What’s going on Look ‘n’ Stop isn’t logging or filtering anything?

I have this Netbook w/ Windows 7 on it, when I first bought it, I installed Look ‘n’ Stop firewall on it. First thing I done upon complete install of Look ‘n’ Stop firewall is check and ensure she was detecting my right network interface, and that on the Look ‘n’ Stop - Welcome screen / TAB it’s showing connected and my IP address.

I mainly use this Netbook as a test machine when doing some programs, and recently I had done a bit of improvements to the one program of mine, and it relates to the Look ‘n’ Stop firewall. I had to pay extra attention to Look ‘n’ Stop, at this point I came to realize that the Look ‘n’ Stop isn’t showing any activity (even for the statistics on the Look 'n’ Stop - Welcome screen / TAB).

My correct IP address was showing on the Look ‘n’ Stop - Welcome screen / TAB, but that is about it. And the network interface that is set to automatically be detected was showing ‘Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport Adapter’, ... I didn’t have this when I first installed Look ‘n’ Stop product. This I believe something Microsoft installed through Windows 7 updates, sometime since installing Look ‘n’ Stop product.

I don’t know how long Look ‘n’ Stop wasn’t detecting the correct network interface, but as a warning, until this is finally addressed (which is only a simple fix, for when Frederic is able to next spend some more time), keep an close eye on the Look ‘n’ Stop firewall state. Because ‘Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport Adapter’ might not be the only thing able to give some problems.

 

Thanks phantOm for the information.

I have never seen this MS Virtual WIFI driver in my installations.
Is there any chance to get information on the source of this driver?
Is it really from MS ? If yes, does it come together with any other software?
Maybe, if no correct driver for your network card can be found, the OS uses a virtual dummy driver that somehow works on your system...
Does LnS filter correctly, when you use LAN cable instead of WLAN?

Good luck,
Thomas

 

try this..
uncheck Automatic Selection.
and click those network interfaces one by one until ur connection works.

I also had this type of problem
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=290175

 

heh, I know all that... I've already taking steps to correct my experiences. But I wanted to inform others about this ‘Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport Adapter’ anomaly and anything alike.


Thanks though.

 

Its said that ‘Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport Adapter’, “Virtual Wi-Fi is going to be a requirement for WLAN drivers sporting the Windows 7 certification logo, so drivers will be coming to add support for the feature.”.

From my brief reading on this, It lets you connect to more than one wireless network at a time. For instance, an Ad-Hoc network and an Access Point at the same time. An access point and a wireless printer at the same time.

MVWIFI doesn’t show up until after installing / upgrading wireless adapter drivers that supports this new Windows 7 feature. The MVWIFI driver (vwifimp.sys) is already there in your Windows 7 drivers location, and just sitting there ready to roll.

Now I know how long I was with this problem, ... since upgrading the Wireless adapter drivers, which was a little while ago, since then with this problem.

Anyways Frederic will need to exclude this from the automatic selection list, and avoid the confusion for others.


Restarted Windows 7, then I bring forth the Look ‘n’ Stop main screen, and visiting the 'Options’ screen / TAB where I proceed to confirm that ‘Automatic selection’ is checked for active Network interface detection, ‘Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport Adapter’ is detected & selected.

1) Plugging in the Network cable for an active Internet, and then manually disconnecting from Wireless Network...
- Network selection in Look 'n’ Stop changes automatically from ‘Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport’ to ‘Atheros AR5B95 Wireless Network ...’. I have an active Internet, but it’s not coming through ‘Atheros AR5B95 Wireless Network ...’, it is coming in through ‘Atheros AR8132 PCI-E Fast Ether...’. This a Look ‘n’ Stop bug right there.

If restarted Windows 7, the Wireless re-connects, and I’m also with an active Ethernet connection. But by default the connections is through Ethernet. However Look ‘n’ Stop has ‘Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport ...’ selected and not ‘Atheros AR8132 PCI-E Fast Ether...’.

I imagine apart from ‘Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport’, if a person has active wireless and Ethernet connection, restarting Windows, person likely find the Wireless adapter selected and not the Ethernet adapter which is likely defaulted to be used for surfing and such. Just tested that theory...; works exactly as I said.


2) Using Wireless, and also plugging in the Ethernet cable for active Internet, even though Wireless shown connected, the connection type to be used is defaulted to the Ethernet. Look ‘n’ Stop doesn’t change it’s ‘Network interfaces’ selection, it remains with Wireless, and that means no filtering done by Look ‘n’ Stop.


3) When on a active Ethernet connection, and Look ‘n’ Stop - ‘Network interface’ selected is the one for the Ethernet. Enabling the Wireless, and continuing to surfing with Internet Explorer, the network interface used is still the Ethernet. Unplugging the Network cable, and waiting, and waiting, and waiting, the Ethernet adapter under Look ‘n’ Stop - ‘Network interfaces’ list still remains checked even though my Internet is coming through the Wireless adapter.
-
To summarize it all up, I discussed how users with Wireless experiences incorrect network interface filtering with Look ‘n’ Stop, when installing / upgrading Wireless adapter drivers that supports the new Windows 7 feature MVWIFI (Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport Adapter).

Also explained how those switching between Wireless to Wire (and reversed) can cause Look 'n’ Stop firewall to be filtering on the wrong Network interface, leaving people open to different threats existing out there on the Internet.


Regards,
Phant0m``

 

Pretty interesting PhantOm, thanks for the update on the issue!

From time to time I also experience a wrong selection of the network driver, e.g. after using my VPN.

But as mentioned, I have never seen (I am supervising a bunch of Win7 installations at work) a driver called "ms-virtualwifi miniport adapter"... not yet

Let's hope that Frederic keeps an eye on this one soon

Thomas

 

Thanks Thomas,

But there’s no doubt that ‘Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport Adapter’ (MVWIFI vwifimp.sys driver) is part of the Microsoft Windows 7, this file exists already and is digitally signed, even if you don’t use wireless or wireless with driver supporting this Virtual Wi-Fi.

To me this seems like a good additional support for wireless technology, I think it’s only a matter of time (6months to a year) and we should start seeing more clients with computers already set to use MVWIFI.

In the meantime, unless you have the need for MVWIFI, you can safely disable this shown adapter in Network connections.