Create, Manage and Delete Wireless Filters On Windows


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Windows allows users to manage IEEE802.11 networks from Command Prompt. It is done by creating wireless filters to prevent that computer from connecting to the specific WiFi network.

Settings wireless filter is very important in case if you suspect your PC may join a suspicious wireless network and risk the security. One of the major threat of a computer with WiFi facility is to get connected to suspicious Ad-hoc networks.

A cracker (also known as a black hat hacker) runs an ad-hoc network can steal data from your computer if it is connected it and the risk is higher if file and printer sharing are enabled. A properly set WLAN filter can protect your laptop from all the above risks. This tutorial explains how to create, manage and remove WLAN filter on Windows 8, Windows 7, Vista and XP computers.

How To Manage Wireless Filters

This section explains Command Prompt method to set wireless filer for a WiFi network on Windows PC. It also explains how to delete the Wlan filter in case if you no longer want to block that particular network on your computer. We can block both infrastructure and Ad-hoc networks by creating filters. I have explained this part with practical examples.

Block a Wireless Network By Wlan Filter

You can set wireless filters for both adhoc and infrastructure 802.11 networks. Format of the code to create wireless filter to block a network is provided below.

netsh wlan add filter permission={allow|block|denyall} ssid=NETWORKNAME networktype={infrastructure|adhoc}

Now let us consider a practical example. Here I am going to create a filter for WiFi network "Siju1". It is an adhoc network and the command to enable filter to block it is given below. You must start Command Prompt as administrator to perform it.

Right click on cmd on Window search and select run as administrator. Before running this command, make sure WLAN AutoConfig service is started.

netsh wlan add filter permission=block ssid=siju1 networktype=adhoc

If you haven't completed above two tasks, you may get an error like this.

Create, Manage and Delete Wireless Filters On Windows

Now we must do following tasks:

Run Command Prompt as administrator

To enable wireless filter, command prompt must run as administrator.

Start WLAN AutoConfig

To do this follow the steps provided in the link below:

1. Type services.msc on Search box (Windows 7/8).

2. Click Services when shows in Search results box.

Create, Manage and Delete Wireless Filters On Windows

3. Right-click WLAN AutoConfig from the list of services listed. You may check the bottom of the list for it.

Create, Manage and Delete Wireless Filters On Windows

4. Click Start to run WLAN AutoConfig (WLANSVC Service), if not already started.

Create, Manage and Delete Wireless Filters On Windows

Once you start WLAN AutoConfig (WLANSVC Service) on your computer, it will start discover available WiFi networks at your area.

How to Start WLAN AutoConfig Service From Command Prompt

You have learned how to run wlansvc service from services window. There is one more method to do it apart from GUI method. There is a DOS command to activate this service. However, we must have administrative right to run this command because the DOS prompt must be run as administrator.

Here we try command prompt method to run it on Windows computer (Vista and above) for a particular wireless interface.

  • Start Command Prompt as Administrator.
  • Type netsh and press Enter.
  • Type wlan and press Enter.
  • Start Wlansvc for a Wireless interface.

This is the DOS Prompt command to start wireless service on your Windows 8, 7 and Vista computer.

set autoconfig enabled=yes interface="Name of Wireless Network Connection"

You must specify the name of the wireless connection as the interface.

Create, Manage and Delete Wireless Filters On Windows

Press enter after entering the command prompt command to start WLAN AutoConfig on your computer to finish the process.

If you have completed these two steps before running the command on DOS prompt, you will get a message like this.

Create, Manage and Delete Wireless Filters On Windows

You will see the message the filter is added on the system successfully.

Show All Wireless Filters Set

If any wireless filter is set on your computer ago, it will stop you from accessing the specific network. So, in order to verify there are no unauthorized or unwanted wireless filters are turned on, you must periodically check all WLAN filters set on your Windows computer. You can display all available wireless filters by typing following command on Command Prompt:

netsh wlan show filters

Create, Manage and Delete Wireless Filters On Windows

Delete Wlan Filter

If any wireless filters set on your computer to prevent from connecting to a specific connection, you can remove them from DOS prompt itself. The syntax for the command to delete filter is given below.

netsh wlan delete filter permission={allow|block|denyall} ssid=NETWORKNAME networktype={infrastructure|adhoc} 

Now let us check the procedure to check and remove unwanted filters.

View available filters by running the command netsh wlan show filters on DOS Prompt:

Create, Manage and Delete Wireless Filters On Windows

Here we need to delete sij1u1 filter.

Type the command below to delete the specific filter. Make sure DOS prompt is running as administrator.

netsh wlan delete filter permission=block ssid=siju1 networktype=adhoc

Press Enter button:

Create, Manage and Delete Wireless Filters On Windows

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