Wireless / Wired Switching

[opchiasm]

Thanks very much in advance for any help.

I just moved my daughter to college. She has a ThinkPad running XP Pro
and I got a Linksys wireless routed, which is one supported by the
school's IT service. In order to connect her to the school's network,
we brought the laptop and the router to a building and students
configured them for us. The campus is wireless, but the dorm rooms
aren't yet. (This is Yale - I was expecting more for my $46k/year, but
that's another story.) The idea is that she'd be wired while in the
bedroom at her desk, but be able to take the laptop out to the common
room in the suite and work wirelessly.

I thought the laptop would realize when she is connected to the router
and not access her personal wireless network. She tells me that she
gets an icon stating that she has a great connection to the wireless
network, even when she's plugged into the router.

So ... why is the computer connecting to a wireless network when she's
wired? Is there some setting to have it connect to the router (and
therefor the wall jack) when the ethernet cable is connected, but to
her wireless network when it's not?

Again, thanks very much for any help.

 

[Robert L [MS-MVP]]

I am not sure the issue. But let me try it. I always use wireless at home. My laptop connects both wired and wiles in the office. However, in most case the connection takes the faster one as primary.

Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on http://www.ChicagoTech.net
How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on http://www.HowToNetworking.com
Thanks very much in advance for any help.

I just moved my daughter to college. She has a ThinkPad running XP Pro
and I got a Linksys wireless routed, which is one supported by the
school's IT service. In order to connect her to the school's network,
we brought the laptop and the router to a building and students
configured them for us. The campus is wireless, but the dorm rooms
aren't yet. (This is Yale - I was expecting more for my $46k/year, but
that's another story.) The idea is that she'd be wired while in the
bedroom at her desk, but be able to take the laptop out to the common
room in the suite and work wirelessly.

I thought the laptop would realize when she is connected to the router
and not access her personal wireless network. She tells me that she
gets an icon stating that she has a great connection to the wireless
network, even when she's plugged into the router.

So ... why is the computer connecting to a wireless network when she's
wired? Is there some setting to have it connect to the router (and
therefor the wall jack) when the ethernet cable is connected, but to
her wireless network when it's not?

Again, thanks very much for any help.

 

[opchiasm]

Thanks very much for the reply.

She thought her laptop, when wired, was using the wireless network. It
turns out she was just looking at the signal strength monitor; she
wasn't actually connected to the wireless network.

Should the laptop, when wired, even be "looking for" the wireless
network? If not, might that be a setting in her wireless configuration
utility?

Thanks again.

 

[Richard G. Harper]

I don't know of any wireless control utilities (even Microsoft's WZC) that
take the presence or absence of a wired connection into account - if the
card is active it will search for a connection and make one, if possible.
Normally that should not be a problem as Windows will use the fastest
available connection so wired will trump wireless and the wireless
connection, though present, will not be used.

I'd suggest using the button on the laptop to disable the wireless
transmitter when its use is not desired.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (e-mail address removed)
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
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[opchiasm]

Thank you very much.

 

[Richard G. Harper]

You're welcome.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (e-mail address removed)
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* for the benefit of all. Private mail is usually not replied to.
* My website, such as it is ... http://rgharper.mvps.org/
* HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm