User cannot connect to his home-network

Question

Hello!

We've handed out a new laptop (Win 10 pro) to a new user and I have no reason to believe that this laptop had been configured in any other way than usual. This user connected to our network via cable and WLAN without problems and then went home to work from there. But there she cannot connect to her private WLAN (even after a restart). She is receiving this message (translated from German):
"The network-administrator denies any simultaneous connection with your work network and another network."

("Der Netzwerkadministrator lässt keine gleichzeitige Verbindung mit Ihrem Arbeitsplatznetzwerk und einem anderen Netzwerk zu.")

What might trigger such problem - and even more: How can I help that user?

Regards

Bernd Leutenecker

Answer 1

Does "ipconfig /all" or ncpa.cpl show a connected network? How about an "ipconfig /release"?

Sounds like a group policy restriction. Maybe the one below from gpedit.msc. Or click on "All Settings" and then the State column to sort them. Review enabled settings.

Answer 2

Hello @Bernd Leutenecker

Besides the GPO option proposed in \Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Windows Connection Manager\Prohibit connection to non-domain networks when connected to domain authenticated network

I think this is a simple adjustment to Ethernet LAN priority settings in Windows 10.

Follow these simple steps below and both devices will be functioning concurrently.

1. Go to network and sharing center in control panel.
2. Select change adapter settings
3. Right click on your Ethernet device and select properties on popup menu.
4. In properties menu, click configure button.
5. When configure menu, select advanced tab.
6. In advanced menu, under property list, look for "Priority & Vlan" and select it.
7. Look in value list to the right and select disable toggle.
8. Click Ok, on your way back out of menus and wait 15 seconds until system updates new value.

You have just disabled your Ethernet LAN priority so it will function together with your WIFI.

Hope this helps with your query,

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--If the reply is helpful, please Upvote and Accept as answer--

Answer 3

Hello!

The hardware-managing colleague had indeed manually set another key on this specific model which I was unaware of, but not the one mentioned above (Windows Connection Manager).

When connecting a USB-C-dockingstation with a LAN-connection it was not possible to use that LAN-connection instead of a Wi-Fi-connection, so my colleague tried to solve this on that specific laptop with this manual registry setting:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WcmSvc\GroupPolicy
He added this key:
Name: fMinimizeConnections
Typ: REG_DWORD
Value: 3 (Prevent Wi-Fi when on Ethernet)

Source:
https://admx.help/?Category=Windows_10_2016&Policy=Microsoft.Policies.WindowsConnectionManager::WCM_MinimizeConnections

After removing that key the user could connect to his home-WiFi-network and then through VPN to work.

The affected user told us, that she could use the laptop in her office first via Wi-Fi, but afterwards via LAN-cable too - but we didn't check if there really had been an ethernet-connection. I assume that she just didn't notice that she still used our Wi-Fi - which is not available at her home.

The basic problem still exists now: Should someone connect this laptop-model to a local network using an ethernet-cable attached to the USB-C-dockingstation but having first used Wi-Fi, the LAN-connection is not used.

Regards

Bernd Leutenecker