Network Location Prompt on Windows Vista (RESOLVED)

General Topics
1

As you all can see by my Signature, I’m now using the computer my sister lent me … a Compaq Presario SR5710Y.

I have a question. Every time I log on with my AOL, this Windows Vista window pops up prompting me to select a Network Location between: Home, Work or Public.

I’ve humored it and selected Home a couple of times, but the window just keeps showing up with EVERY log on. There is this Count of some sort at the top of the window that appears to be incrementing with every log on. It’s something like Internet 1 (12’) … which is where it was this morning. At the next log on, it’ll change to Internet 1 (13’)

How can I get that window to stop appearing. I mean, everything appears to be working fine. But, I keep wondering if with that Network Location number incrementing with every log on, will my connection eventually not work well because it’ll be the equivalent of a humongous Network with several hundred locations or something?

2

do you have a screenshot?

3

Here’s the window that comes up right after EVERY AOL log on.

And I was right. With another log on, that number at the top incremented from 12 to 13.

4

Is that number that keeps incrementing with every AOL log on just that … a harmless Count of Log Ons?
Or is it sort of incrementing in Windows Vista a somewhat equivalent Count of how many Computers there are in a Network?

5

It may be that AOL is changing the IP you are using which would then appear to be a different network

6

Soooo … otherwise a harmless window?
Nothing that’s eventually going to make me not be able to connect to the Net if I don’t eventually somehow shove that Network Location selection down its throat to where it finally recognizes it?

7

Not sure as I have never come across that before

8

I guess I’ll just have to wait and see how it goes.

Hmmm??? Before the next log on, I’ll try doing a complete cleaning with CCleaner, Glary Utilities and JetClean to see if that resets that count.

9

If you choose home, it starts automattically to make the settings for you and ask you to set the password given. I came across this window before changing to a new network connection for a friend, who had not specified this and could not connect out. When you choose public, your neighbors may thank you for the free connection, but that is not what you intend to offer them? ;D

polonus

10

I had the same thing, turned out to be the firewall it had a setting for zone.Once I allowed the zone it quit the the pop up thing.

11

The thing is, Polonus, on the couple of times that I selected Home, nothing happened after that. It didn’t prompt me for anything else. It sorta just seemed to give the impression that it got what it needed to get out of my face … but, then it gets back to getting in my face on the next log on.

As to providing a free connection for the neighbors? Well, I don’t remotely have Wifi. I don’t know if it’d give them free Dial Up. Ooooooo! They’ll be drooling over THAT! ;D

12

Hmmm??? A setting for zone?
Does that have anything to do with it having been Zone Alarm Firewall?

I don’t have anything other than the Windows Firewall.

13

Performing a cleaning with CCleaner and Glary Utilities didn’t reset that Counter.
The Counter incremented to 14 after this morning’s log on.

But, oh well, I’ll set the topic as RESOLVED since no solution surfaced … and since the connection works fine.
I’ll just keep closing the window after each log on.

14

Hi, I believe the safest setting is Public especially if you don’t share files over a network.This quote is from the windows help.

Choose Public network for networks in public places (such as coffee shops or airports). This location is designed to keep your computer from being visible to other computers around you and to help protect your computer from any malicious software from the Internet. HomeGroup is not available on public networks, and network discovery is turned off..[b] You should also choose this option if you're connected directly to the Internet without using a router, or if you have a mobile broadband connection[/b]
If you know you won’t need to share files or printers, the safest choice is public network.

When you choose Public it gives you the option to "not ask again"Hope that helps.

15

Ahhh, Okay. Thanks for that heads up, RNfromTN! I will try that at the next log on. Hopefully that’ll make the window stay gone.