🚀 go-pugleaf

"JP" <jpurvisno_spam@telus.net> wrote in message news:<MJP8c.9160$wg1.1656@edtnps84>...
> "I think I know what's going on.  I had a similar issue with my
> wireless network. I had made the mistake of associating authentication 
> using WEP with Network Authentication. I think you have your wireless 
> connection set for Network Authentication.  Mine would cycle, connecting 
> for a while then disconnecting.  I had strange dropped connections. 
> Unchecking 802.1x network authtication fixed my problem.

>> I use an 802.11g wireless connection, and I know that the 
>> WinXP Windows Zero Configuration applet searches for a new 
>> wireless connection every 3 minutes using WZCSVC services
>>  C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe -k netsvcs
>>  First Failure:  TAKE NO ACTION      (1st. 3 minutes)
>>  Second Failure: RESTART THE SERVICE (2nd. 3 minutes)
>>  Third Failure:  RUN A PROGRAM       (3rd. 3 minutes)

OK. Now you did it. I'm mad. Really mad. :)

After months of frustrating intermittent wireless connection
dropouts (even with a very strong 11Mbps signal strength), you 
instantly fixed all my Win XP IBM A31p built-in wireless 
drop outs simply by un_checking the WinXP setting for 802.1x 
authentication! That's just too easy! See the GUI shots at:
http://westras1.west.asu.edu/westconnect/step.asp?os=xp&conn=w&step=5

But un_checking 802.1x authentication isn't really what irks me 
so badly (yet, I wonder, why is it the darn default setting)?

What gets me is I have NO IDEA what this is or why it works or
what Wireless Zero Configuration is or why it failed me. 

Sure, I read the PC Magazine article mentioned in this thread
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1544557,00.asp (see below)
but I didn't understand it (or how it related to my problem).

I even read "Discover the Wireless Zero Configuration Service"
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/qa/qa20040311.shtml 
and similar Winxp WZCS wireless configuration service summaries 
at http://www.winplanet.com/winplanet/tips/5304/1/ and at
http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/webmaster/article.php/3325471
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/columns/cableguy/cg1102.mspx
http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/wireless/2003/09/26/ssid.html
http://unit.villanova.edu/support/menu/wireless/wireless_zero.html
etc.; but I still don't get why un_checking 802.1x authentication 
made my wireless connection to my D-Link router more reliable 
(when there was no other choice of connections available anyway).

I don't (to my knowledge) have any wireless connections nearby
(none show up in the status window; but then I have WinXP set 
to access "Access point (infrastructure) networks only" instead
of accessing "Any available network (access points preferred)" 
or of accessing "Computer-to-computer (ad hoc) networks only."

Note: I'm not a computer whiz. I'm just a mother who has a laptop.

Can someone explain why un_checking the WinXP 802.1x authentication
enabled my built-in Thinkpad wireless card on Windows XP to keep
a more reliable connection to my nearby D-Link wireless router?

Ellen


>> Keep Your Wireless Connection from Changing
>> By Neil J. Rubenking
>> April 6, 2004
>>
>> I use an 802.11g wireless connection, and I know that the 
>> Windows Zero Configuration applet searches for a new 
>> connection every 3 minutes. I have found that if this 
>> applet is disabled at boot-up, the wireless connection is 
>> not made, but if WZC is stopped shortly after a wireless 
>> connection is made, the connection stays active indefinitely, 
>> barring outside influences. I have been using Services.msc 
>> to stop WZC (I have it in my start-up folder), but I have 
>> to scroll to the bottom of the Services window to access 
>> WZC to stop it. I would like to find a faster way to do 
>> this, perhaps in the form of a shortcut to a batch file 
>> that would start or stop the service, or a shortcut directly 
>> to WZC within the Services window. 
>> Can you tell me how to accomplish my goal?
>
>Andrew Carsell
>
> Wireless networks are becoming more and more common. 
> It's not at all unusual to be within range of several. 
> If your connection stutters, WZC may try to hook you up 
> with a different connection. Yet, as this reader notes, 
> if WZC is off at start-up, the system may not connect at 
> all. You don't have to open the Services dialog, scroll 
> to the bottom, double-click on Wireless Zero Configuration, 
> and click on the Stop button. Instead, you can create a 
> shortcut.
>
> Open Windows Explorer and navigate to C:\Windows\System32 
> (or C:\Winnt\System32 if you're running Windows 2000). 
> Locate the file Net.exe. Right-drag it onto the Desktop 
> and choose Create shortcut(s) here when you drop it. 
> Click twice slowly in the filename area and name the 
> shortcut Stop WZC. Right-click on the shortcut, choose 
> Properties, and click on the Shortcut tab. The Target 
> field will probably show C:\WINDOWS\system32\net.exe. 
> Append a space to this, followed by stop wzcsvc 
> (don't forget the space before stop). 
> If you like, repeat these steps and create another 
> shortcut to start the service; just replace stop 
> with start. 
> 
> Now to install the Wireless Zero Configuration service 
> on your system, just follow the procedure outline below:
>
> 1. Click the Start button, and then click Control Panel.
>
> 2. In the Control Panel window, if you're in Category View, 
>    then under Pick a Category, double-click the Network 
>    and Internet Connections icon (if you're in Classic View, 
>    click on the Network Connections icon and skip to step #4).
> 
> 3. In the Network and Internet Connections window, under the 
>    Control Panel icon, double-click the Network Connections icon.
>
> 4. In the Network Connections window, under LAN or High Speed
>    Internet, click to select the Local Area Connection icon.
> 
> 5. On the menu bar, click File and select Properties from the 
>    file menu. (Altneratively, right-click on the Local Area 
>    Connection icon and select Properties from the context menu).
> 
> 6. In the Local Area Connections Properties window, on the 
>    General tab, click the Install button.
> 
> 7. In the Select Network Component Type window, in the Click 
>    the type of network box, click to select the Service icon.
> 
> 8. Click the Add button.
> 
> 9. In the Select Network Service window, click the Have Disk 
>    button.
> 
> 10. Click the OK button.
> 
> 11. In the Install From Disk window, click the Browse button.
> 
> 12. In the Locate File window, browse to the C:\Windows\Inf 
>     folder (this is a hidden folder).
> 
> 13. Click to select NETWZC.INF.
> 
> 14. Click the Open button.
> 
> 15. In the Install from Disk window, click the OK button.
> 
> 16. In the Select Network Service window, in the Network Service 
>     box, select Microsoft as the manufacturer, and then click
>     to select Wireless Zero Configuration.
> 17. Click the OK button. 
> 
> At this point you'll need to reboot your PC. With that completed, 
> you should find that the Wireless Zero Configuration service has 
> been successfully installed on your system and you should now 
> have access to the Windows Network tab.
> 
> NOTE: If you don't see the Wireless Network tab when you go back 
> into the Network Properties Page, then the most likely reason is 
> that the service did not start. To initialize it, open 
> Administrative Tools in the Control Panel and select Services. 
> Scroll down to Wireless Zero Configuration, Right-click on it, 
> and select Start. The service is now enabled, and the 
> Wireless Network tab will be visible in Network Properties.
> 
> The final thing for you to do now is to go back to the Q&A 
> column that discussed how to configure the Automatic 
> Configuration for Multiple Networks and finish setting up 
> your boss' laptop computer. You can find the article at 
> http://www.practicallynetworked.com/qa/qa20031120.shtml