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Hi,

I have a fairly standard Toshiba laptop with an internal wi-fi- network
card, and Windows XP Pro + SP2 with all the latest updates and patches.

I also have a fairly standard NetGear WG602v2 54Mbps wireless router with
WPA-PSK enabled.

Under normal circumstances, the laptop finds my wi-fi network straightaway
and connects automatically.

However, occasionally it doesn't, and connects to my neighbour's totally
unsecured network instead. Why they will not secure their network is beyond
me, but that's another story...

So, is there any way I can tell WinXP *not* to connect to a specific network
even though it has detected it?

I've done a quick trawl through Google, but have drawn a blank. I wouldn't
mind paying for a resonably-priced 3rd-party utility, if necessary.

Any assistance gratefully received.

Mark

Mark Rae wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I have a fairly standard Toshiba laptop with an internal wi-fi- network
> card, and Windows XP Pro + SP2 with all the latest updates and patches.
>
> I also have a fairly standard NetGear WG602v2 54Mbps wireless router with
> WPA-PSK enabled.
>
> Under normal circumstances, the laptop finds my wi-fi network straightaway
> and connects automatically.
>
> However, occasionally it doesn't, and connects to my neighbour's totally
> unsecured network instead. Why they will not secure their network is
> beyond me, but that's another story...
>
> So, is there any way I can tell WinXP *not* to connect to a specific
> network even though it has detected it?

I don't think you can tell it to not connect to a specific network but you
can tell it to only connect to preferred networks. Then when you are home
it will only connect to yours.

When you are out of town or at an Internet cafe, you'd need to add their
network to the list of preferred networks and then remove it afterwards (if
you'll never go there again).

Malke
--
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic"

"Mark Rae" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Hi,
>
> I have a fairly standard Toshiba laptop with an internal wi-fi- network
> card, and Windows XP Pro + SP2 with all the latest updates and patches.
>
> I also have a fairly standard NetGear WG602v2 54Mbps wireless router with
> WPA-PSK enabled.
>
> Under normal circumstances, the laptop finds my wi-fi network straightaway
> and connects automatically.
>
> However, occasionally it doesn't, and connects to my neighbour's totally
> unsecured network instead. Why they will not secure their network is
> beyond me, but that's another story...
>
> So, is there any way I can tell WinXP *not* to connect to a specific
> network even though it has detected it?
>

In one way, yes. You can edit the properties for your neighbour's SSID on
your NIC and add a password. When it attempts to connect, it wont make it.
That doesn't mean it will automatically connect to your own but it DOES mean
it will stop connecting to the neighbour's network.

If you are friendly enough with the neighbour, mention to them that with an
unsecured wi-fi network, the nicest thing that can happen if someone chooses
is to steal their bandwidth. It can get a whole lot worse such and I think
you KNOW the disgusting stuff that THE Feds will point the finger at THEM
for if they get used for that purpose.

"Malke" <> wrote in message
news:...

> I don't think you can tell it to not connect to a specific network but you
> can tell it to only connect to preferred networks. Then when you are home
> it will only connect to yours.

OK - I'll do a search for how to do that...

> When you are out of town or at an Internet cafe, you'd need to add their
> network to the list of preferred networks and then remove it afterwards
> (if
> you'll never go there again).

I understand - thanks.

"Diamontina Cocktail" <> wrote in message
news:...

> In one way, yes. You can edit the properties for your neighbour's SSID on
> your NIC and add a password. When it attempts to connect, it wont make it.
> That doesn't mean it will automatically connect to your own but it DOES
> mean it will stop connecting to the neighbour's network.

OK - I'll do a search for how to do that - thanks.

> If you are friendly enough with the neighbour, mention to them that with
> an unsecured wi-fi network, the nicest thing that can happen if someone
> chooses is to steal their bandwidth. It can get a whole lot worse such and
> I think you KNOW the disgusting stuff that THE Feds will point the finger
> at THEM for if they get used for that purpose.

Have tried, but they seem not interested. This is, in fact, one of the main
reasons for what I'm trying to do. If they do get hacked (and they're almost
bound to, sooner or later!), the last think I want is the police finding log
entries with my laptop's MAC address...

