disabling the auto-connecting of unknown networks!

I give up... thank you for your help._)

And it is a pity you cannot access the link (remove 'ref:')

In any case, a quick search leads to dozens of similar threads reporting the issue.

On page 9 of another long thread, an apparently savvy user has something to say that represents me and my frustration.

I give up.

Windows 8 Auto-connection to open wireless networks.  Serious security flaw.

As an IT support consultant i can confirm i have experienced this on numerous machine, with numerous "unknown networks" - which is a major concern - especially as I travel, and operate in numerous locations....  I constantly discover my machine has connected to a new "unknown wireless" network.

I cannot believe there is nothing official from Microsoft on this.

This is from what i can observe quite a serious security flaw in the Windows 8 system.  And i wish that "well meaning" support people would endeavor to understand this issue.

1. we are not connecting to a known or existing wireless connection.
2. Disabling autoconnection to a known wireless network does not resolve this issue.  New open networks are still connected to.
3. Even manually disconnecting from that network - and disabling autoconnect - does NOT prevent that same network reconnecting again when it is in range.

Why can i not - on windows 8 - simply disable connection to an unknown network...??

All i can see is that this is a "feature" which allows "someone" to track a laptop by enabling a laptop to "automatically" connect to a wireless network, without the users control or knowledge...  but that would be bizarre since most of the time the strategy seems to be the opposite.

Please advise how to resolve this issue.

source:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows\_8-networking/cannot-turn-off-automatically-connect-option-on/514510b5-d99b-4f66-ac78-eb32d0056ada?page=9

Sorry to disagree and unfortunately I cannot send you a screenshot, but:

1. Your pc cannot connect to any network if it does not know the wi-fi password.

it surely cannot, but it will attempt - because the check box for those networks is ticked to 'Connect Automatically. For some reason, every time I unselect, It is selected again, as I said twice. I see no way to permanently prevent my PC to connect automatically to those unknown networks. I don't understand why they are all marked as 'Connect Automatically'.  On Settings, I can only manage known networks, therefore, I cannot prevent this.  As a result, my PC is permanently switching from my known network to unknown ones in the area if they appear to be stronger then mine. Because... they are marked as 'Connect Automatically.

Does this make sense?

2. If your network is not marked to connect automatically it is because you have configured it in this mode.

I have check but every time I click again 1 second later, it appears uncheck. Just as the opposite for unknown ones.

I am a bit frustrated because I have the impression I am being discredited while reporting an issue I find many other people reporting in old threads, dating back to 2015. Simply, I don't see any solution.

The reason my network is dropping is because ALL networks in the range are marked as 'Connect Automatically' ,so if I go to one room where an unknown network is stronger, mine will be dropped in favor of that, and as I don't have the password - obviously

• I go offline.

Please, try to picture that, it is a legit issue, do not assume I do not know what I am talking about or that I cannot understand what you wrote. Again, your explanation and suggestion do not address my issue at all.

Just the title of my post says it all. I do not claim I want to control unknown, I just don't want to be connected automatically to them, and I cannot figure out how.

Ref: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows\_10-networking-winpc/disable-auto-connect-to-unkown-wi-fi-networks/db4151b3-3362-4e11-9ee5-c01f6a07c708

Hello,

thank you. But maybe I have not expressed my problem well? What I need is to prevent my PC to connect automatically to whatever unknown network in my area.

Also, for a reason I do  not understand, my own network which should be the only one marked as Connect Automatically, is not. Every time I check, and I take a look it is uncheck.

On the contrary, every time I uncheck the other unknown networks, they appear as check again!

How is that I cannot have the option to either block or uncheck to prevent my PC to connect automatically to unknown networks, but only the owners of that networks can do that? IF so, why there is an option to check/uncheck 'Connect Automatically'?

And why there is no other way to control those unknown (because currently I only see an option to manage 'known networks', which is not the case.

Why they unknown networks are marked to connect automatically as default? Cause my own network to drop constantly?

It makes no sense to me and so far I have found hundreds of people saying they encounter the same problem, and I see no effective solution. It is quite disturbing to have my PC switching from my network to unknown ones automatically every 10 minutes or so. Your answer seems to not address my problem at all.

First of all you have to read carefully and understand what I have written to you previously but obviously you have not been able to do it.

1. Your pc cannot connect to any network if it does not know the wi-fi password.
2. If your network is not marked to connect automatically it is because you have configured it in this mode.
3. You can't control unknown networks, nobody can.
4. Unknown networks are set to connect automatically because this has been decided by their respective owners, they certainly don't have to ask you for permission to configure their networks.
5. If your network falls constantly, there are other reasons, certainly not due to the presence of other networks in your area.

Hi segundogh,

no one can take control of your home wi-fi network if the network is well protected by a password and if only you know this password.

The wording: Connect automatically is a setting of the owner of that network, you cannot change the settings of a network that you do not have access to or that is not your network.

If you do not want to automatically connect to your wi-fi network, select the network from the list and click on Disconnect (uncheck the checkbox, Connect automatically). Each time to connect, you need to select the network from the list and press the Connect button.