Thank you!! very interesting! I have sp2. So - ok - I clicked on the msoft link - it does mention sp2. Talked to my son and he said he disabled ssid and it wouldn't connect. He also said that I don't have another control utility. I am just really frustrated at this point! Not frustrated enough to disable the password protection though - YET!! LOL Cris ----- Original Message ----- From: Bran x86 To: pctechtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2007 5:49 PM Subject: -=PCTechTalk=- Re: wireless connection - not staying connected if you use the Microsoft Windows XP SP 1-based Wireless Zero Configuration service to manage your wireless (aka, the "built-in client"), you're probably running into a horrible bug that Microsoft calls<http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;811427&Product=winxp>"behavior by design." The gist of this is as follows: if your wireless network is set to *not* broadcast your SSID, Microsoft's wireless manager will periodically drop your non-broadcasting WiFi connection in response to the presence of a *broadcasting* SSID-based network. You won't fully associate with that network, but the service will pop-up and tell you that there are multiple wireless networks to join, even if you have removed all other networks from your preferred settings (this contradicts Microsoft's report, which says it *only* affects preferred networks). The upshot of this is that you, the user who changes his default SSID and then sets it to not broadcast<http://www.arstechnica.com/paedia/w/wireless-security-howto/home-802.11b-1.html>(as most security guides, and most hardware setup guides will tell you to do), now gets dropped off your network when you neighbor shows up with his new D-Link wireless router and not only fails to change the SSID from default to something else, but does not turn off broadcasting, either. While many may debate the security benefits of disabling SSID broadcast, it is a practice that is recommended by most manufacturers of wireless products. Your options are two (2.5, really): you can set your own router to broadcast your SSID, which it resolved the problem. Alternatively, you can stop using the Windows Wireless Zero Configuration service and instead opt for another wireless client, namely that which came with your wireless card. Additional testing revealed that if your wireless settings are already configured and correct, you can actually stop and then disable the Wireless Zero Configuration service. The wireless still works, but your Wireless tab will disappear in Networking properties. This solution is not ideal, but it could be used in a bind. On 6/12/07, Cris <cris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > win xp > linksy's wireless g > -- Please remember to trim your replies (including this sentence and everything below it) and adjust the subject line as necessary. To unsubscribe or change your email settings: //www.freelists.org/webpage/pctechtalk To access our Archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PCTechTalk/messages/ //www.freelists.org/archives/pctechtalk/