Windows 10: Enabling NCSI Active Probing prevents auto-connect to corporate Wi-Fi 802.1x

We've recently implemented a change in our Production environment to ensure Active Probing is set to Enabled in the registry (via Group Policy), to ensure Microsoft's Network Connectivity Status Indicator (NCSI) properly detects internet access, to ensure Office 365 and other related apps remain activated/connected to Microsoft's necessary service(s).

• HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NlaSvc\Parameters\Internet
• HKLM\ SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\NetworkConnectivityStatusIndicator

After about a week of implementation, we've noticed a recent uptick in Service Desk tickets concerning laptops not auto-connecting to our main internal Wi-Fi network (corporate 802.1x) when undocking from wired/Ethernet, or arriving on-prem from off-prem. We can see the Wi-Fi network with no issues in the wireless list, but the specific internal Wi-Fi network shows "Action Needed" next to it. We can connect to the network by clicking the Connect button, but then the Wi-Fi network requests for us to perform a security check remediation through the web browser. This should not occur for on-prem corporate assets (based on the Cisco Anyconnect Secure Mobility client settings we've set for these machines).


If I drop one of the machines into an AD OU that has no group policies established/enforced, and turn off / disable Active Probing via registry, the issue is resolved and the machine is able to auto-reconnect to the internal Wi-Fi network without issues. If I move the machine back to our Prod OU, do a GP update and reboot, the machine's registry enables Active Probing and then reverts back to saying "Action Needed" for the internal Wi-Fi network.


My questions are the following:

1. What is the importance of 'Active Probing' for auto-reconnecting to corporate 802.1x wireless networks? Why do the machines fail to auto-reconnect to this network when Active Probing is enabled?
2. Is there a fix to ensure these machines can auto-reconnect to the wireless network while Active Probing is still enabled?
3. Should Active Probing be required to be enabled to ensure Office apps are able to activate/stay connected with Microsoft Services? via NCSI.

Your help on this is much appreciated in-advance!

:)

 

Disable auto-connect to unkown Wi-Fi networks

Hi Daniel,

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community.

We understand that you would like to disable auto-connect to Wi-Fi with unknown networks. We will certainly help you with this.

Method 1: Turn off auto connect to Wi-Fi hotspots.

1. Press Start button and Type “Network” in the search box.

2. Open Network & Internet setting window and select Wi-Fi on the left side.

3. Click on Manage Wi-Fi settings on the right panel.

4. Turn off Connect to Wi-Fi hotspots option.

Method 2: How to forget a Wi-Fi Network.
1. Press Start button and Type “Network” in the search box.

2. Open Network & Internet setting window and select Wi-Fi on the left side.

3. Click on Manage Wi-Fi settings on the right panel and scroll down to see a list of known networks.

4. Tap the network you want to forget and click on Forget
button.

Windows by default automatically connects to the previously connected/known Wi-Fi network. Listed below are steps to disable the automatic connection to known Wi-Fi network.

1. Right click on Wi-Fi icon and select Open Network and Sharing Center
menu option.

2. In the Network and Sharing Center window, click the Wi-Fi connection
link.

3. This should display the Wi-Fi Status windows.

4. Now click the Wireless Properties button in W-Fi Status.

5. Unmark the check box with label as Connect automatically when this network in range
option available under the Wireless Network Properties window. Click
Ok button to confirm and the save the changes.

If you are using Intel PROSet Wireless Tools, Then I would suggest you to try the steps from the following link suggested by DennisBarnett.

Cannot turn off 'automatically connect' option on WIFI connections

(Applies to Windows 10 also)

Hope this information is helpful. Please do let us know if you need further assistance, we’ll be glad to assist you.



Thank you.

 

Windows 10 stop automatically connecting to random new wi-fi networks


Hi,

I have searched a lot, but all the tutorials I found only explained how to not connect automatically to a known wi-fi network or how to disable wi-fi sense... but this is not what I am looking for...

PROBLEM:

• When my laptop (Windows 10 Pro X64) is not connected to a network and the wireless adapter is on, it will automatically connect to any random new unsecured wi-fi network... The only way I have now to avoid this is to disable my wi-fi adapter.

UNUSEFUL TUTORIALS I FOUND ON THE INTERNET:

• How to manually uncheck the option for a particular wi-fi network not to connect automatically in Network Properties. This is not what I am looking for. This would suggest that everytime I power my computer. I would have to manually go through all the available wi-fi networks and unclick them all...
• How to disable Wi-Fi Sense. This is not useful, because I don't even have a Wi-Fi sense option in my computer where the tutorials say it should be.

EXPECTED BEHAVIOR:

• I am looking for an option to tell my computer to stop connecting randomly to unknown wi-fi networks like an hyperactive, reckless idiot.

PERSONAL COMMENT:

• Honestly, why would any respectable company think that it could be somewhat wise or secure to do this... Anyone's computer could just randomly connect to any hacker's wi-fi network without the user even knowing it...

Any solutions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

No wi-fi connection


I found the restore points and went back to last month, when the Wi-Fi was still working. I reconnected the router. The control panel says the connection is secure and connected when I tried to get online via wireless rather than DSL, but the icon on the bottom is still the DSL one. Do I have to disconnect the DSL cable in order to use the Wi-Fi or does it matter? The control panel lists both internet connections.