Wireless.... Aargh
Discussion
What a pain. I have a customer who has two sets of Toshiba Satellite Pro A10 laptops. One set use the Agere wireless chipset, one use Intel.
They all fell off the wireless network after SP2 rolled out automatically :irked:
I got the Agere's back on after updating the driver, but the Intel's have a lovely idiosyncracy. The driver is quasi user mode. It only activates using a logged in account post login. That's about as much use as a chocolate fireguard in a domain environment :irked:
After mucho digging, it appears you have to install the Single Sign On driver And Pre Network Service (That's almost the name, but not quite, brains frazzled!)
This combination authenticates to a RADIUS server to keep the wireless connection active when the user logs off.
What a PITA, I've got to set up RADIUS etc just to get the wireless working to enable the laptops to actually log on.
It's a generic Intel 8022B? driver, because Toshiba don't do a driver for XP with the Intel chipset.
Anyone else hit this or got a sneaky workaround?
They all fell off the wireless network after SP2 rolled out automatically :irked:
I got the Agere's back on after updating the driver, but the Intel's have a lovely idiosyncracy. The driver is quasi user mode. It only activates using a logged in account post login. That's about as much use as a chocolate fireguard in a domain environment :irked:
After mucho digging, it appears you have to install the Single Sign On driver And Pre Network Service (That's almost the name, but not quite, brains frazzled!)
This combination authenticates to a RADIUS server to keep the wireless connection active when the user logs off.
What a PITA, I've got to set up RADIUS etc just to get the wireless working to enable the laptops to actually log on.
It's a generic Intel 8022B? driver, because Toshiba don't do a driver for XP with the Intel chipset.
Anyone else hit this or got a sneaky workaround?
UpTheIron said:
What a PITA, never come accross this, but then I don't manage any domains or use XP 
Or let XP SP2 "rollout out automatically"
End user networks.... It's still the lesser of two evils
Ex, that may come in handy! Have you got any good primers on setting up and using RADIUS on 2K3 kicking about? I've installed the RADIUS server (IAS) but I got fed up and left site to do my homework
Why they can't just write a system level driver I'll never know
I started out using the ZCU this morning with the Intel cards. They would acquire a DHCP address and then promptly fall off the network a random time later. The Agere's had the same problem, so I updated the drivers and they started behaving, but the Intel's just wouldn't. It's been a FFS, this should work day 
kinda day, so I've walked away to clear my head.
If I use the Intel ProSet, they acquire a DHCP address and stay on the network indefinitely. Unfortunately when you log off, they disconnect and you can't log onto the domain. Current train of thought, set them up to authenticate to RADIUS in the background.
However, if anyone has any insight as to why they fall off the network when using the ZCU then I'm all ears.
I'll recap where I am:
If you go into the advanced settings in ZCU and re-enter the passphrase, they go straight back on the network.... And then fall off a short while later. The IP address is back to the autoconfigure address
I'm using WEP, and I've opened up the access point nearby. It's visible and using channel 1 so it's not a US driver limitation with the access point running above channel 11.
DHCP leases are set to one day, the machines can reaquire at will. 802.1x is turned off when using ZCU and the windoze firewall is disabled.
WTF have I missed?
FFS, this should work day kinda day, so I've walked away to clear my head. If I use the Intel ProSet, they acquire a DHCP address and stay on the network indefinitely. Unfortunately when you log off, they disconnect and you can't log onto the domain. Current train of thought, set them up to authenticate to RADIUS in the background.
However, if anyone has any insight as to why they fall off the network when using the ZCU then I'm all ears.
I'll recap where I am:
If you go into the advanced settings in ZCU and re-enter the passphrase, they go straight back on the network.... And then fall off a short while later. The IP address is back to the autoconfigure address
I'm using WEP, and I've opened up the access point nearby. It's visible and using channel 1 so it's not a US driver limitation with the access point running above channel 11.
DHCP leases are set to one day, the machines can reaquire at will. 802.1x is turned off when using ZCU and the windoze firewall is disabled.
WTF have I missed?
Done that, there's access points all over the shop, but we made sure it's on channel 1 and there's no conflicts.
AP's are fine, been working for a couple of years and the Agere's work quite happily with them.
So, why would the ZCU drop the IP address after a few minutes when ProSet doesn't? That's the missing piece of the puzzle.
AP's are fine, been working for a couple of years and the Agere's work quite happily with them.
So, why would the ZCU drop the IP address after a few minutes when ProSet doesn't? That's the missing piece of the puzzle.
I *think* they are the ones I was using, I downloaded the ones from Intel yesterday, but maybe not that exact version. I did install directoy over the top, so that may have something to do with it.
Are you using the ZCU to connect now? When I used Proset, it works just fine, but the problem is it needs to be logged in first, hence won't get on a domain.
Are you using the ZCU to connect now? When I used Proset, it works just fine, but the problem is it needs to be logged in first, hence won't get on a domain.
Good thinking about the secondary IP 
If that works, I'll use it as a workaround.
We need some protocol boys here to figure the problem out. Unfortunately the driver/ZCU doesn't provide any feedback or obvious method of debugging that I can see.
I don't fancy doing any packet traces, as all that will tell me is something is broke and needs a patch.
The obvious question that needs answering is why would ZCU drop a valid DHCP lease? Know the answer to that and we will find the solution. I'm not back on site until Wednesday, so I haven't got any feedback.
Edited to add
Can you try this out?
The reason you get the 169.254.XXX.XXX address is because Windows will apply that address as a default if it does not receive a DHCP assignment. It has been my experience that this happens before a DHCP connection is made sometimes putting you on the wrong subnet. The fix is easy ... defeat the automatic IP assignemnt feature in XP.
Do the following: (from the Microsoft website)
With REGEDIT open
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesTcpipParameters.
Click on the parameters folder
Click Edit
Click New and then click DWORD Value
Enter the following: IPAutoconfigurationEnabled
Righ click the new entry and then click Modify
Verify that the value is zero or make it 0.
Exit Registry editor and reboot.
The zero value disables the auto IP assign feature. To re-enable either delete the DWORD entry or change the value to 1.
Now when you boot up your network address will have be whatever the DHCP assigns.
>> Edited by BliarOut on Friday 7th October 18:14
If that works, I'll use it as a workaround.
We need some protocol boys here to figure the problem out. Unfortunately the driver/ZCU doesn't provide any feedback or obvious method of debugging that I can see.
I don't fancy doing any packet traces, as all that will tell me is something is broke and needs a patch.
The obvious question that needs answering is why would ZCU drop a valid DHCP lease? Know the answer to that and we will find the solution. I'm not back on site until Wednesday, so I haven't got any feedback.
Edited to add
Can you try this out?
The reason you get the 169.254.XXX.XXX address is because Windows will apply that address as a default if it does not receive a DHCP assignment. It has been my experience that this happens before a DHCP connection is made sometimes putting you on the wrong subnet. The fix is easy ... defeat the automatic IP assignemnt feature in XP.
Do the following: (from the Microsoft website)
With REGEDIT open
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesTcpipParameters.
Click on the parameters folder
Click Edit
Click New and then click DWORD Value
Enter the following: IPAutoconfigurationEnabled
Righ click the new entry and then click Modify
Verify that the value is zero or make it 0.
Exit Registry editor and reboot.
The zero value disables the auto IP assign feature. To re-enable either delete the DWORD entry or change the value to 1.
Now when you boot up your network address will have be whatever the DHCP assigns.
>> Edited by BliarOut on Friday 7th October 18:14
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