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  2. Windows 8.1 mobile broadband connection is disconnected after you set Airplane mode to OFF

Windows 8.1 mobile broadband connection is disconnected after you set Airplane mode to OFF

View products that this article applies to.

Symptoms

Consider the following scenario:
  • You start a Windows 8.1 tablet and connect to a mobile broadband connection by using Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6).
  • You set Airplane mode to ON and then set it back to OFF after 10–15 seconds.
  • You reconnect to the mobile broadband network.

In this scenario, the mobile broadband connection is disconnected after several seconds, and you have to reconnect in order to reactivate the connection.

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Cause

This problem occurs because Windows 8.1 uses the previous unicast IPv6 address for a short time when the mobile broadband connection is initiated. Windows tries to use the previously assigned IP addresses so that existing applications with active TCP connections don't experience aren't disconnected from the network after a transient connection loss over a wired or wireless network. However, some 3GPP networks require the device to wait for a new IPv6 subnet ID from a router advertisement in order to form a new IPv6 unicast address whenever the mobile broadband connection is activated.

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Resolution

Hotfix information

A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft Support. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing the problem described in this article. This hotfix might receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next software update that contains this hotfix.

If the hotfix is available for download, there is a "Hotfix download available" section at the top of this Knowledge Base article. If this section does not appear, contact Microsoft Customer Service and Support to obtain the hotfix.

Note If additional issues occur or if any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Service and Support telephone numbers or to create a separate service request, go to the following Microsoft website:
http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support
Note The "Hotfix download available" form displays the languages for which the hotfix is available. If you do not see your language, it is because a hotfix is not available for that language.

Prerequisites

To apply this update, you must first have update 2919355 installed in Windows 8.1 or Windows Server 2012 R2.

Restart requirement

You must restart the computer after you apply this hotfix.

Hotfix replacement information

This hotfix does not replace any previously released hotfix.

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File information

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Status

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

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More Information

When Windows 8.1 leaves Airplane mode, it uses the previous IPv6 address over the mobile broadband connection because the address still has a valid lifetime. However, RFC 6459 indicates that 3GPP devices should not use the IPv6 address following a layer 2 connection drop and should instead wait for the IPv6 router to provide a new IPv6 subnet address. Because Windows 8.1 does not support this behavior over a 3GPP connection, the mobile broadband network disconnects Windows when it tries to use the old IPv6 address. Therefore, the user must manually reactivate the mobile broadband interface in order to reconnect to the mobile broadband network.

This special IPv6 requirement for 3GPP mobile broadband connections is described in Section 5.2 of RFC6459 (IPv6 in 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)). This RFC also indicates that an "old" IPv6 Unicast prefix should be timed out after a Level-2 connection failure, even if the Router Advertisement lifetime for the prefix is still active. However, Windows 8.1 does currently not support this RFC guidance.

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References

Learn about the terminology that Microsoft uses to describe software updates.

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Keywords: kb, kbautohotfix, kbqfe, kbhotfixserver, kbfix, kbexpertiseinter, kbsurveynew, kbbug

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Article Info
Article ID : 2992405
Revision : 1
Created on : 1/7/2017
Published on : 10/9/2014
Exists online : False
Views : 227