I have 300 laptops that are going to be connected to a wireless
network.  We do not utilize Active Directory, due to some restrictions
we have.  All laptops are in the same workgroup.  I would like to know
if anyone knows how I can copy the wireless network settings from 1
laptop to all 300. 

Thanks for your time and help

Jason

Hi,
Unfortunately there is no easy way to do this without Group Policy. There
are 2 ways to do this in a non secure way.
1. Have everybody connect to the same network and give them the key to
connect.
2. Use the Wireless setup wizard to store the profile in a USB Device and
give everybody the USB device to copy over the profile to all the 300
computers.

Thanks
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There may be a more graceful solution; however, assuming your network
computers are running Windows XP with Service Pack 2, you could use the
"Wireless Network Setup Wizard" to configure your wireless network.

To launch the new "Wireless Network Setup Wizard" (on a computer running
Windows XP with SP2), open the "Control Panel," then click "Wireless
Network Setup Wizard."

Follow the steps in the wizard. You will be asked specify the name of
your wireless network (also known as the Service Set Identifier [SSID]),
whether or not to have the Wireless Network Setup Wizard automatically
create a strong network key (recommended), and whether or not to use
WPA. Select whether you want the Wireless Network Setup Wizard to
automatically assign a network key, or to manually enter the network
key.  If the Access Points (APs) on your network are already configured
with network keys, you can manually specify that key.

   [ NOTE: If you want the Wireless Network Setup Wizard to create a
strong network key and you clear the Use WPA encryption checkbox, the
Wireless Network Setup Wizard creates a strong WEP key. If you want the
Wireless Network Setup Wizard to create a strong network key and you
select the Use WPA encryption checkbox, the Wireless Network Setup
Wizard creates a strong WPA-PSK.]

When the Wireless Network Setup Wizard displays the "How do you want to
set up your network?" page, select "Use a USB flash drive." The Wireless
Network Setup Wizard then prompts you to insert your UFD so that it can
create the XML files for the wireless network configuration, which
includes the wireless network name, authentication and encryption
methods, and the WEP key or WPA-PSK. 

When you plug your UFD into a USB port of the computer, the Wireless
Network Setup Wizard automatically displays the drive letter assigned to
the UFD in Flash drive. The Wireless Network Setup Wizard writes the
wireless network settings as XML files on the UFD and then displays the
"Transfer your network settings to your other computers or devices
page."

Remove the UFD from the computer and plug it into every other wireless
device that supports Windows Connect Now such as wireless APs and
network printers, and other wireless computers running Windows XP with
SP2.

   [NOTES: As a rule of thumb, after running the wizard on the first
computer to generate the files onto the UFD, you should transfer the
network settings your wireless APs, before transferring them to other
computers running Windows XP with SP2 or other "Windows Connect Now"
capable wireless devices.
   APs that do not support Windows Connect Now technology must be
manually configure the with the SSID, network Key, etc.]

When you plug the UFD into a Windows Connect Now-capable wireless
device, it flashes its status light three times to indicate that it has
configured itself with the wireless network settings stored on the UFD.
When you plug the UFD into a computer running Windows XP with SP2, the
Wireless Network Setup Wizard runs and asks you if you want to join the
wireless network. If you accept, the Wireless Network Setup Wizard
creates a wireless profile and connects the computer to the home
network.

When you are done configuring your other computers and wireless devices
with the UFD, plug it back into the computer on which the Wireless
Network Setup Wizard was initially run, and then click Next on the
Transfer your network settings to your other computers or devices page.
The Wireless Network Setup Wizard displays the "The wizard completed
successfully" page.

Under "You have successfully set up the following devices," the Wireless
Network Setup Wizard lists the wireless computers and devices that have
been configured by the Wireless Network Setup Wizard and the UFD. If you
have devices that do not support Windows Connect Now, such as your
wireless router, print the wireless network settings as configured by
the wizard by clicking Print Network Settings. Use the settings on this
printed page to manually configure the wireless devices on your network
that do not support the Windows Connect Now technology.

If you want to use the UFD to configure additional wireless computers or
devices a later time, clear the "For security reasons, remove network
settings from my flash drive checkbox." Checkbox (recommended). In this
case the UFD should be stored in a secure location.
To remove the wireless network settings including the WEP key or WPA-PSK
from the UFD, select the "For security reasons, remove network settings
from my flash drive checkbox."

   [NOTE:  Although the Wireless Network Setup Wizard creates strong
keys, it is a good idea to change them every couple of months to keep
eavesdroppers from collecting encrypted traffic and using cryptographic
tools to crack the WEP key or WPA-PSK. When you run the Wireless Network
Setup Wizard again, it asks whether you want to keep the existing
settings or create new ones. If you specify that you want to create new
settings, the Wireless Network Setup Wizard displays the Create a name
for your wireless network page and you configure your wireless network
in the same way as the initial configuration. The Wireless Network Setup
Wizard automatically assigns a new set of strong keys.]

Thanks so much for your responses.  The Wireless Network Setup Wizard
is probably what we will have to do, but I would hate to have to do
this on 300 laptops.  Is there a way to export some registry settings
on the configured laptop and then just import them into the other 300
laptops?  Also I was wondering if there is a registry setting for some
of the configuration settings in the Zero Config client, for example
the "Access Points networks only" option in the "Advance" section of
the wireless client and also the registry key for the "Connect when
this network is in range" option under the "Connection" tab within each
of the preferred networks?

Thanks again for your time and knowledge

Jason

The Wireless Wizard create a directory on you USB key called SMRTNTKY in wich
you'll find and executable called setupsnk.exe.

If you can script this directory to be copied locally and run this exe
without any user intervention you might get what you want.

Pete

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