Map network drives on wireless network

[woody]

At the moment, we have several drives mapped through a script that is run through GP.

We are testing laptops on the network with a wireless connection. The problem is, if the wireless takes a little too long to connect when logging on, the scripts don't run and the drives don't get mapped.

I thought of mapping the drives manually and set them to reconnect at logon, but of couse when I do this, if the script runs as well, you get an error saying that the local drive is already taken. Is there an easy way to edit this script so that it only maps the drive if that letter isn't already taken?? Here is the script I use:

----
Dim pub
Set pub = CreateObject("Wscript.Network")
pub.MapNetworkDrive "P:","\\Currserv3\public"
----

I want something like, if P: is taken do nothing else continue

Make sense? My other alternative is to put all the laptops in a seperate GP where the script doesn't run, but I would like to try the script route first.

Thanks

[StewartKnight]

I map the drives in GP, and it works fine, not a script to map the drives!

[Geoff]

Disable asynchronous processing with the policy setting "Always wait for the network at computer startup and logon". This is found in the computer configuration/administrative templates/system/logon.

Agree with the above.

Can also help with long logons with wired PCs

[StewartKnight]

or.... add the script to each machine at:

Docs & settings
All Users
Start Menu
Programs
Startup


Thats what I do for the laptop printers script!

[Geoff]

Yes but if the script runs before the network connection is there it still wont work.

[woody]

Disable asynchronous processing with the policy setting "Always wait for the network at computer startup and logon". This is found in the computer configuration/administrative templates/system/logon.

I have already tried this plus a few other options, but they don't seem to work. I can still log on and not receive the mapped drives. It usualyy takes me a few attempts at logging on depending on the level of signal before it catches up and runs the scripts.

I thought if I manually map the drives, they will sit there happily even if not connected wirelessly until the connection becomes live.

[Geoff]

Lazy way to do it is to stick a delay in the login script.

Complicated way is to rewrite it as VBS and let it run in a loop that checks for network avaliability and then sets up the drive mappings after its made sure the network is there.

[OverWorked]

I've always been plagued by this problem, even (though less frequently) on wired machines.

Stewart - how do you map drives in GP without a script? I didn't think this was possible. I have GP set a logon script that maps drives and connects printers, but it doesn't always work.

Does anyone have a script then does what Geoff suggests? It seems like the best answer. (I'm pretty hopeless at VBS).

[Ric_]

The default in XP is for mapped drives to be synchronised. If this is the case, they will be available for reconnection.

If you have disabled synchrnisation, maybe try re-enabling it on one of the drives to see if it helps.

[Geoff]

You'd have to loop in a while loop constantly querying the Win32_NetworkAdapter WMI object.

[DMcCoy]

Is windows being allowed to control the wireless connection directly? On some belkin cards I have the utility allows you to specify that you want windows to control it, otherwise things like wep etc are only configured when the card utility is run at login.

XP SP2 is a great help, I'm not running any of the client utilities anymore, just install the driver and configure the windows wireless for the rest.

[OverWorked]

@DMcCoy

I had the same problem with Belkin cards, and others. The trouble with the vendor's utilities is that they don't run until the user logs on, so its useless if you're logging on to a domain - you need it to be running when the machine boots up.

I quickly gave up using the vendor's utilities for this reason, and just let XP manage the wireless connection.

[woody]

XP manages the wireless before you log on? How do you get it to do this? Every time I log on, it takes a few seconds before the wireless connects. I would love to get them to connect the minute they are switched on.

[Geoff]

The Windows Zero Configuration Service. You also need a W2k3 server with the appropriate WiFi GPO setup.