Wireless Network Troubleshooting

Index

This page deals only with wireless network troubleshooting. You will find other network troubleshooting resources here:

Introduction

When it comes to troubleshooting networks, the same general principles apply to both wired and wireless setups. If you have, say, a wireless connectivity issue and you can't find anything relevant in the Wireless section, it doesn't mean that there are no articles here to assist you. Check the other sections before you decide to go elsewhere. As an example, "How to set up your computer for wireless networking in Windows XP" is explicit to wireless, so it is listed in the Wireless section. On the other hand, the Windows XP firewall can prevent you from accessing network shares, irrespective of the network being wired, unwired, or two tin cans on each end of a piece of string. Also, Microsoft have a strange habit of writing network documentation and labelling it as being for XP Home Edition. Whilst the title of an article may explicitly refer to XP HE, the articles are fully applicable to XP Professional.

Wireless Networks

	Wireless networks can be affected by many different factors that have nothing to do with your operating system, your drivers or your wireless equipment in general: Weather Heat Cold Wind Rain and any kind of storm activity Snow Sun spots Walls and other obstructions, including pets and people simply walking by Electrically noisy equipment Mobile phones (cell-phones) Refrigerators Passing motor vehicles and motorcycles Lawnmowers Fluorescent lighting High voltage power lines Nearby radio transmitters swamping your signal Anything that can alter the electrical properties of the atmosphere and anything that can generate noise at radio wavelengths has the potential to affect your wireless network. Even a faulty street light outside your home can cause interference problems inside. kadaitcha.cx is aware of at least one situation where a large tree on a neighbour's property caused one machine on a wireless network to continually drop its connection when the tree swayed in the wind. As mad as it sounds, the tree was reflecting a stronger radio signal back to a laptop than was available directly from the wireless transmitter because of obstructions so that when the tree moved, the signal moved with it. The only solutions were to move the laptop to a place with better direct reception, install a wireless repeater or chop the neighbour's tree down. Even with NIMO N1 transmitters and N1 wireless cards some machines may not get a good enough signal to make a reliable connection at 20 feet, or even less, from the wireless source. The point is, when troubleshooting connection issues such as constant disconnections, don't discount the environment as a likely culprit.
	You have a USB-based wireless connection enabled on a computer that is running Microsoft Windows XP or Windows Vista. Even when there are five or more wireless network connections available, the Wireless Network Connection dialog box shows that there are a maximum of four wireless network connections available. This problem occurs only when you use a USB-based wireless network adapter.
	Wireless networks can be vulnerable to a malicious outsider gaining access because of the default settings on some wireless hardware, the accessibility that wireless networks offer, and present encryption methods.

	Increasingly, users of wireless mobile devices require access to the functionality of their desktop computers. Windows XP and Windows 2000 permit you to do this. By using the Handheld PC or the Pocket PC, you can connect to an application server and run programs just as if you were sitting at the server computer itself. Connections to application servers can be made across wireless local area networks (LANs), or across the Internet by using virtual private networking (VPN).
	Microsoft Windows XP supports 802.11b wireless networking with the Wireless Zero Configuration service. With 802.11b wireless networking, you can enable easy configuration and you can switch between wireless networks. To use this support, you must have a wireless network adapter that is compatible with Windows XP.
	This step-by-step article describes how to configure a wireless link that uses infrared in Windows XP. Note that you must have an infrared device installed on your computer to complete any of the following procedures.
	A wireless network adapter may lose its IP address and, as a result, may not have any network connectivity to access the Internet or browse the network.
	Describes a problem in Windows XP when you try to log on to a wireless network, or when you try to roam between access points, the client computer may not be able to obtain an IP address.

	The icon in the notification area (at the far right of the taskbar) for a wireless connection may show the connection as "Unavailable" after you resume your computer from standby, even if wireless connectivity is available.
	When you start your Windows XP-based computer by using the with Networking option, the wireless network adapters may not function.
	When you are connected to a wireless network, your Windows XP DHCP client may incorrectly send a Unicast-Discover packet to a DHCP server.
	Describes how to capture very verbose diagnostic logs from Windows Zero Configuration (WZC) for analysing and troubleshooting 802.11 wireless network device setup and configuration.
	Provides a workaround for an issue that occurs when your computer switches between different wireless network access points and then it cannot reconnect to a preferred wireless network access point.
	Discusses why you may receive an error when you try to use the Wireless Network Setup Wizard or the View Available Wireless Networks feature in Windows XP with Service Pack 2.

