Display of available BSSIDs for SSIDs

Subject system is XP SP2

I have noticed that when I am at a location where the laptop
transciever establishes carrier with an access point but fails
to get a Dhcp Offer response to its Discover broadcasts

1. there is eventual popup to effect of 'you are connected but
this network connection may be of limited or no usability'
2. the machine has failed over to autonet IP
and most importantly for this posting
3. I am able to access an interface in which all the visible
access points are listed along with their dBm strength,
and highlighting any one lets one see its BSSID, and if
a SSID is connected then the access point of best strength
for that SSID has a different icon and has been autoselected
for the connection.
I am not sure but think I found this interface by doing something,
somewhere in the view available networks click-path

Questions:

1. when in this interface is it possible to change from the
autoselected access point and force use of a different
BSSID for that SSID ?
2. is it possible to get to this interface when all wireless
autoconfig has completed normally and all is well?
I cannot seem to find where, and it is as if the View
available networks interface hooks in and replaces
the interface that shows all access points.
3. how does one simply get info on the visible access
points per SSID and on the BSSID of the then current
wireless carrier connection?

TIA,
--
Roger Abell
Microsoft MVP (Windows Security)
MCSE (W2k3,W2k,Nt4) MCDBA

Roger Abell

- Are you using microsoft wireless zero configuration service to manage your
adapter, or there is a 3rd party wireless software installed on your box.
- There is no standard microsoft UI that will allow you to see the list of
BSSIDs for a particular SSID.
- Is it possible for you to send a screenshot of this UI.
- What is the make of your laptop and the wireless nic.

Thanks very much,
Taroon

--

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
"Roger Abell" <> wrote in message
news:u$...
> Subject system is XP SP2
>
> I have noticed that when I am at a location where the laptop
> transciever establishes carrier with an access point but fails
> to get a Dhcp Offer response to its Discover broadcasts
>
> 1. there is eventual popup to effect of 'you are connected but
> this network connection may be of limited or no usability'
> 2. the machine has failed over to autonet IP
> and most importantly for this posting
> 3. I am able to access an interface in which all the visible
> access points are listed along with their dBm strength,
> and highlighting any one lets one see its BSSID, and if
> a SSID is connected then the access point of best strength
> for that SSID has a different icon and has been autoselected
> for the connection.
> I am not sure but think I found this interface by doing something,
> somewhere in the view available networks click-path
>
> Questions:
>
> 1. when in this interface is it possible to change from the
> autoselected access point and force use of a different
> BSSID for that SSID ?
> 2. is it possible to get to this interface when all wireless
> autoconfig has completed normally and all is well?
> I cannot seem to find where, and it is as if the View
> available networks interface hooks in and replaces
> the interface that shows all access points.
> 3. how does one simply get info on the visible access
> points per SSID and on the BSSID of the then current
> wireless carrier connection?
>
> TIA,
> --
> Roger Abell
> Microsoft MVP (Windows Security)
> MCSE (W2k3,W2k,Nt4) MCDBA
>
>

Taroon Mandhana\(MSFT\)

Well. Interesting that piece of info ! Thx.

I wish I could find it again !!!

If I get to see it again I will capture, and walk the process tree
a little to see if I can figure what it is / wherefrom. I could
swear that I accessed it via the view available feature.

This XP has no third-party wireless apps to my knowledge but
does/did have MS Broadband installed.

I "stumbled" onto the interface while trying to diag issue we
are having in one location where we are covering the city
downtown, while at the location.
It was actually a pretty useful UI !! Some 20 +/- access points
shown, with signal strength of each, for about 6 SSIDs. Highlight
one and the rest of the UI populated with info specific to it.

Hmmm.

Is the current BSSID / access point listing info not persisted
somewhere rather than fully volitile?

