Laptops not AUTO connecting to wifi network

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This has started in the last 3-4 days.

Common to ALL laptops in house:
T520 Lenovo win 7 pro
E520 Lenovo Win 7 home premium
Acer netbook win 7 home premium

Notable recent happenings: power outage.
Windows updates that required a restart.
Got a smart TV which is WIRED to the router but I have started some DLNA stuff....

Router is a WRT 54GL Linksys running tomato.
I haven't done any changes to it nor any of the laptops.

When laptops wake up from sleep, it shows wireless networks are available, and shows our wifi network SSID too, but doesn't AUTOMATICALLY connect to it like it always did.
Has to click our network SSID and hit "connect" - then it connects, after a few seconds.

(power save for the wifi adapter is NOT checked - so that's not the problem)
Drivers are all up to date.

Also, if my memory serves correctly: I always thought there were only THREE network adapters: the LAN, and our wifi. NOW there seems to be a NEW one: IDK when this started or if this has always been there... is this because I started DLNA stuff with the TV?

 
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Next time it happens reboot the router only and see if they all connect. If it happens on more than 1 computer, likely router issue. Thats an older router, have you considered upgrading? I had similar issues with an old dlink, swapped to a belkin and most recently a new dlink. These things have lifespans, and sometimes they need replacing.
 
Thanks - I edited my post while you were replying...
Can you check my addition to the post, please? and see what you think?
 
I have a similiar problem with my laptop when I upgraded to Windows 8. I found out, the driver supplied by intel is not made for windows 8. I have a generic windows driver instead. Intel said my wifi card for my HP 6960P is obsolete, so no new drivers. lol

this may help others with similiar issues upgrading old laptops/computers
 
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If you only have 1 wifi adapter on the machine, delete the second and reboot and see if it was a dupe- it happens.

Also check the lenovo site for new drivers and install any related to wifi.

And finally check for an update to whatever router OS you're using and do a full reset and rebuild of settings as carrying over setting from version to version is culprit #1 on these aftermarket OSes.

If you're not re-flashing your router, DO IT! I loved tomato! Look for the most bare-bones version that has the features you want/need.
 
If it's happening on all your machines, then your router may be on its way out. IIRC, the symptoms are similar to what was happening to my WRT54G, plus it would randomly drop connections.
 
Yep - it's possible...
weird thing is it never drops connections...
Just that the auto connect wouldn't work at first and now it does after i rebooted the router, but I still have to click on the SSID list and click on our SSID...but doesn't need to hit "connect" anymore...

OR I probably don't need to do that at all but need to wait a VERY long time...

will check if it EVER auto connects...without doing all the clicking mentioned above.
 
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Originally Posted By: 97tbird
Thanks - I edited my post while you were replying...
Can you check my addition to the post, please? and see what you think?


Ignore the miniport connection to the far right.. Alot of times computers go into sleep, when they come back from sleep, they have lost the connection to the internet. Do you have a dynamic or static IP? I remember this occuring when I had DSL, and never occured when i have had Cable (static ip). Wondering if maybe the lease expired and it got you disconnected..
If you reboot right after you wake up the computer, does it automatically reconnect? Also, you can try to do a Release and renew or repair on the network to see if it reconnects you.. There are a few things you can try to find out the trouble..

Last thing you can try on one of the laptops to see if it makes a difference, remove the network from your saved network list, and than reconnect to it (make sure you have the password for your network before trying this) and see if that works.. Try these one at a time and see what happens.. Again, I believe its your router and if you try all the above and nothing works.. Try the link posted above about not auto connecting.. and lastly, replace or try another router to see if that fixes it..
 
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Originally Posted By: 97tbird
Yep - it's possible...
weird thing is it never drops connections...
Just that the auto connect wouldn't work at first and now it does after i rebooted the router, but I still have to click on the SSID list and click on our SSID...but doesn't need to hit "connect" anymore...

OR I probably don't need to do that at all but need to wait a VERY long time...

will check if it EVER auto connects...without doing all the clicking mentioned above.


It should auto connect without you doing anything.. if it doesnt, try rebooting your computer and see if it auto connects.. I assume when you first turn on the computer you dont have to do anything, it just connects right?
 
Originally Posted By: Rolla07
do you have a dynamic or static IP? I remember this occuring when I had DSL, and never occured when i have had Cable (static ip). Wondering if maybe the lease expired and it got you disconnected..
If you reboot right after you wake up the computer, does it automatically reconnect? Also, you can try to do a Release and renew or repair on the network to see if it reconnects you.. There are a few things you can try to find out the trouble..


I have cable internet...so I guess mine is also a static IP?
Yeah it connects on reboot; after waking up from SLEEP, it's REALLY slow to AUTO connect or doesn't AUTO connect at all.
 
AMAZING.
found a tiny post on the web that said to turn the power save ON of the wifi adapter (which was OFF) and now it connects fast! the post said that this has exactly the opposite effect on some intel ecntrino wifi adapters compared tp the NORMAL effect. (which should put wifi adapters to sleep when not in use).
it has some long explanation on why which I didn't understand but it worked...

(weird thing is that this took place without me doing anything ...must have been some win update that did something to power settings?)
 
Yep but the effect was not that bad in my wife's laptop...
hers almost returned to normal after router reboot but not quite the way it was...
mine was worse.
 
Its nearly black friday.. maybe pickup a replacement router and retire that one to backup duty.
 
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