[VISTA] Manage Wireless Networks

Soundman

Having a strange problem with the Vista Wireless Network Manager and can't seem to find a solution anywhere online. Was hoping someone else had this problem and managed to sort it out.

Basically what is happening is that none of the wireless connections or network keys that I use; home, girlfriend's, work, and one or two others, are being stored leaving me to have to enter the network keys/passwords every single time I want to connect. I am trying to set it up in the same way that I had on XP where it automatically connects to any of my preferred networks when they are in range.

If I try and add a network to the list manually, all goes well until I click OK. Then I just get an Access Denied message.

Running Vista Business on a Lenovo 3000 N200 laptop btw.

Anybody got ANY idea what is happening?


Also noticed that the wireless connection disconnects if I log my account off using Windows Key + L which never happened in XP. It always kept the connection running so my downloads kept doing their thing.

Suggestions welcome.

Thanks in advance guys and gals.

matt-dublin

check the little checkbox that says save this network.

or there should be a button fuirther in the wizard that says save this network for further use

ethernet

You can set them up manually for future use also.

Open up the properties for your wireless connection from the Network and Sharing Centre [or whatever it's called]. I realise the below screenshot is XP but it's very similar to Vista. Just hit Add and enter the wireless network's settings: SSID, encryption type and key, etc. Then you won't have to keep entering it each time.



Text

BKtje

This won't help you much but locking the machine keeps the network running for me on Vista Ultimate, however i have heard of this. Especially if you upgraded from XP

What you could try is disabling ipv6 if you don't use it. Think this sorted the problem for someone here before although he was also getting random disconnects even when pc wasn't locked.

_CreeD_

The problem is Vista is crap at dealing with non-broadcasting networks (i.e. they don't beacon the SID). You can enter the details manually and it will work, but then not show in the list next time UNLESS you untick the Connect Automatically option...good old Msoft. Set it up manually and tell it to save the connection but untick the auto-connect option then the network will always be visible under profiles.
For non-broadcast networks Windows is supposed to send out regular probes to try and connect to any that have been manually configured, it works fine in XP but seems borked in Vista. It's actually a bit more secure this way anyway, those network probes contain information about your configured network and are sent regardless of your actual location until you connect to any wireless network, unticking the auto-connect option in Vista stops the probes completely. You could be sitting on a train doing some work and for better or worse your PC is regularly sending out your private network's SID trying to see if it's there. Basically hiding the SID does very little to stop even a low-skilled attacker anyway when using Windows clients.

Soundman

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Keep them coming. I have tried everything suggested so far except disabling ipv6 which I will attempt to do now. I have got my SSID hidden but that is only recent, it was broadcasting up to a few days ago. Thought I'd try and change some settings on the router to see if that helped. It didn't.

The copy of Vista Business that is on my laptop isn't an upgrade. It's a Production Installation. The laptop is only about a month old.

Soundman

Just tried disabling IPv6 and still no joy. Anytime I try to add a connection in whatever way, automatically or manually I still get the same response...

ACCESS DENIED

_CreeD_

Make sure your account is a member of the Administrators group, don't assume it, verify.

Soundman

_CreeD_ wrote:

Make sure your account is a member of the Administrators group, don't assume it, verify.

First thing I did when I got the laptop. I'm fairly handy with computers. This is just driving me crazy though.

Soundman

Anyone else any suggestions? This is really getting on my manboobs now. Buying a new wireless router which I don't know if it will help but it's needed as I inadvertently borked my original wireless router by breaking the reset button. Woops.

BKtje

Have you tried running it as administrator (i don't mean logged in as an administrator account). Right click the "Manage wireless networks" and second option down should be "run as administrator". Tbh i don't think this will solve your problem but it's all i can think of at this stage....although you could also enable the actual administrator account on vista (its disabled by default and apparently has more power than even the administrator groups) and try logging into that and doing it (let me know if you are unsure how to enable the account). That said i wouldn't see why this is needed really.

Another extreme long shot is to update with the two fixes that were released yesterday for vista (will be on windows update next Tuesday). Thought i read somewhere (not on the official KB however) in there about auto reconnection to wireless networks after going into standby/hibernation. I realise this is slightly different but the root cause may be similar.

The thread about them is actually in this forum and can be found at http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055131985 if you don't know which one im talking about.

Long shots but im guessing your feeling a bit desperate at this stage

Soundman

Thanks for the suggestions B-K.

Unfortunately you can't right click on the "Manage Wireless Networks" link so can't run that as Administrator.

As far as I am aware I am the Ethereal High Administrator of Administrators on this laptop. I will have a look into that though.

Installed both of those released fixes as soon as I saw the thread on here the other day, but alas, no. My wireless remains unmanaged.

Thanks for the suggestions. Keep them coming if there are any others.

BKtje

Just checked and i actually have the same problem at home as u do (if i disable sid broadcast) so ill fiddle around with it a bit over the weekend and maybe i'll get lucky. Am kinda curious now to see if its fixable.

Will let ya know if i get anywhere.

Soundman

B-K-DzR wrote:

Just checked and i actually have the same problem at home as u do (if i disable sid broadcast) so ill fiddle around with it a bit over the weekend and maybe i'll get lucky. Am kinda curious now to see if its fixable.

Will let ya know if i get anywhere.

Cheers mate. I have re-enabled SSID broadcasting and still no joy though.

I'm using a Belkin54g wireless router if that helps at. all. Though it won't save the girlfriend's wireless settings either and she has a Netopia router (wireless).

Have to say though, this is the first problem with Vista that DOES have me stumped. I've been able to sort everything else I have come across that I needed to change to suit myself.

BKtje

I have no problems at all when SSID is enabled.
Using a linkysys wag54g.

I'll try get to the bottom of it over the weekend and will keep ya informed of any progress i make.

Soundman

Still need a solution to this if anyone can help.

Only thing that has changed now is that I got rid of the original ADSL Modem and Belkin Wireless Router and replaced them with the Netopia 2247NWG-VGx.

HELP!

Pwease????

Soundman

Grrr... Even a repair install of the Operating System didn't work. Though it did help me finally install the games which were initially refusing to install.

Anyone??????

Soundman

GOOD NEWS UPDATE!

Due to my screwing around with Vista a little TOO much. I ended up making it so unstable it was unusable. I had to do a complete fresh install. Once that was painstakingly done, everything seems to be working beautifully now. First time connecting to my home network and it saved it. Also was able to install the games from the Windows Features panel straight off.

Seems to me that it was a slightly corrupt install from Lenovo from the outset.

BKtje

Congratulatiomns that you finally got it sorted. As you may have guessed i didn't find a solution but thankfully it's not a big deal for me.