Fix for "Unidentified Network" / No Internet Access

Solved ..................................

The problem was resolved by going into the wired adapter (Local Area Connection networking controller) in windows device manager selecting the device right clicking Properties, choosing advanced --> property --> network address --> value and entering any mac-address (OR the existing by checking ipconfig/all from command prompt CMD) then ok button. after that internet access was restored.

I don't know what caused this issue. with the machine in question i did a factory restore to fix another issue which the restore resolved and while trying to update windows discovered this issue. I don't really like this fix because it may trip things up later if by chance another device has the same mac-address as the one i madeup.

anyway, thanks for your help -techguyisme


oops, i forgot to say what the problem was! the mac-address of the wired nic adapter was all zeros 00:00:00:00...(see the ipconfig /all output in the original post); so i changed it to something other than all zeros

I tried to find a place in the NIC advanced settings for a MAC address but it wasn't present.
The only entry I can change is for "Locally Administered Address" and when I enter a random value I do get connectivity for about 40 seconds. Indeed any change to the network card, such as disabling and then re-enabling it, has this short-term effect. But then the network returns to being an undentified public network at the end of which, on the connection diagram in Network and Sharing, is the internet (not NO internet).

Two other things happened during the brief period of connection:

A new network - Network 2 - was foind and I was asked to identify its type, which I chose as "Home", however the process moved along slowly and at the end the new network was not visible, nor was the internet more importantly.

And I was (incorrectly) told that my computer had Counterfeit Windows - it is the same Windows, as on the machine from new, from a major brand. I tried to resolve online, but the internet was goneso I could not do so.

Right Click My computer, Select Manage, Select Device manager, Select Network Adapters, Select Your Network Card ( I have realtek RTL Family PCI-I fast ethernet NIC) Right click Properties, Select Advanced tab, In property Select Network Address and type the mac address in Value [00000000000000E0]

Originally Posted by rickyQ

I tried to find a place in the NIC advanced settings for a MAC address but it wasn't present.
The only entry I can change is for "Locally Administered Address" and when I enter a random value I do get connectivity for about 40 seconds. Indeed any change to the network card, such as disabling and then re-enabling it, has this short-term effect. But then the network returns to being an undentified public network at the end of which, on the connection diagram in Network and Sharing, is the internet (not NO internet).

Two other things happened during the brief period of connection:

A new network - Network 2 - was foind and I was asked to identify its type, which I chose as "Home", however the process moved along slowly and at the end the new network was not visible, nor was the internet more importantly.

And I was (incorrectly) told that my computer had Counterfeit Windows - it is the same Windows, as on the machine from new, from a major brand. I tried to resolve online, but the internet was goneso I could not do so.

Yes, my NIC is an Intel 82566DM-2, but in the Advanced Property entries there is no Network Address setting and no MAC Address setting either. In the Locally Administered Address there is the ability to enter any 12 digits, so I have tried a foreshortened IP address and MAC sample address, resulting in 20 - 30 seconds of connectivity.

Previously I also tried other NIC's including a USB-NICand I have also replaced my broadband router.

I have just removed in driver a piece of hardware I do not recognise Trusted Platform Module 1.2, but no change to Internet connectivity.

It is curious that the PC sees the Internet at the end of the Network and Sharing short form of the diagram, without any 'X' to it, but as the Network is Unidentified and Public, not as it should be a named Home network. This is different from a diagram showing no Internet.

From the afflicted PC I have just noticed I can browse my Network shares (Sharing is to one named user - rickyQ - on the computers. And I have just switched on sharing of the problem PC user files, with instant success.

But no internet.

The Unidentified public Network with no internet instead of the named Home Network with Internet access has been a feature of this 3 yr old tower PC for probably the last year or more and has been the subject of exhaustive trouble-shooting. All I want is the internet back, but instead I was forced after many weeks to stop trying to rely on the machine.

It did occur to me as I reported that a relatively new feature of the situation is the machine's failure to pass Windows validation, I should investigate this. It happens when the machine has seen the internet, albeit that is only ever for about 20 secs or so. A message crops up re "counterfeit Windows" being present. This disappears spontaneously as soon as he Internet is lost.

Now, I recall, as anyone looking all the way through the history - the long long history - of assisted troubleshooting will see, that the Internet is available in Safe Mode (steps to isiolate start up items not present in Safe Mode did not resolve the situation as a clean boot did not allow the internet and so one probably needs to find what DOES start in SM but not in a clean boot and also not in SM).

Searching for WGA online I saw a Microsoft tool named MGA which when run lists a lot of details about WGA validation of any specific machine. I have, installed and run this tool, obviously in SM, and it reported that the Windows is Genuine. It may be useful to run this tool in normal mode during the few secs of connectivity and then again a few secs later. But before doing all this I wonder if anyone recognises the scenario and can offer any steering..... Thanks. Rick.

