Windows 10 + WiFi + Hardware WiFi activity-light

hajen · 29 Oct 2020

Hi,

I have this strange issue with a client on my site.

Computer model: HP EliteBook 820 G3.
Operating system: Windows 10, build 17763.

My client claims that when he turns WiFi off (in a traditional sense through Settings), the tiny light on the physical computer which signifies network activity is still active. As if WiFi was turned on "in the background" even though Windows claimed it was off. My client works with confidential data and is therefore worried that a background process is somehow using WiFi.

When WiFi is off, the user cannot access the internet or other networking resources. Everywhere - software-wise - it looks like WiFi is off. Our sole issue is this little flickering light.

My question to you guys is: Does anyone recognize this? Is WiFi somehow on in the background? How would I best troubleshoot this without having physical access to the machine as well as no remote access to the machine (since WiFi is... "off").

Kind regards

Vineet Garg · 30 Oct 2020

Greets,

I never used 'Win 10 17763 build' but can suggest a few things :

1. It would have been best If you take remote access of his laptop yourself & check the 'status / connections' in 'Network & Internet' section yourself. That thing you can do even with 'Wifi switched OFF' i.e. by 'Ethernet' but it seems he is too scary to connect to internet anyway.
Can't he check himself the status under 'Network & Internet' as to where & how he is connected ?

2. Ask him to switch on Airplane mode & check the things.

3. It's a laptop. So, when the Wifi is already put off, ask him to disconnect / eject all the wires & external devices from the laptop one by one to check the status.

Thanks. ...