Windows XP - Domain not available with wireless

[HCC]

Hi,

We have been using student XP Laptops and trolleys for years, and one of the biggest problems with them is the message '<<domain name>> not available' when a student or staff member logs on. The same message you would get on a standard domain computer if the network cable was unplugged and there was no cached profile.
To fix this we have to plug the laptop into the network with a cable then run gpupdate from a local admin account, then reboot leaving the cable connected until it displays the logon box. This is needed often.

It looks as though when using a wireless only connection, XP doesn't fully connect to the network before it displays the logon box, and over time the computer account goes stale and the laptop is unable to authenticate with the domain.
We have tried to use HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\EAPOL\Parame ters\General\Global\authmode to use only computer authentication but this didn't resolve the problem.
All the messages in event log just say unable to contact domain controller or similar network not available messages.

Does anyone else have this problem? or has managed to overcome it?

Thanks,

[3s-gtech]

Group Policy settings were used for this here - from MS

In situations where you need for users to receive software, implement folder redirection, or run new scripts in a single logon, apply a GPO with the setting Always wait for the network at computer startup and logon to the computer. This setting is located under Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Logon in the Group Policy Object Editor. For this setting to take effect, Group Policy must be refreshed or the computer restarted.

[HCC]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I can confirm that this policy is already set to enabled.
Any other ideas?

[Jamo]

Check out the articles on DHCP media sense, try enabling and disabling. We have some laptops which work as default (on) and some which require it to be turned off.

How to disable the Media Sensing feature for TCP/IP in Windows

[HCC]

I'll give it a go, but does wireless have a media to sense?

[K.C.Leblanc]

Are you using windows wireless config or the manufacturer's own tool?

Windows config works much better with domains.

[tosh74]

I have had this problem too, and thanks to the help from the guys and gals here at Edugeek, I have managed to minimise this problem. 1st port of call is to increase the number of days the workstation changes it's password (ADUC,Computer Conf, Windows settings,Local policies, Security options) default is 30 days but you can up this (i've seen others suggest 180 days - I disable mine altogether). 2nd increase the Group Policy Processing timeout -start at 60 secs, test and drop this value to as low as you can get away with. This will delay GPP until the wireless card has finished initialising.

Only apply these settings to your wirless laptops


*Copy the following for an ADM (computer conf). To see this in ADUC correctly you will need to change your filtering setting (view, filtering, untick 'only show policy settings that can be fully managed)
CLASS MACHINE

CATEGORY "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon"
KEYNAME "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon"

POLICY "GpNetworkStartTimeoutPolicyValue"
PART "GpNetworkStartTimeoutPolicyValue"
NUMERIC
VALUENAME "GpNetworkStartTimeoutPolicyValue"
END PART
END POLICY

END CATEGORY

*End copy


Good luck

[round2it]

Wireless logon script

have you tried a wireless delay reg setting 3rd post down i think

[ricki]

HI

I had this a long time ago. I installed a new pcmia wireless cards in a set of laptops and installed the driver and software for the wifi that controlled the new wifi card from the manufacturer. This took over control of the wifi on the machine and only started working when you logged on. Which meant the the wifi did not connect and apply the settings because the wifi was not working. What I had to do was uninstall the software and the driver and then plug the card in and point the install of the driver from the cd in my case and not install the wifi control software. This allowed windows to control the wifi and from then on when the computer was turned on it turned on the wifi which then allowed settings and group policy to apply.

You might be able to stop the software controlling the wifi and allow windows to do it but you will have to have a look in the settings.

Richard

[Bjoern]

AD over wireless is always a pain but it works if you use the windows wireless connection and not a bad written driver tool that starts AFTER a user logs on.
I think intel wireless manager runs as a daemon, so that might work, too.

[HCC]

Just to confirm we are using the windows connection and not a third party tool. Although I have seen that the intel client can do a pre login connection but this looked really complex to set up.

The delay and ad check-in increase are the suggestions I'm trying at the moment

[round2it]

i found the wireless delay reg fix has worked a few times for us.

[chrbb]

My xp trolley laptops and wireless have almost reduced me to tears on numerous occasions, if one of the laptops won't connect I can carry it down the corridor 5 yards where it picks up another WAP and logs on straightaway. All our WAPs are Buffolo and set up identically except for the channels which are set to overlap.

[Andie]

We also struggle with this. Some teachers are more patient than others. I've seen the word Ruckus banded about for wireless, and it looks like a managed solution. I'm going to investigate the costs. We are moving to a new build in 18 months, apparently with no suite and lots of wireless, so we are going to need something reliable. I'll also experiment with the timeouts and password change settings suggested above. We use windows config and I've got the main GP settings suggested apart from timeout and password change.

[Andie]

I have had this problem too, and thanks to the help from the guys and gals here at Edugeek, I have managed to minimise this problem..... 2nd increase the Group Policy Processing timeout -start at 60 secs, test and drop this value to as low as you can get away with. This will delay GPP until the wireless card has finished initialising.

Can I just check whether I should increase the timeout or decrease the timeout? You say increase, but then talk about dropping the value...? I'm a bit confused!