The media is connected to the PC.
After this, the “Device Manager” opens using the “Run” window (called by pressing the “Win + R” keys), in which the “devmgmt.msc” command is entered.
There is a section “Sound, game and video devices”, a subsection “Unknown device”, which has not yet been installed. You need to start installing drivers for an unknown device (future network adapter) after selecting it with the right mouse button and selecting “Properties” in the drop-down menu.
Left click - “Update”.
Manual installation is selected.
The path to the media with drivers is registered or specified.
Finally, the installation begins. It takes no more than a couple of minutes.

The network card without drivers was located in the "Device Manager" under the "Unknown Devices" section. After the update, it takes its rightful place - in “Network adapters”.

Video - How to install a network adapter driver without Internet access

Setting up a network connection in Windows 7

Although companies providing Internet services prefer to configure their clients' network equipment themselves, sometimes it is necessary to carry out more advanced configuration. This is typical for computers with multiple adapters.

For this:

Go to the Start context menu and open Control Panel.
In the “View” category, set the value to “Category”, find and open the “Network and Internet” section.
Click on the "Network and Sharing Center" link.
Click on the "Change adapter settings" link.
Right-click on the network connection shortcut and select “Properties”.
Check the box “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)” and click on the “Properties” button.
Check the box “Use the following IP address” and fill in the fields with data.

On a note! The fields and “Default gateway” are in the agreement with the Internet provider, the remaining fields contain the same values for all users.

Video - The computer does not see the network adapter

How to view and change network card settings (IP, Mac, etc.) in Windows 7?

It is easy to see the adapter parameters and its MAC address thanks to system programs.

For this:

How to reset all network driver settings?

If you want to completely roll back all settings to their original level, then do the following:

Is it possible to create two network cards?

Many users are thinking about getting a second network card. Physically, there are no problems here: most laptops and computers support a second network card. But there are exceptions, as well as damaged slots, as well as netbooks and tablet computers. In this situation, you need to use a virtual card, which distributes Internet traffic no worse than physical traffic.

It is possible to install such a virtual card in the Windows system itself:

In the Start menu, type “manager” in the field, open “Device Manager”.
In the “Device Manager”, click on the “Network adapters” section, select “Actions” in the top menu, and select “Install old device” from the drop-down menu.
The installation wizard will open. You need to select the manual option to gain access to the list of drivers for all devices.
Scroll through the categories, highlight Network Adapters, and click Next.
Then click on the “Microsoft” item and add “Microsoft loopback adapter” or “Microsoft loopback adapter”, which will then appear in the network connections window.
Confirm. The network adapter should now appear in Network Connections.

Complete reset of network driver settings

If your Internet has been interrupted or most of the Internet pages cannot be opened, then resetting all parameters and the TCP/IP stack can be an excellent solution to this problem.

Disabling a network card

To disable a network adapter, the best way is to use the most standard and convenient Windows tool for keeping all such equipment - the Device Manager. Do the following:

In this case, the shutdown will occur immediately; you won’t even need to reboot the OS.

Important! After the adapter is disconnected, the Internet connection will be severed along with it and a disconnection from the local network will occur. Therefore, it is recommended to finish all your Internet activities in a timely manner before disconnecting the network card.

The network adapter does not have valid IP settings

A common problem for Windows 7 users is when problems arise with Internet access and the network diagnostic tool displays a message that the network adapter does not have valid IP settings.

In this case, you can first try resetting the router. If you have a wired connection, then disable and then re-enable your network connection in the network connections menu. If this does not help, then you can move on to further steps.

Step 1. Update your IP address - this is the simplest method, although it does not always help in this case. To do this, open Command Prompt (as an administrator) and enter the following commands:

Check again to see if the error is still displayed? If yes, then move on.

Step 2. You can try resetting the network settings, namely the IP protocols. It is recommended to reset the TCP/IP protocol stack to factory settings in the most extreme cases, when problems arise as a result of malware, etc. To do this, open a command prompt in administrator mode and enter:

Network card settings are lost

When setting up a network, users may encounter the following situation: when they manually enter an IP address, gateway, DNS, the specified parameters are not saved, but are reset to factory settings, and thus it becomes impossible to change the network settings from automatically receiving addresses from the router. One of the common reasons for this is the incorrect removal of an antivirus that has firewall functions.

