Access Connections Poor UI

[keithsketchley]

I comment that the UI of Access Connections is very clunky.

(I installed it because it was required for something else.)

There seem to be three different UIs that I don't know how to switch betwen, they come up variably.

Adding one hotspot's info seems to lockout adding any more.
Having used another hotspot it reconnected automatically but I could not see how to disconnect. Right click on symbol does not work.

What might appear to be a spatial view is just some kind of signal strength graphical display as best I can see.
Initial setup does have a list of options , a few of which should be deselected as they are for automatic login and transfer, which is not wise for hotspots as name can be spoofed.

AC locks out Windows normal WiFit interface.

Not well done by Lenovo.

[keithsketchley]

Forgot to include that is version 5.21.

[GomJabbar]

Adding one hotspot's info seems to lockout adding any more.
Having used another hotspot it reconnected automatically but I could not see how to disconnect. Right click on symbol does not work.

I don't have the latest version installed, but AC does work a little different than I would expect. Instead of a right-click on the taskbar icon, left-click on it to bring up the connect/disconnect options.

You should be able to add as many locations as you like for hotspots. I have more than one location for WiFi use (my home and my daughter's home). You need to be logged in as Administrator in XP do make many of the changes. Also, if this is a work computer, your employer may have disabled some of Access Connection's options.

[bill bolton]

Not well done by Lenovo.

If you don't like it don't use it.

Otherwise invest a few minutes in reading the Help file

[jdhurst]

I continue to have the problem that I get a "Not Responding" screen permanently etched into my wallpaper when AC connections starts (any version with the new GUI). Otherwise it works fine. I cannot believe I am the only user in the entire world who has this problem, but it never gets fixed (yes I have reported it). The new Power Manager GUI does the same thing. ... JDH

[Marin85]

The new Power Manager GUI does the same thing.

Does this happen in both windows themes, classic and Vista Aero? It could be also only some issue with Vista compositing window manager.

[jdhurst]

Marin - I gutted Aero and only use the Classic theme. That is where is happens. The two applications are very, very slow to start which causes the problem. Once running, both applications are fine. There was also a pointer on the Lenovo site for a Microsoft Vista patch, but it is not for my nVidia graphics system.
... JDH

[hausman]

If you don't like it don't use it.

You could also explain why you don't like it to someone at Lenovo who has the ability to do something about it.

[keithsketchley]

So far I’ve catalogued these UIs resulting from installation of Access Connections 5.21 and the Lenovo-supplied update to get “Adapter” driver version 9.0.4.39:
- From the sort-of-flashlight symbol in Windows’ tray, a table of available signals, looks somewhat like the Windows’ display of that information (the Windows icon of a computer with radiating signal no longer shows in the tray). AC’s dialogue box includes a link to Profiles of those signals and a link to Details of the highlighted signal. It shows signals whose SSID is not being broadcast, whereas Windows’ does not. The signal list in this display is organized like the normal Windows XP one. The windows is branded Intel who make the WiFi radio and Help|About shows they claim copyright.
- From an obscure icon in the Windows’ tray, a rectangle with several vertical lines in it, , a simple Status box (a useful feature, includes MAC address of the signal and type of network, as well as information on my own computer's radio and its driver version).
- From Start|Programs|Thinkvantage|Access Connections, a window with three tabs giving these boxes:
o Default called “Connect to the Internet” is a graphical display of objects signal strength of some objects, with difficult to see name on them, arranged in a range-like display (arcs of field strength) by signal strength. Rather useless as identify is essential, signal strength secondary, it is too difficult to see the name lable on each object (each WiFit T/R detected), and signal strength is displayed in the box revealed from the flashlight symbol.
o Optional “Location Profile”
o Optional “Options” leads to ability to diagnose network problems (use ping for example) and set parameters.
Each of these has a Basic and Advanced verion, the only difference in the default one is a Location pull-down of signals you’ve added to Profile with ability to command Connect from there.
The default display can show WiFi, Mobile Broadband (is that cellular data like some Thinkpads offer?), WiMAX, or “Other ("wireless USB' according to one window, undefined phones according to another) signals. I could not explore those as I do not have them.

AC provides command to turn radio on or off from most of these dialogue boxes, handy if you are doing so for additional security (i.e. only have your radio ON when using it).

