inSSIDer with MetaGeek Plus is NOT Reconfiguring Wi-Fi Adapter - Packets mode is unavailable

[Einar104]

InSSIDer is a Wi-Fi Scanner.

On my desktop computer inSSIDer with MetaGeek Plus works as intended it displays "Reconfiguring Wi.Fi Adapter"

when I start the program, and it opens my TP-Link Wireless Nano USB Adapter in (scan) mode and  my

Edimax AC1700 Wi.Fi USB Adapter in (scan) mode - and Edimax EW-7833UAC in (packet) mode!

On my desktop, in Computer Management > Network adapters" my Edimax USB adapter is sometimes listed

as  “[CommView] Edimax EW-7833UAC” and at other times as as "Edimax AC1700 Wi.Fi USB Adapter"

After doing VM > Removable devices > USB device > EW-7833UAC > Connect (Disconnect from host) it

shows up only as "Edimax AC1700 Wi.Fi USB Adapter" in Computer Management > Network adapters on the guest.

Nerver as “[CommView] Edimax EW-7833UAC”.  And In the Guest VM Packets mode is not available!!!

I have Microsoft Windows 10 Pro x64 installed om my desktop and guest VM.

I have selected the USB Controller in Edit virtual machine settings, and change USB compatibility to

USB 2,0 and USB 1,1 and back again to USB 3.1 - but it did not help any!

What could be wrong?

[CarltonR]

Ignoring the Guest VM for the time being . . . could you confirm the number of Wi-Fi adapters that you have on or connected to the Desktop.  I'm assuming that you have at least three, namely a TP-Link Nano; Edimax EW-7833UAC (AC1750); and another device that supports type AC1700 speeds.

Also which drivers are being used for each adapter, are they from the device manufacture or Microsoft drivers.  I would not expect a single device within 'Computer Management > Network adapters' to drift between two descriptions.

[Einar104]

Hi CarltonR,

I only have two plug-in USB Wi-Fi adapters connected to my desktop.

1 ) TP-Link Archer T2U Nano - AC600 - Wi-Fi USB 2.0 Adapter

in Device Manager > Network adapters:

TP-Link Wireless Nano USB adapter

The Driver Properties:

Driver Provider: Microtosoft

Driver Date:       2019-07-29

Driver Version:  1030.38.712.2019

2 ) Edimax AC1700 Dual-Band Wi-Fi USB 3.0 Adapter

in Device Manager > Network adapters:

When inSSIDer is NOT running the following network adapter appears.

Edimax AC1700 Wi.Fi USB Adapter

The Driver Properties are then:

Driver Provider: TamoSoft

Driver Date:       2021-03-18

Driver Version:  1.1.0.73

And when inSSIDer is running the following network adapter appears instead.

[CommView] Edimax EW-7833UAC

The Driver Properties are then:

Driver Provider: Realtek Semiconductor Corp

Driver Date:       2021-06-10

Driver Version:  1030.44.303.2021

About the installed driver, after Windows Plug-and-Play Installation (I guess). 

I was prompted upon EXIT from inSSIDer:

The application couldn’t restore the original vendor’s Wi-Fi adapter driver.

This means that you never installed the original driver that came with your adapter.

---

After the original driver is installed the application will automatically switch

between the monitoring driver and connectivity driver whenever needed.

…

So I installed the driver that I had downloaded:

EW-7833UAC_Windows_Driver_1.0.1.5-zip

After that inSSIDer  did not “complain” anymore!

[CarltonR]

Could you confirm that now having installed the correct Edimax EW-7833UAC driver that the description corresponds to the correct interface within Desktops Device Manager > Network adapters.  And that the Network adapters description remains static regardless of whether you run inSSIDer or not, and is also presented within inSSIDer with same name.

Is inSSIDer operating on the Desktop as required.

Assuming this is the case and all is well on the Desktop, what is shown when you present the Edimax EW-7833UAC to the Guest VM ?

P.S. As an aside, I would also suggest for consistency that you load the manufactures driver for the TP-Link Archer T2U Nano and test.

[Einar104]

Hi CarltonR,

No the Network adapter description does NOT remain static.

The description alternates between: Edimax AC1700 Wi.Fi USB Adapter and [CommView] Edimax EW-7833UAC

depending on if isSSIDer is running or not.

This is how they are presented within inSSIDer.

[CarltonR]

Could you post screen captures of the Device Manager from the Desktop with the Network adapters section expanded . . . one with isSSIDer not running and another with it running.

[Einar104]

Hi CarltonR,

Device Manager > Network adapters when inSSIDer is NOT running:

Device Manager > Network adapters when inSSIDer is running:

[CarltonR]

The article below explains the use of the [CommView] and the 'reconfiguring Wi-Fi Adapter' messages . . . it may also explain some of the things you might need to do, to get it working within your Guest VM.

Stuck on "Looking for Packet Capture Adapters" (MetaGeek)

[Einar104]

Hi CarltonR,

Thank you for the link to: Stuck on "Looking for Packet Capture Adapters"

I tried both methods – but they did not work for me, but it pointed me in the right direction.

In the UPDATE 2/24/2023 the driver files here from Dropbox were older

than ones in C:\Program Files (x86)\MetaGeek\Chanalyzer 6\RTLUSB\x64 on the Guest VM.

I uninstalled the "Edimax AC1700 Wi.Fi USB adapter" under Network adapters, and restarted the VM.

After that the adapter showed up with Driver Provider: Microsoft.

Then I updated the driver via: Browse my computer for Drivers, and specified,

search for drivers in this this location: C:\Program Files (x86)\MetaGeek\Chanalyzer 6\RTLUSB\x64

while inSSIDer was running.

And now success - with Driver Provider: TamoSoft

To my assessment I noticed that inSSIDer said - in the lower right hand corner of the screen:

I there for uninstalled inSSIDer and restarted the Guest VM.

Then I connected the Network adapters and installed inSSIDer again – and  Logged on, and

restarted inSSIDer as Admin!!!

The adapter returns to "Edimax AC1750 Wi-Fi USB Adapter"  - when inSSIDer is NOT running!

I didn't reinstall the drivers in: EW-7833UAC_Windows_Driver_1.0.1.5-zip

Thank you again for your assistance – case SOLVED!

Best regards,

Einar