	On a Microsoft Windows XP-based computer, you successfully make a wireless network connection to your network. However, you lose the connection and you cannot reconnect to the network unless you do one of the following: Restart your computer...
	When you try to establish a network connection, the authentication process may not run to completion and you do not receive any messages about the connection. No network connection icon appears in the status notification area on the taskbar...
	On a computer that is running Microsoft Windows XP Professional or Windows XP Home Edition with a wireless connection enabled, the Wireless Network Connection dialog box does not show the real-time signal strength for all the currently available wireless network connections. The signal strengths are not actively updated.
	When you connect to a wireless network by using a Microsoft Windows XP-based computer, the computer disconnects from the network after random time intervals. For example, the computer may disconnect from the network after it has been connected for several minutes, or it may disconnect from the network after it has been connected for an hour or longer.
	You can switch to an ad hoc wireless network even when you are connected to a preferred wireless access point. You expect that you remain connected to the preferred network as long as it is available.
	When you connect an Xbox 360 console to a Microsoft Windows XP Media Center-based computer, you may receive the following message: 802.11b/g Wireless Network Your console is connected to an 802.11b or 802.11g wireless network. An 802.11a wireless network is recommended to connect to Windows Media Center. You may experience performance problems while viewing TV or other video over the current network connection. [Continue using this connection]
	Consider the following scenario: A Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2)-based wireless client computer is joined to a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1)-based domain controller. You click to clear the Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings check box on the Wireless Networks tab of the wireless client computer. In this scenario, you receive an error message on the wireless client computer that resembles the following: At least one of your changes was not applied successfully to the wireless configuration. Also See:
	After you install the Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) update (815485) on a Windows XP-based computer, your wireless network adapter may not be able to connect to your wireless access point by using a Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) key. When this problem occurs, the wireless network connection status indicates "Wireless Connection cannot be used."
	When you try to connect an Xbox 360 console to a Microsoft Windows XP Media Center-based computer by using an 802.11b or an 802.11g wireless network, you receive the following error message: Reconfigure Wireless Network for 802.11a Your console is connected to an 802.11b or 802.11g wireless network. You may experience performance problems while viewing TV or other video over the current network connection. Your network hardware supports 802.11a. For best performance, reconfigure your wireless network to use 802.11a if your access point or router supports it.
	When you try to connect to a wireless network connection that uses shared authentication by using the Wireless Network Connection dialog box, you may receive the following error message: Windows is unable to connect to the selected network. The network may no longer be in range. Please refresh the list of available networks and try to connect again.
	When you use a wireless network connection to copy large files from a server or to stream data from a server, you may intermittently lose connection to the server.
	Consider the following scenario. A Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2)-based computer is configured for wireless network connectivity. You manually disconnect from a wireless network that uses a hidden (non-broadcast) service set identifier (SSID). In this scenario, you cannot reconnect automatically or manually to the wireless network that uses a hidden SSID. Additionally, the wireless network that uses a hidden SSID is no longer displayed in the Wireless Network Connection window.
	If a Windows XP-based computer has a wireless network adapter connected through a universal serial bus (USB) connection, and the computer resumes from standby or hibernation, the wireless connection icon may appear in the notification area (at the far right of the taskbar) with a red X and the following message: Wireless Network Connection Wireless Connection Unavailable Even though you receive this message, the wireless network connection may still be active and functioning correctly, and therefore you may still be able to successfully connect to network resources over the wireless network connection.
	This update lets you use the Wireless Network Setup Wizard to configure a dual-band wireless access point in Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2).
	When you restart your Microsoft Windows XP-based computer, you cannot connect to your wireless network.
	If your laptop computer uses a wireless 802.11 CardBus/PCMCIA network adapter, you may hear popping or clicking noises from the laptop speakers.
	When you try to connect a wireless client computer that is running Windows XP with Service Pack 1 (SP1) or Windows Server 2003 to a wireless network that is using the RSA Security Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) type, the wireless client cannot authenticate.
	When you log on to your Windows XP-based computer, you may experience a small logon delay when you use a wireless connection to your network.
	You run the Wireless Network Setup Wizard, and you try to set an access point that does not use the Windows Connect Now (WCN) feature. When you do this, you cannot connect to the wireless access point. Additionally, you may receive an error message.
