If you want to see the Network connections icon on your windows taskbar notification area, it is very easy to do. It can be quite handy having the Network connections icon there for you to see as it will let you know if there is a problem with your connection. If you have a wireless network connection you will see the same icon pictured left, but there will be wireless signals coming from it.
Why do you need a network connections icon in your taskbar notification area?
There are some great benefits to having a network connections icon in your notification area in your taskbar. The Network connections icon will let you know if you have low connectivity, an Ip address conflict, or even if you have no internet connection at all. For example a yellow triangle appears over your network connection icon in the task bar when there is an Ip Address conflict or a bad internet connection. If you have a low wireless signal a balloon message will stem form the network connection icon notifying you of the problem.
How to show your Network connection icon in the taskbar?
- Go to the start menu and choose control panel. Then double click on the Network Connections icon.
- Now choose your internet connection adapter. I am using LAN ( Local Area Connection) which is with a Ethernet cable. Yours may be a wireless adapter. Right Click on your connection and choose properties from the menu.
- On the general tab of the Local Area connection properties there is a box that says Show icon in notification area when connected. Tick this box to show the network connections icon in the taskbar.
Watch this video tutorial on how to add a network connections icon to your taskbar.
This video shows how to put a network connection icon in your notification area in Windows XP. It also shows you all the benefits to having a network connections icon available in the taskbar.
How to put a network connections icon in the Notification area in Windows Vista?
If you go to your connection properties in Windows Vista there will not be a box to tick to enable the network connection icon. If you want to place a network connection icon in the taskbar in Windows Vista then follow these steps:
Go to the start icon in The left corner of the Windows Vista desktop.
- Right click on it for a menu to appear.
- Choose Properties from the menu
- The taskbar and start menu properties will appear.
- Go to the notification tab.
- Tick the box next to network to show the network connections icon.
- Press apply and Ok.
- Add Network Printer Applies to Windows Vista
- Add Network Printer Applies to Windows XP
- Enable Printer and File sharing How to enable in Windows XP And Vista
- Path to your network printer How to find the path \\server\printer
- Set Network printer permissions Set who can change printer settings in Windows XP and Vista
- Sharing Files How to share files with other computers on your Network
- File Sharing between Windows XP and Vista See how to set up file sharing between these two operating systems
- See what files are being shared What computer is sharing what file on your home network?
- Enable Printer and File sharing How to enable in Windows XP And Vista
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The above post showing how to show system status for the network in the tray does not show how to make it hapen in Win-7.
Can you update this?
My icon was working very well until few days ago. Last week played solitaire with internet on. I am on dial up site. Have a Dell Windows Vista laptop. When I followed your web info it said my radio is disabled. What does that mean and how do I fix it??? Thank you, Judy Brown
Hi, Nice blog , thanks for the information i am going to buy this soon aswell, will give it a try and let you guys know how it is.
The above tip is fine for those running WinXP but the whole point to this is suppose to make it easier for you to “Hover” your mouse cursor over the tray icon and see a baloon tip pop up showing the connection speed.
Win-7 will not do this, it will only tell you that you are conected but NOT what the speed is.
thank you so much i was about to pull my hair out. It was so simple the way you displayed it.
I tried to put the wireless icon in the notification area, but the little box in the notification area of the Taskbar and Start menu Properties is gray and will not accept a check mark. Any ideas? I am loged on as a Guest user, using Vista.
Thank you so much!! I spent half an hour trying to find the right box to tick!!