--
Roger

"Taroon Mandhana(MSFT)" <> wrote in message
news:...
>- Are you using microsoft wireless zero configuration service to manage
>your adapter, or there is a 3rd party wireless software installed on your
>box.
> - There is no standard microsoft UI that will allow you to see the list
> of BSSIDs for a particular SSID.
> - Is it possible for you to send a screenshot of this UI.
> - What is the make of your laptop and the wireless nic.
>
> Thanks very much,
> Taroon
>
> --
>
> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
> rights.
> "Roger Abell" <> wrote in message
> news:u$...
>> Subject system is XP SP2
>>
>> I have noticed that when I am at a location where the laptop
>> transciever establishes carrier with an access point but fails
>> to get a Dhcp Offer response to its Discover broadcasts
>>
>> 1. there is eventual popup to effect of 'you are connected but
>> this network connection may be of limited or no usability'
>> 2. the machine has failed over to autonet IP
>> and most importantly for this posting
>> 3. I am able to access an interface in which all the visible
>> access points are listed along with their dBm strength,
>> and highlighting any one lets one see its BSSID, and if
>> a SSID is connected then the access point of best strength
>> for that SSID has a different icon and has been autoselected
>> for the connection.
>> I am not sure but think I found this interface by doing something,
>> somewhere in the view available networks click-path
>>
>> Questions:
>>
>> 1. when in this interface is it possible to change from the
>> autoselected access point and force use of a different
>> BSSID for that SSID ?
>> 2. is it possible to get to this interface when all wireless
>> autoconfig has completed normally and all is well?
>> I cannot seem to find where, and it is as if the View
>> available networks interface hooks in and replaces
>> the interface that shows all access points.
>> 3. how does one simply get info on the visible access
>> points per SSID and on the BSSID of the then current
>> wireless carrier connection?
>>
>> TIA,
>> --
>> Roger Abell
>> Microsoft MVP (Windows Security)
>> MCSE (W2k3,W2k,Nt4) MCDBA
>>
>>
>
>

Roger Abell [MVP]

This might just be a guess but did you install Netstumbler for diagnostic
purposes? It's a useful tool for discovery of wireless APs but it does
disable WZCSVC when launch.

--
Oliver
This posting is provided "AS IS", with NO warranties and confers NO rights
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------



"Roger Abell [MVP]" <> wrote in message
news:%...
> Well. Interesting that piece of info ! Thx.
>
> I wish I could find it again !!!
>
> If I get to see it again I will capture, and walk the process tree
> a little to see if I can figure what it is / wherefrom. I could
> swear that I accessed it via the view available feature.
>
> This XP has no third-party wireless apps to my knowledge but
> does/did have MS Broadband installed.
>
> I "stumbled" onto the interface while trying to diag issue we
> are having in one location where we are covering the city
> downtown, while at the location.
> It was actually a pretty useful UI !! Some 20 +/- access points
> shown, with signal strength of each, for about 6 SSIDs. Highlight
> one and the rest of the UI populated with info specific to it.
>
> Hmmm.
>
> Is the current BSSID / access point listing info not persisted
> somewhere rather than fully volitile?
>
> --
> Roger
>
> "Taroon Mandhana(MSFT)" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>>- Are you using microsoft wireless zero configuration service to manage
>>your adapter, or there is a 3rd party wireless software installed on your
>>box.
>> - There is no standard microsoft UI that will allow you to see the list
>> of BSSIDs for a particular SSID.
>> - Is it possible for you to send a screenshot of this UI.
>> - What is the make of your laptop and the wireless nic.
>>
>> Thanks very much,
>> Taroon
>>
>> --
>>
>> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
>> rights.
>> "Roger Abell" <> wrote in message
>> news:u$...
>>> Subject system is XP SP2
>>>
>>> I have noticed that when I am at a location where the laptop
>>> transciever establishes carrier with an access point but fails
>>> to get a Dhcp Offer response to its Discover broadcasts
>>>
>>> 1. there is eventual popup to effect of 'you are connected but
>>> this network connection may be of limited or no usability'
>>> 2. the machine has failed over to autonet IP
>>> and most importantly for this posting
>>> 3. I am able to access an interface in which all the visible
>>> access points are listed along with their dBm strength,
>>> and highlighting any one lets one see its BSSID, and if
>>> a SSID is connected then the access point of best strength
>>> for that SSID has a different icon and has been autoselected
>>> for the connection.
>>> I am not sure but think I found this interface by doing something,
>>> somewhere in the view available networks click-path
>>>
>>> Questions:
>>>
>>> 1. when in this interface is it possible to change from the
>>> autoselected access point and force use of a different
>>> BSSID for that SSID ?
>>> 2. is it possible to get to this interface when all wireless
>>> autoconfig has completed normally and all is well?
>>> I cannot seem to find where, and it is as if the View
>>> available networks interface hooks in and replaces
>>> the interface that shows all access points.
>>> 3. how does one simply get info on the visible access
>>> points per SSID and on the BSSID of the then current
>>> wireless carrier connection?
>>>
>>> TIA,
>>> --
>>> Roger Abell
>>> Microsoft MVP (Windows Security)
>>> MCSE (W2k3,W2k,Nt4) MCDBA
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>

Oliver Saal [MS]