How to preconfigure wireless adaptor configuration info?

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Guest

My question is specifically about a wireless network adaptor, but probably
applies to any network adaptor.

I would like to be able to take a "vanilla" Windows XP notebook computer
which has never had a wireless card inserted, and programmatically set the
necessary information so that the first time the card is inserted it begins
operating immediately. I do NOT want the user to be prompted for any
configuration information. I want to pre-configure the computer with the
information that would have been collected with those prompts.

This is for a very controlled environment, and I know ahead of time exactly
which card will be used, which wireless network will be used, all of the
address info, encryption info, etc, etc.

How do I identify exactly what information is needed, where it goes, and how
to put everything where it needs to be to accomplish this?

Thanks.
 
Kerry said:
My question is specifically about a wireless network adaptor, but probably
applies to any network adaptor.

I would like to be able to take a "vanilla" Windows XP notebook computer
which has never had a wireless card inserted, and programmatically set the
necessary information so that the first time the card is inserted it
begins
operating immediately. I do NOT want the user to be prompted for any
configuration information. I want to pre-configure the computer with the
information that would have been collected with those prompts.

This is for a very controlled environment, and I know ahead of time
exactly
which card will be used, which wireless network will be used, all of the
address info, encryption info, etc, etc.

How do I identify exactly what information is needed, where it goes, and
how
to put everything where it needs to be to accomplish this?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
The Network Setup Wizard can create a disk which contains the settings you
need to make a wired connection. You insert the disk in the computer and
execute the program theron. I suppose a reasonably competent person could
make an autorun disk.

Anyway, most of the information you mention is contained in the registry
which is no place for ordinary people to access.

The situation with respect to wireless is more complicated. Several
adapters cannot be setup by the Wireless Network Setup Wizard, and for
these, the only solution is manual entry. By the way, you need to run the
disk output by the Network Setup Wizard on wireless computers as well
because, for one thing, the disk contains the workgroup name.

Jim
 
Kerry said:
Ok, this could be a starting point. I started the New Connection Wizard,
but it is not clear to me how to cause it to create a disk, I don't see an
option to do that. I am starting it by choosing "Create a new connection"
from the Network Tasks list when displaying Network Connections. Is that
what you are referring to or is it something that is launched from a
command
window? Or...?
Click to expand...
I said to use "Network Setup Wizard". It is accessed from the control
panel. This wizard has the capability of creating a setup disk.
I also mentioned "Wireless Network Setup Wizard". It is also accessed from
the control panel.
I know nothing of the use of the New Connection Wizard. However, I would
suspect that you need to run the others first.
You said "most" of the information ends up in the registry -- do you know
exactly what does and does not -- or where to find out?
Click to expand...
No, I don't know where all of the network information resides in the
registry. There is a partial description in:
Microsoft Windows Registry Guide
Author: Jerry Honeycutt
Publisher: Microsoft Press

He also has a description of how to do unattended deployment of Windows.

Jim
 
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