	When a Media Center Extender for Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 detects multiple wireless networks that have the same wireless network name or Service Set Identifier (SSID), you may receive the following error message: The selected wireless network name (SSID) refers to two or more networks. For example, the same network name is used by both an 802.11a network and an 802.11b network. When the Extender is connected to one network name assigned to multiple networks, the Extender can encounter network problems. For a reliable experience, assign a unique name to your network. For more information about changing network names, refer to your wireless network documentation.
	When you use a roaming profile to log on to your wireless network from your Windows XP-based computer, you may receive the following error message: Windows cannot locate the server copy of your roaming profile and is attempting to log you on with your local profile. Changes to the profile will not be copied to the server when you logoff. You may receive this error message because of network problems or insufficient security rights. If this problem persists, contact your network administrator. When you click Detail, you receive the following error message: The network location cannot be reached. For information about network troubleshooting, see Windows Help.
	After you resume your Microsoft Windows XP-based computer from hibernation, your computer may indicate that your wireless network connection is unavailable. This problem does not occur every time that you resume your computer from hibernation.
	If you use a wireless connection to your network, it may take up to two minutes to connect to your network when you start your Microsoft Windows XP-based computer. This problem only occurs if you are using 802.1X authentication and you have unchecked the Authenticate as computer when computer information is available option. You may not experience this problem every time that you start your computer.
	When you try to log on to Microsoft Windows XP in your wireless network, you may experience a 60-second to 120-second delay during authentication.
	When you use a wireless connection (802.1x) with a roaming profile on a Microsoft Windows XP-based computer to log on to a domain, the log on may not be completed successfully during the authentication process and the wireless connection is ended.
	After you log on to a Microsoft Windows XP-based computer that is a member of a wireless network and you make changes that affect your roaming user profile, when you log off and then log on, changes that you made to your roaming user profile may not have been saved.
	In a wireless network environment that uses Internet Protocol security (IPSec) network address translation traversal (NAT-T), client computers that are running Microsoft Windows Server 2003 or Microsoft Windows XP cannot connect to a server that is running Windows Server 2003 and Microsoft Live Communications Server 2003. The connections time out. A network trace shows Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) "port unreachable" error messages. This problem occurs on client computers that use a wireless network adaptor that does not support packet ownership. For example, this problem occurs on client computers that use an Agere Systems wireless network adaptor or an Intel wireless network adaptor that does not support packet ownership.
	This article lists two resources to help you troubleshoot networking problems. The first resource is for home networks The second resource is for small office/home office (SOHO) wireless networks. This article is for informational purposes only.
	Computer authentication cannot be completed successfully when you use a smart card to log on to a wireless network (802.1X). However, user authentication is successful.
	When you log on to a computer that has an 802.11g wireless network adapter and also a wired network adapter, you may experience a delay in your ability to access network resources after you log on. This problem may occur when the following conditions are true: Your 802.11g wireless adapter connects at 50 megabits per second (Mbps) or more. Your wired network adapter is a 100 mbps adapter.
	A Windows XP-based computer may stop responding after the wireless connection to a USB device is dropped several times. In this situation, you have to restart the computer.
	After you change your password in Microsoft Windows XP, you may not be able to access your encrypted files on a wireless network.
	When you use the Wireless Link tool in Control Panel and click the Image Transfer tab, the Use Wireless Link to transfer images from a digital camera to your computer check box is cleared by default, but you can still transfer images successfully.
	Consider the following scenario. You have a Microsoft Windows XP-based computer that is using a Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS) wireless network adapter that supports Wake on Wireless LAN (WoWLAN). You turn off the WakeUp option in the BIOS. In this scenario, you experience the following symptoms: You can no longer put the computer in standby or hibernation. The Power Management tab no longer appears on the Properties page in Device Manager for the network adapter. Therefore, you cannot access the Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power check box for the network adapter.
	Some wireless network adapters may appear as disconnected even if the wireless network adapter is connected and is functioning properly.
	After you install an Enfora wireless modem, the device may not start and error code 10 may be displayed in Device Manager.
	When you install a Microsoft Installer-based software Setup program over a wireless network connection, you may receive following error message: Error 2229. An internal error has occurred
	If you use a wireless connection to your network, there may be a delay of up to one minute before you can connect to your network after you start your Microsoft Windows XP-based computer.