Normally the display obtained by clicking on the flashlight icon then choosing Connect to Profile (must choose a specific profiled hotspot even if you don’t want it) would be used, though eventually you may figure out that choosing Configure WiFi actually leads to the signal display you want. That is the table of detected WiFi signals from which you can command refresh of the list and choose an actually available one to connect to. Lenovo/Intel’s way of getting to that display is silly, silly, silly, but once you get it you’ll find it quite useful – though you may prefer Windows’ Network Connections which you are now locked out of (see below for switching back and forth).
From that display you can get a list of “Profiles”, which is somewhat like the one you can get through Network Connections in Windows, with ability to add or remove named signal sources.
Stumbling around in that display you can get a dialogue box to name signal sources to Exclude (choose Properties of a signal to pop that up).
From pull-down lists you can get tools including diagnostics, the Profiles and Exclusions boxes, ability to change “Adapter” settings (the radio). And you can switch to using the normal Windows functionality to control WiFi – AC keeps its flashlight icon in the tray so you can switch back to its control method (after switching back the Windows control icon was still in the tray but not functional).

So overall there is more capability now but the user interface is even more obscure and clunky than Microsoft’s version in Windows XP.
s
To summarize, my computer now has:
- an expanded version of Windows’ “View Available Networks” interface, with links to diagnosis and settings
- a detailed Status box for the signal highlighted or in use
- a silly graphical display of detected signals, that can show signal types in addition to WiFi, and provide some
With ability to switch back to Windows’ conventional “View Available Networks” and “Network Connections” properties interfaces.

Its another learning curve, far steeper than it would be if the features were properly designed. It looks as though Access Connections 5.21 is only potentially useful if you have other wireless paths and can't use the normal Network Connections interface. (I have not yet set up DUN over Bluetooth to my cellular phone again, so don't know if it is locked out by the Intel software. In general Windows XP is bad for inconsistent handling of optional paths to the Internet - which is the actual network you want in this context, even AC5.21 separates wireless from wired as it only handles wireless.) If AC5.21 were the product of a startup it would fail financially.

And I've just discovered that double-clicking on the sort-of-flashlight symbol opens the function, whereas typical tray behaviour is right-click or single-click AFAIK, noting that rolling cursor over the symbol does suggest double-click. The board chair of designer's employers should (try to) use the product before it is shipped.

[bill bolton]

Its another learning curve, far steeper than it would be if the features were properly designed.

So when are you going to release Keith's Improved Connnection Manager ?

[keithsketchley]

Well, there's a product idea for broad use,thanks. I have become negative on the future of Thinkpad for several reasons.

[keithsketchley]

It does not actually show distance let alone full geographic location - it cannot since is does not show all around the user, and the parameter is a general measure of quality which has more factors than just level. It only shows signal strength, with spatial distribution lateral to the path displayed on some basis (apparently just a splayed in order of signal strength).

Yes, it is a good notion, but Hill is very confused about useability - their initial proposal was far better than the end product because it is more visible (can't use what you can't read, noting that small business laptops do not have good

displays), while their terraced proposal is plain silly. (Observe in the final product the lack of contrast within the label of each signal - that's a NO, NO, NO!)

As well, Hill does not know his product - the user's computer is not at the centre of the universe, unless perhaps he thinks it has some awkward rotation scheme (his article shows a green rotary arrow that is not in AC521). Given the screen space available why did they not give it a full view? (AC521 has a fixed-size window occupying about 30% of screen area.) Note too that their not-used terraced graphical presentation does show much more but why not a simple plan view since there is no vertical information displayed.

And he blathers about red-cap inspired UI features but AC521's only red-circle does not do anything, it's just a colourful big dot with white lines on it.

Note though that you can switch to a simple list view by clicking on the Details button at bottom right.

Plus, Hill's description shows that information on a specific signal can be obtained by some means, perhaps roll-over or right click, in AC521 that feature is at best sporadically functional. I also suspect that not all Note that 521 is supposedly far from the first version, as Hill mentions fixed versions 5.0x.

Now, perhaps I was foolish to touch it for an x41 which has an especially poor display though not much worse than a Compaq/HP of similar vintage I had at work except for the x41's smaller screen, especially since (I find out after installation) that it is really most useful (potentially, ruined by poor UI) for handling multiple frequency-protocol capability (Wi-Fi, Wi-Max, etc.). (Alas, I missed introduction of the tablet version of the x41 by a month - I understand it has a far better display.)

Lenovo's designers simply do not understand user Interface basics. It does not take industrial psychologists, human factors specialists, and high-paid Microsoft researchers to do the job - it takes common sense thinking like a real user. Designers and marketers fail to think "C O M M U N I C A T E", fail to consider the cost of the user's time. I am amazed they would consciously obscure information as they have done by graying signal identification labels. These people must live in la-la land, thinking they are designer wall posters - I'd fire them for incompetence, literally.

I agree with Goran's comment about third-party applications not doing enough, that's true of many of Lenovo's. I will say however that Lenovo Toolbox version of PCDoctor 5 might be headed in the right direction (some of its functions are just easy links to standard Windows features but it seems better than the piecemeal assortment of poorly named recovery and diagnostic software Lenovo provides otherwise, and its UI is reasonable though terse - and it actually runs Check Disk, a problem with RnR despite a patch. Though I guess I should be happy that Lenovo is trying to help uses support the computers and Microsoft has not done a good job of leading people to what is in Windows). _f, Ethan, and Zikán make good comments, and Trottier tries to educate Lenovo on good design which starts with purpose. (Oddly, the page title More Than Just a Pretty Face is a good maxim that the designers did not follow.)