What should be done:

Reset the TCP/IP protocol stack to factory settings (the article above indicated how to do this).
Reboot.

If this does not help, then do the following:

After doing this, the problem should be resolved.

What to do if there are problems with the network card?

Many plug-in AC adapters, due to their vulnerability to electricity, may temporarily fail during periods of severe thunderstorms or building power outages. In most cases, difficulties arise in situations with wired equipment, since multi-story buildings have long cable runs laid by Internet providers in places that are not intended for this purpose, next to telephone and television cables and high voltage wires. High humidity, dampness and low temperature in this area - all this has an extremely negative effect on the insulation of wires, so breakdowns appear in them .

Sometimes also, in more rare cases, breakdowns occur due to emergency situations such as a major thunderstorm. Network adapters quite often burn out, or users begin to experience difficulties logging into the network. In this case, the equipment will function, but there may be no Internet connection during such periods.

Unfortunately, this problem can only be solved by purchasing another network adapter model. For a desktop computer, the PCI standard complies, for a laptop - USB and PCMCIA.

It is also not recommended to plug in a network cable into the router and then connect a computer to it, because even if the router breaks down, replacing it will be relatively inexpensive compared to replacing the network card built into the computer (or even the entire motherboard).

Windows 7 does not see the network adapter

When integrated network equipment is not shown either in the “Network Connections” window or in the “Device Manager”, and is not even reflected in the “Unknown Devices” section (which would be explained by the lack of drivers), then most likely there is something wrong with it physically. It is quite possible that some transistors on the network card board have burned out, or a chip has fallen off - in this case, it is more advisable to buy a new card.

Video - How to configure a wired network card on Windows 7

Microsoft Corporation, starting with Windows Vista, has greatly changed the security policy of its systems regarding the local network. The operating system seemed new, somehow too complicated, and therefore many could not figure out how to open access to files on the computer. Today we will look at how this is done using Windows 8.1 as an example, but Vista and 7 have a similar system, and the difference is not fundamental. The local network can also be used to later create , which will unite all multimedia devices of a house or apartment, or to share files with your phone or tablet.

In my opinion, this is very convenient when, without additional movements, you can play a movie from a computer, laptop or even phone on a large TV screen, or listen to your favorite music from your phone on a speaker system without connecting additional wires, although this is already necessary . But let's move on to setting up the local network.

Video instructions are available at link.

Step-by-step instruction

For normal functioning of a local network, all computers on this network must be in the same workgroup; for a home network, let’s take MSHOME. To install it, we need to follow the following path: open “Control Panel” - “System and Security” - “System” (you can also right-click on the “Computer” shortcut on the desktop and select “Properties” or the key combination “ “ ). In the window that opens, select “Advanced system settings” in the left column.
In the window that opens, go to the “Computer name” tab and click the “Change” button. A dialog box opens in which we need to record a new workgroup. Enter MSHOME (all in capitals) and click OK. We also close the system parameters by pressing the OK button and restart the computer.
Next, it is advisable to configure a permanent IP for both computers. To do this, go to “Control Panel” - “Network and Internet” - “Network and Sharing Center” - on the left side of the “Change adapter settings” window - select the network card, right-click and click “Properties”.
Before completing this step, read the notes under the screenshot. Select “Internet Protocol Version 4” and click “Properties”, fill in as shown in the picture.

P.S. If your local network is organized through a router with a DHCP server enabled, the IP address, Default Gateway and DNS Server can be left in automatic mode. This action must be done if you have two computers connected directly or if DHCP is disabled on the router.

P.P.S. The IP address value must be different on computers within the same local network. That is, for this computer we indicate IP 192.168.0.7, and for the next one it is already 192.168.0.8.

Next, we need to configure the visibility of the computer within the local network. To do this, go to “Control Panel” - “Network and Internet” - “Network and Sharing Center” - on the left side of the window, select “Change additional sharing settings” and profiles of sharing settings will open in front of us. Here your task is that in all profiles you must enable “network discovery”, and “file and printer sharing”, and “sharing so that network users can read and write files in shared folders”, as well as “Disable password protected sharing.” Click save changes.

