Wireless Clients

A Windows-based wireless client is one that is running Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows XP with Service Pack 2, or Windows Server 2003. You can configure wireless connections on Windows-based wireless clients in the following ways:

• Group Policy: The Wireless Network (IEEE 802.11) Policies Group Policy extension is part of a Computer Configuration Group Policy Object that can specify wireless network settings in an Active Directory environment.
• Command line: You can configure wireless settings by using Netsh.exe (running the command netsh wlan with the desired parameters). These commands apply only to wireless clients running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008.
• Wireless XML profiles: Wireless XML profiles are XML files that contain wireless network settings. You can use the Netsh tool to export these settings from the Wireless Network (IEEE 802.11) Policies Group Policy extension or from a wireless client running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008, and then import the settings to a wireless client running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008.
• Manually: For a Windows Vista- or Windows Server 2008-based wireless client, connect to the wireless network when prompted or use the Connect to a Network wizard from the Network and Sharing Center. For a Windows XP with SP2- or Windows Server 2003- based wireless client, connect to the wireless network when prompted or use the Wireless Network Setup Wizard from the Network Connections folder.

Wireless Network (IEEE 802.11) Policies Group Policy Extension

To automate the configuration of wireless network settings for Windows wireless client computers, Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2003 Active Directory domains support a Wireless Network (IEEE 802.11) Policies Group Policy extension. This extension allows you to configure wireless network settings as part of Computer Configuration Group Policy for a domain-based Group Policy Object. By using the Wireless Network (IEEE 802.11) Policies Group Policy extension, you can specify a list of preferred networks and their settings to automatically configure wireless LAN settings for wireless clients running Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows XP with SP2, Windows XP with SP1, or Windows Server 2003.

For each preferred network, you can specify the following:

• Connection settings, such as the wireless network name and whether the wireless network is a non-broadcast network
• Security settings, such as the authentication and encryption method, the EAP type, and the authentication mode
• Advanced 802.1X security settings such as Single Sign-On (for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 wireless clients)

These settings are automatically applied to wireless clients running Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows XP with SP2, and Windows Server 2003 that are members of a Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2003 Active Directory domain. You can configure wireless policies by using the Computer Configuration/Windows Settings/Security Settings/Wireless Network (IEEE 802.11) Policies node in the Group Policy Management Editor snap-in.

By default, there are no Wireless Network (IEEE 802.11) policies. To create a new policy for a Windows Server 2008-based Active Directory domain, right-click Wireless Network (IEEE 802.11) Policies in the console tree Group Policy Management Editor snap-in, and then click Create A New Windows XP Policy or Create A New Windows Vista Policy. For each type of policy, you can create only a single policy. A Windows XP Policy can contain profiles with settings for multiple wireless networks, and each network must have a unique SSID. A Windows Vista Policy can also contain profiles with settings for multiple wireless networks with unique SSIDs. Additionally, different profiles can contain multiple instances of the same SSID, each with unique settings. This allows you to configure profiles for mixed-mode deployments in which some clients are using different security technologies, such as WPA and WPA2.

The Windows Vista-based wireless policy contains policy settings specific to Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 wireless clients. If both types of wireless policies are configured, Windows XP with SP2- and Windows Server 2003-based wireless clients will use only the Windows XP policy settings, and the Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 wireless clients will use only the Windows Vista policy settings. If there are no Windows Vista policy settings, Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 wireless clients will use the Windows XP policy settings.