Wireless Auto Configuration User Interface

The user interface for Wireless Auto Configuration in Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2) and Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 consists of the following:

•	Wireless Networks tab
•	Messages in the notification area
•	Choose a wireless network dialog box
•	Services snap-in

Wireless Networks tab

The user interface for configuring the way in which Wireless Auto Configuration automatically connects to a wireless network is the Wireless Networks tab, available from the properties of a wireless adapter connection in Network Connections. The following figure shows the Wireless Networks tab for Windows XP with Service Pack 2 and Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1.

The Wireless Networks tab only appears for wireless adapters that support Wireless Auto Configuration.

On the Wireless Networks tab, you can view and configure the following:

•	Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings Select this check box when you want Wireless Auto Configuration to automatically configure your wireless settings. If you have third-party wireless software that you want to use, clear this check box. This option is enabled by default.
•	Available networks You can view the list of wireless networks that are within range of your wireless adapter by clicking View Wireless Networks.
•	Preferred networks The list, by order of preference, of wireless networks with which the wireless client will attempt to connect and authenticate. To add a new wireless network that does not appear in the Choose a wireless network list, click Add. To remove a wireless network, click Remove. To configure the settings of a wireless network to which you are connecting, click Properties.
•	Advanced To configure advanced wireless settings that are independent of the wireless networks to which you are connecting, click Advanced. You can use these advanced settings to specify whether you want to connect only to infrastructure or ad hoc wireless networks, and whether you want to attempt to automatically connect to wireless networks that are not in your preferred list (by using the Automatically connect to non-preferred networks setting, which is disabled by default).

You can configure whether you want Wireless Auto Configuration to automatically attempt a connection to the network on the Connection tab for the properties of a preferred wireless network. The Connect when this network is within range checkbox specifies whether you want the wireless client to automatically connect to the wireless network when it is in range (the default setting) or you want to connect to this network on demand, by double-clicking on it from the Choose a wireless network dialog box. The following figure shows an example.

Messages in the notification area

If there is a condition that requires either user notification or intervention, Wireless Auto Configuration prompts you with a message in the notification area of your desktop. The following figure shows an example.

See full-sized image.

Choose a wireless network dialog box

When Wireless Auto Configuration determines that you must select from the list of available networks, it prompts you with the "One or more wireless networks are available" message, as shown in the previous figure. When you click on the message, the Choose a wireless network dialog box is displayed, allowing you to select an available network with which to attempt a connection. When Wireless Auto Configuration successfully connects to the selected network for the first time, it is automatically added to the top of the list of preferred networks, grouped by type of network (ad hoc or infrastructure mode).

The following figure shows an example of the Choose a wireless network dialog box for Windows XP SP2 and Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1.

Services snap-in

You can use the Services snap-in (available in Administrative Tools) to view the current status of and stop, start, or restart Wireless Auto Configuration (named Wireless Zero Configuration). You can also manage Wireless Auto Configuration from the command prompt by using the Net tool. For example, to stop Wireless Auto Configuration, type net stop wzcsvc at a command prompt.

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How Wireless Auto Configuration Works

For the initial scan of available networks, Wireless Auto Configuration performs the following process:

1.	Wireless Auto Configuration attempts to connect to the preferred networks that appear in the list of available networks in the preferred networks preference order, if the preferred networks are configured to automatically connect (the Connect when this network is within range checkbox is selected on the Connection tab for the properties of the preferred wireless network).
2.	If there are no successful connections, Wireless Auto Configuration attempts to connect to the preferred networks that do not appear in the list of available networks, in the preferred networks preference order. This is done so that a Windows wireless client can connect to a hidden wireless network, one that is either not broadcasting its SSID or broadcasting an SSID of NULL. Configuring hidden wireless networks is used as a security measure to prevent malicious users from detecting and attempting a connection to a wireless network. However, the SSID is included in other types of wireless connection management frames and is easily discoverable by either capturing wireless management frames or using tools available on the Internet.
3.	If there are no successful connections and there is an ad hoc network in the list of preferred networks that is available, Wireless Auto Configuration tries to connect to it.
4.	If there are no successful connections and there is an ad hoc network in the list of preferred networks that is not available, Wireless Auto Configuration configures the wireless network adapter to act as the first node in the ad hoc network.
5.	If there are no successful connections to preferred networks and there are no ad hoc networks in the list of preferred networks, Wireless Auto Configuration checks the Automatically connect to non-preferred networks setting.
6.	If Automatically connect to non-preferred networks is enabled, Wireless Auto Configuration attempts to connect to the available networks the order in which the wireless adapter sensed them.
7.	If all connection attempts to non-preferred networks fail or if Automatically connect to non-preferred networks is disabled, Wireless Auto Configuration creates a random wireless network name and places the wireless network adapter in infrastructure mode. After this, the wireless adapter is not connected to any wireless network but continues to scan for preferred wireless networks every 60 seconds. This behavior prevents the Windows wireless client from accidentally connecting to a wireless network that does not appear in the list of preferred networks. You are then prompted with the "One or more wireless networks are available" message in the notification area.

For subsequent scans, Wireless Auto Configuration determines if there are any changes in the wireless environment that require switching the connection. If the Windows wireless client is already connected to a wireless network and there is no other preferred network higher in the preference list that has not been attempted already, Wireless Auto Configuration maintains the existing connection. If the Windows wireless client is already connected to a wireless network but a more preferred wireless network becomes available, Wireless Auto Configuration disconnects from the currently connected wireless network and attempts to connect to the more preferred wireless network.

The operation of Wireless Auto Configuration provides the following:

•	The first time a wireless adapter is added to a computer running Windows XP or Windows Server 2003, Wireless Auto Configuration prompts you with the "One or more wireless networks are available" message in the notification area, which leads you to select a wireless network by using the Choose a wireless network dialog box. After you select a wireless network and the connection is successful, the selected network is automatically added as a preferred network, and you are no longer prompted with the "One or more wireless networks are available" message whenever you are within range of it. For an organization, this is the typical process for manually configuring the initial connection to a private wireless network. After the initial configuration, Wireless Auto Configuration connects (then maintains the connection to) the organization wireless network. When you take your laptop computer to an airport or another location with public wireless access, Wireless Auto Configuration first attempts to connect to your preferred network. When that connection attempt fails, you are prompted again with the "One or more wireless networks are available" message to connect to the public access wireless network.
•	If there are two preferred wireless networks and the most preferred one is not initially available, Wireless Auto Configuration configures a wireless connection to the next most preferred network. When the most preferred network eventually becomes available, Wireless Auto Configuration automatically switches the wireless client connection to it after the next scan.
•	Because Wireless Auto Configuration attempts connections to preferred networks in the available networks list before attempting to connect to preferred networks that are hidden, Wireless Auto Configuration will connect to a preferred network that is broadcasting its SSID before it will connect to a hidden preferred network, even if the hidden wireless network is higher in the list of preferred wireless networks.
•	You cannot manually connect to a hidden wireless network if the Connect when this network is within range checkbox is cleared on the Connection tab for the properties of the preferred wireless network. Because the wireless network is hidden, it is not displayed in the Choose a wireless network dialog box and cannot be manually connected. You must select the Connect when this network is within range checkbox to connect to the hidden network.