At this point, we begin to work with folders that we will share on the network. I will tell you using the example of one folder, but you can open access to the entire local drive using a similar scenario.
First, we need to share the folder. It should be taken into account that if the network is not limited to two computers (for example, some providers (Beeline) provide Internet to apartments based on one large local network), it makes sense not to give the right to change the contents of the folder; If you are confident in the computers on the local network, feel free to give “Full access”. So, open the properties of the folder we need, to do this, right-click on the folder and select “Properties”, open the “Access” tab and click the “Advanced settings...” button.
In the window that opens, check the “Share this folder” checkbox, click the “Permissions” button and give the necessary rights to the folder; Since this is an example, I'm giving full access to the folder, but you can use it at your discretion. Here's what I got:
Click OK to accept the changes, also click OK in the “Advanced sharing settings” window, then in the folder properties go to the “Security” section and click the “Change” button.
Click the “Add” button, in the window that opens, write “All” (without quotes) and click OK.
Select our new group in the window and give it full access at the bottom of the window.
Click OK, in the folder properties it is also OK and to be safe, restart the computer again.

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Hello friends! I noticed that many readers of my blog have problems that arise with connecting to Wi-Fi networks, or working via Wi-Fi, in many cases arising due to problems in the operation of the wireless network adapter. And it’s not always the Wi-Fi router’s fault, which everyone immediately tries to reconfigure several times :).

Let's say a few words about what it is wireless network adapter (in the device manager, or in the driver description, it will most likely be labeled as Wireless Network Adapter). This is a device that actually connects your computer, laptop, netbook, etc. to the Internet via Wi-Fi. Well, I explained it, but I think you understand what I mean :).

If you have a laptop or netbook, then most likely it already has a built-in wireless network adapter (unless the device is old, or even very old). If this is a regular desktop computer, then the wireless network adapter (Wi-Fi adapter) is connected separately. There could be, for example, a USB adapter such as, or an internal PCI adapter. You can read more about these devices in the article.

It doesn’t matter what Wi-Fi adapter you have and on what device. We need it to work stably and not have any problems with connecting and working with Wi-Fi networks. And in order for everything to work well, you need to immediately install the necessary driver for the wireless adapter, and if strange problems appear when working with wireless networks, and you determine that the problem is most likely in the device (laptop, computer, etc.), then you need to try updating or completely reinstalling the driver for the Wireless Network Adapter. What are we going to do now?

How to check if the driver is installed on Wi-Fi?

If, after installing an operating system, say Windows 7, Wi-Fi does not work on a laptop or other device, then most likely the operating system simply failed to select and install a driver for your network adapter. I don’t remember exactly, but it seems to me that I have not yet seen a case where Windows 7 itself installed the driver on the Wireless Network Adapter.

Typically this driver (like many others) you need to install from the driver disk that comes with the laptop (netbook, USB adapter, PCI adapter, etc.), or download the driver from the website of the manufacturer of the same laptop.

In order to check whether the driver is installed on the wireless adapter, you need to go to Device Manager and see if it is there.

Right click on My computer (or open My Computer and click on the empty area), select Properties.

On the right click on "Device Manager".

If you did not find such devices there, then you need to install the driver. You can install it from the disk that comes with the kit, or download the driver for the Wireless Network Adapter from the manufacturer's website. Just look for a driver for a specific laptop model, USB adapter, etc. Below in the article, I will show in more detail how to install the driver for a Wi-Fi adapter.

So you didn't find the driver? You need to install it.

The driver is installed, but Wi-Fi does not work? We check whether the Wi-Fi adapter is turned on, whether there are available networks to connect to, there may be a problem with the router, etc. If everything has been checked, then you need to try to reinstall (update) the driver.

The driver is installed, but there are problems connecting to Wi-Fi(the device does not always connect, the Internet often breaks, etc.)? – We are trying to remove the old driver and install a new one by downloading it from the device manufacturer’s website.

Install or update the driver for the Wi-Fi adapter

Where can I get a driver for a wireless network adapter?

As I already wrote above, the driver can be found on the disk that came with the device. Only this method has one drawback. The driver located on the disk may already be out of date. And on the website of the manufacturer of your device, there may already be a new version of the driver and it would be good to download and install the new driver. But if it’s not possible, or you don’t want to look for it, then the driver from the disk will also work.

Finding a driver for a wireless adapter is not difficult. For example, my ASUS laptop model is K56CM. So we ask Google or Yandex a request “ASUS – K56CM”. We find the official website in the search results and go to it (we get to the page of our device).

Or you can go to the website of your device and search the site, specifying the model. If the page opens in English, then press the language change button and change it to the desired one.