Absolutely brilliant (Halcion1, top of thread)! Been trying for months to find a solution to this huge annoyance. You wouldn't believe the 100's of rubbish suggestions out there claiming to fix it. Some work, but have to be carried out every time you power on, some don't. This is the only permanent solution I've come across. Huge thanks. P.S., For info, on my machine the problem first appeared when I started connecting via PowerLink plugs, instead of wirelessly.

Hi Hawkera / Forum

I don't know from your post what it is that you've just done to get your Unidentified Network / No Internet Access working again, but I have been stuck on this for about 18 months and invested in a new laptop as my way out, whilst my lovely Win 7 tower with oomphs of go remains offline. It intrigued me to read that your problem started when you used HomePlugs as I too employ these. My problem tower actually connects straight wired ti the modem-router, but off of the router run various other internet devices and PC's and laptops, about half of them via a number of HomePlugs (actually the brand is Comtrend, but it's the same operation).None of the other devices suffers Unidentified Network, no matter wired, wi-fi or HomePlugged, including wi-fi off a HomePlugged extending router. And the problem PC doesn't connect whether its internal NIC or external USB NIC's are used, except always for a few seconds.

So, is there a new answer, can you point me to the actual post, please?

Hi rickyQ,

Sorry. Totally new to forums and probably didn't use the right etiquette. I only registered so that I could thank Halcion1 for solving a problem that I've had for so long.

The solution (to my particular problem, at least) is right at the start of this thread, and is not at all what I would have expected it to be. In a nutshell...

Check to see if you have this little devil in your services list:

"##Id_String2.6844F930_1628_4223_B5CC_5BB94B87 9762 ##"

If you do, stop it and disable it. It is actually the Bonjour DNS Responder Service, and I believe it is the cause of the "Unidentified Network."

The Unidentified Network disappeared after stopping this service and a quick disable/enable of the NIC, restoring Internet access.

I don't have any technical knowledge, so don't know whether it would solve your problem, but it worked a treat for me. By the way, I don't know how you'd normally find your services list, but at some point I installed a little programme called 'God Mode' which is a sort of extended Control Panel, so I used this to search for 'services', and then listed them. The one shown above was at the top of the list.

Regards,

Hawkera

Hi Hawkera

I'm unclear about Forum etiquette too, we should possibly be having a private message chat but what we write may help others so I'm not worried and I expect that Halcion1 is very pleased to learn he is still helping people with his solution.

I did look for Bonjour at the beginning of my troubles and it is absent on the problem machine, whilst my local services viewer in control panel and anywhere else I can think of has no entries starting "##Id_...." or anything else remotely similar. Actually, on the replacement laptop, Bonjour service is running and there are no internet issues, so it all seems very involved.

Anyway, I am glad for you it is fixed and thank you for showing me "God Mode" too.

One last thought, I will shortly have a Windows 8 Licence number and I was wondering whether using it on the "problem" PC might be a smart move, overcoming its problems via the upgrade, or a silly one, wasting the P & P cost to obtain it and losing it for anywhere else, if anyone would care to comment?

rickyQ

Originally Posted by rickyQ

Hi Hawkera

I'm unclear about Forum etiquette too, we should possibly be having a private message chat but what we write may help others so I'm not worried and I expect that Halcion1 is very pleased to learn he is still helping people with his solution.

I did look for Bonjour at the beginning of my troubles and it is absent on the problem machine, whilst my local services viewer in control panel and anywhere else I can think of has no entries starting "##Id_...." or anything else remotely similar. Actually, on the replacement laptop, Bonjour service is running and there are no internet issues, so it all seems very involved.

Anyway, I am glad for you it is fixed and thank you for showing me "God Mode" too.

One last thought, I will shortly have a Windows 8 Licence number and I was wondering whether using it on the "problem" PC might be a smart move, overcoming its problems via the upgrade, or a silly one, wasting the P & P cost to obtain it and losing it for anywhere else, if anyone would care to comment?

rickyQ

Hi Rick -

Wow - I never thought that my simple fix for the RC version of Win 7 would get so much traction, but I'm really happy that it was able to help so many people! - I'm intrigued by your issue, as the solution that I posted was for very early adopters of Win 7...I've done countless installs of Win 7 since then with no issues...

you're still having connection issues on this box? If so, then I think you are past the point of driver updates and should try a new NIC. I'm happy to help if you need it - just post here and we can troubleshoot. Bonjour runs smoothly nowadays...no issues there - I have not tried checking services with the godmode utility mentioned earlier on my machine, but I've upgraded and reinstalled Win 7 at least 4 times since that original post. Something else is going on if you are having issues...