My mothers network connection changed its name to “UK Government Department for Work and Pensions” on both her old computer and now her new one.
her old pc changed the name quite some time back but only on her wireless adaptor and now her new pc which she only set up a few days ago has now changed its name too but on both the Ethernet and wifi adaptor.
both malwarebytes and adw cleaner came back clean
I had a quick look and didn’t saw anything strange.
Check in the router status if she is connected to her own router or not. (WiFi Client Status)
ye shes connected to our router, there are no open routers in our area at all and its just weird how its only her pc’s that this has happened to twice veryone else in the house is normal.
Just to make sure, you did enter the router through e.g. 192.168.2.254 and checked there which device(s) is(are) connected to it ?
Where exactly do you see that the network name is “UK Government Department for Work and Pensions” ?
From where did she got the PC ?
it shows up under the network and sharing center under “view your active networks” this new pc she got from an online store called ginger9 i think, the old one this happened on too she got from pc world ( a big electronics store chain)
Lotan, you are not alone. I have seen this twice in our house now, once each on two machines. First time (not my machine, just after an Avast upgrade), I wrote it off as one of those things. Yesterday (my machine, also just after an Avast upgrade), I had the presence of machine to grab a screenshot first.
The context is, I was having trouble uploading some images from my camera via USB, and I got Windows to search for new devices (Control Panel-Hardware & Sound-Devices & Printers-Add a Device). Avast said it had found a new network with the name “UK Government Department for Work and Pensions” (see attached screenshot). However, once I acknowledged the message, I ended up connected to the correct network.
There is no sign of this rogue network in “View your active networks” as described by Lotan. However, I just tried Add a Device again, and Avast is again “finding a new network” with the same name (see second screenshot with more details). So I am at your disposal to run whatever tests you think are required.
Incidentally, I had to create a new account to post this. There is a junior member called sparge with 67 posts credited to his name on the forum. That’s me. I couldn’t log in and I couldn’t reset my password because I tried three email accounts and none were recognized. But all the footer stuff in my old posts is well out of date. Now using Windows 7, fully up to date, and Avast Internet Security; no other security software.
Hi Eddy,
Thanks for reply. At a quick glance, long and uber-techy, I’ll need to try and digest it later (I need to run to work now). Can you summarize what you think I need to take from it?
Andy
Hi Eddy,
Well, I’m afraid I’m none the wiser (or not much). I’m pretty tech-savvy but that is so far over my head as to be in the stratosphere. If I had to try and summarize, I might try as follows: Windows 7 features a new and exciting capability, for multiple network adapters, implemented by some sort of software emulation, allowing multiple networks to co-exist somehow. Fine, if I invited them and they remain visible. But I didn’t invite the UK Government Department of Work and Pensions network to exist on my machine, on a virtualized adapter or otherwise! How did it get there and why does it only show up when I ask Windows to search for new devices?
Andy
They are not on your system in any way.
ISP detected is “Plusnet”
https://db-ip.com/51.6.114.170
I too am on plusnet and they told my mother on the phone that its something to do with the IP name not been updated or something like that. so i think its a plusnet thing.
A IP doesn’t have a name, it is just numbers (or numbers+characters if it is IPv6) 
DNS servers are responsible for the conversion of IP <> Domain name.
A thing that can be tried is to change the DNS server in the router/modem and see what happens.
https://developers.google.com/speed/public-dns/
I will ask someone from avast to have a look at this.
I’m pretty sure they have someone who can shine a light on this 
EDIT :
Bummer 
The one from avast I had in mind > Please don’t send me IM’s. Email only. Thx.
And ofcourse he doesn’t show his email in his profile…
“I will ask someone from avast to have a look at this.
I’m pretty sure they have someone who can shine a light on this”
Thanks, Eddy, I appreciate it. I’m sure you can understand why mere users would find it potentially alarming that their Government appears to have infiltrated their PC.
Interesting new info that Lotan is also on Plusnet.
I did some more research and it very much looks like that plusnet has something that needs to be fixed by them.
I would say "bomb"them with support requests asking them to fix it.
The detection by avast is correct as far as I can tell and there is no tread to the system.
Possiby not unrelated, this just happened (see attachment). It’s happened several times in the last few days but first time I’ve been quick enough on the draw to capture it with snipping tool before it withdrew back into its system tray hideyhole. Why would this (apparently repeated reinitialization of an already established network) be happening?
Support? Hmm …
Just had an interesting online chat with Plusnet. Here’s the bulk of it. Same story as they gave Lotan. I had a look at the link the agent gave and I’m none the wiser as to who BGP are or why they should be responsible. What do you think, Eddy? Am I being spun a yarn? I mean, assuming I buy the story about the IP address tag, who is actually responsible for updating it?
Andy
Hi , can you give me a brief summary of the problem?
Sure. The context is, I was having trouble uploading some images from my camera via USB, and I got Windows to search for new devices (Control Panel-Hardware & Sound-Devices & Printers-Add a Device). Avast said it had found a new network with the name “UK Government Department for Work and Pensions”. However, once I acknowledged the message, I ended up connected to the correct network.
Yeah that’s correct, that is your network. It’s because the tag for your IP address hasn’t been updated in the database. The IP address you’re currently using, used to belong to DWP but now it belongs to Plusnet.
Hmm. So how come once connected it doesn’t show up as that? It shows up as Plusnet? And how come it only shows up at all if I search for a new device?
It’s not your actual network name or your router name. When you’re connected it will show as the Plusnet router name. When you’re connected it’ll be giving you the router name.
I see. And who is responsible for updating the database (or not, in this case)?
I believe the ASN database is maintained by BGP
http://bgp.he.net/
So you are at their mercy in this respect then?
Yes, we have updated all the relevant data and contacted all parties to update the names for these IP addresses. It’s possible that other companies like Microsoft or Avast are using out-dated database entries to identify your IP.
I have a similar problem. I get a pop-up that Avast firewall has detected a new network, with a strange name: InToch N.V. and asked me to choose the settings for that network. I´m still connected to my previus network, only the name has changed.
I took my computer to my office and connected til the office Wifi, and her the same thing happened, now the network name was different (company name)
I think that this is a problem caused by a change of settings by Avast and not the various internet providers or routersettings.
avast is not changing the network name, it just detects it.
The owner of the network is responsible for the naming.
OK, so I shouldn´t be worried about that then? 