Admin Tips
- Windows Server 2008/2003/2000/XP/NT Administrator Knowledge Base
  - Windows Vista
    - Admin Tips
      - Built-in Diagnostics
        Enabling and Using Wireless Tracing

Section(s): Built-in Diagnostics, Network
Published on Jun 25, 2009.
Last Modified on Mar 06, 2009.
Last Modified by Eric Geier.
Rating: Not Rated

Generating a report to troubleshoot wireless issues, using the Netsh WLAN commands.

If you’re having connectivity problems with Wi-Fi connections in Windows Server 2008 or Vista, you can use the tracing feature of the new WLAN commands for Netsh, a powerful command line utility. Once a trace has been completed, a report is compiled at C:\windows\tracing\wireless and viewable in the Windows performance monitor.

Use this syntax from the Command Prompt:

netsh wlan set tracing mode={yes|no|persistent}

Persistent mode means tracing will remain active indefinitely and must be manually stopped using the No mode. In the Yes mode, tracing is automatically turned off after the system restarts.

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Eric Geier is an author of many wireless networking and computing books including Home Networking All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies (Wiley 2008) and 100 Things You Need to Know about Upgrading to Windows Vista (Que 2007).