unidentified network

Iain

unread,

Oct 25, 2019, 6:31:34 AM10/25/19

to

Windows 10 build 1903
can't connect to network.
I've tried many different solutions found on the web but nothing works.
Drivers are up to date.
Anyone able to help me?
Regards
Iain

Henry Law

unread,

Oct 25, 2019, 12:11:11 PM10/25/19

to

I sent this as email first off ... stupid.

On 25/10/2019 11:31, Iain wrote:
> Windows 10 build 1903
> can't connect to network.

Meaning what, exactly? When you do whatever-it-is, what do you expect
to see and what do you see?

Do you have an IP address (use ipconfig to find out)? Can you ping
anything (your router, for example, which unless you changed it is often
192.168.1.1)?

> I've tried many different solutions found on the web but nothing works.

It would help us a little if you outlined at least some of the things
you tried.

Has it ever worked? Did you do anything just before it stopped working?
(where "any" should, initially at least, be interpreted very widely).

--
Henry Law n e w s @ l a w s h o u s e . o r g
Manchester, England

Adrian Caspersz

unread,

Oct 25, 2019, 1:50:35 PM10/25/19

to

On 25/10/2019 11:31, Iain wrote:

There is a comprehensive list of 'fixes' on the following page

https://www.thewindowsclub.com/fix-unidentified-network-windows

Start from top to bottom, tell us which tests you have tried

Also,

Is this cabled, or wifi?
Do other devices connect OK?

--
Adrian C

Iain

unread,

Oct 26, 2019, 6:58:54 AM10/26/19

to

I've gone through that list to no avail. It is a cabled connection. 2
other Win 10 computers and 1 Linux computer connect OK.
I'm getting really frustated now.

Iain

Iain

unread,

Oct 26, 2019, 7:33:05 AM10/26/19

to

In Network Connections I expect to see the name of the network but
instead I see "Unidentified Network"
If I use Automatic connection ipconfig shows an address 169.254.187.76
If I Manually enter an address ipconfig shows the correct address.

I have followed the advice given in the site referenced by AdrianC.

The computer was recently upgraded to Windows 10 Pro from Windows 7 Pro

Iain

Henry Law

unread,

Oct 26, 2019, 7:59:45 AM10/26/19

to

On 26/10/2019 12:33, Iain wrote:
> In Network Connections I expect to see the name of the network but
> instead I see "Unidentified Network"

I'm not a Windows man (any more) but I can see from various sources that
that means essentially "Lights on but nobody home".

> If I use Automatic connection ipconfig shows an address 169.254.187.76

It's not getting an address from DHCP then, because that's a "link
local" address. Do you have another machine on the network which is
using DHCP? Is it functioning correctly? I'm wondering if the DHCP
component of your router is not working properly.

> If I Manually enter an address ipconfig shows the correct address.

And when you have done that does networking work correctly? In other
words can you ping your router?

If we're chasing a bug in Windows (it does happen, I'm told ...) then
I'm running out of suggestions. But if you have assigned a valid IP
address on your local network you ought to be able to see other devices
on that network.

Any chance of running a tcpdump network trace from somewhere on the
network? (If you don't know what that is, don't worry, but don't try it).

Iain

unread,

Oct 26, 2019, 8:38:02 AM10/26/19

to

Other machines use DHCP with no problem.
No matter what address I enter I get the same result.
tcpdump is beyond my ken at the moment.

Iain

Daniel James

unread,

Oct 26, 2019, 1:55:16 PM10/26/19

to

In article <qouiu5$avh$1...@dont-email.me>, Iain wrote:
> Windows 10 build 1903
> can't connect to network.

Windows does that, sometimes. That's one of the reasons I don't use it
any more.

> I've tried many different solutions found on the web but nothing
> works.
> Drivers are up to date.
> Anyone able to help me?

I don't use Windows 10 ... but I noticed that on Windows 7 the network
connection could sometimes turn into an "Unidentified network" if the
wind changed ... or you looked at it funny ... or there was a day in the
week ...

Sometimes that could be traced back to something that had actually
changed (like when the router failed, and the replacement router with
exactly the same settings was seen as a different network), sometimes
not.

The network "troubleshooter" in Windows can sometimes fix these things
.. I think it basically turns off networking and goes through the DHCP
setup again and if you're lucky it configures things correctly. Other
times Windows may need to be told that there is a "new" network and
whether it is a home, office, or public network (in other words, whether
to allow peer access on that network connection). Until you answer that
question Windows won't play (for fear of peer-peer connecting to summat
it shouldn't).

On occasions I've just turned the machine off in disgust, and it has
worked the next day.

Sorry if that's not much help.

--
Cheers,
Daniel.

grinch

unread,

Oct 26, 2019, 4:13:19 PM10/26/19

to

Does the dhcp serving device think it run out of IP address to allocate,
? Flush its memory or reboot/power-cycle it.

Adrian Caspersz

unread,

Oct 28, 2019, 12:41:17 PM10/28/19

to

Hmmm... rebooting/resetting the router is a good step before anything else.

Find out what addresses the router is allocating and statically assign
one in the same subnet range instead of using DHCP.

If no joy connecting, then sling a cable directly between two items and
see if they can at least ping each other (disable firewalls for the
test). They should each negotiate an address from 169.254.*.* and at
least be able to ping each other. Or try giving each an address in the
same subnet range.

Could be broken hardware, or dodgy cable. Booting from a linux live CD
might be able to exonerate or blame windows 10 configuration.

Could be a lot of "could be's".

If patience too short, just buy a USB to ethernet adaptor or use wireless.

--
Adrian C