Wifi doesn't work after waking from sleep?

[wrybread]

I have a persistent issue with all my T530's. When they come out of sleep mode, about half the time they won't connect to any wifi network until I disable and re-enable the wifi adaptor. I made a Python script that does that automatically, but still I'm wondering if there's a better solution.

According to Device Manager, the adaptor appears as "Intel(R) Centrino(R) Advanced-N 6205".

I've tried a couple of different drivers, and tried disabling N wifi, but still the issue persists.

I don't imagine anyone has a fix?

Using Win7 by the way.

[MikalE]

Probably not.

My T520 takes up to a minute to find and connect to the router after coming out of sleep. It pisses me off, but so far no one anywhere has come up with a solution. Your predicament sounds even worse than mine.

With my problem it sounds as though finding and connecting to the router has been regulated to the last of services to be restarted after waking up, whereas both of my T510's and the T500 I had connected immediately upon coming out of sleep as if that was set as a priority somewhere.

I have been through the Device Manager, I've checked every power setting there is, checked for on-line solutions as various sites besides here, and there is no solution except to put up with it.

[Cigarguy]

Had a couple of instances with my Thinkpads of this happening. One was fixed with a change of AR9380 driver. I suspect the previous driver never worked properly. The other was an Intel 6200 that was defective. Replacing the 6200 with another 6200 works perfectly while having the same issue from the donor machine.

[ajkula66]

I've had this type of an issue with Intel cards in Windows going back to 2100B in XP, and have responded to dozens of complaints about problems of this nature while I was still active on Lenovo's forum. The same held truth for 2200BG, 2915ABG, 3945ABG, 4965AGN...and the list goes on. And on.

The fact that this is still going on - more than a decade later - with cards that are supposed to be state of the art when it comes to performance and reliability is mind-boggling to me. It seems like no one at Intel is talking to folks in Microsoft and vice versa.

[RealBlackStuff]

Best solution: dump your Intel wifi-cards, find/apply a BIOS with Whitelist removed, and instal Atheros AR9380 (3 wires) or AR9280 (2 wires).

[MikalE]

Instead of having to fool with the BIOS, would the Intel card from a T510 work any better in my T520?

The 6205 is in my T520 and the 6200 in both 510's.

[RealBlackStuff]

Trying another card might solve the problem if the card is faulty.
6205 is just a newer generation of 6200.
And as it seems to occur in all T520, it could be a design fault in 6205...
My T420 came with Intel 6300N ex-factory, and it works perfectly and immediately after sleep.

[axur-delmeria]

^ It wouldn't hurt to try. You can even put the 6205 on the T510 temporarily to check if it works after resuming from standby.

[Dekks]

Check & compare powersaving settings for the card under mains & battery.

[MikalE]

I just bought a pulled Ultimate 6300N. I'll see how that works out.

[wrybread]

All very good tips. I don't think it's a defective card since it happens with multiple machines. Also googling I see this problem happens on other brand laptops that use the same card! Ugh!

Very interesting idea to switch to atheros with a non whitelist bios. Funny that Lenovo is still restricting which wifi cards we can use, sheesh. As far as two or three wire, I'm guessing I open mine up to see how many wires I have currently and match that?

[agarza]

Try to tick 'Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power'

[wrybread]

> I just bought a pulled Ultimate 6300N. I'll see how that works out.

@ Mika, please post how it goes if possible. I might go that same route. And did you have to install a non whitelist bios to use that card?

[MikalE]

I wouldn't think so. It's still an Intel board.

[wrybread]

From what I'm reading I don't think the certification has to do with the brand, but simply that Lenovo sells the card. They insert an identifier in that specific card so it passes. That's if I understand correctly of course. They want their markup. Really lame. But of course I'm hoping you're right.

[ajkula66]

I wouldn't think so. It's still an Intel board.

I'm pretty sure that you'll need a modded BIOS in order to use a generic Intel card.

[MikalE]

If that is the case, where do I find the correct whitelist BIOS for the T520 without bricking my machine?

[ajkula66]

If that is the case, where do I find the correct whitelist BIOS for the T520 without bricking my machine?

MDL forums would be my best guess.

[MikalE]

Thanks. I signed up.

All the links for the BIOS I need are dead, the files have been removed, or the files are locked.

Story of my life.

[MikalE]

After reflashing the BIOS, the Intel 6300N card works great. It connects even before the display comes on in most cases. Other times it is nearly instantaneous when the display comes on.

This seems to be a much better card than the 6205N.

[sktn77a]

Which BIOS - Lenovo or the one from MDL forums. And do you think the problem was the board?

[MikalE]

The BIOS from MDL forum. Serg008 had to create a batch file to force the BIOS update. I don't know why unless it was because I was already on v1.46.

The updated version, v1.46 was already loaded to my system and it would not accept a BIOS with the same version number. The batch file fixed it and when I rebooted the machine it loaded the whitelist BIOS.