Windows Wireless Zero Configuration: Five Steps to Sanity Ditching WZC and the WZC Two-Step Ron Pacchiano
Ditching WZC
Fortunately, some vendors provide their own wireless connection management utilities that can replace Microsoft’s Wireless Zero Configuration. Unfortunately, an increasing number of wireless adapters rely on WZC.
Netgear includes its own connection manager, and the ORiNOCO/Proxim connection manager will work with a variety of wireless adapters. Linksys includes their WLAN Monitor with their install CD, but it will actually refuse to install on a system with WZC active.
Some users have had success using the third-party Boingo connection manager, available from free download sites. The Boingo manager is designed to promote connecting to the Boingo wireless network, but it can also manage local wireless connections for some adapters. JiWire provides connection software with its SpotLock security (in fact, you can use the connection part without using the SpotLock hosted VPN at all).
Before using any third-party connection manager, you should first disable WZC. Open the Administrative Tools control panel and choose Services. Scroll down the list of services, and double-click Wireless Zero Configuration. Click Stop to end the service now. Select Manual (or Disabled) for the Startup Type.
Your wireless adapter is now freed from Windows, but you will need to install another connection manager, preferably from your adapter vendor, to connect to a network.
For Linksys owners, several procedures are described on Web message boards (such as this one and this one) for forcing Linksys’ superior WLAN Monitor to install on XP systems. Some involve only partial installs of the Linksys software.
The WZC Two-Step
You may find yourself forced to stick with WZC. Perhaps no vendor connection managers are available for your wireless adapter. Like the 802.1X authentication problem, WZC is known to “do stuff” that can interrupt a perfectly functioning connection. Every few minutes, WZC likes to see if anything better is out there, and it is not always clear what rationale, if any, it uses to make its decisions.
The most common sign that WZC went looking for a better deal is when Windows pops up its friendly taskbar balloon announcing “One or more wireless networks is available” – even though you’re already connected to a network and surfing happily, thank you very much. Or, you may see an equally helpful balloon touting that Windows has successfully connected to such-and-such a network – even though you’re already connected to that network and…
Unfortunately, you may experience instability in your connection when WZC goes roaming. A common (but certainly kludgy) solution is to disable WZC after it has successfully established a connection to your network.
You can do this using the Administrative Tools/Services control panel as described in “Ditching WZC” above, but that procedure can quickly grow tiresome.
As an alternative, follow the “Ditching WZC” procedure, but set its Startup Type to automatic. Now WZC will connect when your system boots.
Create a batch file (a plain text file) containing just the command:
C:WINDOWSsystem32net.exe stop
Save the batch file, or a shortcut to it, on your desktop. Give it a descriptive name like “Kill WZC Now”. Once your wireless connection is established on boot, double-click the shortcut. WZC will go away and bother you no more during this session. Of course, if you move to a new wireless network, you’ll need to relaunch WZC. You can reboot, or create a companion shortcut:
