changin network from "home" to ""public"

[Jim]

I've just bought a laptop and a wireless router. No problem setting the
router up, but an online guide to wireless says to change your network type
from "home" to "public" if you intend to use public wireless spots. I can
see where I'm set to "home", but can't see how to change it.
1) How do I do this?
2) What happens if I leave it set to "public", even at home. I'm usually the
only user at home, though the kids intend to bring their laptops when they
visit.

TIA

 

[Tim Slattery]

I've just bought a laptop and a wireless router. No problem setting the
router up, but an online guide to wireless says to change your network type
from "home" to "public" if you intend to use public wireless spots. I can
see where I'm set to "home", but can't see how to change it.

1) How do I do this?

When I connect to a public network, the OS asks this question, and I
set it at that time.

2) What happens if I leave it set to "public", even at home.

As I understand it, when you tell the OS a network is public, the OS
will not make your shares available over that net. So if you tell it
your home network is public, no other computer on your home network
will be able to see your computer.

 

[Michael Walraven]

When your computer detects a new connection it will offer you the option to
connect and select which type it is.
The type is on a connection by connection basis, not just for your computer
as a whole. So the network it finds at your house should in general be
'home' one that it finds at a McDonald should be 'public'

Michael

 

[Jim]

When your computer detects a new connection it will offer you the option
to connect and select which type it is.
The type is on a connection by connection basis, not just for your
computer as a whole. So the network it finds at your house should in
general be 'home' one that it finds at a McDonald should be 'public'

Michael

Thanks for the replies; nothing I read told me that - probably one of the
things the authors thought were so obvious they didn't need mention it,

Jim

 

[SC Tom]

To hijack this thread somewhat:
I set up a new notebook and it found my wireless router. When asked where I
wanted this connection, without thinking, I set it as "Home." I was unable
to connect to the internet through the router then, although the NB had
picked up an IP address from the router (acting as a DHCP server). I tried
deleting the network from the notebook, rebooted, and it found the same
SSID, but not as a new network, so therefore didn't give me the option of
Home or Public. I deleted it again, renamed the network, and rebooted the
notebook. This time it found the new name and allowed me to select the
option of Public, after which I was able to access the internet and email
accounts just fine.
My question is, was there a better, easier, or shorter way to change it
without creating a new SSID? In other words, is there a way to change it
from Home to Public easily?

 

[Joel]

To hijack this thread somewhat:
I set up a new notebook and it found my wireless router. When asked where I
wanted this connection, without thinking, I set it as "Home." I was unable
to connect to the internet through the router then, although the NB had
picked up an IP address from the router (acting as a DHCP server). I tried
deleting the network from the notebook, rebooted, and it found the same
SSID, but not as a new network, so therefore didn't give me the option of
Home or Public. I deleted it again, renamed the network, and rebooted the
notebook. This time it found the new name and allowed me to select the
option of Public, after which I was able to access the internet and email
accounts just fine.
My question is, was there a better, easier, or shorter way to change it
without creating a new SSID? In other words, is there a way to change it
from Home to Public easily?

Network and Sharing Center will have "Home network" as a link under
the SSID - click it, and you can change it to Work network or Public
network.

That having been said, though, it is curious that you couldn't use
Home network. I use it for all our Win7 computers.

 

[Char Jackson]

Network and Sharing Center will have "Home network" as a link under
the SSID - click it, and you can change it to Work network or Public
network.

That having been said, though, it is curious that you couldn't use
Home network. I use it for all our Win7 computers.

Agreed. Both 'network types' should be equally capable of accessing
the Internet.

 

[SC Tom]

Network and Sharing Center will have "Home network" as a link under
the SSID - click it, and you can change it to Work network or Public
network.

That having been said, though, it is curious that you couldn't use
Home network. I use it for all our Win7 computers.

Well, duh, you know, I saw that, but never tried to change it.
I changed it to Home, and sure enough, it works just fine, even though it
says IPv6 is not enabled (it is enabled). I tried Work and it connects fine
also. Got me why it didn't work before on the Home setting but it seems to
have healed itself.
Thanks!

 

[SC Tom]

Agreed. Both 'network types' should be equally capable of accessing
the Internet.

As a follow-up to my last post, when I shut my notebook down and took it
over to my SO's house and turned it back on, it wouldn't find her network at
all. It was listed in my wireless networks, but didn't show up as an
available connection. I had to delete it from my wireless connections, shut
the notebook down, rename the SSID, then boot back up. Then it found the
network and connected. I should have left well enough alone LOL! I'll see
what it does back at my house now. I'm thinking I'll have to go through this
again :-(