Me, I am trying Intel's better interface that came with a recent software upgrade from Lenovo - not perfect, seems better than the Windows interface it takes off from, have not yet determined if it has all functionality that Windows' interface does (it locks out Windows' interface while active but can be quickly switched back to it).

[keithsketchley]

PS: I have figured out that the "Other Connections" view selection in the "Connect to the Internet" tab is for my 56k modem and Bluetooth "modem". That's why it is accessible whereas WiMAX and "Mobile Broadband" are grayed out. (Bluetooth software includes several layers in the path for DUN, my computer's Bluetooth radio, a "modem" function, and my phone (a discovered device for which Bluetooth provides file transfer, computer audio, and headset capability as well as DUN - some of those can be avoided during software installation, I use file transfer for camera files and I use DUN which is limited to 14400 by my provider's +$5/month plan (high speed data is something else, perhaps related to "Mobile Broadband", that I have not tried because airtime is very costly - better to pay $25/month to use the phone company's WiFi hotspot network though it is of course not as widely available as cellular signal).

There is a Help link in fine print to the right of the Switch to: Basic/Advanced selection button.

While there is a Connect button at the top of the Window, you can double-click on a signal to connect to it.

Another button in the window purports to look for updates to the software?

[mudtoe]

If you are having problems with Access Connections being slow on Vista (i.e. hanging for a long time upon startup, or when searching for wireless networks), I think I've found the reason. It seems that it's because the default behavior of the wireless connections that you save or setup is to "automatically connect". You can't easily see this from Access Connections; you have to go to the wireless networking dialog from the network properties page (access connections must actually use the underlying windows wireless networking to perform its function because all the connections that I saved in AC show in the windows wireless networking too). If you change the default behavior from "automatically connect" to "connect manually" for all but say your home and office wireless which you use often, it dramatically speeds up the performance and stops the hanging effect. The problem is that as you add wireless networks and save them in a profile AC or windows wireless networking (I'm not sure which) sets the default connection behavior to "automatically connect". Over time as you add more and more profiles the performance of AC gets worse and worse. I'm guessing that the issue is that it's trying to connect to each and every one of these automatic profiles every time you turn on the wireless radio or search for wireless networks, which starts to bog things down once you have more than a few entries set to automatic.

Hope this helps.

mudtoe

[GomJabbar]

I have had the same experience as mudtoe before with slow boot ups because of trying to find an internet connection when none was available. I do not have Access Connections set to Automatically Connect now (for some time actually).

I was in Vista yesterday and looked to see which version of Access Connections I was using there previously. The last version I had installed looks to be 5.02 (looking at the download package that I still have). I liked it fine when it was working, but after I did not use Vista for some days (I boot into 4 different OS's), when I would boot back into Vista, Access Connections would be broken. I could not turn the Wireless radio on. This happened with the previous version of Access Connections that I had installed in Vista as well.

Yesterday I decided to install the latest Access Connections 5.21 in Vista. No complaints so far, but I do not have a WLAN signal to test it out. It will be about a month before I see how it actually works with WLAN, but I don't see a great difference from previous versions. As long as it doesn't break like the previous versions, I will probably keep it.

In XP, I am still using Access Connections 4.42. I just got (tired or lazy) of updating my XP box with all the latest Lenovo updates. Oftentimes I found the various Lenovo updates did not appear to change anything. If I checked the changelog, I saw they just added new ThinkPad models, then updated the version number. FTR, I do keep all the other software up to date in XP except for the commercial software that costs money to update (AV software excepted).

[mudtoe]

I've done some more research into the slow Access Connection performance, and in addition to the "automatically connect" setting there is another setting that could be contributing to the problem. It's a setting that controls whether or not a specific connection will attempt to connect even if the AP associated with the SSID isn't broadcasting. Basically if this setting is enabled the laptop will attempt to connect to the AP even if it doesn't detect the SSID in range. It's intended to be used for AP's that don't broadcast their SSID. By default this setting appears to be enabled for every wireless location profile that you save.

Therefore, if you have the location profile set to automatically connect, and the "connect even if the network is not broadcasting" setting is also enabled for that location profile, the laptop will try to connect to to that SSID every time you bring up the wireless and/or search for wireless networks. This really explains why Access Connections performance goes down the tubes if you have a lot of location profiles with automatic connect enabled, coupled with the "connect even if the network is not broadcasting" setting, as that means it has to attempt perhaps dozens of connections every time you turn on the wireless or search for networks, even if there are few or no APs in range.

