DIY Networks - Manage Your Windows Vista Network Connections

Where to Configure your Network Connections in Windows Vista

Configuring your network connection or connections within Windows Vista is generally done in the Network and Sharing Centre found in Control Panel. In the Network and Sharing Centre you will find a link to Manage Network Connections, there you can edit the properties of your various network interfaces so that they can be configured to suit your network. Things like setting your IP address, joining wireless networks and much more can be performed in Network Connections. For simplicity we have documented this seperately to avoid repetition throughout the rest of the site. Once you know where it is its easy to go back there and make whatever changes are required. Some computers are set to put an icon on the taskbar down by the time for your network interface and if you have one of these icons it can save you a few seconds in getting where you want to go.

To get to Network Connections click on your start menu and then click on Control Panel. There are two different views that can be applied to Windows Vista, classic view makes the computer look more like earlier versions of windows although category view is the default Windows Vista style. If your start menu is in classic view you may not find control panel on the first level and instead you may have settings. Highlight settings if this is the case and you will see control panel appear to the right. Getting to the Network and Sharing Centre is slightly different depending on which view is applied. Once in control panel on the top left you will see Control Panel Home and Classic View. Click on the one you most prefer if you wish.

Vista Control Panel in Classic View With the Control Panel in Classic View the control panel will display with icons rather than categories. Usually the icons are displayed in alphabetical order. Double click on Network and Sharing Centre.

Vista Control Panel in its Default View In the default view the Control Panel in Windows Vista is divided into categories, one of those categories is Network and Internet. You will see in the Network and Internet category View Network Status and Tasks, Click on this to tale you to the Network and Sharing Centre.

The Network and Sharing Centre allows you to configure many common networking tasks such as file sharing, printer sharing and also allows the configuration of your network connections.

On the top left hand corner of the Network and Sharing Centre pane you will see a number of tasks that you can perform. Click on Manage Network Connections.

Once inside Network Connections you will see a number of different icons, one for each interface or network connection on your computer. You can double click or right click and select properties on your chosen connection to edit its properties.