# Win 7 networking question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 8, 2010, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-7-networking-question/528167 "2010-02-08T18:21:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-7-networking-question/528167/1 "2010-02-08T18:21:16Z")
Yesterday, we decided to update my wife’s work computer from Windows Vista to Windows 7. After 8 hours of work, it’s finally running Win7, with massive problems. I think I can solve most of them, but only if that computer will network. I have a home network, containing both Macs and a variety of Windows machines. The contents of the old Vista drive are backed up on a WinXP machine and a Mac. Right now, all of the computers on the network see the Internet, and everything talks to everything else _except_ the Win7 machine. It doesn’t see any other computers on the network, and none of them see it. I can’t find any settings to change or anything to tweak. Clearly, the Win7 machine is working with the router (it connects to the Internet), and all of the other computers are working with the router (they connect to each other and to the Internet). What can I do? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-7-networking-question/528167/2 "2010-02-08T19:16:05Z")
Have you disabled IPv6? If you open up a command prompt, can it PING the other machines? By number? By name? Can they PING it? ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-7-networking-question/528167/3 "2010-02-08T19:42:39Z")
Go to Control Panel -\> All Control Panel Items -\> Network and Sharing Center -\> Advanced sharing settings Then turn on file and printer sharing ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-7-networking-question/528167/4 "2010-02-08T19:46:37Z")
In that vein, did you choose a Home network a public network? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-7-networking-question/528167/5 "2010-02-08T22:01:34Z")
Thanks for all of the suggestions. I ended up disabling the Windows firewall, and everything suddenly appeared. Now I can go through and figure out what specific openings I need to leave. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-7-networking-question/528167/6 "2010-02-08T22:12:13Z")
At a guess, when you set up Windows, you told it you were on a public network, so it locked things down hard. You should tell it you’re on a home network. ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-7-networking-question/528167/7 "2010-02-08T22:48:34Z")
Win7 has modes like home and public network. If you chose public then a lot of things are disabled via the firewall. I bet if you switch to home mode and enable the firewall, you’ll be good. Or leave as is. Your router is doing firewall duties in this scenario anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-7-networking-question/528167/8 "2010-02-09T16:18:36Z")
No, I set it up as a home network from the get-go. But we’re making progress now, so I think I’ll be good. Thanks again.