Private or public network? Random?

Lamberto Vitali · Mar 8, 2023

I've googled this and find every opinion under the sun. How does windows determine if it's connected to a public or private network, and why does it always get it wrong? It even changes it's mind from one day to the next! Very annoying since Windows Firewall wants me to allow a program access through a supposably different network when I've changed nothing. It's just a desktop connected to a router by an ethernet cable. Nothing weird, fixed IP, always the same, yet Windows can't make up it's mind!

Brink · Mar 8, 2023

Hello,

If you like, you can add a "Change Network Location" context menu from the tutorial below to make it easy to toggle the current network connection as needed.

Network Location Context Menu - Add or Remove in Windows 10

How to Add or Remove Change Network Location Context Menu in Windows 10

www.tenforums.com

Lamberto Vitali · Mar 8, 2023

I've read from a google search if you change it, it gets changed back. Any way to make it permanent?

Also I'd really like to know HOW it works out what the type of network is.

Ghot · Mar 8, 2023

Lamberto Vitali said:
I've read from a google search if you change it, it gets changed back. Any way to make it permanent?

Also I'd really like to know HOW it works out what the type of network is.

I always run my comp on "Public". IMO, it's just more secure.

This explains it, pretty much...
Settings > Network & Internet > ...and in my case: Ethernet

Gibson Research Corporation - Shields Up!

I don't play any online games that need ports opened.
I don't do Skype, Discord, Teams... or anything like that.

Lamberto Vitali · Mar 8, 2023

Mine is currently private. The problem is it's changing it by itself. Tomorrow it might be public, then the next day private again. It makes the firewall have a hissy fit.

Ghot · Mar 8, 2023

Lamberto Vitali said:
Mine is currently private. The problem is it's changing it by itself. Tomorrow it might be public, then the next day private again. It makes the firewall have a hissy fit.

I don't know why yours does that. Mine stays the same. BUT, I use Bitdefender Internet Security, so that may have something to do with it.

I have Bitdefender set like this, but as far as I know... the Windows setting over-rules this setting??

Maybe it stays on Public, unless something I do requires it to be Home/Office (Private).

All I know for sure is that if Shields Up! gives me a.. "Passed", then I'm a happy camper.
This message from Shields Up!, just gives me a warm fuzzy feeling.

Your system has achieved a perfect "TruStealth" rating. Not a single packet — solicited or otherwise — was received from your system as a result of our security probing tests. Your system ignored and refused to reply to repeated Pings (ICMP Echo Requests). From the standpoint of the passing probes of any hacker, this machine does not exist on the Internet. Some questionable personal security systems expose their users by attempting to "counter-probe the prober", thus revealing themselves. But your system wisely remained silent in every way. Very nice.

My system is...

Lamberto Vitali · Mar 8, 2023

Since it's obviously badly broken, I don't think it's protecting me at all, so I'll just stop caring if it's public or private. In fact counterintuitively, public is safer.... I'll just have to tick both boxes whenever that pesky firewall complains. I only use the firewall to stop specific programs phoning home. I'm not a security conscious person. My router and AV software should block anything nasty.

cereberus · Mar 8, 2023

Public is a PITA if you want to RDP to other PCs over a LAN.

I only ever use public on my travel laptop when outside home network.

Lamberto Vitali · Mar 8, 2023

I use Remote Desktop (3rd party software) to connect to other machines on my network. I've never known that to fail on public. The firewall might have asked me first.

I don't use the built in one because for some crazy reason it actually disables the remote machine's graphics card! And I run calculations on the graphics card. The very calculations I'm trying to monitor remotely! It's weird they haven't fixed that bug by now.

cereberus · Mar 8, 2023

Lamberto Vitali said:
I use Remote Desktop (3rd party software) to connect to other machines on my network. I've never known that to fail on public. The firewall might have asked me first.

I don't use the built in one because for some crazy reason it actually disables the remote machine's graphics card! And I run calculations on the graphics card. The very calculations I'm trying to monitor remotely! It's weird they haven't fixed that bug by now.

I did not say it fails but is PITA setting up network connections.

I do not use 3rd party software over LAN as RDP is superior imo.

Lamberto Vitali · Mar 8, 2023

It doesn't cause me a problem. I just enter the windows network name and it connects to it.

I assume when you say "RDP" you mean the built in windows remote desktop? RDP just means remote desktop protocol, and is used by all sorts of programs. The windows one simply does not work. It disables the remote graphics card! It also creates a new login, so you don't actually see what's really on the screen, it behaves as though two people were logged into the machine. It's a mess. And it's why the 3rd party ones exist. And as I said, they don't care about that silly public setting.

cereberus · Mar 8, 2023

Lamberto Vitali said:
It doesn't cause me a problem. I just enter the windows network name and it connects to it.

I assume when you say "RDP" you mean the built in windows remote desktop? RDP just means remote desktop protocol, and is used by all sorts of programs. The windows one simply does not work. It disables the remote graphics card! It also creates a new login, so you don't actually see what's really on the screen, it behaves as though two people were logged into the machine. It's a mess. And it's why the 3rd party ones exist. And as I said, they don't care about that silly public setting.

Windows RDP is far more efficient in response/latency etc..

It is not really designed to be like Teamviewer which is more for remote assistance. These are more for connecting over internet.

It is really designed to run remote systems as headless devices on a LAN. I have a remote file server with no monitor. MS RDP is perfect for this.

I see no reason to use 3rd party apps when MS RDP totally fulfills my needs.

I also use it to connect to virtual machines on my pcs from a mobile phone.

Horses for Courses.

Lamberto Vitali · Mar 8, 2023

But it doesn't work for the two reasons I gave. You don't see the screen that's actually there for the person already logged on, so useless for troubleshooting. And it turns off the GPU, which may be in use! Two fatal bugs they should have fixed eons ago.

And "remote systems as headless devices on a LAN" is exactly what I'm doing, and it doesn't work.

Private or public network? Random?

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