Windows 8 How do you stop sharing WiFi network?

[JamesGeddes]

Hi there,

I'm trying to add my work WiFi network to my user account on my laptop, but I don't want my kids to have access to it on their user accounts.

How do I add a WiFi network to Windows 8 so that it is only accessible from one user?

 

[ussnorway]

Most good routers have an admin and guest account settings... you go on the admin and the brats um kids go on the guest, the passwords are different for each of course but ime thats much better than letting Windows auto-stuff-about with your wifi settings... just trust me on that mate.

 

[JamesGeddes]

If I add a WiFi network on my user, my kids can currently access that same WiFi network on their user too.

I have already set up my WiFi network up so that my company data is available via my WiFi and have put the kids WiFi on a different VLAN so that they cannot access my NAS. What I need to know now is how do I stop different users from accessing the WiFi network that has been joined by a different user? Not all WiFi is created equal lol!

 

[bochane]

Maybe is adding an extra WiFi access point with a different network a solution....

 

[JamesGeddes]

Like I said before, I already have my WiFi set up correctly.

I have set up my network on a draytek router as follows

• VLAN1: WiFi Name = "Work", IP range = 192.168.1.1 - 192.168.1.255, Attached devices = NAS Drive, Shared family laptop
• VLAN2: WiFi Name = "Kids", IP range = 192.168.2.1 - 192.168.2.255, Attached devices = Shared family laptop

As you can see, when my kids are on "Kids" VLAN2 they are unable to access the NAS drive that is on the "Work" VLAN1 network. This prevents them from altering critical work documents by accident.

Unfortunately, however, when I log in to my user account on the shared laptop, and add the "Work" network, Windows very "helpfully" shares that access to every other user account on the shared family laptop. You see, therefore, that this is not a WiFi problem, but a problem with settings in Windows.

All I want to do is configure the settings on the shared laptop so that when I add the "Work" network to my user account, it is not shared to any other user on the laptop. Only my user account on this shared laptop should be able to access the "Work" VLAN1 network.

 

[bochane]

I see no other solution then giving your kids a laptop of their own, which would also protect your critical work documents from virus infections which your kids might have introduced when playing around on the shared laptop.

 

[JamesGeddes]

I'm sure I remember there being a tick-box somewhere that said "Share this WiFi network with other users on this device" or something? Was I wrong?

 

[ussnorway]

No "by default" windows will ask you if you want to share files with other computers on this network when you connect to any new network (a yes, no prompt) then remembers for next time. V-lans (vmware) predate this setting and are not designed to work well with multible accounts but you could turn off shares from the WX advanced network settiings (see screens) but this would also turn off your homegroup... another option is to set the mac address of that computer as the only one allowed on but if the kids use this system as well than thats not going to work.

You could set the nas to ask for a password each time you log into it and tell Windows not to remember that password or you could have a dual boot senario where the kids log onto a different operating system and therefore your one is the only allowed to goto the nas.

 

[ussnorway]

IME (As I allready said,) a dual channel router is the best option... dads account is admin with full rights and the kids account auto-logs on to a guest that gives them anything BUT the nas... Windows remembers* the passwords for you and everyone gets on with their day.
*i.e. default network dads account =1 and default network kids account =2

If I add a WiFi network on my user, my kids can currently access that same WiFi network on their user too.

Well, YES if you give them the password!

I use this wdr4300 router but there are other cheap options... you could even have one router plugged into another and turn both wifi on but thats getting less nub freindly to set up.

Good luck with it anyway, mate.

 

[JamesGeddes]

Windows shares the "Work" WiFi network with all user accounts on that laptop, even though I have not told the password to any other person. If I add the "Work" WiFi network on my account, windows makes it available to every other user account on the laptop without any other person having to add it. I have also not given them the password to my account.

I'm also not talking about sharing files; I am saying that windows shares access to a WiFi network with user account on that device, whether you want it to or not.

Also, "VLAN" and "vmware" are entirely unrelated.

A LAN, or Local Area Network is a computer network that interconnects computers. You might find a LAN in a home, school or office, for example. You can also have more than one separate LAN in a building. This separation helps with lots of things, such as ensuring that only the right people have access to the right data; if you aren't on that LAN, you can't access stuff that is. Normally, different LANs are separated by different physical cables or different physical devices like a different router.

In my router, however, I can set up multiple VLANs, or Virtual Local Area Networks. This means that this separation, which you might otherwise do with lots of different physical devices or cable, can be done virtually with software inside a single physical router. This allows you to avoid buying lots of kit. My router also allows you to broadcast different WiFi networks or "SSIDs" and assign them to different VLANs.

VMware is a company that makes software for running VMs or Virtual Machines. A Virtual Machine is a program on a computer that works like it is a separate computer inside the main computer. The great thing about Virtual Machines is that you can effectively run many virtual computers on the same physical computer, which, again, can reduce your need to buy lots of kit.

I hope that explains the two. Unfortunately, however, neither VLANs or vmware actually have anything to do with this problem. I could have set up two different physical wireless access points and the problem would still be the same. The problem is still a windows configuration one. I just need to be able to tell windows not to allow other users on this laptop to access the "Work" WiFi.

By the way, I would recommend the Draytek Vigor 2860 VDSL/ADSL Router as this is an industry grade bit of kit that is much better and more stable than anything that any internet provider gives you for free.

 

[bochane]

And so it is !!

I don't know any setting in Windows that can do this. You just inherit the last used network. And having 2 auto connectable networks in reach - I mean with stored passwords, ready for connection - may even cause connection problems, as have found once.

May be a program like Netsetman may help you, it stores and sets all kind of network configuration parameters.... And the multi boot configuration, mentioned above, will do the job, in fact you have 2 different laptops.

But again, the best option, specially from safety point of view, is not mixing work and kids laptops but separate them.

Sorry for not being very helpfull,
Henk

 

[ussnorway]

I'm also not talking about sharing files; I am saying that windows shares access to a WiFi network with user account on that device, whether you want it to or not.

Thats not been my experience but what kind of account did you set up for them?

• Family account i.e they share your Microsoft id for the store/ apps... yes by default they get the password if you sync your account settings but you can turn it (and just about any thing else) off, this account type is aimed at people whom want to track/ block their kids from porn sites or only allow them say 2 hours a night, so be aware that EVERYTHING done on this type of account is followed.

{WX above and W8 below}

• Other account i.e they have their own email/ microsoft id and are separate to you... this is the one I normally use and I know it works on W8-Wx because my kid uses that for our nas...

btw most nas devices also allow you to have more than one account on them, the seagate central I use has up to 5 (+ the public).

A new laptop for the kids is an option… thats your call… I can see the nas box/router remembering the mac/ip address of the system but it hasn't got anything to do with the wifi itself.

• a Domain account perhaps... has whatever settings you give it from the domain control and nothing to do with windows defaults.

• They could even have local admin accounts but I don't see that very offen.