Managing the Windows XP-based Wireless Network Policies
Applies To: Windows Server 2012
Wireless network settings in the Wireless Network (IEEE 802.11) Policies Group Policy extension include global wireless settings, the list of preferred networks, Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) and Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) settings, and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.1X settings. These settings encompass all of the items on the Association and Authentication tabs in the Wireless Network (IEEE 802.11) Policies to configure wireless network access for client running Windows®°XP with Service°Pack°(SP)°2, Windows°XP with SP1, or Windows°Server®°2003.
This topic contains the following sections:
General - settings
Item |
Details |
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XP Policy Name |
Provides a location for you to type a friendly name for the wireless network policy.
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Description |
Provides a location for you to type a description for the wireless policy. Note The description you type for is displayed under Description in the details pane of the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) for that policy. |
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Networks to access |
Specifies the types of wireless networks with which the wireless client is allowed to create connections:
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Use Windows WLAN Auto Config service for clients |
Enables the Wireless Zero Configuration service. When enabled, the Wireless Zero Configuration service is used to configure and connect clients running Windows°XP to wireless networks. Note Clients running Windows°XP use Wireless Zero Configuration while Clients running Windows Vista use WLAN AutoConfig Service. |
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Automatically connect to non-preferred networks |
Specifies that wireless clients can attempt to automatically connect to wireless networks that are not configured as preferred networks. If selected, your domain-member wireless clients can connect to a non-preferred network after first attempting to connect to preferred networks. |
802.1X - settings
IEEE 802.1X settings specify the behavior of wireless clients when connecting to an infrastructure wireless network that is configured for 802.1X authentication. Settings include authentication methods, (such as Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP), authentication mode, and 802.1X-specific parameters.
Item |
Details |
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Enable network access control using IEEE 802.1X |
Specifies whether you want to use Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.1X to perform authentication for your wireless network. If you clear this check box, all of the other settings on this tab become unavailable. |
EAP Type |
Specifies the network authentication method that connecting wireless clients use.
Default = Protected EAP (PEAP) |
Settings |
Opens the properties page of the selected network authentication method. For setting information for network authentication methods, see: |
Eapol-Start message |
EAPOL is the Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) over local area network (LAN) protocol. This setting specifies the transmission behavior of the EAPOL-Start message when authenticating. You can select from the following:
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Authentication Mode |
Specifies how credentials are used for network authentication. The following options are available.
Default = User re-authentication |
Authenticate as computer when computer information is available |
Specifies whether the computer will attempt to authenticate using computer credentials when the user is not logged on. Computer credentials are typically a computer certificate. Default = Enabled |
Authenticate as guest when user or computer information is unavailable |
Specifies that client connection requests that cannot meet computer or user authentication requirements can connect to the network by using permissions configured for the Guest account. Default = Not enabled |
Max Eapol-Start Msgs |
If no response is received to the original EAPOL-Start message, this setting specifies the maximum number of subsequent EAPOL-Start messages sent. Default = 3 |
Held Period |
After a client has received notification of authentication failure, this setting specifies the number of seconds an authenticating client waits before it performs another 802.1X authentication request. Default = 60 |
Start Period |
If no response is received to the original EAPOL-Start message, this setting specifies the number of seconds between the retransmission of subsequent EAPOL-Start messages. Default = 5 |
Auth Period |
After end-to-end 802.1X authentication is initiated, this setting specifies the number of seconds authenticating clients must wait before retransmitting any 802.1X requests. Default = 30 |
Network Properties - settings
You can use the Wireless Network (IEEE 802.11) Policy for Windows°XP clients to specify the name of the wireless network, network security authentication, such as Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2), and Fast Roaming features.
Item |
Details |
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Network Name (SSID) |
Provides a location for you to type the wireless LAN network name, also known as the Service Set Identifier (SSID). |
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Description |
Provides a location for you to type a description of the wireless LAN network. |
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Connect even if network is not broadcasting |
Specifies that wireless clients will actively probe for wireless access points with the specified SSID, if wireless access points are configured to suppress beacon broadcasts. |
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Authentication |
Specifies the security authentication method that is used between the wireless access point and the wireless client.
Default = Defaults to the most secure setting supported by the wireless hardware and drivers. |
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Encryption |
Specifies the security encryption to use for the selected network security authentication method. If Authentication is set to WPA-Enterprise, WPA-Personal, WPA2-Enterprise, or WPA2-Personal, the encryption options are AES or TKIP. If Authentication is set to Open, Shared, or Open with 802.1X, then encryption options are WEP or Disabled. |
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Enable Pairwise Master Key (PMK) Caching |
Specifies that Pairwise Master Key (PMK) Caching is used for WPA2 Fast Roaming. Note Fast Roaming is a feature of Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) that uses pre-authentication and PMK Caching to enable wireless clients to roam more quickly among wireless access points (APs). Fast Roaming settings are only exposed if WPA2 is selected as the network security method. |
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PMK Time to Live (Minutes) |
Specifies the duration, in minutes, the PMK is held in cache. Default = 720 |
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Number of Entries in PMK Cache |
Specifies the maximum number of PMK entries that are stored in cache. Default = 128 |
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This network uses pre-authentication |
Specifies that pre-authentication is used for WPA2 Fast Roaming. Pre-authentication enables WPA2 wireless clients that are connected to one wireless AP to perform 802.1X authentication with other wireless APs within its range. Pre-authentication stores the PMK and its associated information in the PMK cache. When the wireless client connects to a wireless AP with which it has pre-authenticated, it uses the cached PMK information to reduce the time required to authenticate and connect. Note WPA2 client pre-authentication is only possible with wireless access points that broadcast pre-authentication capability in Beacon and Probe Response messages. Default = Enabled |
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Maximum Pre-authentication attempts |
Specifies the maximum allowed pre-authentication attempts. This setting is available only when This network uses pre-authentication is selected. Default = 3 |
Preferred Networks - settings
You can use the settings on the Preferred Networks tab to add wireless networks, by name, to a prioritized list. That list specifies the order in which your domain-member wireless clients will attempt to connect to wireless networks.
If a client cannot connect to a preferred wireless network, and the wireless network is configured to prevent automatic connection to wireless networks that are not in the preferred list (the default), then the Wireless Zero Configuration service places the wireless network adapter in infrastructure mode using a random wireless network name. At this point, the wireless adapter is not connected to any wireless networks and continues to scan for preferred wireless networks.
Item |
Details |
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Profile name |
Displays the prioritized list of preferred wireless networks. General profile information, such as Service Set Identifier (SSID), IEEE 802.1X status Enabled or Disabled, and encryption type, is displayed. |
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Add |
Allows you to add a wireless network profile, and specify the profile properties. When you click Add, you will be presented with two options:
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Edit |
Allows you to change the configuration settings for the selected preferred wireless network profile. |
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Remove |
Deletes the selected network from the list of preferred networks. |
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Up arrow |
Moves a selected network to a higher connection priority in the list of preferred networks.
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Down arrow |
Moves a selected network to a lower connection priority in the list of preferred networks. |