Re: Have you ever disabled IPv6 for privacy (to prevent IP leaks)?

Brian Gregory wrote:
>> No global IPv6 on the client means no IPv6 leak.
>> A bridge guarantees exactly that.
>> 
>> What's philosophically brilliant is that even with a fully intact IPv6
>> stack, and even with a modern router acting as a wireless bridge, the same
>> privacy advantage still holds.
> A Wi-Fi bridge???
> This isn't one of that idiot Rob Braxman's brain farts is it?
> 
> If you don't have a global IPv6 YOU ARE NOT USING IPv6 TO ACCESS THE 
> INTERNET. You have disabled IPv6.
> THERE IS NO BRIDGE - whatever you think that is!?

You are right. I am wrong. Sorry I didn't realize it sooner. 
Thank you for correcting my mistakes. I appreciate it.

I only want to help others, and to learn what to do (and what not to do).

I never disagree with anyone stating a logically defensible viewpoint, and 
I won't disagree with Brian Gregory in his statement because he's right 
that a bridge actually does not confer IPv6 protection on a computer. 

I was wrong about that.
I set up the bridge repeater to get Wi-Fi back (via Ethernet between
the PC and the spare router) so that I could get back onto the Internet.

The bridge is simply my workaround to having destroyed network Wi-Fi.

I found out, belatedly, that what actually killed my Wi-Fi network 
permanently was the *combination* of 0xFF and pnputil /force such that the 
only way to recover is to rebuild Windows (which I haven't done yet).

Looking back at my copypasta ad hoc logs, this is what killed me such 
that I will never be able to use Wi-Fi or VPN again without rebuilding.
 a. Because I have no network icon in the taskbar notification area, and, 
 b. ms-settings:network Network & Internet crashes within seconds every time.

So that others don't repeat my disaster, this is what *not* to do.

1. Wipe out IPv6 (I should have used either 0x20 or 0x01 but not FF).
   reg add HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip6\Parameters /v DisabledComponents /t REG_DWORD /d 0xFF /f
2. Enumerate the Wi-Fi device 
    pnputil /enum-drivers
     Qualcomm Atheros 802.11 a|b|g|n Dualband Wireless Network Module  
     Driver Name: netathrx.inf  
     Instance ID:
     PCI\VEN_168C&DEV_002A&SUBSYS_1000168C&REV_01\4&1a388ce3&0&0038
3. Remove the Wi-Fi device (this, I never should have done!)
    pnputil /remove-device "PCI\VEN_168C&DEV_002A&SUBSYS_1000168C&REV_01\4&1a388ce3&0&0038"
4. Uninstall the driver package (the force is what did all the damage!)
    pnputil /delete-driver netathrx.inf /uninstall /force
5. IPv6 stack destruction (I should have used hex 20 or 01 instead!)
   reg add HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip6\Parameters /v DisabledComponents /d 0xFF
6. Resetting both IPv4 and IPv6 stacks
    netsh int ip reset
    netsh int ipv6 reset
7. Rebooting with missing routing & missing Wi-Fi driver metadata
    That combination forced Windows to purge dependent networking components, 
    including:
     a. NetworkUX
     b. OOBENetwork packages
     c. NetworkConnectionFlow
     d. immersivecontrolpanel dependencies
     e. ShellExperienceHost networking hooks
     f. Edge legacy system package
     g. CBS servicing metadata
     h. RPC endpoint mapper entries
 Because a dir of dir C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Wind*
 now shows multiple SystemApps folders vanished, not just NetworkUX.	 

Luckily, Ethernet still works, so a router connected to the PC RJ45
allows bridging to the SOHO router access point, so I'm on the net.

But ms-settings:network crashes within seconds every time it's run.
The fatal combined steps are documented so that others learn from my mistake.
-- 
Sometimes you learn what not to do only after having already done it.