Then, on the page with the description, in our case of a laptop, we look for something like a button “Download”, “Downloads”, “Drivers”, etc. Go to it.

If necessary, we indicate for which operating system the driver is needed. Then in the list we look for the driver for the wireless network device (you can refer to the words Wireless Network Adapter, Wireless Lan Driver) and download it to your computer (look at the driver update date to ensure it is the latest version).

If you do not have a laptop, but say a USB adapter connected to a regular computer, then formulate the request to search for a driver in the same way. For example, “TP-LINK TL-WN721N”, or search by device name on the manufacturer’s website.

That's it, we have the driver on our computer. If you just want to install and not reinstall (update) the driver, then unpack the archive (if the driver is in archive form) to the folder and run the installation file. Follow the instructions. After rebooting, Wi-Fi should work.

If you need to reinstall (update) the driver

If you want to reinstall the driver, then I advise you to first remove the old one.

To do this, go to device Manager(how to do this is written at the beginning of the article) and right-click on the Wireless Network Adapter device. Select Properties.

Then go to the tab "Driver" and press the button Delete.

A warning will appear, check the box next to “Uninstall driver programs for this device” and press “Ok”.

That's it, the driver has been removed. Restart your computer. Go to Device Manager. You should see an unknown device appear (Network Controller). This is our wireless adapter, we just don’t have a driver for it, we’ll install it now.

I recommend installing the driver in the following way: if the driver is in the archive, then unpack it into a folder. Go to this folder and run the installation file, usually it is called “setup.exe”. Follow the instructions. After installing the driver, usually Wi-Fi should work even without rebooting. And I hope it will work stably.

Another way to install a driver for a Wi-Fi adapter

Go to device Manager and right click on the unknown device (in our case Network Controller). Select “Update drivers...”.

In the next window, click .

Specify the path to the driver folder and click "Further".

The driver installation should begin. If Windows reports that “The most suitable software for this device is already installed.”, then try installing using the first method (from installation file).

I think that this is a very relevant article and will be useful to many; I should have prepared it earlier :). If you encounter problems that cannot be solved with the help of this article, you can ask a question in the comments or on our forum. Best wishes!

Also on the site:

How to install (update, reinstall, remove) the driver for a wireless network adapter (Wi-Fi)? updated: February 7, 2018 by: admin

Internet access requires a properly functioning network card. When installing Windows 7, a standard package of drivers is also installed, the list of which includes the network one. But sometimes problems arise - either a conflict between drivers and components, or an old version, or a lack of Internet connection. We will tell you how to install a network driver on Windows 7 (including without the Internet), how to update drivers, and what options there are to configure the network card.

Why configure the network card in Windows 7? If drivers are installed incorrectly, the following problems may occur:

No Internet connection. Windows simply won't see the hardware.
Connection failures. At the most inconvenient moment, the network may disappear. Such failures can occur at different intervals, thereby irritating the PC owner with poor performance.

How to install network hardware drivers on Windows 7

This method is used during normal Internet operation - when Windows is able to connect to the World Wide Web. The first question that arises is where to download and how to install the software for the network adapter?

There are two options:

use special software (Driver Pack);
or find out the card manufacturer and select software specifically for it.

Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Where can I download network drivers for Windows 7? We recommend downloading software only from trusted sources. Third party resources may introduce malicious software into the package contents.

The interface in Driver Pack is intuitive; the necessary software is searched automatically from a large database. The program will do everything for you - you just need to launch it and make a couple of clicks. The downside is the weight of the utility (more than 10 GB). When you load the driver knowing the manufacturer of the network card, you save disk space. But the disadvantage of this method is the long search for the necessary software. First we'll look at a quick installation using the Driver Pack. And finally, we’ll tell you about a way to find information: what network card you have.

Installing drivers using the Driver Pack utility

“DPS” is a driver package that has proven itself to be reliable, large and easy to install. It includes software for the network, processor, video card, etc. This is the reason why the utility has a significant weight (about 9-11 GB). The developers regularly update the database, so you can safely download the latest edition of the package.

Driver for network adapter installation instructions

Step 1. Download the Driver Pack by following the link https://drp.su/ru.

Step 2. Let's launch the program.

Step 3. The utility automatically finds uninstalled or outdated drivers and offers to install them. When you select the “Set up your computer automatically” option, additional software will be installed along with the drivers, which is visible on the right side of the window.

