Internet connection network thingy is "forgotten" every time I turn the computer off.

[positiveattitudeonly]

....so when I turn the computer on, each time I have to "Create a network" and restart the computer again. What am I doing wrong? Or is it just like an annoying teenager who forgets to clean its room whenever I stop saying it every hour, on the hour!!

Please don't get too technical as I am easily confussled with techical things!

Many thanks.

Need some basic information:

What is your operating system
Are you on a laptop?

Do you have multiple users, and are you logged in as Administrator level, or a "limited" user?

What network connection are you making (presumably not dial-up but is this for a cable or wi-fi dongle or mobile network) ?

In case it's not to do with being "just" a user, it might help to say what you are using (Windows XP ? Vista ? or something else). Also that you are closing the machine down properly, not just hitting the power switch...

Just clutching at straws at the moment as I cannot think of any particular reason...

Oh. Finally, it is your own machine, not a laptop from work ? (If it is from work then there might be some settings locked to use it on the office network.)

Thanks for the replies.
Sorry, I am really not very technical, but I will try to answer the questions!

Its for broadband. It is a wireless router, but I have a wire going from the router to the computer.
It is a PC. My laptop is fine and uses the wireless router with no trouble.
It has windows XP.
I am not sure about being logged on as administrator - On my laptop I sign on as administrator, but on the PC it does not go to that page first, but straight to the desktop.
No, not a work computer.
Yes, the computer is closed down the proper way, but I do confess we are leaving it on a lot of the time, just so that we don't have to "create a network" every time we want to use it. Once it is there its absolutely fine, just not there when we turn it off and go back to it.

Many thanks to you both. I hope I have given you the right information and am not showing my total ignorance too much.

Don't worry - you've answered a lot in that post.

In one way I'm glad it is Windows XP (as there were definitely problems with some of the earlier Windows concerning losing login details for dial-up etc).

On the other hand, I don't see any simple answer to this particular problem. Will have a think and do some searching (and keep fingers crossed that someone else has come across this before).

It's a bit of a long shot, but try creating a user with a password so that you have to sign in to Windows each time you start up (Start -> Control Panel -> User Accounts -> Create New Account).

Thanks again. MrAnchovy - tried that, but not worked, sorry.

Its no real problem I suppose, just a bit of a faff and annoying. It works, so that is good, I suppose. - vast improvement on no computer at all for kids to do revision on!

Thanks, if anyone comes up with a genius plan please post and I will look regularly and try again.

i am really encouraged that you didn't all go "Der, just do ...." If you geeky lot don't know its made me feel a lot better that I don't either!!

Final try - I once fixed a similar problem by replacing the network lead. Look at the lead you are using to connect to the router: does it have Cat5E or Cat6 printed on it? If nothing or just Cat5, try swapping it for a higher-spec'ed one.

Thanks Mranchovy - It has a CAT5 on it, so I will try to get to the computer shop and get another one, but I am going a way for a few weeks, so not sure I will be able to do that until I get back. So I am not ignoring your advice, but will let you know at the beginning of November if I have had any luck.

Thank you very much.