Why does Access Connections scan all saved profiles

[simonmason]

Why is it that when you bring the computer out of standby (and maybe when you turn it on) the Access Connections utility seems to go to your saved profiles and start at the top and work its way through with no consideration for what wifi networks are in range? It would be far more efficient for it to look for available networks based upon strength and then match with saved profiles? Is there a setting or something to make it work this way? Thanks.

[jdhurst]

Launch Access Connections. Go to Configure -> Location Switching, and uncheck the profiles you do not want searched. It is not automatic, so for example, my default wired profile (good on any DHCP wired network) and my home wireless profile are selected. All other wireless is deselected. So when I start my machine and want a non-home wireless profile, I must select it manually. This is still faster than allowing Access Connections to search all the profiles. .. JDH

[simonmason]

Thanks. Wouldn't it be logical for Access Connections to look for available networks, then only try to connect with those that it has profiles stored for?

[jdhurst]

Thanks. Wouldn't it be logical for Access Connections to look for available networks, then only try to connect with those that it has profiles stored for?

Possibly, but the designers didn't do that. Increasingly, software designers are cow-towing to the very lowest common denominator of computer users (email and internet only type of people) and ignore competent business persons. Microsoft is even worse at this that IBM/Lenovo. ... JDH

[tricky]

Some access points might be configured not to broadcast their SSIDs. Access Connections has to try them one at a time in case they actually exist but are simply hidden. It also has to try them in the specified priority order to make sure it connects to your most preferred one.

I'm not saying there aren't things they could've done to address this -- like allowing you to specify which ones don't broadcast and need to be checked separately, or having a toggle to search for hidden ones only when non of the broadcasting ones match -- i'm just explaining why it does what it does.