Can't Get Your PC Online After Remote Boot? Troubleshoot Forced Wi-Fi Connections in Windows

Having your PC start remotely via an ESP8266 is a neat trick, but a persistent issue is preventing your remote access: the PC boots without connecting to the internet. You're not alone, and this guide provides a breakdown of your current approach and explores alternative solutions to reliably force Wi-Fi connection on Windows.

The Problem: PC Starts Remotely, But No Internet

You've designed a system where your PC starts remotely, but it's failing to connect to the internet. This is especially problematic when you're out of your home network since you can't access your PC.

Here's a rundown of the situation:

• Remote Boot: Uses an ESP8266 connected to the motherboard.
• Home Network Success: Works perfectly when on the local network.
• Remote Network Failure: PC starts, but no internet connection.

Your Current Solution: Wi-Fi Reset Script via NSSM

You've tried to automate Wi-Fi reconnection using a script and NSSM, but it's not running correctly at boot:

1. Wi-Fi Card Reset: Script disables and re-enables the Wi-Fi adapter.
2. Profile Connection: Adds a Wi-Fi profile and attempts to connect to your network.
3. Service Creation: Uses NSSM to run the script as a service.

Sounds good in theory but it appears the service isn't starting properly when the PC boots up which prevents the forced Wi-Fi connection resulting in a connection failure.

Why Your NSSM Script Might Be Failing

Running scripts as services can be tricky. Potential issues include:

• Permissions: The service account might not have the necessary rights to modify network settings.
• Timing: The script might be running before the network stack is fully initialized.

How to Force Wi-Fi Connection on Windows: Troubleshooting & Solutions

Let's explore actionable steps to troubleshoot your current setup and consider alternative solutions.

1. Adjusting NSSM Service Settings

• Service Account: Instead of using "Local System", try using an account with administrator privileges. In NSSM, go to the "Log On" tab and specify a username and password.
• Startup Type: Set the service to "Automatic (Delayed Start)". This gives the network stack more time to initialize before the script runs.

2. Optimize Your Script

• Logging: Double-check your wifi_debug.log file for errors. This is crucial for diagnosing what's going wrong.
• Error Handling: Your script includes error checking, but you can enhance it. For example, log specific error codes from netsh commands.

3. Consider Task Scheduler as an Alternative to NSSM

Task Scheduler offers more granular control over when and how tasks are executed.

• Trigger: Create a task triggered "At startup" with a delay (e.g., 1 minute) to ensure the network is ready.
• User Account: Configure the task to run with your user account and "Run with highest privileges".

4. Bypass Login Screen Completely to Guarantee Automatic Connection

Disable the login screen completely with netplwiz! No more waiting for the script to trigger.

5. Alternative Tools: WiFi AutoConnect

Isolate issues with the batch script by using 3rd party GUI tools to manage the connection and then integrating with that.

Putting It All Together

Troubleshooting network connectivity issues during boot, especially when using remote access tools, requires a systematic approach. By carefully configuring your service settings and optimizing your script, you can increase the chances of a successful, forced Wi-Fi connection on Windows.