Computer connects to other router

[blockie]

I live in a Assited care facility. They have a router that with some kind of repeaters scattered throughout the facilty providing WiFi to the residents. I have my own router that I am connected to. I use my own because the bandwidth changes throughout the day with the free one.
On occassion my computer changes to the free WI Fi but my printer does not. When this happens I cannot use the printer.
Is there a way to lock my WIFI to MY router and easily change it to the free router when I take my laptop to the instruction center. About once a week I teach basic computer operations and use the free Wi Fi. So I must allow the Wi Fi to shift in this case.

 

[Slartybart]

You can tell Windows not to connect automatically to the other router / repeaters. It probably uses the same SSID, but there might be more than one router (per floor?)

You'll have to manually connect when you teach your course at the instruction center. You should be far enough away from your personal router so that it won't connect to that automatically.

Open Network and Sharing Center
Select Connect To
Modify any preferred networks - UNtick Connect automatically
Make sure that ONLY your router is set to Connect automatically.

 

[blockie]

Thanks That did it.
Bill

 

[Slartybart]

Glad to have helped Blockie, one Bill to another

Please mark this thread solved when you get the chance.

Bill R
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[blockie]

I spoke too soon. How can I make the ticking and un-ticking persistent? This morning I found my computer on the wrong network.

 

[Slartybart]

Once set, it should remain set. If a new network appears in the list the computer might connect to that node.

Did anything change? If they moved the router closer to your router, you might pick that one up depending on the location. There is a preferred network, but I have to look at how that is set. You essentially have that with your router and the facility router.

Let me make sure of something. When you found you were on the wrong network, it wasn't your router - right ... and it was the facility router? If another resident near you has a private router - that might be part of the equation.

Bill
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[blockie]

My router sometimes loses connection to my computer. It connects to a facility router that I did use once as a test. No changes have been made to the facility router. It is always the same facility router that my computer occasionally auto connects to.

 

[Slartybart]

Sorry for the delay Bill,

I think this will be fairly simple, but I just need to clarify a few things

1) You always want to automatically connect to your router - I'm fairly certain that's true.

2) You occasionally want to connect to the facility router when you are teaching in a community room.

3) now here's where it might get tricky

• You never want to connect to the facility router unless you're teaching
  Change the properties of all other SSIDs so that they do not automatically connect
  You will have to explicitly connect to the Facility router when you teach
  
  
• you want to connect to the facility router when your router is out of range or drops the connection.
  This is your current configuration.

I don't know of a way to configure it any other way. It automatically connects or it doesn't - the checkbox on the SSID determines the action.

Sometimes a connection might change based on proximity - you'd be surprised how a few inches makes a difference. Normally the routers are not equidistant to the laptop, or one is that much more powerful than the other, so it isn't an issue.

Left click on the wireless adapter icon in the system tray area (near the clock)

Right click on the SSID for the facility router

On the Connection tab, clear the checkbox Automatically connect

Click OK

When you're teaching, you'll have to click on the SSID of the facility router to connect - just make sure the automatically connect box is not selected.

Good luck,

Bill
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[UsernameIssues]

I know that I'm late to this party - but I'm going to crash it anyway - just to suggest that you remove every entry for every Wireless Access Point that you have ever connected to. Then restart the computer and do Slartybart's excellent steps posted above