802.1x Authentication Problem: UC/PW Never Succeeds - How To Diagnose?

Question

I have a Windows 7 laptop and the Developer Preview PC configured to connect to the same authenticated network using a usercode and password.  So far as I can tell, I have set up the Developer Preview PC's configuration exactly the same way as I set up the laptop.  However the laptop can connect to the authenticated network while the Developer Preview PC cannot. 

Both systems can successfully connect to our unauthenticated Guest network so I'm fairly sure the basic infrastructure works.

Looking at the WLAN AutoConfig operational log for the laptop (which connects successfully) I see this...

1. WLAN AutoConfig started a connecton to a wireless network
2. Wireless network association started
3. Wireless network association succeded
4. Wireless security started
5. 802.1x authentication started
6. 802.1x authenticaton restarted - Peer initiated
7. Wireless security stopped - the operation was successful
8. Wireless security started
9. 802.1x authentication started
10. 802.1x authentication restarted - Msm initiated
11. 802.1x authentication restarted - Peer initiated
12. 802.1x authentication succeeded
13. Wireless security succeeded
14. WLAN Autoconfig has successfully connected to a wireless network

Looking at the corresponding operational log for the Developer Preview PC everything is the same through step 11, but then instead of "succeeded" I get "Wireless security stopped - The operation was successful" again.  Then I get the whole Wireless Security Started / Wireless Security Stopped cycle two more times (for a total of four attempts) and finally I get

          WLAN Autoconfig failed to connect to a wireless network - The operation was cancelled.

One other difference I noticed in the Developer Preview PC AutoConfig operational log is that the Association Succeded entry (step 3 above) has an additional line of data - "Management Frame Protection Enabled 0x500000000".  Of course I have no idea if that is significant or if it is just some extra information that the Windows 8 AutoConfig is logging.

At this point I'm a bit stumped.  I'm working my way through Troubleshooting Windows Vista 802.11 Wireless Connections but any other suggestions or advice would be gratefully received.

Answer 1

Frank Boyne,

Thank you for posting your feedback, we want to make sure we get the right info including your log files. Can you also submit feedback using the Windows Feedback Tool from the Connect Site associated with your Windows Developer Preview program? If you’re an MSDN subscriber, the information on how to join the Connect program is included on the download page where you installed Windows Developer Preview. There’s a link to the Connect site and an invitation code that you can click on to join using a Windows Live ID account. If you’re not an MSDN subscriber follow this limited use linkto join the Connect program and then follow the steps here.

 

In case the link above gets messed up, the URL is below:

 

ADD1-RY34-K4T4
(https://connect.microsoft.com/site1147/InvitationUse.aspx?ProgramID=7221&InvitationID=ADD1-RY34-K4T4)

 

The last link goes to: How do I install the Windows Feedback Tool and file a bug

 

If there are any questions let us know.

 

Thanks,

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Chris

Answer 2

I posted feedback to Connect (on Wednesday 28th I think). 

Rather annoyingly the Windows Feedback tool creates private feedback so I can't provide a link to the submission.  Nor can I update the submission with any new information I might develop (at least I don't think I can). 

Answer 3

Having dug a bit further into the traces I have it seems that the 802.1X authentication is succeeding.  I can see the message "Completed the 802.1X authentication successfully" in my trace.

In the network monitor screenshot below, frame 493 indicates that I received an EAP packet with type=Success.  however, immediately before that, frame 492 from the Windows Native WiFi driver reports "Version number 2 (0x02) not supported, Expecting 3 (0x03)". 

Strangely, expanding the VersionNotSupoprted detail seems to report the opposite of that message because ExpectedVer has the value 2 while ReceivedVer has the value 3.

At this point I am (once again) stumped.

Answer 4

Having dug a bit further into the traces I have it seems that the 802.1X authentication is succeeding.  

 

I've found it to be a bit iffy myself. After authenticating the first time it never reconnects on it's own (side note, I'm using a hidden network).  I've got to select the option to connect to "Other Network" and type in the SSID every time. It will ask for a WEP key afterwards and I select "Cancel" and then it connects. 

 

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Joel Ivory Johnson | http://www.j2i.net | Windows Phone Developer MVP

It takes all the running you can do to stay in one place.If you want to get somewhere else,you must try to run at least twice as fast as that.