2 x Unknown Wireless Connections 'Microsoft Virtual Adapter'

Magnakai · 09 Sep 2018

Hi,

On a laptop i have just installed the oem drivers. concerning Networking, i have installed the LAN driver, followed by 1) [Intel PROSet WiFi + BT + MyWiFi] package and 2) a separate second BT Driver (i think the first one included PROSet BT software this one was for drivers).

my chipset manager acknowledges my WLAN card correctly and 'Wireless Connection 1' corresponds to my card, which is an intel centrino n-1030 wifi + BT. but under control panel>network & sharing center>adapter settings (as well as under device manager) there are 2 additional wireless network connections ... i do not know what they are :-

wireless connection 2
microsoft virtual wifi miniport adapter

wireless connection 3
microsoft virtual wifi miniport adapter

i have no idea what these 2 additional adapters are. on another refurbished dell laptop of similar specs and generation, i did not get this issue at all. under control panel>adapter settings i got what i expected :-
one adapter for LAN and one for WAN.

are these additional ms virtual miniports related to Bluetooth?

thanks in advance.

ps. i'm not saying there's any error with my wifi or bt. the connections work fine. i just wonder why there are 2 additional adapters. another note : there's no yellow triangle on these devices under device manager (they seem to be 'in order').

Paul Black · 15 Sep 2018

Hi Magnakai,

Magnakai said:

Under control panel > network & sharing center > adapter settings (as well as under device manager) there are 2 additional wireless network connections ... iI do not know what they are:

wireless connection 2
microsoft virtual wifi miniport adapter

wireless connection 3
microsoft virtual wifi miniport adapter

I assume that they are showing as disabled/disconnected?
The thing with network adapters is, that you can uninstall and re-install them.

[1] Click Start > in the Start Search box type Device Manager > press Enter.
[2] Expand the Network adapters.
[3] Select and right-click the wireless connection 2 > select Uninstall.
[4] Select and right-click the wireless connection 3 > select Uninstall.
[5] Restart the computer.

If those drivers are actually needed they will get installed automatically after re-starting the computer.

I hope this helps!

Magnakai · 15 Sep 2018

yes i know they can be deleted, but i'm suspecting that it is actually the Bluetooth lol. if BT is disabled, they might show up as those 2 under 'Network Adapters' in device manager. when turned on, they appear under its own category 'Bluetooth'. i will check this later, right now reformatting the HD.

regards.

Magnakai · 16 Sep 2018

Hi Paul,

They aren't the bluetooth. Very strange i don't know what they are.

No they aren't disabled or not functioning. There is no yellow triangle in device manager. I really want to know what they are before i uninstall them. Under properties, they appear at 'Location 2'.

Magnakai · 22 Sep 2018

Hi the 2 wireless adapters are still there. I have tried uninstalling them at Device manager, but they return after startup- windows jsut give them generic MS drivers. does this have something to do with "My WIFi" or something?

Need any help i can get, my test system about to go live and i need to finalise find out what these two mysterious Microsoft Virtual Miniport Adapters are.

thanks in advance.