"Connect Automatically" box is checked for all the networks in range

Hi Omar,

I'm not Loreto, I am the OP of this thread, and you typed this response to my post, not Loreto's.

I appreciate you taking the time to write a detailed how-to for this problem.

However, it does not in any way solve the issue I originally posted about, not from a security standpoint at least.

Loreto was the Microsoft forum moderator who offered a suggestion on August 30, 2016.

I responded September 2nd, and explained that her solution did not address my concerns.

You responded to me, not Loreto.

I don't think you read what I wrote on September 2nd very carefully, because your solution suffers exactly the same shortcomings as the one offered by Loreto.

Manually blocking networks one-by-one is NOT in any way whatsoever an acceptable solution to this problem.

Why?

Well I've already said why. At least twice in this thread.

This solution only blocks networks after I have already identified them. If we are concerned about a malicious network trying to get my computer to connect to it automatically, that's too late.

This solution requires me to manually block networks one-by-one. Which is tedious at best and woefully inadequate to address the security issues presented by this.

Right now I have 47 networks in range. Let's say I block them all.

I guarantee you that tomorrow there will be networks within range which I did not identify today. So let's say I block those networks tomorrow.

The next day there will be more. On any given day most of the networks that appear within range are different than the day before.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I live in a very densely populated area. It's also a popular area for wardriving/warwalking.  Instead of wardriving (looking for open or vulnerable networks) a hacker with a black heart could easily begin to pwn Win 8 machines by setting up a malicious hotspot and letting Win 8 machines automatically connect to it. It doesn't need to stay connected for long. If I can get your machine to connect to my untrusted malicious network, I can potentially use that to pivot my attack and rootkit your own router within minutes, or install malware on your machine. You'd have to be watching all the networks in range to see my new hotspot appear, and you'd only have a few minutes to block me.

I am talking about my own observations at my own location. If I had written down every new network that appeared within range of me over the last two years, there would be thousands of them.

Your technique is essentially "blacklisting," -- identifying specific networks you do not want to connect to.

As a general principle of network security it is better to whitelist than to blacklist. In other words, it's better to identify specific networks you do trust, and block everything else, rather than allow all connections other than the ones you specifically forbid.

Me too. I always have a hard time connecting to my own network with my laptop in the mornings because it seems that it is trying to connect to every other network within range! I hope this issue gets resolved soon.

Omar,

No problem, thank you for at least putting forth the effort and trying to address this issue.

Fwiw, for me this issue is purely academic now. I don't have any need for a solution, I'm done with Windows. I won't ever be using a Windows OS again. As I mentioned in another post here, both Linux and ReactOS have proven to me to be better alternatives.

Other people reading this might be curious about finding a solution however, and I wish you the best of luck in your investigations. Since my original post Windows 8 has been succeeded by Windows 8.1 and then by Windows 10. I'm not sure that people who are using later versions of Windows have experienced the same issue. This may be a legacy problem. Support for Windows 8 ended January 12, 2016 so it is already an OS doomed to history.

Thanks for starting this thread and to all who've commented.  I'm running Windows 10.  Never noticed this issue before but now seeing, like many others, that EVERY network in range is set to connect automatically.  I can "uncheck" this for each network, great way to waste a couple minutes, but it just goes back to being checked.  Another great MS innovation! 

I don't want to SEE another network except the one I connect to every day.  Right click does nothing, not even for my network.  It is utterly amazing to me how something like this, either intentionally or unintentionally, ends up in the MS experience.

On top of this, my network is almost always the last one to display as available.  Really!?

MS, please allow us to PERMANENTLY REMOVE ANY NETWORK from the available WiFi list AND an option to set AUTO-CONNECT FOR A SINGLE SSID.

p.s. MS safety scanner results.  40,000+ files scanned, none infected

I have the same problem and it began with network troubleshooting when suddently all connections in range were auto connect but THATS NOT the problem. Problem is that connection to internet lasts 5 seconds then no net connection over and over again all time .Troubleshooting identifies the issue as redial problem to multiple wifi net providers or whatever but does not fix.. i even went as far as reverting to factory thingy but surprise surprise -> PROBLEM PERSISTS <- i dont care no more, tried everithing, read everything but the solution is quite simple...

MICROSOFT= bye bye