	Consider the following scenario. On a Microsoft Windows XP-based computer, you connect to a wireless 802.1X network by using a smart card together with Extensible Authentication Protocol with Transport Level Security (EAP-TLS) and certificates for authentication. When you log on by using the correct personal identification number (PIN), you can connect successfully. When you log on by using the wrong PIN, you cannot connect. However, in this scenario, you do not receive an error message that states that you used the wrong PIN.
	A Microsoft Windows XP-based portable computer cannot use the Wireless Zero Configuration service to connect to a wireless network. This behavior occurs if the following conditions are true: You have an autoenrollment policy on the Windows XP-based computer. The certificates expire after four weeks. The Group Policy object (GPO) sends a new certificate every three weeks. The certificate is sent successfully, and you see the new certificate on the computer. Every time that a new certificate is sent to the computer, the computer cannot connect to the wireless network. Typically, this behaviour occurs with the following kinds of certificates: A certificate that has the same key A certificate that has a new key A certificate renewal A request for a new certificate This problem may also occur on a Microsoft Windows Server 2003-based portable computer and on a Microsoft Windows 2000 Server-based portable computer.
	You are using a Microsoft Windows XP-based wireless computer. The computer uses one of the following authentication methods: Extensible Authentication Protocol-Transport Layer Security (EAP-TLS) Protected Extensible Authentication Protocol-Transport Layer Security (PEAP-TLS) for 802.1X authentication Additionally, the user re-authentication option is enabled in the remote access policy. After you restart the computer, you cannot intermittently download the roaming profiles. However, when you log off and then log on the computer, you can successfully download the roaming profiles.
	This article describes how to remove cached user credentials that are used for authentication on Protected Extensible Authentication Protocol (PEAP) networks. When you successfully log on to a network that uses PEAP authentication, your credentials are automatically stored in the computer for re-use. For example, when you shut down and then restart your computer, you are automatically logged on to the wireless network. There is no option that you can configure in Windows XP to prevent the operating system from storing your credentials. By design, the cached credentials are not deleted and do not time out unless the user fails to authenticate or the wireless network is removed from the preferred list. However, you can delete the registry key where your user credentials are stored. When you do so, you are prompted to enter your credentials the next time you log on to the network.
	Consider the following scenario. The computer is a Microsoft Windows Server 2003-based computer or a Microsoft Windows XP x64-based computer. In Windows Explorer, you click Refresh Network List in the Properties dialog box for the wireless network connection. In this scenario, Windows Explorer randomly generates an access violation and closes. This problem only occurs when the network adapter detects one or more hidden Service Set Identifiers (SSIDs) in the wireless network.
	You may receive a "0x000000c1" or a "0x000000c2" Stop error message when network traffic is initiated and a filter driver is loaded. For example, this error may occur when you are using firewall software or virtual private network (VPN) software in the following situations: You connect a wireless network adapter by using 802.1X authentication, and your firewall is using a filter driver You try to use Microsoft NetMeeting over a VPN connection.
	When you shut down your Windows XP Professional-based computer, the computer may stop responding (hang) when processing the shutdown scripts. Typically, you computer may hang for ten minutes, the default time-out period for shutdown scripts.
	After you install a Bluetooth-enabled keyboard on a computer that is running Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2, the authentication process may fail even when you type the correct passkey in the passkey dialog box.
	Discusses an issue where your Windows XP-based computer does not correctly detect a Bluetooth device when you try to install the device. A workaround is included.
	Provides a list of Bluetooth radio drivers that are included in Windows XP Service Pack 2, including their Plug and Play ID.
	Discusses issues that may occur with your Bluetooth device after you install Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2).
	Provides step-by-step procedures for adding and configuring Bluetooth devices in Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2.
	Describes how to disable Bluetooth wireless devices in Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2).
	Describes a problem that occurs when you connect a Microsoft-enabled Bluetooth device in Windows.
	Describes how a computer that is running on Windows XP Service Pack 2 or Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 cannot be discovered by a Bluetooth device unless you turn on discovery.
	After you upgrade a computer that has Bluetooth hardware and drivers installed, your Bluetooth wireless device may no longer function. Windows XP Device Manager shows the device with an exclamation point, indicating a problem with the device.
	Describes how to work around the problem that you receive an "Access is denied" error message when you try to connect a Bluetooth device to a Windows XP SP2-based computer.
	Describes a problem with the Widcomm v1 Bluetooth driver that may cause the installation of your device not to work.
	Discusses the problem where you cannot add a Bluetooth printer by using the Add Printer Wizard on a computer or a Tablet PC that is running Windows XP Service Pack 2.
