Unsecured network given priority over secured.

My secured wireless connection is being dropped by WindowsXP in favor of my
neighbors unsecured connection. This happens more frequently at night for
some reason. During the day I have no problem with the connection.

My System
-----------
Router:
LinkSys WRT54G with latest firmware

Client:
LinkSys WMP54G with latest drivers.
WindowsXP Home with all updates
Located one floor up and one room over from router.

- I've selected the option to require secure networks only but Windows
still connects to my neighbors unsecured network.
- I've given my network priority in the Available Wireless Networks
configuration but it is still dropped and I can't eliminate the unsecured
network from the available networks.
- There is only one wireless client on this network and I have the router set
for Wireless-G only.
- My Neighbors connection is Wireless-B


Any ideas?

"Eric H" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news(E-Mail Removed)...
> My secured wireless connection is being dropped by WindowsXP in favor of
my
> neighbors unsecured connection. This happens more frequently at night for
> some reason. During the day I have no problem with the connection.
>
> My System
> -----------
> Router:
> LinkSys WRT54G with latest firmware
>
> Client:
> LinkSys WMP54G with latest drivers.
> WindowsXP Home with all updates
> Located one floor up and one room over from router.
>
> - I've selected the option to require secure networks only but Windows
> still connects to my neighbors unsecured network.

I didn't know XP had a global option that said "connect to secure networks
only". I'm not a Windows expert, so I could be wrong. I have XP Home with
all updates, and the only settings I can find concerning security are on a
per-connection basis. That is, for each specific SSID I can enter the
particulars about security requirements. But for any SSID I don't
specifically configure, I assume connection is possible without WEP. Is your
neighbor's SSID configured? If not, you might try configuring it with a
bogus WEP key and putting it at the bottom of your preferred list. Probably
won't work, but worth a try.

> - I've given my network priority in the Available Wireless Networks
> configuration but it is still dropped and I can't eliminate the
unsecured
> network from the available networks.

Is your neighbor's router on the second floor of his house? You may get a
stronger signal from it than from your router, especially if you are going
through floors with steel-reinforced concrete, and possibly walls with metal
studs, to get to your router. Even if his SSID is not on your preferred
list, if your signal strength is low enough compared to his, XP will try to
connect.

> - There is only one wireless client on this network and I have the router
set
> for Wireless-G only.
> - My Neighbors connection is Wireless-B

The G-only setting for your router is irrelevant. It's your PC's client card
that is associating with your neighbor's router. Is there some way to
configure the client card for G-only?

>
>
> Any ideas?

I like your idea of setting a fake WEP key for my neighbors network, it
definitely won't connect then. I'll probably end up getting a signal
booster. That is, if they are available in G.

For the global option for network type, if you right click on the Network
icon in the system tray, select "View available network connections" and
then in the dialog click Advanced, then in the next dialog click Advanced
you get a dialog that lets you specify what type of networks you allow
your client to connect to: Ad-hoc, Infrastructure or either.

Thanks, Eric


On Thu, 06 Nov 2003 00:48:02 +0000, gary wrote:

>
> "Eric H" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news(E-Mail Removed)...
>> My secured wireless connection is being dropped by WindowsXP in favor of
> my
>> neighbors unsecured connection. This happens more frequently at night for
>> some reason. During the day I have no problem with the connection.
>>
>> My System
>> -----------
>> Router:
>> LinkSys WRT54G with latest firmware
>>
>> Client:
>> LinkSys WMP54G with latest drivers.
>> WindowsXP Home with all updates
>> Located one floor up and one room over from router.
>>
>> - I've selected the option to require secure networks only but Windows
>> still connects to my neighbors unsecured network.
>
> I didn't know XP had a global option that said "connect to secure networks
> only". I'm not a Windows expert, so I could be wrong. I have XP Home with
> all updates, and the only settings I can find concerning security are on a
> per-connection basis. That is, for each specific SSID I can enter the
> particulars about security requirements. But for any SSID I don't
> specifically configure, I assume connection is possible without WEP. Is your
> neighbor's SSID configured? If not, you might try configuring it with a
> bogus WEP key and putting it at the bottom of your preferred list. Probably
> won't work, but worth a try.
>
>> - I've given my network priority in the Available Wireless Networks
>> configuration but it is still dropped and I can't eliminate the
> unsecured
>> network from the available networks.
>
> Is your neighbor's router on the second floor of his house? You may get a
> stronger signal from it than from your router, especially if you are going
> through floors with steel-reinforced concrete, and possibly walls with metal
> studs, to get to your router. Even if his SSID is not on your preferred
> list, if your signal strength is low enough compared to his, XP will try to
> connect.
>
>> - There is only one wireless client on this network and I have the router
> set
>> for Wireless-G only.
>> - My Neighbors connection is Wireless-B
>
> The G-only setting for your router is irrelevant. It's your PC's client card
> that is associating with your neighbor's router. Is there some way to
> configure the client card for G-only?
>
>>
>>
>> Any ideas?

