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Automatic Wireless Configuration Script?

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by megahalo

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Hi, I am interested in finding out if it is possible (well I'm sure it is, what I really need is how I might go about doing it) to create a script that will go and automatically configure a freshly imaged laptop its WiFi settings to connect to my school's network. In essence what the script needs to do is add a network that it will automatically join with its SSID, set it to WPA-TKIP, and PEAP. Also in addition to that it would be nice if the script could also have the ability to install the network's Certs, attach it to the domain, and configure power settings for the Wireless card (though I already have a method for doing that).

So I'm just wondering if anyone has an idea on how I would go about making such a script that would do all those things. If you could just point me in the right direction, that would be a great help. I've done some searching for this, but so far I have no come out with anything very helpful.

Thanks again.

5 replies

by neon samurai

What OS are you working with?

With a Linux distro, it should be easy to setup through a
bash or sh script. I mention it first only because it's the
shorter part.

With Windows, you can probably use a combination of
bat/cmd scripts and a third party keyboard/mouse
scripting program. VB or VB scripting could also be an
option since you should be able to manipulate the registry
and config settings. A .msi file may also be an option
though I'm not familiar with the details of how they work.

What your looking for sounds more like a standard drive
image if your doing a large number of machines. Build a
single machine, take a drive image and write a short script
for the few variable settings between the machines.

by megahalo

While I was doing research for this I came across a number of articles that told me how to do this on Linux, makes me wish that we used Linux, but this is for a school and I don't think the students would do well with Linux.

We use Windows and I have thought of a third party mouse/keyboard scripting (AutoIt being my first thought), but I dropped it because it is a really rough way to do it. I will keep it as a backup if all else fails. The preferred method of doing this would be through a bat/cmd script by having it work through the registy to set it, but after hours and hours of searching through the registry, I found nothing that I could edit that would connect me to the WiFi. Right now it looks like the best option would be to make an actually program that does it. I found an MSDN article on how to incorperate Active WiFi into your programs and found a XML schema for setting up a C++ or C program that interacts with it, but I don't have much programming experience so I would have to hire someone to do it for me, which isn't work it. And also for the imaging, we do set the WiFi settings when making a master image, but the problem is LANDesk is not transferring those settings when we deploy the image to new computers. I personally don't like LANDesk much, but we have no plans to start using a new system.

by oh smeg

What you do here is to establish several different WiFi Profiles in the WiFi Software to allow access to different preprogrammed Access Points.

This will then allow you to move around and have access to different WiFi Access points.

You may then be able to write a script to select the required WiFi Profile to access the currently available WiFi Access point or it may be part of the software for the WiFi itself.

Col

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