Too many "Wireless Network Connections" showing

[Stefan]

Hi,

When I open the Network Connections window on my new laptop, I see a
thing called Local Area Connection, which is fine, but I also see a
thing for Wireless Network Connection, Wireless Network Connection 2,
and Wireless Network Connection 3. Why do I need 3 wireless connection
thingys? Can I delete two of them to clean things up in there? When I
right click there is a Delete command but it's gray out.




TIA

 

[BillW50]

In

Hi,

When I open the Network Connections window on my new laptop, I see a
thing called Local Area Connection, which is fine, but I also see a
thing for Wireless Network Connection, Wireless Network Connection 2,
and Wireless Network Connection 3. Why do I need 3 wireless connection
thingys? Can I delete two of them to clean things up in there? When I
right click there is a Delete command but it's gray out.

I disable unwanted devices in the Device Manager and then they go away.
You could hide them too, but they still take up resources that way.

 

[Andy Burns]

I also see a
thing for Wireless Network Connection, Wireless Network Connection 2,
and Wireless Network Connection 3. Why do I need 3 wireless connection
thingys? Can I delete two of them to clean things up in there?

If you switch to details view are one or two of them using the MS
virtual WiFi Adapter? If so I think they're there to allow you to
connect to more than SSID at one (e.g. your home LAN in infrastructure
mode, and an ad-hoc connection to a standalone device).

 

[Stefan]

In

I disable unwanted devices in the Device Manager and then they go away.
You could hide them too, but they still take up resources that way.

Thx! OK I tried that and it didn't work the way I wanted. The
connection things still show up in Network Connections but now they
show "Disabled" as their status. Also, disabling the single wireless
adapter in device manager caused all 3 connections to show the
Disabled status, and then I couldn't use wireless anymore. So that's
not what I want but I appreciate the reply.

 

[Stefan]

If you switch to details view are one or two of them using the MS
virtual WiFi Adapter? If so I think they're there to allow you to
connect to more than SSID at one (e.g. your home LAN in infrastructure
mode, and an ad-hoc connection to a standalone device).

Yes! In details view the first one shows Intel WiFi Link BGN while the
second one shows Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport Adapter and the third
one shows Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport Adapter #2. So I guess what
you're telling me is I should just leave it alone. Thx!

 

[BillW50]

In

Thx! OK I tried that and it didn't work the way I wanted. The
connection things still show up in Network Connections but now they
show "Disabled" as their status. Also, disabling the single wireless
adapter in device manager caused all 3 connections to show the
Disabled status, and then I couldn't use wireless anymore. So that's
not what I want but I appreciate the reply.

Something doesn't sound right. What are the three connections called?
Like mine are called under Network Connections on this XP machine
(Windows 7 should be simular):

Wireless Network Connection (Connected)
Local Area Connection (Disabled)
1394 Connection 3 (Disabled)

So the only one that shows up in my tray is wireless and the other two
isn't shown.

 

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

Thx! OK I tried that and it didn't work the way I wanted. The
connection things still show up in Network Connections but now they
show "Disabled" as their status. Also, disabling the single wireless
adapter in device manager caused all 3 connections to show the
Disabled status, and then I couldn't use wireless anymore. So that's
not what I want but I appreciate the reply.

In XP, I'd try _Removing_ them in Device Manager, not just disabling
them; I don't know what the equivalent is for 7. (I'd just try one at a
time, probably the middle one!) In XP, the worst that could happen is
that it would discover them again next reboot, if they really
represented some actual hardware. (OK, the worst would be it
rediscovered them and then couldn't find drivers, which is why I'd just
try removing the middle one first.)

 

[charlie]

Yes! In details view the first one shows Intel WiFi Link BGN while the
second one shows Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport Adapter and the third
one shows Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport Adapter #2. So I guess what
you're telling me is I should just leave it alone. Thx!

There is another variation to this. It seems that some routers assign
a random address to the same laptop each time it connects via wireless
after being turned off. This often shows up on the laptop as connecting
to a "new" network, when it's just the same old one.

 

[Andy Burns]

There is another variation to this. It seems that some routers assign
a random address to the same laptop each time it connects via wireless
after being turned off. This often shows up on the laptop as connecting
to a "new" network, when it's just the same old one.

That doesn't sound right to me.

It's certainly possible the laptop could get a new IP address each time
it connects, but the SSID of the network wouldn't change, so it
shouldn't even show up as an additional wifi network profile, let alone
an additional network adapter (physical or virtual).

 

[...winston]

"charlie" wrote in message
There is another variation to this. It seems that some routers assign
a random address to the same laptop each time it connects via wireless
after being turned off. This often shows up on the laptop as connecting
to a "new" network, when it's just the same old one.
In Stefan's case, it is not router related.
It is a Windows 7 as designed feature....a software layer that abstracts the wireless LAN card hardware into multiple virtual
adapters.

Connections for each adapter are handled by the software and ensure every adapter has an opportunity to connect to a respective
network (limited by time). The end result yields an operating system that can act as if multiple WLAN hardware adapters are
working independently.

