Disable wireless network adapter when a laptop is docked?

I have a laptop and docking station, under Windows XP it automatically
disabled the wireless adapter when hooked up to its docking station. This
was achieved because XP used different hardware profiles, having done a bit
of digging it would appear that Vista doesn't support multiple hardware
profiles - is this correct?

Now when I dock my laptop it connects to my LAN using its gigabit Ethernet
adapter but is still connected with its wireless adapter. Since Vista knows
it connected to a) a docking station and b) its Ethernet adapter is
connected surely there must be a way of disabling the wireless adapter
automatically regardless of Vista's lack of support for hardware profiles?

TIA for any help.

Not "disabling" it per-se, but Windows networking assigns metrics to network
connections based on their speed, performance, etc. and Windows will
automatically use the fastest network connection available to it. So when
you dock, even though the wireless connection is still active, Windows will
used the faster wired connection instead.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] rgharper@gmail.com
* NEW! Catch my blog ... http://msmvps.com/blogs/rgharper/
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* The Website - http://rgharper.mvps.org/
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"Fearful" <fearful@community.nospam> wrote in message
news:99213E37-EB4F-491E-9C1D-5B62B809502C@microsoft.com...
>I have a laptop and docking station, under Windows XP it automatically
>disabled the wireless adapter when hooked up to its docking station. This
>was achieved because XP used different hardware profiles, having done a bit
>of digging it would appear that Vista doesn't support multiple hardware
>profiles - is this correct?
>
> Now when I dock my laptop it connects to my LAN using its gigabit Ethernet
> adapter but is still connected with its wireless adapter. Since Vista
> knows it connected to a) a docking station and b) its Ethernet adapter is
> connected surely there must be a way of disabling the wireless adapter
> automatically regardless of Vista's lack of support for hardware profiles?
>
> TIA for any help.

Hi,

Thank you for posting in the Microsoft newsgroup!

From your post, my understanding on this issue is: you want to let Vista
use the wired connection when the laptop is docked. If I'm off base, please
feel free to let me know.

Thank to Richard for his key in. It's greatly appreciated.

You are right. Windows Vista doesn't support hardware profile anymore.

When you dock your laptop, Vista will use the wired connection, since wired
connection is faster than the wireless connection.

So you needn't to disable your wireless connection while docking the laptop.

Best regards,

Sean Cai, MCSE2000
Microsoft Online Support

Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security
================================================== ===
When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via your newsreader so
that others may learn and benefit from your issue.
================================================== ===

Makes sense, thanks.

"Richard G. Harper" <rgharper@email.com> wrote in message
news:eKwFGFaVHHA.4404@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> Not "disabling" it per-se, but Windows networking assigns metrics to
> network connections based on their speed, performance, etc. and Windows
> will automatically use the fastest network connection available to it. So
> when you dock, even though the wireless connection is still active,
> Windows will used the faster wired connection instead.
>
> --
> Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] rgharper@gmail.com
> * NEW! Catch my blog ... http://msmvps.com/blogs/rgharper/
> * PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
> * The Website - http://rgharper.mvps.org/
> * HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
>
>
> "Fearful" <fearful@community.nospam> wrote in message
> news:99213E37-EB4F-491E-9C1D-5B62B809502C@microsoft.com...
>>I have a laptop and docking station, under Windows XP it automatically
>>disabled the wireless adapter when hooked up to its docking station. This
>>was achieved because XP used different hardware profiles, having done a
>>bit of digging it would appear that Vista doesn't support multiple
>>hardware profiles - is this correct?
>>
>> Now when I dock my laptop it connects to my LAN using its gigabit
>> Ethernet adapter but is still connected with its wireless adapter. Since
>> Vista knows it connected to a) a docking station and b) its Ethernet
>> adapter is connected surely there must be a way of disabling the wireless
>> adapter automatically regardless of Vista's lack of support for hardware
>> profiles?
>>
>> TIA for any help.
>
>

Hi,

I hope that the above information helped. If anything is unclear or you
have any further concerns, please feel free to let me know. I am glad to be
of assistance.

Best regards,

Sean Cai, MCSE2000
Microsoft Online Support

Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security
================================================== ===
When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via your newsreader so
that others may learn and benefit from your issue.
================================================== ===

Hello Sean,

it definitely makes sense to use the fastest connection only. But we dont want
to allow our users to open other network connections when they are connected
to the LAN (means domain). For a matter of cost, security etc. we dont want
e.g. UMTS cards work in the LAN environment. Offline they certainly shoud
work.
Under XP we achieved this behaviour with hardware profiles but under Vista we
don't know how to do a similar thing.

Thanks in advance
Jens

"Sean Cai [MSFT]" wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I hope that the above information helped. If anything is unclear or you
> have any further concerns, please feel free to let me know. I am glad to be
> of assistance.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Sean Cai, MCSE2000
> Microsoft Online Support
>
> Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security
> ================================================== ===
> When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via your newsreader so
> that others may learn and benefit from your issue.
> ================================================== ===
>
>
>
>

http://store.payloadz.com/str-asp-i....nd-detail.html

This is a really nice product and it works well... Could solve your
problem. I bought it and it works on all my XP machines...

:bounce:


--
etheral
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View this thread: http://forums.techarena.in/showthread.php?t=688504

http://forums.techarena.in

This is a VISTA Newsgroup, CLOWN!
--
Mick Murphy - Qld - Australia


"etheral" wrote:

>
> http://store.payloadz.com/str-asp-i....nd-detail.html
>
> This is a really nice product and it works well... Could solve your
> problem. I bought it and it works on all my XP machines...
>
> :bounce:
>
>
> --
> etheral
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> etheral's Profile: http://forums.techarena.in/member.php?userid=51060
> View this thread: http://forums.techarena.in/showthread.php?t=688504
>
> http://forums.techarena.in
>
>

It seems to me you are a little bit tetchy. AN honest mistake.. Tiny
writing at the top of the screen when finding the thread from google.
Sor-ry for my momentous mistake, I am sure you are a wonderfully gifted
individual who manages to never make mistakes.

I am sure you are a really nice person in reality, but this virtual
world seems to make you a bit of an A**.


--
etheral
------------------------------------------------------------------------
etheral's Profile: http://forums.techarena.in/member.php?userid=51060
View this thread: http://forums.techarena.in/showthread.php?t=688504

http://forums.techarena.in

Some time ago I was rude when I wrote:

>This is a VISTA Newsgroup, CLOWN!
>--
>Mick Murphy - Qld - Australia
>
>
>"etheral" wrote:

I'm sorry "etheral"

I know it has been a while since I
wrote that but I am getting old and
am starting to feel as if I should
make amends for my bad behavior before
the Grim Reaper punches my clock.

Again, I'm sorry for my bad behavior.
--
Mick Murphy - Qld - Australia