Member Avatar for Violet_82

Hi there I have recently bought a usb network adapter () . It works fine in linux but in windows 7 I can't connect the laptop to the internet, for some reasons it keeps connecting to, it says, an unknown network and the connection is limited, it won't go on the internet in other words. I have installed the drivers.
If I use a normal network cable and look at the usual Network and sharing centre in win 7, under connection it says Local area connection and under access type it says Internet. If I use the adapter instead under local area it says Local area connection 2 and my active network is an Unidentified network
I have attached 2 screenshots, cable.jpg when it is connected to the cable and adapter.jpg when it is connected to the adapter
Now does anybody know how to fix this and get the adapter to work with Windows 7?
One possible hint might come from the network diagnostic. While attempting to troubleshoot it came up with the followin message:
"Problem found: Local Area connection 2 doesn't have a valid IP configuration".
So I connected the cable got the ip address and all the relevant details and copied them over to the IPV4 after disconnecting the cable and reconnecting it to the usb adapter, only to get this error message:
"The ip address you ahve entered for this network adapter is already assigned to another adapter on this computer,if the same ip is assigned to both adapters and they both become active only one of them will use this address. This might result in incorrect system configuration,do you want to fix the problem by entering another IP for this adapter in the list of ip addresses in the advanced dialogue box?"

any advice much appreciated, thanks a lot

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Dani AI

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A few practical notes that build on what , and suggested and that explain the specific messages seen here. The fact the dongle works in Linux points to a Windows configuration/driver issue rather than a broken device. The duplicate‑IP warning is the real clue: the same static address was applied to both the wired NIC and the USB adapter. Windows will not reliably use the same IPv4 address on two adapters at once, so the second interface ends up as an "Unidentified network" (no usable default route or lease).

Checks and safe recovery steps commonly used on Windows 7:

  • Inspect current assignments with ipconfig /all and route print to see which adapter holds the gateway.
  • Reset the TCP/IP/Winsock stacks if things look inconsistent; then re-check addresses.
ipconfig /all
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt
netsh winsock reset
netsh interface ipv4 show interfaces
route print

If a static IP is required (for P2P or a fixed setup) follow these rules rather than copying the same address between adapters: give each adapter a distinct IP in the same subnet, do not configure two active default gateways (leave the secondary adapter’s gateway blank and add specific routes if needed), or control which adapter is preferred by setting the interface metric (IPv4 Properties → Advanced → uncheck Automatic metric and enter a number, or use netsh interface ipv4 set interface "<name>" metric=XX). Another tidy option is adding multiple IPs to one physical adapter (IPv4 → Advanced → Add) instead of assigning the same address to two different adapters.

Also clean up drivers and hidden devices in Device Manager (View → Show hidden devices), confirm the Windows‑7 specific driver is installed, and on the adapter’s Power Management tab uncheck any “allow the computer to turn off this device” box. For persistent "Unidentified network" location behavior, the Network List Manager policy in Local Security Policy (available on Pro/Ultimate) controls how Windows classifies unidentified networks — change with care.

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Member Avatar for caperjack

while in network sharing center did you click to create a new connection or network and choose internet connection ,and tell it auto find the ip,I think something like that anyway
I know you likely already done that ,
try uninstalling and reinstalling the driver for the dongle

Member Avatar for JorgeM

You shouldn't have to apply a static IP configuration. Set your adapters to DHCP and allow them to obtain addresses automatically.

If you are still having an issue with the adapter, I would uninstall it from Device manager and let windows rescan and reinstall. If you have the correct driver that should fix the issue.

Member Avatar for johhny-marshal

After installing Network adaptor you have to go to settings in internet connection properties and select auto select IP to yes. You do not need to enter any IP it will auto detect the IP.

Member Avatar for Violet_82

hi guys thanks for that, I usually have a static ip address all the time...not quite sure why, I think it has something to do with getting faster connection to peer to peer network or something, not even sure. I have now set my ipv4 to obtain the ip automatically and for now it seems to work. I will post back in here if the connection drops again later tonite.

Member Avatar for caperjack

good luck ,happy computing

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