Save and automatically connect to an ad-hoc network in Windows 7

This could probably be the ULTIMATE solution! Post a comment if it has helped you!

With each new Windows version, Microsoft has unfortunately chosen to make life harder for people who use ad-hoc networks to connect computers together without the use of a middleman (the router). In Windows Vista, one could choose to save the ad-hoc network one is connecting to.

But with Windows 7, not only is there no way of connecting automatically (well actually there is a shortcut for that, as below), but now one cannot save an ad-hoc network that one is connecting to. (One can only save an ad-hoc network one is creating in the host computer.)

The biggest annoyance is that every time one connects to an ad-hoc network as a guest, one has to enter the password (network key) again. All of these problems can be solved with the steps below.


To save an ad-hoc network and its network key on the guest computer (running Windows 7)

1. Note down the SSID, security type, encryption type and the key of the ad-hoc network.
2. Disconnect your connection to any wireless network and switch off/disable your wireless device. Turn on/enable your wireless device but don't connect to any network. (Thanks GK.)
3. Click on the network icon in the taskbar.
4. Click Open Network and Sharing Center > Manage Wireless Networks > Add.
5. Click "Manually create a network profile". (This may look silly but we really are going to create an infrastructure network now.)
6. Enter the network name (SSID), security type, encryption type (if any) and the key that you noted in step 1.
7. Uncheck both checkboxes ("Start this connection automatically" and "Connect even if the network is not broadcasting".) [Note that you cannot have the connection start automatically. If you try to have it checked, step 10 will fail. A different way to start it automatically during system boot is described below.]
8. Click Next > Close. Your connection must appear in the list with the icon suggesting infrastructure (two big screens connected to a tube). Don't worry about it.
9. Click Start, type in "cmd" in the search box, press Enter.
10. In the Command Prompt, type in "netsh wlan set profileparameter name=NetworkName ConnectionType=IBSS", exactly as shown, without quotes, except you must substitute NetworkName with the SSID (network name) of your ad-hoc network.
11. If everything went well, you'll see that the icon has now changed to an ad-hoc icon (three small screens connected to each other) in the Manage Wireless Networks window.
12. Turn on/enable your wireless device, and try connecting to the Ad-hoc network. You will notice that you no longer need to enter the network key.

To automatically connect to a saved ad-hoc network during Windows boot (can be applied to both guest and host computers running Windows 7)

1. Click Start > point to All Programs > right-click Startup > click Open. (You may choose Open All Users instead if you prefer).
2. Right-click an empty space and click New > Shortcut.
3. Type in "netsh wlan connect NetworkName". Once again, NetworkName must be substituted with the SSID of your ad-hoc network.
4. Click Next and enter a fancy name such as "Connect to NetworkName" or something like that.
5. Click Finish and you're done. This shortcut will run when Windows starts up, giving you a very brief flash of the black command window, followed by your computer connecting to the ad-hoc network if it is available. Tip: You can also pin the shortcut in your taskbar or copy it to the desktop to easily connect to the network any time you want.

Note: You will probably need Administrator access to complete some of the steps above (in both procedures).

Random trivia: I kept typing ad-hock instead ad-hoc throughout this post.