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I have a laptop that I use on several different networks, some of which use DHCP and others which require a static IP address. On Windows XP I was accustomed to being able to simply set up as many LANs as I wanted, and just enable/disable them as and when needed. I can't seem to find the option to do this on Windows 7, and have had no luck with searching Google or Super User. If I go to Control Panel
> Network and Sharing Center
> Set up a new connection or network
> Set Up a Network
, I get the following message:
Choose the wireless router or access point you want to configure
It might take up to 90 seconds for unconfigured devices on your network to appear.
However, nothing appears, and I never had to wait for it to detect devices on Windows XP.
If instead, I go to Control Panel
> Network and Sharing Center
> Change adapter settings
, there is no option to add a new network, unlike Windows XP which had this option in the equivalent screen.
How then, can I add new networks? I am aware of the "Alternate Configuration" option within the IPv4 settings, but this is not a solution for me as I need more than two configurations.
EDIT: An example of what I would like to do:
Control Panel
> Network and Sharing Center
> Change adapter settings
Inside there I might have 5 different configurations for a single NIC, named "work", "home", "college", "friend's house", etc. Each would have their own unique settings e.g. "college" might be configured to use DHCP, "work" configured to use a static IP address, and "home" configured to use a different static IP address. Depending on where I am, I can then just enable the connection I need, so that I don't have to transport/update the settings every time I switch.
Do you mean VPNs? I don't recall XP allowing you to add more LANs than network cards were available. – MDMoore313 – 2013-02-05T18:43:41.073
I will try it on an old XP machine when I'm at work tomorrow and confirm. – Jon Bentley – 2013-02-05T19:04:22.523