 

[Stefan]

"charlie" wrote in message


There is another variation to this. It seems that some routers assign
a random address to the same laptop each time it connects via wireless
after being turned off. This often shows up on the laptop as connecting
to a "new" network, when it's just the same old one.

In Stefan's case, it is not router related.
It is a Windows 7 as designed feature....a software layer that abstracts the wireless LAN card hardware into multiple virtual
adapters.

Connections for each adapter are handled by the software and ensure every adapter has an opportunity to connect to a respective
network (limited by time). The end result yields an operating system that can act as if multiple WLAN hardware adapters are
working independently.

Thank you for that information. Some may be over my head but it mostly
makes sense, thanks!

 

[Allen Drake]

Hi,

When I open the Network Connections window on my new laptop, I see a
thing called Local Area Connection, which is fine, but I also see a
thing for Wireless Network Connection, Wireless Network Connection 2,
and Wireless Network Connection 3. Why do I need 3 wireless connection
thingys? Can I delete two of them to clean things up in there? When I
right click there is a Delete command but it's gray out.




TIA

Every time you run the wizard you will get another connection #. You
must have run it three times.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...nnection/8a03c643-9f92-4058-9c32-fd67e46c8126

 

[Stefan]

Every time you run the wizard you will get another connection #. You
must have run it three times.

Not that I know of, but I wouldn't bet my life on it.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...nnection/8a03c643-9f92-4058-9c32-fd67e46c8126

Unfortunately, that web site doesn't apply. I'm not trying to clean up
the list of networks I've connected to in the past. I'm trying to
clean up the fact that the Network and Sharing Center shows that I
have 3 wireless adapters when I really only have one. (I think!)
Someone else said it's normal, so I'm just living with it, even though
I have never seen the second or third one used. No matter which of the
4 wireless networks I connect to that I routinely use, (home, coffee
shop, library, and another coffee shop), it always shows the first
adapter as the one that's connected.

 

[Allen Drake]

Not that I know of, but I wouldn't bet my life on it.


Unfortunately, that web site doesn't apply. I'm not trying to clean up
the list of networks I've connected to in the past. I'm trying to
clean up the fact that the Network and Sharing Center shows that I
have 3 wireless adapters when I really only have one. (I think!)
Someone else said it's normal, so I'm just living with it, even though
I have never seen the second or third one used. No matter which of the
4 wireless networks I connect to that I routinely use, (home, coffee
shop, library, and another coffee shop), it always shows the first
adapter as the one that's connected.

Ya, after I read further I saw that. But the key is to keep
searching. It might be quicker then waiting for someone else to do it
and produce an answer.

Good luck.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Not that I know of, but I wouldn't bet my life on it.

Unfortunately, that web site doesn't apply. I'm not trying to clean up
the list of networks I've connected to in the past. I'm trying to
clean up the fact that the Network and Sharing Center shows that I
have 3 wireless adapters when I really only have one. (I think!)
Someone else said it's normal, so I'm just living with it, even though
I have never seen the second or third one used. No matter which of the
4 wireless networks I connect to that I routinely use, (home, coffee
shop, library, and another coffee shop), it always shows the first
adapter as the one that's connected.

IIRC, when it happened to me, I ended up deleting the extra networks
and renaming the one left to drop the digit. Nothing bad happened.

At the time I kind of assumed that I had created or inadvertently
allowed the system to create the extra adapters, but never researched
it much. A bit of grumbling was good enough for me...

It was maybe three years ago or more, so the memories are a bit fuzzy
now.

It's also possible that even today I have extra adapters on my desktop
or netbook, but to be honest, I haven't looked or paid attention.

 

[Fred]

Hi,

When I open the Network Connections window on my new laptop, I see a
thing called Local Area Connection, which is fine, but I also see a
thing for Wireless Network Connection, Wireless Network Connection 2,
and Wireless Network Connection 3. Why do I need 3 wireless connection
thingys? Can I delete two of them to clean things up in there? When I
right click there is a Delete command but it's gray out.




TIA

Go to wireless networks from system tray. Open network centre at bottom
of menu/manage wireless networks in the new window/hoighlight and remove
any unwanted - or just remove the lot. If you do delete them all you
will have to re-enter password, assuming it is a security enabled
connection.

 

[...winston]

"Fred" wrote in message

Hi,

When I open the Network Connections window on my new laptop, I see a
thing called Local Area Connection, which is fine, but I also see a
thing for Wireless Network Connection, Wireless Network Connection 2,
and Wireless Network Connection 3. Why do I need 3 wireless connection
thingys? Can I delete two of them to clean things up in there? When I
right click there is a Delete command but it's gray out.




TIA

Go to wireless networks from system tray. Open network centre at bottom
of menu/manage wireless networks in the new window/hoighlight and remove
any unwanted - or just remove the lot. If you do delete them all you
will have to re-enter password, assuming it is a security enabled
connection.
They're not wireless networks but network connections...in this specific case virtual wifi adapters created by Windows (of an
existing wifi adapter)