Re: Why wireless connection needs refresh (every 5 minutes) ?

From: Barb Bowman [MVP-Windows] (barb_at_nospam.com)
Date: 03/29/04 

Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 05:21:53 -0500

from one of my columns (
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/columns/bowman/02september09.asp
)

Windows XP SP1 also changes the default behavior of the 802.1x
authentication setting when used on wireless networks. When this
setting was enabled before applying SP1, if no authentication server
was found, the setting was ignored and a persistent connection could
be obtained. Stricter enforcement under SP1 prevents attaching to a
rogue access point. If 802.1x authentication (which must be used with
WEP) is enabled under SP1, if no authentication packet is received
after three minutes, the connection will be dropped. During the
installation of SP1, any settings enabling 802.1x authentication for
wireless connections will be removed. If you find that you lose your
connection every three minutes, authentication may be enabled on a
network that does not have authentication servers. Verify that 802.1x
authentication is turned off if your network has no authentication
server by following these steps:

On 28 Mar 2004 16:46:34 -0800, spellinellen@yahoo.com (Ellen Spelling)
wrote:

>"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 

--
Barb Bowman
Expert Zone Columnist
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
MS-MVP (Windows)
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