Windows shows "Limited Connection" when it isn't
Nice. You would have thought setting EnableActiveProbing
to 0 would have the opposite effect.
This article explains exactly where the key is for. It can disable the probes to msftncsi.com
which is to check if you have a good internet connection.
When a Windows machine connects to a network, there are two technologies, Network Location Awareness (NLA) and Network Connection Status Indicator (NCSI); it uses to automatically identify the network it is connecting to and whether or not it has access to the Internet.
It also explains why you have a “limited” connectivity icon (with all the problems that come with it).
Setting this value to 0 will disable active probes. A potential side effect is that, the machines may determine that they don’t have internet connectivity and display a or exclamation “!” on the network icon and “limited” connectivity in the network UI.".
In this case (if you have a good internet connection) setting it back to 1 would get rid of the “limited” connectivity.
There is probably some tool you used, that sets this to 0. When the problem occurs again, check the value, and if it's 0 again there is a tool that's doing it on the background.
Edit:
If you really don't want the check to msftncsi.com
i think you need to set multiple options: (source)
Set the following key in the registry (as it was for you):
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NlaSvc\Parameters\Internet\EnableActiveProbing
set it to:0
Edit GPO (
gpedit.msc
for a local machine orgpmc.msc
if AD domain wide):
Computer Configuration
>Administrative Templates
>System
>Internet Communication Management
>Turn off Windows Network Connectivity Status Indicator active tests
set to:ENABLE
Edit a second GPO:
Computer Configuration
>Policies
>Administrative Templates
>Network Connections
>Do Not show the “local access only” network icon”
set to:ENABLE
But if you can live with the checks to msftncsi.com
i would leave them enabled.
For the really paranoid among us there is also the option of running your own NCSI-server
(explained here).
Edit #2:
If there is a utility that's changing the value of EnableActiveProbing
to 0
every couple of days (and you can't find it) you could create a EnableActiveProbing.reg
on your Desktop and run it once you encounter the problem. (easier then digging through regedit.exe
):
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\NlaSvc\Parameters\Internet]
"EnableActiveProbing"=dword:00000001
And... even easier... you could create a batch-file that disables your "Local Area Connection", changes the registry key EnableActiveProbing
back to 1
and enables the network connection again...
(i know, i'm lazy):
EnableActiveProbing_and_restart_connection.bat
:
netsh interface set interface "Local Area Connection" DISABLE
REG ADD HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NlaSvc\Parameters\Internet /v EnableActiveProbing /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
netsh interface set interface "Local Area Connection" ENABLE
I hope you find the culprit that is changing the key soon...