Why Won't My Laptop Connect Wirelessly Automatically?

[mariner2]

When its home its fine, it does what it should and connects automatically to the home router, but when I take it to work it won't do that (says 'limited connectivity') unless I restart the router. Tried all the diagnose and repair things to no avail.
Any ideas why this should be?

[galeck1947]

You haven't said what OS you are using ? If you are using Windows 7 then you need to go to the Network and Sharing Center and do a diagnoses of your connection. When you go to work and try to log on you should be asked for the password for their network which you must enter before it can connect to their network. If you do and you don't connect then check the Network and Sharing Center for problems you should be on Home Network and not Public Network .Try this and see how you go.

[Hypognosis]

Every router has a unique MAC address and I think its identity is saved in your network settings when you power down the computer on your home network.

When you power up at work, the computer reads those settings, but detects a different MAC ID on the wokplace router. The 'limited connectivity' thing may be a security precaution built-in to the networking software. Rebooting the router sorts things out in the same way as would happen if you changed router hardware at home.

In a similar way, if you added a new PC at home, you're expected to power up everything (including printers, scanners) and run the home networking wizard again.

As a separate issue, your workplace router can be set up to lock out 'drive-by Wi-Fi surfers', who attempt to do exactly what you're doing with your laptop, by means of a list of "authorised devices". There should be a page in the router settings menu for this. If not auto-detected, you will need to find the MAC addresses of your laptop and mobile phone to input them manually.

[mariner2]

The OS is vista, and I've played about with the suggestions you've kindly made but haven't been able to change anything. Diagnose says 'there is a problem with the router' which there isn't as it shows a full strength signal and two other laptops connect with no problem. Didn't quite get the bit where you said it should be on the home and not the public network?
Shall I erase the work connection and start again from scratch?

[Hypognosis]

I take it my reply proved to be entirely unhelpful?

//Shall I erase the work connection and start again from scratch? //

Actually, that's often a much quicker resolution than diagnose/repair. Why didn't I think of that? ;-)

Incidentally, I only found that you'd responded on this thread by looking at a tab on my AB profile, searching for some other thread I posted in. I suspect galek1947 will not reply unless they do something similar.