Step 4. To avoid installing unnecessary things, find the “Expert Mode” option at the bottom of the window and click on it.

Step 5. We tick the software that needs to be installed and press the green button (see screenshot). Done - the driver for the Windows 7 network card has been installed.

If you want to know in more detail, you can read an article about it on our portal.

We install Internet software ourselves

First of all, let's find information about the board itself. Knowing the device model, finding suitable software becomes much easier.

How to find out what kind of network cards are installed in the system?

Step 1. Open "Device Manager".

Step 2. We are looking for an item in the catalog of components (see photo below).

Step 3. Expand the category by clicking on the “+” icon. We see the name of our hardware.

Downloading and installing the driver

Now that we know the manufacturer of the network card, we can begin to manually search for software.

Step 1. We enter the name of the model into the search engine.

Step 4. We choose exactly the program that suits your operating system. The download begins.

Step 5. Open the downloaded exe file.

Step 6 Follow the installer's instructions. Click “Next”.

Step 7 Then we accept the license terms and wait for the software to install on the computer.

How to install a network adapter driver without Internet access

Usually we download software like this: open Google and type in the name of the software. But when there is no connection to the Network, the most interesting thing begins - there is no driver, but you need to download it from somewhere. And to download it, you need a network. You can endlessly wander around this circle. But the problem can be easily solved if you have a good friend or a smartphone. The instructions describe steps to resolve problems with the connection and the global web if Windows 7 does not see the network adapter.

Our task is to use the 3DP Chip program. Alternatively, you can download it to your smartphone, then connect it to your computer via a USB cable and transfer it to your desktop. Or ask a friend to download the program onto a flash drive, from which you can then run the utility on your own PC.

Step 1. Get the program and copy its file to the problem computer. Please note that the developer of the utility has one official website.

Step 2. Launch 3DP Chip.

The software analyzes the PC components and produces a list of software required for installation. If your device is not in the database, the program installs universal software suitable for a wide range of cards.

How to update the network driver on Windows 7. Updating the driver using Windows

Windows has a number of standard programs designed to solve problems. Usually their functionality is enough to solve ordinary problems. The “Device Manager” will come in handy. This application is capable of customizing the operation of all PC components.

Updating the network card driver in the Windows operating system

Step 1. Open “Dispatcher” (see screenshot).

Step 2. A window opens with a list of all the hardware built into our computer. Find the line “Network devices” in the list. If there are several of them, a list is formed that opens by clicking the “+” button located next to the line.

Step 3. Open the network equipment category. Click on the component that requires drivers. Next, select the line “Update drivers”.

Step 4. Windows will offer two options:

download a new version via the Internet (the system itself finds the appropriate version and installs the software instantly);
or find the driver files on the hard drive (flash drive or laser drive inserted into the PC). Here's how to install drivers on Windows 7 automatically in just 5 minutes.

Select the first option with automatic updating. The OS will start searching for software on the Internet and after 5-6 minutes will download all released versions. After completing the operation, we recommend restarting your computer.

Manually updating drivers

This algorithm repeats steps 1-3 from the previous instructions. But instead of automatic updating, we choose the manual method. To do this, you need to download the drivers yourself.

Step 1. We choose the manual method.

Step 2. Click on the “Browse” button - an explorer opens, through which you need to specify the path to the folder in which the drivers are located.

Step 3. Either the system will display a message that the driver does not need to be updated, or the installation will begin. All you have to do is wait until Windows delivers updates. After completing the settings, reboot the system.

Click “Close”

This article will help you quickly answer any questions you may have. You can also study the entire material to get a complete understanding of network setup in Windows 7.

Introduction.

Purchasing an operating system Windows 7, the user must be prepared for the fact that sooner or later he will be faced with the task of setting up a network in the operating system. For some, this task is not difficult at all. Typically, installing and configuring a network in Windows 7 is the next step immediately after installing Windows 7 ( If you have not yet installed Windows 7 and are not entirely sure of the necessary steps, then you should read this section: Installing Windows 7).

