Will not connect to network AFTER sleep or reboot

[lhemmerich]

This is a new T500 with VISTA. Every time I shut the machine down or ir goes to SLEEP I have to unplug the DSL modem & the wireless router for the unit to find the network & internet. Going to the Network page & trying the automatic fix results in nothing.

What settings do I have wrong?

Larry

[GomJabbar]

There may be other solutions, but one solution that should work would be to set a static IP address in TCP/IP.

[Stargate199]

I think there is a patch out for either windows or for the driver that fixes this issue. You may also want to play around with the router settings. I would try setting the DHCP lease time to something like 6 hours. I seemed to have a problem like this about once a week, and after changing the lease from forever to 6 hours really helped. I haven't had this problem for a while.

[hellosailor]

" the DSL modem & the wireless router "
You are using a DSL modem cascaded to a wireless router? Two separate boxes?

That's an invitation for problems with gateway addresses and routings, for many users. If you don't have all of that in just one box--get a new box that combines all those functions in one.

I find no problem with Wifi reconnecting all by itself as soon as my computer has waked back up from sleep, and the default DHCP setting from the combo (DSL/router/modem/wifi box) apparently is three days.

You might want to open a wired connection to the box and look at the IP configurations, to see if the router or the NIC is the problem, and whether it is even DHCP or something more esoteric (like WEP or WPA not resynching) that's blocking you.

[GomJabbar]

I am not a networking guru, but I use a separate cable modem (previously I had a dsl modem) with a wireless router without any problem. I learned in the past that you want to turn off DHCP in the modem.

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... 97#p330597

I also believe flakey wireless Access Points (routers) can be an issue.

[hellosailor]

"but I use a separate cable modem (previously I had a dsl modem) with a wireless router without any problem."

There is a LOT of different equipment on the market. IF the two boxes both are set up to the same default IP address, typically 192.168.1.1, then setup can be bloody hell because both boxes answer at once and they can't tell each other apart, making it necessary to physically unplug one and change the default IP address before plugging the other back in. And then, one power blink or one reset and you are back to square one.

Little problems like that will be obvious either up front on reading the docs, or in hindsight <G> more often. To the average consumer...it can simply be hell and telco support often won't know about it either--the scenario of "two boxes one isn't ours" often just isn't in their scripts. And the router may need to have a gateway IP address programmed into it as well.

IF the two boxes are set up with different defaults, there's no problem. How can you tell up front? You can't, you need to get and read the docs, and understand enough about IP setup and routing to make sure they'll work together.

So it ain't rocket science--but it ain't common knowledge either. Simpler to just have one box, and one wall wart, and the savings in electricity over the first year will probably pay for ditching the two boxes in favor of one, anyway. A cable modem with built-in four port router and WiFi should cost the same $35-45 that a DSL box with the same features will, cheaper than making a support call or tearing out hair for an hour.

[GomJabbar]

IF the two boxes both are set up to the same default IP address, typically 192.168.1.1, then setup can be bloody hell because both boxes answer at once and they can't tell each other apart, making it necessary to physically unplug one and change the default IP address before plugging the other back in.

Well, I don't know, but after I properly set up my DSL modem, I could not even get back into it from a browser unless I restored the factory defaults with the reset button. Never tried to enter the cable modem setup, as I never had the need. Just plugged in the wireless router that I was using previously with the DSL modem and it worked.

I suspect that some wireless AP or routers just have better firmware that doesn't get so easily tripped up.

One question to the OP. Do you have the Wireless Zero Configuration service running? In XP anyway, this can make the difference. Try changing the setting.
http://www.inf.aber.ac.uk/advisory/faq/965/

[hellosailor]

"I suspect that some wireless AP or routers just have better firmware that doesn't get so easily tripped up."
Firmware and router brains usually can't establish a gateway, path, or default IP address. In theory, it could detect a double use (response) to one IP address the same way that Windows can but in my limited experience I've never seen or heard of this being implemented. Far simpler & cheaper (and isn't "cheap!" everything?) if the cable modem makers were just using a different default address, since there are so many available.