"Eric H" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news(E-Mail Removed)...
> I like your idea of setting a fake WEP key for my neighbors network, it
> definitely won't connect then. I'll probably end up getting a signal
> booster. That is, if they are available in G.
>
> For the global option for network type, if you right click on the Network
> icon in the system tray, select "View available network connections" and
> then in the dialog click Advanced, then in the next dialog click Advanced
> you get a dialog that lets you specify what type of networks you allow
> your client to connect to: Ad-hoc, Infrastructure or either.

Oh, okay. You said "option to require secure networks only". Ad-hoc vs.
infrastructure doesn't have anything to do with security. You can run with
or without WEP on either. Ad-hoc just means no access point - independent
stations form an ad-hoc network. If you set ad-hoc only, you'd never be able
to connect to your router *or* your neighbor's, but you might get an ad-hoc
network with his PC. I don't suppose that's what happening?

>
> Thanks, Eric
>
>
> On Thu, 06 Nov 2003 00:48:02 +0000, gary wrote:
>
> >
> > "Eric H" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > news(E-Mail Removed)...
> >> My secured wireless connection is being dropped by WindowsXP in favor
of
> > my
> >> neighbors unsecured connection. This happens more frequently at night
for
> >> some reason. During the day I have no problem with the connection.
> >>
> >> My System
> >> -----------
> >> Router:
> >> LinkSys WRT54G with latest firmware
> >>
> >> Client:
> >> LinkSys WMP54G with latest drivers.
> >> WindowsXP Home with all updates
> >> Located one floor up and one room over from router.
> >>
> >> - I've selected the option to require secure networks only but Windows
> >> still connects to my neighbors unsecured network.
> >
> > I didn't know XP had a global option that said "connect to secure
networks
> > only". I'm not a Windows expert, so I could be wrong. I have XP Home
with
> > all updates, and the only settings I can find concerning security are on
a
> > per-connection basis. That is, for each specific SSID I can enter the
> > particulars about security requirements. But for any SSID I don't
> > specifically configure, I assume connection is possible without WEP. Is
your
> > neighbor's SSID configured? If not, you might try configuring it with a
> > bogus WEP key and putting it at the bottom of your preferred list.
Probably
> > won't work, but worth a try.
> >
> >> - I've given my network priority in the Available Wireless Networks
> >> configuration but it is still dropped and I can't eliminate the
> > unsecured
> >> network from the available networks.
> >
> > Is your neighbor's router on the second floor of his house? You may get
a
> > stronger signal from it than from your router, especially if you are
going
> > through floors with steel-reinforced concrete, and possibly walls with
metal
> > studs, to get to your router. Even if his SSID is not on your preferred
> > list, if your signal strength is low enough compared to his, XP will try
to
> > connect.
> >
> >> - There is only one wireless client on this network and I have the
router
> > set
> >> for Wireless-G only.
> >> - My Neighbors connection is Wireless-B
> >
> > The G-only setting for your router is irrelevant. It's your PC's client
card
> > that is associating with your neighbor's router. Is there some way to
> > configure the client card for G-only?
> >
> >>
> >>
> >> Any ideas?
>

You should also look at this newsgroup's thread "Please help this newbie
connect". Jerry Park suggested deleting all non-wanted networks from the
preferred networks list and disabling ''Automatically connect to
non-preferred networks" in the wireless/advanced menu. That should keep XP
from trying to follow the strongest signal.

"Eric H" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news(E-Mail Removed)...
> My secured wireless connection is being dropped by WindowsXP in favor of
my
> neighbors unsecured connection. This happens more frequently at night for
> some reason. During the day I have no problem with the connection.
>
> My System
> -----------
> Router:
> LinkSys WRT54G with latest firmware
>
> Client:
> LinkSys WMP54G with latest drivers.
> WindowsXP Home with all updates
> Located one floor up and one room over from router.
>
> - I've selected the option to require secure networks only but Windows
> still connects to my neighbors unsecured network.
> - I've given my network priority in the Available Wireless Networks
> configuration but it is still dropped and I can't eliminate the
unsecured
> network from the available networks.
> - There is only one wireless client on this network and I have the router
set
> for Wireless-G only.
> - My Neighbors connection is Wireless-B
>
>
> Any ideas?