WiFiCx: NDIS never binds protocols after successful adapter creation (MiniportInit never fires)

[cosmichut]

WiFiCx: NDIS never binds protocols after successful adapter creation

Problem

We are developing a WiFiCx client driver. All initialization succeeds:

• WifiDeviceInitialize -> success
• WifiDeviceSetDeviceCapabilities, SetPhyCapabilities, SetBandCapabilities, SetStationCapabilities -> all success
• NetAdapterCreate -> success
• WifiAdapterInitialize -> success
• NetAdapterStart -> success
• WiFiCx sends SET_ADAPTER_CONFIGURATION and TASK_SET_RADIO_STATE, driver handles both correctly

The adapter appears in Get-NetAdapter with correct MAC, MediaType=Native 802.11, InterfaceType=71.

However, NDIS never binds any protocols. UpperBind is empty, no Linkage key, no TCPIP interface. netsh wlan show interfaces reports no wireless interfaces.

ETW Evidence

NDIS ETW trace shows:

• Event 10600 (MiniportAdd): fires for our adapter
• Event 10601 (MiniportInit): never fires for our adapter
• Only OID seen: OID_PNP_SET_POWER, completed by NDIS on behalf of miniport

INF

Characteristics = 0x84
BusType = 5
*IfType = 71
*MediaType = 16
*PhysicalMediaType = 9
NumberOfNetworkInterfaces = 5
UpperRange = ndis6_wifi
LowerRange = wlan
KmdfLibraryVersion = 1.33

Code Pattern

Following the documentation exactly:
NetDeviceInitConfig -> WifiDeviceInitConfig -> WdfDeviceCreate -> WifiDeviceInitialize (with WDI_VERSION_LATEST, send command callback, create adapter callback, create WFD device callback)

In EvtWifiDeviceCreateAdapter:
NetAdapterCreate -> WifiAdapterInitialize -> set link layer caps/MAC/MTU -> NetAdapterStart

In EvtWifiDeviceSendCommand:

• SET commands: WifiRequestComplete() with bytesWritten=16
• TASK commands: WifiRequestComplete() + WifiDeviceReceiveIndication(Device, messageId, ...)

Question

What triggers WiFiCx to signal NDIS miniport initialization complete? Our adapter is registered (10600) but MiniportInit (10601) never fires. We complete all commands from the framework. Is there a missing step?

Environment: Windows 11 25H2 Build 26200, WDK 10.0.26100.0, KMDF 1.33, WiFiCx 1.2