How to stop Windows XP from finding SSID's other then yours?

[wilsonch]

We have Cisco 1220 AP's at various hotspots and Windows XP Pro clients. Is there a way to prevent our clients from associating to other SSID's? We only want them to associate to our company SSID.

[sbilgi]

I am wondering whether this can be done with the help of MAC filtering.

[wilsonch]

MAC filtering...I dont think that will work. How would you be able to filter your WinXP client's to only talk to only your SSID? I dont think there is an option to do MAC filtering on Windows.

I know you can filter the MAC addresses on the AP side but that doesnt stop my WinXP clients from finding an open AP SSID with no WEP keys.

[Scott Fella]

You can run the command "net stop wzcsvc". To start it up again "net start wzcsvc".

[Scott Fella]

Or stop the service "Wireless Zero Configuration" which is default to automatic.

[wilsonch]

Only problem with disabling Wireless Zero Configuration service before finding your AP is that you cant associate to your AP. It works find after associating to the AP and then turning off WZC service. This works for home users but in a Hotspot design its useless.

Just found this online:

http://www.pcmag.com/print_article/0,1761,a=124392,00.asp

Keep Your Wireless Connection from Changing

May 4, 2004

By Neil J. Rubenking

I use an 802.11g wireless connection, and I know that the Windows Zero Configuration applet searches for a new connection every 3 minutes. I have found that if this applet is disabled at boot-up, the wireless connection is not made, but if WZC is stopped shortly after a wireless connection is made, the connection stays active indefinitely, barring outside influences.

I have been using Services.msc to stop WZC (I have it in my start-up folder), but I have to scroll to the bottom of the Services window to access WZC to stop it. I would like to find a faster way to do this, perhaps in the form of a shortcut to a batch file that would start or stop the service, or a shortcut directly to WZC within the Services window. Can you tell me how to accomplish my goal?

Andrew Carsell

Wireless networks are becoming more and more common. It's not at all unusual to be within range of several. If your connection stutters, WZC may try to hook you up with a different connection. Yet, as this reader notes, if WZC is off at start-up, the system may not connect at all. You don't have to open the Services dialog, scroll to the bottom, double-click on Wireless Zero Configuration, and click on the Stop button. Instead, you can create a shortcut that has the same effect.

Open Windows Explorer and navigate to C:\Windows\System32 (or C:\Winnt\System32 if you're running Windows 2000). Locate the file net.exe. Right-drag it onto the desktop and choose Create shortcut(s) here when you drop it. Click twice slowly in the filename area and name the shortcut Stop WZC. Right-click on the shortcut, choose Properties, and click on the Shortcut tab. The Target field will probably show C:\WINDOWS\system32\net.exe. Append a space to this, followed by stop wzcsvc (don't forget the space before stop). If you like, repeat these steps and create another shortcut to start the service; just replace stop with start.

Copyright (c) 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved.

[Scott Fella]

Yes this is true. What I did was right click on the desktop and clicked on 'new' then 'shortcut'. I then pasted 'net stop wzcsvc'. I created another one to start the service again. Well glad you got it working.