Windows 2003 connection and wireless

[Tomegun]

I have a Windows 2003 server and a laptop running Windows XP with a wireless NIC at home. On the laptop I log in and get a wireless connection with no problem. What I would like to know is can I set up the wireless so I connect before I log in? Right now I:
1. Log in (using cached information I assume)
2. I have to wait to get on the Internet until I have a connection then everything works fine.

This prevents the use of roaming profile, home drive mapping and successful login script mappings. Is there something I can do to set this up differently and fix this?

[etherfox]

is your laptop a member of the domain?

[Tomegun]

Yes it is a member of the domain.

[etherfox]

when you connect to an unsecure network a dialogue box usually appears telling you that there are unsecured networks available to connect to. There is also a check box in that same dialogue that allows you to tell it to automatically connect to unsecured access points without asking you to confirm it in the future. Make sure that your the SSID of the network is in the preferred network list under the wireless properties of the wireless network connection. I have a laptop sitting right next to me that is authenticating with a 2003 dc over a wireless connection without cached profiles.

Let us know if that helps

also, are you having windows handle the wireless or is the manufacturer's software hanling it?

[Tomegun]

I've tried it with dlink's software handling it and Windows handling it. That doesn't seem to matter. I have my AP in the preferred network box and I'm using WEP. When you say you have a laptop sitting next to you that is authenticating, is it connected prior to you logging in?

[etherfox]

It's connected wirelessly only, no cables. One thing that we do have as a descrepancy is that you're using WEP, and I'm not. I'll see if I can test this with WEP though.

Feel free to ask more questions about our setups