Adapters and binders and provider order priority may cause chaos

Recently two of our accounting software users have reported problems that correspond to whether their PC's wireless Internet connectivity is enabled or not.   In one case, a Windows 7 Pro PC connected to Advanced Accounting across a network "stops working" when connected wirelessly for Internet access (normally the PC is without Internet access).  In another case (operating system unknown, probably Windows 7) , the software installed on the local drive and not networked operates as expected when the PC is wirelessly connected to the Internet, but the user experiences "run program not found" types of error messages when that connectivity is disabled.

Locally installed programs (on-premises software in today's jargon) usually do not care whether Internet connectivity is available or not, much less whether it is wired or wireless and that is certainly the case with Advanced Accounting.

Network adapter and binders priority and/or provider order settings that have been changed by other program installations may be responsible for these problems.

Microsoft has a tendency to to put wireless connections at a priority with newer PC operating systems.   Also certain programs may install themselves as having priority potentially creating  slowness.

We note for example that the Teamviewer VPN likes to insert itself as first priority under Adapters and Settings.  This was a result of its installation and not because we placed it there:

TeamViewer VPN made itself first priority.  Even if we used it very often (we don't),
it would still be advisable to move Local Area Connection by highlighting it and then 
using the arrows at right to instead make it the first priority.

If you have wireless connections set before your local wired network, move your wired network above them.  Wired networks are always faster (and safer) and so if you have one, make it the priority.

Even Microsoft Terminal Services puts itself as the first network provider:

Move Microsoft Windows Network to the top by highlighting it and 
then using the arrow buttons at right.

Whether these changed priority settings would lead to local software not loading at all would be unexpected, however, it is known that bad or corrupt settings can lead to drive mapping failures including errors such as "Network path cannot be found."

Some examples:

http://www.tpateman.co.uk/reboot/unable-to-access-unc-paths-and-map-drives/

http://weblog.west-wind.com/posts/2013/Apr/04/UNC-Drive-Mapping-Failures-Network-name-cannot-be-found


To review and potentially change the order of Adapters and Bindings as well as your Provider Order, see below.


XP Pro:



On the desktop, right-click My Network Places, and then click Properties.

On the Advanced menu, click Advanced Settings.

On the Provider Order tab, in the Network Providers list, click Web Client Network.

Press DOWN ARROW so that Web Client Network is the last provider in the list, and then 
click OK.

Alternatively, you can change the network provider order in the registry. The registry 
entry is:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\NetworkProvider\Order\ProviderOrder
The default value of this entry is RDPNP,LanmanWorkstation,WebClient.  

Above based on:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/832161


Windows 7 including Win 2008 and 2008/R2:


See:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2526067

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/change-network-protocol-bindings-order#1TC=windows-7

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732472(v=ws.10).aspx


Windows 8/8.1:

www.laptopmag.com/articles/change-connection-priority-windows


Windows 10:

http://blogs.technet.com/b/networking/archive/2015/08/14/adjusting-the-network-protocol-bindings-in-windows-10.aspx


Make your local workstation and wired connections the first priority via these options, i.e. before  any wireless or other connections.  Occasionally re-check these settings.  If nothing else, your local network connectivity should be faster.