Mark Rae wrote:
> "Malke" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>
>> I don't think you can tell it to not connect to a specific network but you
>> can tell it to only connect to preferred networks. Then when you are home
>> it will only connect to yours.
>
> OK - I'll do a search for how to do that...
>
>> When you are out of town or at an Internet cafe, you'd need to add their
>> network to the list of preferred networks and then remove it afterwards
>> (if
>> you'll never go there again).
>
> I understand - thanks.
>
>

Let me emphasize the advice in Malke's last paragraph. Assuming that
you are using Windows wireless zero configuration, when you "check for
available wireless networks" and then select an available network to
connect to, Windows _automatically_ adds that network to your list of
preferred networks, and places it at the top of the list. This means
that if, for example, you connect to a network with a common default
SSID (e.g., Linksys), you will subsequently preferentially connect to
_any_ network with that SSID unless you manually remove it from the list
or at least move it lower down.

"Lem" <> wrote in message
news:...

> Let me emphasize the advice in Malke's last paragraph. Assuming that you
> are using Windows wireless zero configuration, when you "check for
> available wireless networks" and then select an available network to
> connect to, Windows _automatically_ adds that network to your list of
> preferred networks, and places it at the top of the list. This means that
> if, for example, you connect to a network with a common default SSID
> (e.g., Linksys), you will subsequently preferentially connect to _any_
> network with that SSID unless you manually remove it from the list or at
> least move it lower down.

Thanks for that.

"Mark Rae" <> wrote in message
news:...
> "Diamontina Cocktail" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>
>> In one way, yes. You can edit the properties for your neighbour's SSID on
>> your NIC and add a password. When it attempts to connect, it wont make
>> it. That doesn't mean it will automatically connect to your own but it
>> DOES mean it will stop connecting to the neighbour's network.
>
> OK - I'll do a search for how to do that - thanks.
>

It depends on which configuration prog you use, Windows or the NIC's one
from the manufacturer. If Windows, simply go to Network Connections, right
click on your NIC and choose Properties then go to Wireless Networks tab
where you will see, in front of you, your own SSID and your neighbour's and
any other your NIC can see. Clcik once on the neighbour's SSID then
Properties and you have the opportunity to change from an open network to,
say, a WEP using network (which is all you need). Add any old password there
and then OK your way out and it will remember that from then on.

>> If you are friendly enough with the neighbour, mention to them that with
>> an unsecured wi-fi network, the nicest thing that can happen if someone
>> chooses is to steal their bandwidth. It can get a whole lot worse such
>> and I think you KNOW the disgusting stuff that THE Feds will point the
>> finger at THEM for if they get used for that purpose.
>
> Have tried, but they seem not interested. This is, in fact, one of the
> main reasons for what I'm trying to do. If they do get hacked (and they're
> almost bound to, sooner or later!), the last think I want is the police
> finding log entries with my laptop's MAC address...
>

They are also open to someone just ruining everything for them by putting a
trojan/virus on their machinery and/or changing their router's details so
no-one but the hacker can get on. If that happens, that will change their
minds for them.

"Diamontina Cocktail" <> wrote in message
news:%...

> It depends

<snip>

Thanks again.

Hi
Many Toshibas (and others) load an handful of Junk and sometimes their own
Wireless Utility and WZC at Startup.
Check you system to make sure that you are running one or the other but not
both.
Look at this page it might help further, http://www.ezlan.net/wireless.html
Jack (MVP-Networking).

"Mark Rae" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Hi,
>
> I have a fairly standard Toshiba laptop with an internal wi-fi- network
> card, and Windows XP Pro + SP2 with all the latest updates and patches.
>
> I also have a fairly standard NetGear WG602v2 54Mbps wireless router with
> WPA-PSK enabled.
>
> Under normal circumstances, the laptop finds my wi-fi network straightaway
> and connects automatically.
>
> However, occasionally it doesn't, and connects to my neighbour's totally
> unsecured network instead. Why they will not secure their network is
> beyond me, but that's another story...
>
> So, is there any way I can tell WinXP *not* to connect to a specific
> network even though it has detected it?
>
> I've done a quick trawl through Google, but have drawn a blank. I wouldn't
> mind paying for a resonably-priced 3rd-party utility, if necessary.
>
> Any assistance gratefully received.
>
> Mark
>