Windows 10 WiFi sense...


  1. Posts : 750
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bits
       #1

    Windows 10 WiFi sense...


    I did disable this in Windows 10, nonetheless, this is what shows up in the "AutoLogger-Diagtrack-Listener.etl" file, located in the "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Diagnosis\ETLLogs\AutoLogger\" folder:
    Code:
    I  n t e l ( R )   C e n t r i n o ( R )   U l t i m a t e - N   6 3 0 0    A G N   A u t o m a t i c   c o n n e c t i o n   
    w i t h   a   p r o f  i l e   "SSID twice*"   I n f r a s t r u c t u r e   8 0 2 . 1 1 n   W P A 2 - P e r s o n a l   
    A E S  "seemingly encrypted text and/or machine language characters*"[/QUOTE]
    *-Actual WiFi connection data removed

    What's the purpose of this data collection and is it transferred to MS via the "Connected User Experiences and Telemetry" service?
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 822
    Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
       #2

    First, a bit of anti-scaremongering. Despite what you may have read elsewhere, you should not be mortally afraid of Wi-Fi Sense. By default, it will not share Wi-Fi passwords with anyone else. For every network you join, you'll be asked if you want to share it with your friends/social networks.
    With that out of the way, let's talk a little bit about how Wi-Fi Sense works in Windows 10.
    Source: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/...dnt-be-scared/
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 750
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bits
    Thread Starter
       #3

    If asking a question is "scaremongering", then guilty as charged...

    Quote from the same article (dated 07.29.16) you've referenced:

    Ultimately, Wi-Fi Sense probably isn't the most secure feature in the world*, but it isn't that bad either. As with many things in life, you have to choose between convenience and absolute security. For most users, the added convenience of Wi-Fi Sense will probably win out. If you're concerned about security, just turn Wi-Fi Sense off.
    *-You think?

    I did turn off WiFi Sense during installation and double checked after installation; yet MS still seemingly collects the WiFi information. Why does the "Settings" have an interface to disable WiFi Sense, and it is disabled, but MS keeps collecting the information?

    I'll rename my SSID as "mynetwork_buzz_off_MS_optout", that's not an issue, but why do I need to do that, when the GUI allegedly has the same settings available? Or even doing so, will MS still collects and uploads SSID and the pre-shared key, regardless of adding the "_optout"?

    Based on what the GUI based setting results were, the answer could easily be yes...
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 5,442
    Windows 11 Home
       #4

    Configuring and Starting an AutoLogger Session (Windows)

    You can disable that particular etl, if you like, run: perfmon - uncheck Enable, then restart.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Windows 10 WiFi sense...-capture_03032016_225259.jpg  
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 750
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bits
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Thanks TairikuOkami...

    Are there other listeners that collect WiFi connection information?

    I did a registry search for my SSID, doing so identified an entry that the admin account has no access to:
    Code:
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WcmSvc\wifinetworkmanager\SharedProfiles]
    Trying to access the "SharedProfiles" pops up this window:

    Windows 10 WiFi sense...-sharedprofile.jpg

    Looking at the property pops up a different windows:

    Windows 10 WiFi sense...-sharedprofile2.jpg

    The advance property setting does not identify the current owner for this registry folder, but the admin can change the ownership. While it's unlikely that taking ownership would break W10, I'll do a backup first sometimes this weekend...

    Presumably, this is the registry folder where the local WiFi connection details are stored, in addition to any other WiFi connections that friends had shared.

    There are other registry entries accessible for my SSID in the registry that stores:
    1. the SSID name
    2. seemingly the preshared key, encrypted, for WPA2 based encryption
    3. MAC address of the access point, SSID in question

    That's perfectly fine, as long as this information stays local on the system in question. On the other hand, uploading this information to the cloud and sharing decided by MS is questionable in my view...
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 1,366
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #6

    I have it disabled...not out of security concerns, but because I see no purpose in the feature. I don't use the built-in Contacts list, nor do I have any need to share WiFi info with friends, not personally or in the professional world. It's a pointless feature with a one-click disable, so that's how and why mine is set.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 750
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bits
    Thread Starter
       #7

    DeaconFrost said:
    I have it disabled...not out of security concerns, but because I see no purpose in the feature. I don't use the built-in Contacts list, nor do I have any need to share WiFi info with friends, not personally or in the professional world. It's a pointless feature with a one-click disable, so that's how and why mine is set.
    The point was that the one-click disable does not disable WiFi Sense; the system will continue collecting/uploading WiFi connection data, unless the "_optout" added to the SSID name.

    Makes me wonder how many one-click disable behave the same way in W10 as WiFi Sense does...
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 5,442
    Windows 11 Home
       #8

    I also disable Autologger's WiFiSession and WiFiTask (in Windows Scheduled Tasks), not to mention SQM and such.
    WiFi works just fine without all those "bonuses", as well as without all network protocols, except IPv4 of course.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 750
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bits
    Thread Starter
       #9

    TairikuOkami said:
    I also disable Autologger's WiFiSession and WiFiTask (in Windows Scheduled Tasks), not to mention SQM and such.
    WiFi works just fine without all those "bonuses", as well as without all network protocols, except IPv4 of course.
    Thanks TairikuOkami...

    I did find the WifiTask schedule, but the other two were not there, maybe they were disabled earlier during my researches/system setting changes on the subject... And yes, the WiFi works just fine without them...

    The SSID and preshared key had been changed for this laptop, there's no SSID showing up in the logs now. Also granted access to the "SharedProfiles" registry folder, it had no keys in the this folder.

    Time permitting, I'll look at other MS scheduled tasks, like the "OfficeTelemetryAgentLogOn" and "OfficeTelemetryAgentFallBack" tasks that had been disabled already. And yes, MS Office works just fine...
      My Computer


 

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