	This article describes how to obtain an additional level of detail about what services a Bluetooth device may be able to handle. When you troubleshoot Bluetooth devices, Microsoft recommends that you verify that the device provides services that are supported under Windows XP. This device information is available through a hidden property sheet.
	Describes an issue where the Bluetooth File Transfer Wizard is missing from the Communications menu after you upgrade to Windows XP Service Pack 2.
	Support for Bluetooth wireless technology was added in Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1). However, you might not be able to connect to your Internet service provider (ISP) by using some cellular phones with Bluetooth connectivity.
	After you add a PDA device by using the Bluetooth Device Wizard, the device is listed under the wrong category in Bluetooth Devices in Control Panel.
	Describes a problem where you cannot create a dial-up connection in Windows XP by using a Bluetooth mobile phone. To work around this problem, try to connect again. You may have to restart your computer before you connect.
	Describes an issue with Windows XP SP2 that installs the inbox driver automatically instead of permitting you to specify a third-party driver. Explains that Windows overwrites existing third-party drivers during a slipstreamed upgrade.
	Describes a problem where a handheld device's COM port number does not appear on the Finish page of the Add Bluetooth Device Wizard. Provides a workaround for the problem.
	When you try to reconnect a dial-up connection by using a Bluetooth modem or a Bluetooth cellular phone after the Bluetooth power is turned off and on, the connection may fail, and you may receive an error message.
	When you try to install your Bluetooth device, it may not be discovered. However, if your Bluetooth device is discovered, the device may stop working, and Windows XP may not discover the device again.
	You receive a "Not enough resources" error message when you try to transfer a large file by using the Bluetooth File Transfer Wizard in Microsoft Windows XP.
	A Limited User may not have the necessary permissions to view all Bluetooth radio information. To work around this issue, log on to the computer by using an account that has administrator permissions.
	You have a Windows XP-based computer that has IBM Integrated Bluetooth III installed. When you try upgrade to Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), you may experience the following symptoms: Bluetooth File Transfer Wizard does not appear in the Communications menu. Note: To locate the Communications menu, click Start, point to All Programs, and then point to Communications. Bluetooth File Transfer Wizard does not appear in the Communications menu. The driver information in Device Manager is not updated correctly. Actiontec appears as the driver provider even though the driver is updated to the Microsoft driver that is included in Windows XP SP2. Note: Although the Bluetooth File Transfer Wizard does not appear, you can still use the file transfer function to send and receive files by using Bluetooth.
	If the Microsoft Bluetooth Supplement is installed on your computer, but no Bluetooth devices are installed, Setup programs that are based on InstallShield version 5.5 may run slowly. These program may run slowly if you start them within five minutes of logging on to Windows. This problem does not occur if Bluetooth devices are installed.
	You may not be able to cancel a print job, and the print job may remain listed in the print queue. If you restart the computer, the print job is successfully removed from the print queue.
	Consider the following scenario. You are using a Bluetooth radio that is connected to a Microsoft Windows XP-based computer. A Bluetooth keyboard or a Bluetooth mouse is connected or has been connected to this radio. Additionally, one or more of the following conditions are true: You connect the radio to the computer. You disconnect the radio from the computer. You use a feature on a portable computer to disable or to re-enable wireless devices. The computer resumes from hibernation. In this scenario, you receive a stop error message that resembles the following: DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL STOP: 0x000000D1 (0X00000410, 0x00000002, 0x00000000,0xF89D6DC7) HIDCLASS.SYS – Address F89D6DC7 base at F89D6000, DateStamp 41107d52 Additionally, you may receive this error message if the 6.02 or a later version of Microsoft IntelliType Pro or Microsoft IntelliPoint software is installed on this computer.
	You try to print to a bidirectional Bluetooth printer in Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), and the printing process is interrupted. For example, the printer power is turned off. You may receive an error message that states that the printing process cannot complete even though the printer is available again.
	When you click Let me choose my own passkey in the Add Bluetooth Device Wizard on a Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2-based computer, you are prompted with the following message in a balloon dialog box: We recommend using a passkey that is 8 to 16 digits long. When you click Back, the message does not disappear as expected.
	When you shut down or restart a computer that is running Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 and that has a Bluetooth audio device connected, you may receive an error message that resembles the following: End Program: Tabtip.exe. Ending Program: Please Wait.
	You pair a Bluetooth enabled device to a computer that is running Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2). Then, you enable Personal Area Networking (PAN) on the device. However, the newly paired device does not appear in the Bluetooth Personal Area Network Devices dialog box. The device does not appear even after you click Add to scan for the device. This problem occurs if the device is running Windows Mobile 5.0 Adaptation Kit Update (AKU) 3 or a later version that supports Bluetooth PAN.
	When you add your camcorder to the device list under Bluetooth Devices in Control Panel, the device may be unexpectedly categorized as an audio device.