Can I automatically disable the wireless NIC when plugged into LAN?

[skhoury]

Hello all,

At our company, we have several users that have laptops. Each laptop has a wireless NIC and a standard NIC. When plugged into the docking station, or basically any wired LAN, is there a way to disable the wireless NIC automatically?

either through some config in XP or via Group Policy in Active Directory?

Any thoughts is greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Sam

 

[rvnguy]

skhoury,

Ypu can script this as outlined in the links, you will have to allow for the two MAC device addresses to insure that the correct device is set.

Using Netsh

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/netsh.mspx

How To Change Network Interface Card (NIC) Settings Programmatically

http://www.asp101.com/articles/stanley/nicsettings/default.asp

Or you could obtain a program designed for this:
You might also look at this link (courtesy of "schtek")

http://www.netswitcher.com/

Hope this helps


rvnguy
"I know everything..I just can't remember it all

 

[bcastner]

At this time, computers running Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 do not have the capability to automatically disable the wireless network adapter when the Ethernet adapter is plugged into a network and to automatically enable the wireless network adapter when the Ethernet adapter is unplugged. If you do not want simultaneous connections to both wired and wireless networks, you must manually enable and disable the connection to the wireless network, the procedure for which varies with different releases of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003."

Microsoft Technet
The Cable Guy
April 2005

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/columns/cableguy/cg0405.mspx

 

[skhoury]

Well, I guess bcastners quote says it all lol.

thanks for the help guys,

Sam

 

[Simonchtan]

actually even if the wireless is not disable, the network routing will still base on network cost and assign the LAN as the 1st choice as destination.

however if u bend on disable the wireless, user will have to manually enable it back. u can do in in GPO

I know no voice, I knew nothing about systems,
i know NUTS on networking, Therefore I dont know anything!
-----------------------------------
©2003,2004 SCHT.

 

[rvnguy]

skhoury,

I agree on the fact that autonmatic is not an option but the links & methods used to manually/programatically switch could be scripted and made part of a logon. Food for thought.

rvnguy
"I know everything..I just can't remember it all

 

[skhoury]

Rvnguy: Well, the problem is that the logon script doesnt run when users dock and undock their laptops.

So, really it would be a one time check.

The users around here are always docking/undocking, so I would imagine that it would have to be some sort of service running in the background, constantly monitoring.