Since upgrading my work laptop from XP to W7, the OS is severly impeding my work flow! I change my IP address many times per hour when installing, configuring, troubleshooting IP based appliances - WAP, IP cameras, NVRs, routers, etc. Normal users do not have these issues. It seems every vendor uses a different IP subnet for their default value. I deal with many customers all with different IP subnets. Windows 7 makes life VERY difficult and some utilites would be very helpful to all IP tech support folks. In XP just getting to the IP settings was fairly simple. Now, in W7 I have many times more clicks or actions simply just to set a very temporary static IP. If I have 10 appliances to install for 10 customers per day, you should get the picture. Time is $!!! It is simply too dificult, as is. Can I have a desktop icon that goes directly to the IP settings? I'm asking for a one click solution. After getting the temporary static IP setting, now I have to wait sometimes up to 5 minutes for the network location to be set. This is a no value added process for my type of work. Again, time is $, the customer's money to be precise. I can't afford this so-called feature 100 times per day! I get so mad and frustrated!!! All of my "networks" are ALWAYS set to HOME. I must be able to run IP scanners and such. I seek to kill this feature forever! I HATE all the silent dialogs that minimize to the start bar with NO indicator that the OS is waiting on me. How many hours have I lost and billed the customer because some stupid dialog is hiding from me? Such dialogs must pop to the top level of my desktop. Again, time is $. Let's stop wasting so much of it, please. My dream solution would allow for many IP "profiles" and a hot swap utility to instantly set temporary static IPs. I would set one profile per customer subnet and one profile for each vendor default subnet. I could then hot swap my IP to initialize for an EnGenius access point or Netgear router. Then I set the appliance to the customer's subnet and reboot the appliance. Then I could hot swap my IP to that same customer's subnet for more configuring/testing. This should take about 60 seconds per device instead of the 10 minutes per device under Windows 7. Such a feature would save my customers many hours of billable time and save my sanity. I don't care if this "New" network is netork 10,666! Just curious, what is the maximum number of stored networks? Can this be reset? Think about the big picture for IT pros, please. I don't want to hate Windows7. I shoud desire it for use at work. While we are at this, lets include an IP scanner into this same feature/utility. A WireShark mode would also be killer to add. A wifi scanner with signal level in dB for all available WAPs would be ultra cool, too. Don't forget the channel # and security type. Who else has need for friendly installer/troubleshooting features?

Hi, Based on my researched, it’s impossible to create a desktop icon or use Bat file to go directly to the IP settings. You can create a shortcut of Local Area Connection on the desktop, when you want to set IP, you can double click it, then click “Properties” and double click “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)”, three steps totally. Thank you for your understanding. Regards, Leo HuangPlease remember to click Mark as Answer on the post that helps you, and to click Unmark as Answer if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Thanks for the feedback. If it is that difficult for the OS to access something so simple as the IP address, then the task of having multiple IP "profiles" that can be instantly set for hot swapping static IPs remains only a dream. This concept seems like a viable commercial application that would sell millions of copies... Can I turn off the categories of network types - home, work, public? This so called feature is costing businesses millions of $ for their IT support staffers. Another HUGE time waster is the lack of instant access to sending printer test pages. From the W7 Devices and Printers GUI, I can see my printers. If I select one of them and right click, the MOST IMPORTANT feature is missing? How is it possible NOT to include a print test page for instant gratification? How many more clicks are needed to perform the most often troubleshooting method. Sometimes finding that option is maddening. Restoring printer connectivity is one of the most requested IT support calls! Why make life so hard for IT support staffers? In many ways W7 is MUCH worse than XP for folkes like me. How is this possible? To be fair, W7 for the typical user is much better and I like it from that point of view. At the end of the day after answering countless calls for help, I should feel good about the tools native to W7. I should be glad I saved the customer so much time and costs. Can progress towards this goal be considered by the developers of the W7 OS? Please make it so.

How many millions of wasted man hours must occurr before better tools are available? Since my first posting, I estimate that I spend at least 2 hours per week waiting on extremely slow OS operations. It is the customer who pays for such wasted time. Sure, I get aggrivated having to click so many times to perform basic routines over and over and over! It seems unfair to the millions of small business who pay the price for lack of robust IT tools. By the end of my career, how many months of my life will have been wasted waiting on the OS to perform such basic operations? So, how do I create the desktop icon for one click access to the Local Area Connection? Thanks, Kurt