I have an issue which has annoyed me for months and months and no one seems to be able to help. Bascially, my PC is plugged into an ether cable, which provided the internet very nicely for me until one day, for a reason which now escapes me, I decided to connect to my wifi. Now, everytime I turn the PC on it connects to my damn wifi! I hate wifi with a passion, the only reason I have it set up is for my other pc, my Wii and my iphone. No matter what I try, no matter who I ask I just can't solve this problem. I imagined, in my stupidity, that it would be a simple process of 'disconnect from wifi' and 'don't auto connect to wifi' to 'connect to cable' but no such options seem to exist.

I even deleted the wifi connection but still no luck. According to my PC I am connected to a wireless connection that doesn't exist and there is absolutely no cable attached. See screeshots which make next to no sense to me....

Showing I am connected to WIFI

Suggesting no WIFI exists....

Thinks I have no cable....

Proves that a cable has been plugged in at some point (it has never been unplugged)

If anyone can help me I would be very grateful! :(

Have you tried uninstalling all networking devices? From that last screen shot it looks like it's got its drivers in a right muddle.

Right click Computer, go to Manage, then go to Device Manager.

Expand up Network Adapters, then right click, and uninstall on each one listed.

Restart your PC, then see what's listed under Network Connections. It "should" automatically reinstall the correct drivers for each device.

Have you tried uninstalling all networking devices? From that last screen shot it looks like it's got its drivers in a right muddle.

Right click Computer, go to Manage, then go to Device Manager.

Expand up Network Adapters, then right click, and uninstall on each one listed.

Restart your PC, then see what's listed under Network Connections. It "should" automatically reinstall the correct drivers for each device.

And if it doesn't? lol

Sometimes Windows doesn't control the wifi connection. Often it's proprietary software that came with the wifi hardware. Double check this isn't running by having a look in the taskbar. (bottom right hand side, near the clock. Hover cursor over each icon and see what it comes up with.)

Someone's been fiddling with your pc, probably to play games over the net because Hamachi is installed.

You could always go into the device manager as described below, find the wifi network hardware, right click it and select "disable".

Is the cable plugged into the same router that provides the wireless network? Universal Plug and Play will pick up the name of the device whether you are connected via ethernet cable or wireless...

The first screen shot show the the Local Area Connection is connected to the internet via a device named "wifi". It looks to me as your computer has remembered the tag the network was given in the past even though you are connecting via a different method

Edited 13 June, 201016 yr by Raglits

If it doesn't auto install them, then i'd download them and reinstall manually.

Realtek LAN Drivers

Ralink Wifi

Windows doesn't call `Wireless networks` Wifi, and it's showing the symbol for a wired connection and identified a wired connection.

You sure somebody hasn't been playing with the registry to screw with your mind?

Sometimes Windows doesn't control the wifi connection. Often it's proprietary software that came with the wifi hardware. Double check this isn't running by having a look in the taskbar. (bottom right hand side, near the clock. Hover cursor over each icon and see what it comes up with.)

The only thing internet related down there is the thing that says 'currently connected to....'

Someone's been fiddling with your pc, probably to play games over the net because Hamachi is installed.

No, no...that was me

You could always go into the device manager as described below, find the wifi network hardware, right click it and select "disable".

I'm sure I did something like that....

Is the cable plugged into the same router that provides the wireless network? Universal Plug and Play will pick up the name of the device whether you are connected via ethernet cable or wireless...

The first screen shot show the the Local Area Connection is connected to the internet via a device named "wifi". It looks to me as your computer has remembered the tag the network was given in the past even though you are connecting via a different method

Yes it runs through the router..... do you mean it might be on the ether but calling it wifi? I don't think so though...

If it doesn't auto install them, then i'd download them and reinstall manually.

Will it let me go on the net if nothing is installed?

Thanks so far guys, will try some things when I have more time! lol... anymore ideas keep them coming just incase!

Windows doesn't call `Wireless networks` Wifi, and it's showing the symbol for a wired connection and identified a wired connection.

You sure somebody hasn't been playing with the registry to screw with your mind?

I called it wifi myself.... or col did.... well someone did, I do remember this....

quite possibly! I would blame Colin, but he hasn't touched it since this happened, so it must have been me :( lol

Will it let me go on the net if nothing is installed?Thanks so far guys, will try some things when I have more time! lol... anymore ideas keep them coming just incase

Probably not, so I'd download them before doing removing the devices.

Windows doesn't call `Wireless networks` Wifi, and it's showing the symbol for a wired connection and identified a wired connection.

You sure somebody hasn't been playing with the registry to screw with your mind?

Not by default, but it does allow you to name network connections and looking at Loz's later post this is what has happened in the past. Windows has remembered the device and even though it is connecting via the ethernet cable that is the name it is using for the connection between itself and the Internet.

As we can see from the screen shots, the connection is via the ethernet port and not the wireless and the confusion has arisen from the fact that Windows is displaying a name that Loz was not expecting to see

Not by default, but it does allow you to name network connections and looking at Loz's later post this is what has happened in the past. Windows has remembered the device and even though it is connecting via the ethernet cable that is the name it is using for the connection between itself and the Internet.

As we can see from the screen shots, the connection is via the ethernet port and not the wireless and the confusion has arisen from the fact that Windows is displaying a name that Loz was not expecting to see

I was making the point (as you have) that it isn't windows saying it's a wireless network, just that it thinks it's the same network.

You should be able to create a new home network connection with a name like home and be done with it.

Women and technology fail

You wouldnt have this problem with an ipad lol

You wouldnt have this problem with an ipad lol

No it just wouldn't connect at all

Why do you have 2x LAN icons, and why is LAN 1 showing as wifi?

Seems like you've altered your LAN connection into a wifi one.

ok...... So we're thinking it's on the cable but calling itself wifi? If so I've no idea how it's done that. The wireless network was named about 2 yers ago when the pc was set up. The only thing I've done since is delete a wireless connection as ever since I connected to wireless that's what it was telling me. If this is the case, how come it sometimes has issues connecting as though it is on wireless? .....

ok...... So we're thinking it's on the cable but calling itself wifi? If so I've no idea how it's done that. The wireless network was named about 2 yers ago when the pc was set up. The only thing I've done since is delete a wireless connection as ever since I connected to wireless that's what it was telling me. If this is the case, how come it sometimes has issues connecting as though it is on wireless? .....

It could be the DSL connection itself that's having the issue. Mine was playing up yesterday for some reason, think BT were working in the area... My phone line leaves the house and goes to a telegraph pole, and I did notice yesterday morning a line hanging down from the pole. I'm thinking when BT or Openreach or whoever it is that fixes these problems sorted it, they messed my line up for a while too. Router has been fine ever since as the uptime on the DSL connection is solid again whereas yesterday morning it was struggling to stay up for more than a few minutes at a time