Thinkpads Forum

Hey guys,

I'm using the thinkpad vantage access connection software, i have laptop on always on (even when the lid is shut). But every time i shut the lid, the internet gets disconnected. The thinkvantage software disconnects from the wireless and turns off wireless, while the computer remains on.

Is there any way to disable this, and make the internet stay always connected?

I'm pretty certain this is a feature in the IBM software.

Thanks.

Just to confirm, you've set the power management settings specifically so that the action on 'close lid' is 'do nothing'?

On my machine, I have set it this way, and when I close the lid I do NOT lose internet connection (wireless). However, I long-ago uninstalled access connections software because it was a suspect in some other instability issues. If you think it's related to Access Connections, you could always uninstall it and re-install it later. I think the only advantage of Access Connections is that it handles multiple profiles better, and/or shares wireless and wired connections at once?

don't know the workaround but i just noticed today that when I'm on wired lan and I lock the machine with fn+f2 when i come back it reconnects to the wired lan. (getting ip...)

so seems to be something with the access connections.

When you close the lid does it lock the pc?

This has been happening to me forever (with my T4x laptops). It is pretty annoying. If I want to disconnect from the net, I'll do it myself.

i'm almost certain it's with the thinkpad access connection software, and when you lock and unlock your notebook.

Has anyone figured out how to disable this option?

BTW: I'm running Vista. I can't remember if i had this problem with XP.

I use my T60 docked, and I just checked. I have no problems with wireless ... it does not disconnect. I'll look into my settings and let you know if I did anything specific for this ...

michaelk wrote:don't know the workaround but i just noticed today that when I'm on wired lan and I lock the machine with fn+f2 when i come back it reconnects to the wired lan. (getting ip...)

so seems to be something with the access connections.

When you close the lid does it lock the pc?

fyi- this is with a T61 with vista ultimate.

in my case at least it reconnects fine on it's on just takes a second- but i wonder what it would do it I was in the middle of a download or something....

I could be wrong, but I doubt if Access Connections is the problem. But if you think it is, just uninstall it and use Windows to manage your connections.

I think the problem has to do with the Power Manager software or the ACPI Power Management driver. Not sure of a solution. There is probably a registry hack for this. You could try searching for one with Google.

If you are desperate enough, I can think of a couple of solutions. Get a dock; I believe you should not have this problem connected to a dock. Or disable the lid switch by opening up the ThinkPad and fixing it so that the switch does not operate or cut off the [censored] on the display lid that presses down on the switch.

GomJabbar wrote:I could be wrong, but I doubt if Access Connections is the problem. But if you think it is, just uninstall it and use Windows to manage your connections.

I think the problem has to do with the Power Manager software or the ACPI Power Management driver. Not sure of a solution. There is probably a registry hack for this. You could try searching for one with Google.

If you are desperate enough, I can think of a couple of solutions. Get a dock; I believe you should not have this problem connected to a dock. Or disable the lid switch by opening up the ThinkPad and fixing it so that the switch does not operate or cut off the [censored] on the display lid that presses down on the switch.

does locking have anything to do with acpi or power management?

is locking count as a power state or something like that?

It does the same thing if you lock a t61 with vista.

Could be vista ( but I've had several XP laptops from a different vendor and xp never disconnected the internet when you locked the machine...)

My previous response was really more for the OP.

If locking disconnects you from the internet, then I would suspect it may have something to do with Power Management. Does your wireless status icon turn off when you lock?

Regarding Vista, a number of people have reported power management problems with it. I guess it depends on the model of ThinkPad that you have and the drivers you are using. I had power management problems with Vista RC1 on my T42. I could not get the display to come back on easily when I turned it off with Fn + F3. There were other issues as well.

GomJabbar wrote:My previous response was really more for the OP.

If locking disconnects you from the internet, then I would suspect it may have something to do with Power Management. Does your wireless status icon turn off when you lock?

Regarding Vista, a number of people have reported power management problems with it. I guess it depends on the model of ThinkPad that you have and the drivers you are using. I had power management problems with Vista RC1 on my T42. I could not get the display to come back on easily when I turned it off with Fn + F3. There were other issues as well.

