# Odd Windows 7 WiFi Problem...



## culmor30 (Jul 31, 2011)

I'm usually good about fixing my own computer problems, but this issue is destroying me:

Whenever my laptop wakes up from sleep, it will just jump onto any unsecured wireless network in range. This wouldn't normally be so bad, but *it prioritizes these random networks even if preferred, secured networks are in range.*

This is extremely annoying, as I live in a neighborhood where nearly every family owns a wireless router. There's one in particular, with a SSID of 'linksys2', that my laptop just _loves_. Every time I wake it up from sleep, I'll start browsing reddit and... What's this? Slow internet? But we're paying for 20 megabits and there's no service outage that I know of and-- _oh, I'm on fucking linksys2 again_.

You get the idea. I can't find a setting for this in Windows 7 anywhere, and it's bugging the hell out of me. My boyfriend's laptop has no such problem, and I can't find *any* information related to this particular problem online. Help me furries, you're my only hope.

*tl;dr*: My laptop jumps on random unsecured wireless networks (rather than preferred networks) when I wake it up from sleep and I can't find a setting for it. Halp?

Win 7 x64
Wireless card is Intel WiFi Link 5300 AGN
Laptop model is Dell Studio XPS 1645 if it matters

Thanks <3

edit: Also, lookie here, there's no linksis2 in THIS control panel. No siree:







'Pebbles' is the one I would like to connect to. (And don't you tell me how hackable WEP is. I know. It's my mom's router, what am I going to do. (bonus: guess which router is mine...))


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## Onnes (Jul 31, 2011)

On the properties window of your network: make sure connect automatically is on and "Connect to a more preferred network if available" is off. On each of the random shitty open networks: turn off connect automatically if it is on, and check "Connect to a more preferred network."

That should do it unless something is horribly wrong.


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## Aden (Jul 31, 2011)

> YiffSkritchMurr



please no


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## AshleyAshes (Jul 31, 2011)

culmor30 said:


> (bonus: guess which router is mine...))



Why do you even have two wireless routers in the same home?


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## FF_CCSa1F (Jul 31, 2011)

There should be an option available to remove those unwanted networks from the network list, in the right-click menu, have you tried doing that? While you're connected to your "linksys2", you should be able to remove it from the list by clicking on the signal strength icon in the task bar.


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## culmor30 (Jul 31, 2011)

Onnes said:


> On the properties window of your network: make sure connect automatically is on and "Connect to a more preferred network if available" is off.



That's already set that way.



Onnes said:


> On each of the random shitty open networks: turn off connect  automatically if it is on, and check "Connect to a more preferred  network."



Those networks don't have a profile in my network manager, so should I make one for each of them and check those boxes? That's more work than just disconnecting from them when the problem arises.

I vaguely remember there being a general checkbox in Windows XP... something along the lines of "Automatically connect to unsecured Wireless Networks." There seems to be no such option in Windows 7, though there should be.



			
				AshleyAshes said:
			
		

> Why do you even have two wireless routers in the same home?



I don't! YiffSkritchMurr is my college router, that's just the profile for it.



			
				FF_CCSa1F said:
			
		

> There should be an option available to remove those unwanted networks  from the network list, in the right-click menu, have you tried doing  that? While you're connected to your "linksys2", you should be able to  remove it from the list by clicking on the signal strength icon in the  task bar.



Nope





Nope





Nope







			
				Aden said:
			
		

> please no


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## Onnes (Jul 31, 2011)

culmor30 said:


> Those networks don't have a profile in my network manager, so should I make one for each of them and check those boxes? That's more work than just disconnecting from them when the problem arises.
> 
> I vaguely remember there being a general checkbox in Windows XP... something along the lines of "Automatically connect to unsecured Wireless Networks." There seems to be no such option in Windows 7, though there should be.



As far as I know, there is no option in Win 7 to disable automatic connection. Whenever you get connected to an unsecured network in that manner, you probably just want to take the time and create a profile for it. At least that way it won't happen in the future, and you won't risk passing sensitive cookies over an unsecured network.


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## culmor30 (Aug 1, 2011)

Onnes said:


> As far as I know, there is no option in Win 7 to disable automatic connection. Whenever you get connected to an unsecured network in that manner, you probably just want to take the time and create a profile for it. At least that way it won't happen in the future, and you won't risk passing sensitive cookies over an unsecured network.



That's an unfortunate security flaw which could be easily fixed. Oh well, thanks for the help guys.


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## brotherian11 (Aug 3, 2011)

hmm, will try this on my laptop and see if i can help


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