Here is a link to a Microsoft document describing the setting:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/libr ... 26942.aspx

I'd suggest turning that setting off for all of your locations profiles, unless you know for certain that the associated AP isn't broadcasting it's SSID. I haven't tried this yet, but after reading this I now suspect that it's this setting that's responsible for the bad performance of AC, and that it may be OK to leave the location profiles set with "automatic connect" as long as your turn this setting off, so that no attempt is made to connect to every one of your "automatic connect" profiles each time the wireless is turned on, even when the associated SSID isn't in range.


mudtoe

[GomJabbar]

The way I use AC is to single left-click (not sure why it's not right-click) on the taskbar icon, then highlight and click on the appropriate wireless network I have saved in the menu that opens (I have a couple of wireless network locations saved). I only open AC when I want to connect to a new network.

[jdhurst]

I don't have problem with AC during boot-up because I don't select an profiles except my home wireless and default wired. Everything else is unchecked. The problem I have occurs when I launch AC from a full running machine. It loads so slowly, I get a Not Responding square screen etched in the background before the GUI loads.

Now, interesting development.

Yesterday I upgraded the wireless driver in place. I did not uninstall AC and I did not uninstall the prior driver. After a restart, it worked and connected. When I tried to launch AC, it was very fast. I then noticed in location switching there were only two profiles to select. The profiles were not gone, just not selectable. I opened each profile and now the location list is full - And, AC is as slow as ever to load.
... JDH

[jdhurst]

I went to the link provided by mudtoe and found (to my great surprise and my never ending critical view of Lenovo) is that network connections that I had set up in AC and then deleted for one reason or another were alive and well in Vista and trying to connect. I must have deleted about a dozen useless profiles, some duplicates of working ones.

AC is now faster to startup. Whether this is the end of the problem remains to be seen. I will have to check over a period of days, conditions and restarts. ... JDH

[mudtoe]

Lenovo needs to update AC to show the manual connect setting and the one about trying to connect even if no SSID broadcast is detected for that entry. It looks like every new profile you create or allow to be automatically saved by AC turns on both of those settings by default, so you have to go back in through the Vista wireless networks screen and turn them both off, otherwise the performance starts to deteriorate again.

I went back and checked the settings for all of my profiles, and a couple of them had the "connect even if the network is not broadcasting" setting turned on again. I'm not sure if I edited them with AC since my original cleanup, and it turned the setting back on, or if they got deleted and reconstituted from scratch. Either way, if Access Connections is slow or hanging, this is most likely the problem.

Also, Microsoft should have a registry setting or something that controls the default behavior of both of these settings. While I can sort of understand having the "automatically connect" setting enabled by default, as that reduces the number of support calls from unsophisticated users complaining that their wireless isn't working (at the cost of security of course); I can't understand enabling the "connect even if the network is not broadcasting" setting by default. How often would a novice user ever encounter a wireless access point configured to not broadcast its SSID? If someone went to that trouble the connection would likely be encrypted too, and the user would have to have received some setup instructions and/or have had it pre-configured by the IT department.

mudtoe

[seaweedsl]

If you don't like it don't use it.

Otherwise invest a few minutes in reading the Help file

I don't use it, though I would like to for some machines. I've read the help file sticky and still my problems were solved only by uninstalling it. Too bad, as something like AC would be useful for managing connections. Thankfully, the Windows utility works simply and reliably so AC is optional.

I know it's considered bad form by some here to speak negatively about Access Connections, but the subject has come up again. I would hope that you guys that really like it could allow the rest of us to discuss it and share our experineces with it as well.

I think that anytime it's discussed, then it is out there on the web and Lenovo might find that discussion and learn something about public experience with their utilities.

Cheers,
Steve

[bill bolton]

I've read the help file sticky...

Have you read the help file in Access Connections

[seaweedsl]

Have you read the help file in Access Connections

Yes, I did - that was version 4 something, the last version I used. I suppose that I should install a newer version now to see what's changed, but it's fairly labor intensive getting it on and off the machine that I hesitate to mess up a working system.

My father has it installed and I'll look into updating his version when I see him and I can check what's been fixed.

Do you know if they've added a functioning setting for handing over control back to Windows yet? The other utilities I've used had that option. Or is it still necessary to uninstall AC, the driver and everything and then reinstall the driver to get control back?

Steve

[GomJabbar]

You might find what you are looking for here, under Hints and Tips...
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... idate=true

[seaweedsl]

You might find what you are looking for here, under Hints and Tips...
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... idate=true

Good link, thanks. I may go ahead and try the newer version sometime.

Steve

[mattbiernat]

i stopped using access connections after I called my internet provider and and they said that it is unsupported. magically after i uninstalled access connections windows without a hitch connected to the internet.