2 replies to this topic

[japan7]

5/2/2010: I just got a new Laptop with Windows 7 Pro 64 bit. Was able to easily configure the laptop's WiFi to connect to my home network "N" with DHCP. Carried it the next day to my store where I am required to use a fixed IP address for the store's WiFi network named "S". It was a bear to find the TCP/IP address settings panel so I could turn off DHCP and put in my fixed address, netmask, etc., but once I did, all worked fine. Windows even remembered that I had two different default networks: N and S.

But here's the problem. When I went home again, and selected the N network, Windows tried to use the fixed IP address from the S network. I couldn't find any "remember this setting for this network only" button. So does them mean I have to repeatedly change the IP settings every time I go to and from the store and home? If "yes", this is so 1990's!

Surely Windows 7 has something to solve this, as my eight year old Mac Laptop with OSX has a pulldown menu called "Location" that instantly reconfigures the IP settings back and forth to solve this problem. I think I'm just missing doing something similar with my Windows setup.

If I need to get a freeware or shareware utility that does this, I'm game.
Thanks.

[BuffaloHelp]

The easiest way is to make your "N" network mimic the same IP scopes as your "S" network. For exmaple,

if your "S" network is 10.10.10.10 ~ 50, with subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, and gateway 10.10.10.1

set your "N" network to the same IP range.

This way, when you set your laptop to Static IP, whether you are connected to "S" or "N" network you are using the same subnet and gateway.

It's also a good idea to set your laptop outside of the IP scope. For example, set your laptop to 10.10.10.5 (outside of the DHCP so no IP conflict will happen if other device(s) are connected).

[japan7]

Buffalo Help:


Thank you for your suggestion. However, that's not what I wish to accomplish.

I simply want my PC to set itself to DHCP when I select the "N" network at home, but when I'm at work and I select the "S" network, I want it to configure itself automatically to the fixed IP, Subnet Mask, etc. that I entered earlier for that network. Should be simple, but Windows seems to think the whole world is either DHCP or one particular fixed IP address.

I don't want to have to reconfigure my entire home network router just to accommodate a shortcoming on the laptop's Operating System. Besides, the router at work cannot be changed... it's running on a fixed IP setup with the ISP.

Seems simple enough.....

Thanks for any suggestions.

Edited by japan7, 09 May 2010 - 01:10 AM.