The network setup phase is required for the following steps after installation:

downloading current antivirus software distributions from the Internet;
downloading the latest versions of video player, web browser;
if necessary, downloading drivers from the network for some devices on your computer (if they were not downloaded and installed automatically, or if installation disks are missing);
use of an XBOX console;
exchange of documents and quick access to shared resources of several computers or laptops. In this case, to use the Internet, you need to set up a wired or wireless network. As a rule, one computer or laptop serves as a kind of Internet distributor for all other pieces of computer equipment.

You can configure the network using the Control Panel. There, if necessary, you can connect to a local or worldwide network. All connection parameters can be found in the corresponding section of the Control Panel. Most users claim that if you follow the instructions and do not engage in unnecessary experiments, the connection is quick and easy. Windows 7 in its network connection parameters is not much different from the earlier, but very popular and widespread OS all over the world Windows XP. For example, setting up IP addresses in Windows 7 is almost no different from setting them up in Windows XP.

The same is true with MAC addresses and subnet masks. All these settings remain the same, they have long been familiar to users. Some changes only affected the interface of the Control Panel and its items through which network parameters are accessed. Everything else is without significant changes. This is another undoubted advantage of Windows 7. Users who previously used Windows XP will be able to understand the new operating system quite easily. As a rule, setting up a local network in such popular operating systems as Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008/2008 R2 begins with a component for configuring network properties such as “”.

This properties configuration tool allows the user to select a network location, set up printer and file sharing, and view a network map. You can also monitor the status of all your network connections. It is very convenient and practical.

How and where to open the Network and Sharing Center component.

Before you can use the full functionality to create network parameters, you need to find and open it. One of the following actions of your choice will help you open the active window correctly " Network and Sharing Center»:

As you can see, if you are careful and read everything, then you should not have any problems finding the “Network and Sharing Center” component. It should be noted that to expand the ranges of used IP addresses in Windows 7, in addition to the previously existing IPv4 protocol, a new one was added - IPv6. True, providers have not yet activated it, and when this will happen is currently unknown. Most likely, the creators of Windows 7 were ahead of the curve.
Figure 1. The illustration shows the Network and Sharing Center window.

What does the network location of a computer mean?

Understand what " Network location", you need before you start working with this important component. For all computers, this setting is set automatically the first time they connect to the selected network. This also applies to the firewall and security settings of the network selected for connection. All of them are also configured automatically when you first connect your computer or laptop to the network.

The Windows 7 operating system supports several active profiles at the same time. This allows you to use multiple network adapters that can be connected to different networks with the greatest security.
By the way, Windows Vista uses the strictest firewall profile for all network connections. This may be why Vista is not as popular as Windows 7.

There are four main types of network locations:

	The first type is a home network. From the name itself it is clear that this network location is intended for a computer used at home. It is also used in networks in which all users know each other well. Such computers can not only create, but also join home groups. Typically, for the convenience of users when using home networks, network discovery is automatically enabled. Home networks provide all computers with high-quality network access.
	The second type is a network of an enterprise or organization. This type of network location also allows you to find the network automatically. The difference from a home network is that in an enterprise network it is not possible to join or create a computer to a home group. The network is intended exclusively for professional activities in an enterprise, organization or office. This type is called for short (SOHO), that is, it is used in a small office network.
	The third type is a public network. Cafes, airports, train stations and other public places - this is where computers use the third type of network location. By default, the ability to join home groups is disabled in this location. Network discovery is also disabled. Without exaggeration, we can say that this is the most strict arrangement.
	The fourth type is a domain network. The domain type of network location is almost no different from the work network. Except that in the domain type, the configuration of Network Discovery and Windows Firewall is determined by Group Policy. This also applies to the network card. In order for an existing network to automatically receive the “Domain” network location type, the computer just needs to be joined to an Active Directory domain. Only in this case can the network become a domain network.

Figure 2. Selecting the network location of the computer.

Network map.

In order to see the location of all devices included in a specific local network, a network map is used. This is a graphical representation of the devices included in the network and the diagram by which they are connected to each other.

The network map can be seen in the same Network and Sharing Center window. True, only the local part of the network card is displayed here. Its layout directly depends on the available network connections. In the upper left corner you can see a display of the computer on which the map is being created. On the left you can see a display of the remaining computers included in the subnet.

Figure 3. Example of a network map.
You can view the network map at any time. True, only for locations such as “Home Network” and “Enterprise Network”. If the user gets curious to view the maps for the Domain Network or Public Network locations, he will see a message that the network message is disabled by default by the administrator. A network administrator can enable mapping using Group Policy.

