Vista Firewall Settings.

[abhijit]

I need an IDIOT's guide to VISTA FIREWALL settings.

The group policy settings on a VISTA HOME PREMIUM, involves messing around with the registry.

Secondly, I have tried every imaginable setting, but I seem to keep missing something.

The issue is I will connect in wired mode over the internet, but as soon as the wireless takes over, I lose my connectivity.

There is another unsecured wireless connection in my apartment block. If I make my computer connect to this connection, my internet connectivity is restored.

This is kinda frustrating. I wish I could switch to XP, but I don't have a setup kit.

The course of action ahead of me, is to install Windows 7 beta
OR
get a freeware firewall and try to see if those settings are easier to manipulate than the VISTA firewall settings.

</rant>

[zynder]

Try disabling the wireless adapter for the meantime. If you will use wireless, then enable it back. The firewall i think has nothing to do with this in my opinion. It's probably that when Vista detected a wireless router, it could probably replacing the DNS of your wired connection.

I have this problem once, so i switched back to XP PRO.

[chris128]

I dont think this is anything to do with your firewall... The windows firewall only blocks incoming connections as far as I am aware, or if it does block outgoing connections they will certainly not be any connections that would cause you to drop off the network. Why do you need to use group policy settings anyway? The Group Policy objects just allow you to change things that you can change in the windows firewall control panel applet (Start -> Run -> Firewall.cpl). But like I said, I dont think its the firewall that is doing it.

[abhijit]

I dont think this is anything to do with your firewall... The windows firewall only blocks incoming connections as far as I am aware, or if it does block outgoing connections they will certainly not be any connections that would cause you to drop off the network. Why do you need to use group policy settings anyway? The Group Policy objects just allow you to change things that you can change in the windows firewall control panel applet (Start -> Run -> Firewall.cpl). But like I said, I dont think its the firewall that is doing it.

I think you could be right. I downloaded Comodo and replaced the standard firewall with it. What I noticed is that every time the router assigns me an IP, it blocks out Internet connectivity for me. Somewhere it stores the IP addresses being allocated to me.

The unsecured connection continues to work for me. That's how I am watching my television shows on hulu.com

[chris128]

Somewhere it stores the IP addresses being allocated to me.

Why do you say that?

Also, this wireless network that you are connecting to (the one that causes the problems) - is it your wireless network or is it just some random one that is within range of your laptop?

[abhijit]

Why do you say that?

Also, this wireless network that you are connecting to (the one that causes the problems) - is it your wireless network or is it just some random one that is within range of your laptop?

The unsecured one is a random one in my apartment block. If I connect to the unsecured network, I am able to surf on the internet.

If I connect to the one running in my apartment, it won't let me.
I am at work, right now, but I can post screen shots from my vista computer, later.

[chris128]

ok so does your wireless network work for anyone else that uses it?

[Lord Orwell]

if you're trying to connect wirelessly to your router and it isn't working, you may not be connecting with the correct protocol or security key.

[abhijit]

ok so does your wireless network work for anyone else that uses it?

It works with my older laptop. That has XP on it.

[abhijit]

if you're trying to connect wirelessly to your router and it isn't working, you may not be connecting with the correct protocol or security key.

The connection to the router succeeds, but it won't let me connect to the internet.

[bloodsside14]

Check if your laptop see the wireless internet and if does check if your wifi has a wep key and type it so you can use your wifi and if does't apply check the setting of you laptop wireless card it could be the problem.

Tip: Try to turn off the firewall and try to connect. Let see what happen next.

[Lord Orwell]

you may need to log into your router and adjust some settings. Mine did not automatically allow internet access wirelessly.

[abhijit]

you may need to log into your router and adjust some settings. Mine did not automatically allow internet access wirelessly.

This is not a new router. I have forgotten the password to this router.
It is a netgear router.

Here are the screen shots. THere are two screenshots. kpitchitpong is the unsecured network, referred, in my earlier posts. My network is called CRAPNET.

Look, where it says "ACCESS". For my router, it shows Local Only and for the other connection it shows "Local & Internet".

[Lord Orwell]

then perhaps it's not giving dns to wireless? It's got to be a wireless setting. I suggest you google how to either reset your router, or try the default passwords if you never changed it.

[chris128]

but I thought he said when he connects a different laptop to this same wireless network it works fine..

[abhijit]

but I thought he said when he connects a different laptop to this same wireless network it works fine..

Yes. That's correct. My XP laptop is able to connect through the CRAPNET network.

[Lord Orwell]

Yes. That's correct. My XP laptop is able to connect through the CRAPNET network.

Then it almost has to be either:
1 the firewall settings
2 tcpip settings, which are required to connect to internet but not your own network. The tcpip stack may not be bound to the wireless adapter.
In vista, you are able to supply different firewall settings for each connection. I suggest you compare the wired connection firewall settings with the wireless one.

As a possible fix, have you tried running the wireless connection manager, part of the internet connection wizard? One of the possible networks you can set is "this computer connects to other computers on my network but does not connect to the internet". If you choose this, it won't give tcpip to that connection.

[chris128]

tcpip settings, which are required to connect to internet but not your own network. The tcpip stack may not be bound to the wireless adapter.

lol what are you talking about, his internal wireless network will use TCP/IP just like pretty much every other internal network in the world does... the wireless router will probably be set to dish out IP addresses from DHCP and when your machine picks one of these IPs up thats when Windows tells you that you are 'connected'. You can even make it say its connected when its not by just setting an IP address manually yourself. What protocol do you think its using to connect to the wireless network if its not using TCP/IP?

[bloodsside14]

Base on your screen shot the drawing is connected but on the status your disconnected. Try to off the firewall.. Maybe the firewall blocks it, is the problem why you are not accessing the internet.

Note: Just try other troubleshooting techniques and ask google for some tutorials for your problem.

[Lord Orwell]

lol what are you talking about, his internal wireless network will use TCP/IP just like pretty much every other internal network in the world does... the wireless router will probably be set to dish out IP addresses from DHCP and when your machine picks one of these IPs up thats when Windows tells you that you are 'connected'. You can even make it say its connected when its not by just setting an IP address manually yourself. What protocol do you think its using to connect to the wireless network if its not using TCP/IP?

the acronym stands for transfer control protocol/internet protocol.

ever hear of ipx/spx/netbios?

Some versions of windows when you set up networking (win2k and below) don't even install tcpip by default unless you tell them in setup you are connecting to an accessible network.

It is quite easy to set up a network without tcpip even installed on the computer. Just don't expect internet access unless you're running novell.

[chris128]

yeah I know what the acronym stands for an I know that there are other protocols but I doubt you can setup many modern wireless routers to use anything other than TCP/IP

[abhijit]

I am going to bring in a friend's router and test it out. I want to make sure it is not a wireless setting.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

[Lord Orwell]

yeah I know what the acronym stands for an I know that there are other protocols but I doubt you can setup many modern wireless routers to use anything other than TCP/IP

good point. Switches don't give a crap, but routers are almost exclusively tcpip, although i think some support netware.