T61 with vista ultimate.

if I lock it (fn+f2 on the T61) the icon stays lit up. But when I log back in the access connections comes up to reconnect.

Makes me think it's access connections doing something.

it's not really a big deal to me- it reconnects like in 1 or at most 2 seconds. But I am curious what's going on. I might one day want to start a big download and then lock the machine and I'd prefer to know how to control it.

michaelk wrote:if I lock it (fn+f2 on the T61) the icon stays lit up. But when I log back in the access connections comes up to reconnect.

Makes me think it's access connections doing something.

I gotcha. There is a check box in Access Connections to control this behavior. Open Access Connections, choose Configure > Global Settings... > then uncheck box to "Close all wireless network connections when user logs off"

GomJabbar wrote:

michaelk wrote:if I lock it (fn+f2 on the T61) the icon stays lit up. But when I log back in the access connections comes up to reconnect.

Makes me think it's access connections doing something.

I gotcha. There is a check box in Access Connections to control this behavior. Open Access Connections, choose Configure > Global Settings... > then uncheck box to "Close all wireless network connections when user logs off"

GomJabbar, that's exactly what i'm looking for. Except i dont have that option. I am running a T60 on vista with the latest Access Connection software.

Any ideas?

I am using the latest version of Access Connections, 4.41 in XP. Currently I do not have a Vista install. Maybe you need to have Admininstrator privleges. Try navigating to C:\Program Files\ThinkPad\ConnectUtilities\ACMainGUI.exe, right-click on ACMainGUI.exe and choose to Run as Administrator.

GomJabbar wrote:I am using the latest version of Access Connections, 4.41 in XP. Currently I do not have a Vista install. Maybe you need to have Admininstrator privleges. Try navigating to C:\Program Files\ThinkPad\ConnectUtilities\ACMainGUI.exe, right-click on ACMainGUI.exe and choose to Run as Administrator.

ah, i am using 4.31b. weird, i reformated my laptop the other day and somehow did not download the latest from the website...


Just updated to the newest 4.41, and still dont see that options.

That sounds like exactly what we need.

I’m running t61 with vista ultimate and access connections 4.41 all factory installed on 6/24.

No option either on mine to stay connected.

It seems that the vista versions of certain things are not yet equivalent to the older XP versions. (see my thread that there is no OSD for controlling brightness on T61 with vista and integrated graphics as another example.)

Hopefully over time they update the drivers and software to give vista those missing features.

Also- just found another oddity from access connections:

Using my T61 today at a client’s site. I have the 802.11 radio off and the Bluetooth on. I connected via Bluetooth dialup through my cell phone to the internet. Walked away and the machine locked itself from inactivity. Came back and swiped my finger- logs right back in and then access connections actually turned the 802.11 radio ON and then attempted to connect my home location (I guess that’s the last one access connections was on) . That’s something of a bug in my mind- if I turned the radio off, I did it for a reason- why would access connections turn it on?

I like that it switches the default printers and that I an have it run a batch file when I connect to certain networks but the list of things I am learning to “live with” is getting longer and longer…

I have a T61 too and it does not disconnect when I close the lid.

And yes, I have Vista.

I close the lid around ten times a day, and at night it has the lid closed and BF2 running in the background. When I wake up at morning, the BF2-idle account is still in the server. (So not even a second of a failing connection.) Most annoying is that it always turns of the ThinkLight when I close the lid..

jcvjcvjcvjcv wrote:I have a T61 too and it does not disconnect when I close the lid.

And yes, I have Vista.

I close the lid around ten times a day, and at night it has the lid closed and BF2 running in the background. When I wake up at morning, the BF2-idle account is still in the server. (So not even a second of a failing connection.) Most annoying is that it always turns of the ThinkLight when I close the lid..

curious-

you using access connections?

What if you lock your machine, does that disconnect?

the problem is with access connections and vista when you lock your computer.

i have uninstalled access connections, and it is fine when i lock my machine now.

New ACCESS connections was just released yesterday for Vista. Anyone try and see if this was fixed?

any updates on this? My wireless won't reconnect once resumed?

fyi, access connections 4.41

Try unchecking the box labeled "Enable automatic wireless LAN radio control"