Wireless Zero Configuration (WZC), also known as Wireless Auto Configuration, or WLAN AutoConfig, is a
wireless connection management utility included with
Microsoft Windows XP and later operating systems as a
service that dynamically selects a
wireless network
A wireless network is a computer network that uses wireless data connections between network nodes.
Wireless networking is a method by which homes, telecommunications networks and business installations avoid the costly process of introducing c ...
to connect to based on a user's preferences and various default settings. This can be used instead of, or in the absence of, a wireless network utility from the manufacturer of a computer's wireless networking device. The drivers for the wireless adapter query the
NDIS Object IDs and pass the available network names (
SSIDs) to the service. The service then lists them in the user interface on the ''Wireless Networks'' tab in the connection's ''Properties'' or in the ''Wireless Network Connection'' dialog box accessible from the notification area. A ''checked'' (debug)
build version of the WZC service can be used by developers to obtain additional diagnostic and tracing information logged by the service.
Overview
Wireless Zero Configuration was first introduced with
Windows XP
Windows XP is a major release of Microsoft's Windows NT operating system. It was release to manufacturing, released to manufacturing on August 24, 2001, and later to retail on October 25, 2001. It is a direct upgrade to its predecessors, Wind ...
. In
Windows Vista
Windows Vista is a major release of the Windows NT operating system developed by Microsoft. It was the direct successor to Windows XP, which was released five years before, at the time being the longest time span between successive releases of ...
and
Windows 7
Windows 7 is a major release of the Windows NT operating system developed by Microsoft. It was released to manufacturing on July 22, 2009, and became generally available on October 22, 2009. It is the successor to Windows Vista, released nearl ...
, the service that provides equivalent functionality is called "WLAN AutoConfig". It is based on the ''
Native Wi-Fi'' architecture introduced in Windows Vista.
Initially, there was no Wireless LAN API in Windows XP for developers to create wireless client programs and manage profiles and connections. After the release of Windows Vista, Microsoft released KB918997,
which includes a Wireless LAN API for Windows XP SP2. It was later integrated into Windows XP Service Pack 3.
See also
*
List of Microsoft Windows components
The following is a list of Microsoft Windows components.
Configuration and maintenance
User interface
Applications and utilities
Windows Server components
File systems
Core components
Services
This list is not all-inclusiv ...
*
Wireless connection management utility
*
Wireless LAN client comparison
A wireless configuration utility, wireless configuration tool, or is a class of network management software that manages the activities and features of a wireless network
A wireless network is a computer network that uses wireless data conn ...
References
External links
Wireless Zero Configuration application programming interfaceActive Directory Schema Extensions for Windows Vista Wireless and Wired Group Policy EnhancementsThe Cable Guy: Wireless Group Policy Settings for Windows Vista
{{Windows Components
Windows services
Wireless networking