Win 7 will not automatically connect to "new" wirless netowork

[pknight]

Win 7 will not automatically connect to "new" wirless netowork

Hello,

I have a Dell laptop running Win 7 Professional. There are two wireless networks that I regularly use. One is at work (a large university with a huge wireless setup) and one at home. Both networks are set to automatically connect on my computer. If I only use one of these networks for a period of time, I have no access problems. If I log off or shut down the computer, or whatever, when I come back the computer immediately connects to the network.

However, if I go from one network to the other, I have to enter the access key the first time I try to use the "new" network. I have to select the network from the list of available networks, and when I do, the "automatically connect" box is visible and checked, but it has not automatically connected. It is as though enterning the key for one network removes the key for the other.

This happens on other wireless networks also, such as the one at my son's house, so it is not just the two networks I use most often. Also, my old Vista laptop had no problem recognizing and connecting to any of these networks automatically.

Clearly, Microsoft has "fixed" something in Win 7. I searched for this issue on the fourm, and it may be here, but I was not successful. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

PK

 

[seth500]

There are two types of WPA authentication: WPA and WPA2. If possible, use WPA2 because it is the most secure. Almost all new wireless adapters support WPA and WPA2, but some older ones don't. In WPA-Personal and WPA2-Personal, each user is given the same passphrase. This is the recommended mode for home networks. WPA-Enterprise and WPA2-Enterprise are designed to be used with an 802.1x authentication server that distributes different keys to each user. This mode is primarily used in work networks.

I don't believe you can have 2 keys with your type of network setup but the enterprise option would I believe...Using a different key even for a different network may in fact delete the other key.

 

[Sub Styler]

Are you using the windows connection manager or a 3rd party bloatware version Dell put on? The credntials for each wireless network are stored uniquely and having saved/changed one should have no effect on another regardless of the encryption type. Sorry I cant suggest anything, not seen this issue before. Checked your preferred networks list? Enabled Ad-Hoc mode?

 

[pknight]

Using a different key even for a different network may in fact delete the other key.

Why? It doesn't do it on XP or Vista machines. I have had auto connect set up for at least four different wireless networks at the same time on XP and Vista, and it has never failed to automatically connect to any of these networks.

 

[pknight]

Are you using the windows connection manager or a 3rd party bloatware version Dell put on? The credntials for each wireless network are stored uniquely and having saved/changed one should have no effect on another regardless of the encryption type. Sorry I cant suggest anything, not seen this issue before. Checked your preferred networks list? Enabled Ad-Hoc mode?

I doubt that my employer would appreciate my setting up an ad-hoc network.

As far as preferred networks are concerned, I set up the work network on my laptop today, and it worked fine, logging in automatically upon boot-up. I bring the laptop home, and I have to enter the key to log in (even though I was logging in automatically this morning). When I check the preferred networks list, only the home network is present. Given that these two (and two other) networks coexisted happily as preferred networks on my XP and Vista laptops over the years, I can't understand why Windows 7 will only let me have one at a time. Is this some sort of "feature"?

 

[pknight]

Are you using the windows connection manager or a 3rd party bloatware version Dell put on?

Bingo! It was a Dell wireless utility that was causing the problem. It is gone, and so is my wireless dilemma.

 

[Sub Styler]

Are you using the windows connection manager or a 3rd party bloatware version Dell put on?

Bingo! It was a Dell wireless utility that was causing the problem. It is gone, and so is my wireless dilemma.

Glad you got it sorted!