automatic disabling of wireless connection while connected to wired net: howto?

Sep 26, 2005 2 Replies
C

I would like to (programmatically, or through a group policy) disable the wireless interface on individual workstations iff the wired interface is already active.



For example, we have many laptops with both wired and wireless capability. While they are logged into the LAN at work, we want to prevent them from connecting to the unprotected free access point in the coffee shop next door. It's not that individuals necessarily do so



out of malice - they come in from a previous hotspot and their operating environment automatically connects them to both, in effect granting a split tunnel (and huge security problem).



Assuming I have some of the regular security tools available for my workgroup (domain GPO, Norton AntiVirus), what can I do?



Thanks to you very much, .Chu.



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D

login scripts? scheduled jobs? The technique, once you get it to run, is simple enough.

If there is a valid IP address on the wired interface, run a command to disable the wireless adapter.

I run mine manually, when I remember.

provides an executable called DevCon for Device Control.

devcon status * > all_devices.txt will give a text file with all of the devices and the current status. Find the name of your WiFi card there... Mine is an SMC2435W.

PCI\\VEN_104C&DEV_8400&SUBSYS_8402104C&REV_00\\5&2509CBFA&0&0051F0 Name: SMC2435W 22 Mbps Wireless Cardbus Adapter

devcon status "PCI\\VEN_104C&DEV_8400*" ensure that this shows only the status from the one device that you want to affect. (It's interesting what shows up under the same "VEN_" number.)

I made a batch file with one line: devcon %1 "PCI\\VEN_104C&DEV_8400*"

then I put two shortcuts to the bat file on my desktop, adjusting the properties so that one has a "target" of the bat file enable, and another shortcut for disable. "C:\\downloads\\DevCon\\2435.bat" enable I even picked clever icons for the two shortcuts ;-)

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D

You could get Netswitcher for a start and have your server set up so that whenever it detects a new device attached to the wired network that it forces Netswitcher to that machine and runs it. Netswitcher can be configured to only work through the desired NIC.

Also, do you have a "welcome" interface on your network? You could configure it to force all this.

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