In Windows 7, not one, but two components are responsible for the operation of the network map. This Link Layer(Link Layer Topology Discover Mapper – LLTD Mapper). It is this important component that requests devices on the network to be included in the map.

Network connections.

In the window " Network connections"You can see the entire set of data that the user needs to connect the computer to the Internet, local network or any other computer from the home network.

This data is available for viewing only after installing all the necessary drivers for each network adapter on Windows 7 and after automatically configuring all network connections on a specific local computer or laptop.

There are several simple and accessible ways to easily and quickly open the “ Network connections»:

Open the window " Network and Sharing Center" and follow the link " Change adapter settings"(see Figure 4);

Network and Sharing Center"." href="/upload/nastroika-windows-7/windows-7-nastroika-seti-img-7.png"> Figure 4. Open the window “ Network connections" through " Network and Sharing Center».

Click the “Start” button and when the menu opens, enter “View network connections” in the search field. In the results found, select the “View network connections” application ( very convenient way);
You can also use the classic keyboard shortcut Win+R. As a result, the “Run” dialog will open. In the "Open" field, which is located in the "Run" dialog box, you must enter the following command: ncpa.cpl or control network connection. Having done this, you need to click the “OK” button.

Figure 5. Network Connections window
Window " Network and Sharing Center» similar to the Windows XP window. All detailed information about the network connection can be obtained by selecting the “Properties” option for a specific network adapter (see Figure 6). In Windows 7, to set up a network connection in the Properties window, you need to select Internet Protocol Version 4. In the same window, you can also make the necessary settings for gateways, subnet masks, DNS servers, IP addresses, etc. All this information can be obtained from the provider that provides Internet access services.

Figure 6: Network connection details.

Rename the network adapter.

The developers of Windows 7 made sure that by default the operating system itself assigns all network connections the names “Local Area Connection” or another option - “Wireless Network Connection”. If the user has more than one network connection on the computer, the system also assigns a number to the connection. There are three ways to rename the name of any of the connections you create.

First way. Select the network connection and click on the “Rename connection” button located on the toolbar. After entering a new name, press the key Enter;
Second way. Using the key F2: press, enter a new name and save using the same key Enter;
Third way. To rename a network connection selected from the list, right-click on it, select the “Rename” command from the context menu that appears, rename and save the changes using the familiar key Enter;

Network status.

In addition to the ability to rename the connection, in this window you can also find out about the network status. Using this window, which is called “Network Status,” at any time you can not only view any data about the connection network, but also find out details such as MAC address, IP address and much other useful and interesting information.

There are providers that allow users to access the Internet using the MAC address of the network card. If for some reason the network card is changed or the entire computer is replaced, the MAC address will also change and Internet access will cease. For a new connection to the Internet, you must set the required physical address (MAC address).

How to see the MAC address of a network card in Windows 7?

To view the current MAC address, as well as complete information about the connection, you need to right-click on the local network connection, and then select “Status” in the context menu that opens (see Figure 7).

Figure 8. How to change the MAC address of a network card (network adapter).

Network diagnostics.

If a situation arises where unexpected errors or failures occur in your network connection, you can eliminate them using connection diagnostics. The diagnostic tool can be found in the Network Connections window.

Select the window " Troubleshooting", which, analyzing the connection status, offers a choice of possible faults and troubleshooting methods. To start diagnostics, you need to right-click on the network connection and select the “Diagnostics” command in the context menu.

Figure 9. Opening the Local Area Connection Troubleshooting Wizard.
The second way to start checking your network connection parameters is to select the desired network and click on the “Connection Diagnostics” button. The button can be seen on the toolbar.
In the dialog box that opens, to diagnose the connection, just follow the steps of the wizard to troubleshoot errors and problems. Nothing complicated.

Disabling a network device (network adapter).

Sometimes situations arise when network connection problems are solved not with the help of an error resolution wizard, but by simply disconnecting the network adapter from the computer. This can be easily done by doing one of the following:

Select a network connection and click on the “Disable network device” button located on the toolbar;
Right-click on the network connection and select “Disconnect” in the context menu that appears;

Both methods are effective and will lead you to the desired result. The device will be turned off.

Conclusion.

The article details how to configure, connect and diagnose network connections.
If you have any doubts about your own network setup and connection capabilities, it is better to seek help from specialists, or carefully read the article again.