Network Settings

[Guest]

Hello, this is a quick question, just wondering where in Windows it remembers to store network settings and data. I found where it stores information for wireless, but I can't seem to find where wired connections are stored. Either for Windows 7 or 8.1. 

[Samfisher]

Hello, this is a quick question, just wondering where in Windows it remembers to store network settings and data. I found where it stores information for wireless, but I can't seem to find where wired connections are stored. Either for Windows 7 or 8.1. 

What kind of information?

[Altecice]

The Registry.

 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces

[Guest]

 

The Registry.

 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces

command prompt?

[Altecice]

command prompt?

 

Regedit.exe (start > run)

Be warned the Registry is a bad place to be if you are not comfortable with it, you can break things very quickly.

[Guest]

What kind of information?

Basically all of it, I found the wireless ones in control panel > network and internet > network and sharing center > manage wireless networks. It should be in a GUI or something 

[Guest]

Regedit.exe (start > run)

Be warned the Registry is a bad place to be if you are not comfortable with it, you can break things very quickly.

Is there a different option that I could use then?

[Altecice]

Is there a different option that I could use then?

 

control panel > network and internet > network and sharing center > change adapter settings > (find your interface) > Right-click the interface, Properties.

 

or 

 

from command prompt type in IPCONFIG /ALL

[Guest]

control panel > network and internet > network and sharing center > change adapter settings > (find your interface) > Right-click the interface, Properties.

 

or 

 

from command prompt type in IPCONFIG /ALL

in control panel, that's only for currently active networks, I'm looking for all networks and their settings (current and previously connected) 

[Samfisher]

in control panel, that's only for currently active networks, I'm looking for all networks and their settings (current and previously connected) 

There's no such thing for ethernet as they don't have connection names unlike WiFi.

[Guest]

There's no such thing for ethernet as they don't have connection names unlike WiFi.

But there must be settings of wired connections stored somewhere because when you connect with wired it will store if it is set to public home or work network types each time you connect 

[MeshFile]

Why do you want to see them? To change their network location to private, etc? Look for it on secpol.msc under Network Lists Manager Policies. 

[Guest]

Why do you want to see them? To change their network location to private, etc? Look for it on secpol.msc under Network Lists Manager Policies. 

Because I want to know which networks I have connected to in the past so if I ever forget or need to make changes the next time I connect 

 

For the second bit, where is that at?

[Guest]

secpol.msc did not work on my laptop running windows 7 but it did work on my desktop running 8.1, not sure if it's because of the OS version I have the laptop's OS is an OEM Home Premium or maybe it's just because some settings are turned off or something 

 

edit - important - 

 

yeah so I talked with HP and those features are only on windows 7 pro and above, i'll be putting windows 8.1 pro on my laptop and go from there 

[Principis]

Because I want to know which networks I have connected to in the past so if I ever forget or need to make changes the next time I connect

For the second bit, where is that at?

Wait what?! Dude it's ETHERNET it connects automatically you don't need to change anything...

[leadeater]

@Yames Windows will only store information on network adapters settings, such as IP etc, and only for the current settings. It does not store any history of such things, but it does keep track of each network adapter that has been installed in the computer and it's last IP configuration (except DHCP).

 

As @Altecice point out  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces , this is where it is kept.

 

History of wired networks you have connected to are not kept, the location type (Home, Work, Public) are but that's it. You can't go back and look at network configuration settings like IP etc. You also can't do that for wireless either, the wireless profiles only keep the SSID, password etc to connect to them not how to setup the adapter for network access once connected.

 

If this is not what you meant or need any clarification let us know.

[Guest]

Wait what?! Dude it's ETHERNET it connects automatically you don't need to change anything...

Are you retarded?

[braneopbru]

Are you retarded?

For a guy that called me a dick a couple of days back, you sure are acting like one yourself right now.

[Guest]

For a guy that called me a dick a couple of days back, you sure are acting like one yourself right now.

Because when you connect with wired, the network can still be unsafe. That's why it remembers public, work, or home each time you connect with wired. IF he had read my previous entries. 

[braneopbru]

Because when you connect with wired, the network can still be unsafe. That's why it remembers public, work, or home each time you connect with wired. IF he had read my previous entries. 

 

That has nothing to do with the actual wired connection. A wired connection is 100% secure. Nobody can see what is being transferred unless they can physically access the wiring or the switch that the wring is plugged into. Once the traffic moves out of the physical wire and into the switch/router, it is no longer an issue of the wired connection being insecure, it is an issue of the traffic being insecure - but this makes no difference whether you are on wired or wireless. 

 

The work, home, public settings that you are referring to have nothing to do with the wired connection; they apply to any connection, wired or wireless and they affect such things as file sharing and network discovery. Again, those are things which are issues that affect both wireless and wired.

 

If you are talking about your home network, stop obsessing about "security". Read through all that material that I gave you the link to and then if you have any questions, ask.

[Guest]

That has nothing to do with the actual wired connection. A wired connection is 100% secure. Nobody can see what is being transferred unless they can physically access the wiring or the switch that the wring is plugged into. Once the traffic moves out of the physical wire and into the switch/router, it is no longer an issue of the wired connection being insecure, it is an issue of the traffic being insecure - but this makes no difference whether you are on wired or wireless. 

 

The work, home, public settings that you are referring to have nothing to do with the wired connection; they apply to any connection, wired or wireless and they affect such things as file sharing and network discovery. Again, those are things which are issues that affect both wireless and wired.

 

If you are talking about your home network, stop obsessing about "security". Read through all that material that I gave you the link to and then if you have any questions, ask.

It's the people that have the wired connection. Not everyone that has the wired connection are trusted. 

[leadeater]

If you are talking about your home network, stop obsessing about "security". Read through all that material that I gave you the link to and then if you have any questions, ask.

 

I would have to agree with this sentiment. But before even going and studying anything to do with network security or systems security getting a very good foundation knowledge of networking is required, to a minimum of Cisco CCNA. Without this knowledge it is easy to focus on incorrect areas or even do things which make security worse or no different. I suspect this is the type of material @braneopbru pointed you to anyway.

 

There are even more basic things you need to know like the difference between a hub and switch, which would let you know that in a switch scenario only network traffic goes to the intended locations. Plugging a network capture device in to another port will only see traffic destined to it or broadcasts.

 

Also network security can only do so much, it is critically more important that the transport layer for the data flow is encrypted and this has nothing to do with network design. You can encrypt traffic at the network layer all you like but once it hits the internet or 3rd party network it is decrypted and insecure. End to end encryption at the application level is the only true means of security, in addition to best practice network design.

[Principis]

Are you retarded?

I think you are the one who is retarded... This is the stupidest thing I have ever read on this forum...

[Guest]

I think you are the one who is retarded... This is the stupidest thing I have ever read on this forum...

Obviously did not read anything. Typical children. 

[Blake]

Because when you connect with wired, the network can still be unsafe. That's why it remembers public, work, or home each time you connect with wired. IF he had read my previous entries. 

Just so you know these settings are firewall profile settings. Private, Public and Domain. On consumer windows releases (core, home, pro), they just re-name them, but they still do the same thing.

 

to change which profile is on which adapter:

Open Windows Firewall with Advanced Security

Click on Windows Firewall Properties

Click the Private Profile Tab

Click Customize

Check or uncheck the interface to change if the profile applies to it.

Click OK

 

You can also use netsh to change this: netsh advfirewall set privateprofile state on

 

On windows 7 you could click the icon next to the network name and change the profile there from within the network and sharing center