Computer Related > Moving from one router to another and back Computing Issues
Thread Author: hawkeye Replies: 7

 Moving from one router to another and back - hawkeye
I need to take my laptop next door and use the Internet wirelessly for the foreseeable future. I have complete access to both routers which are about 40 metres apart. Both routers are the standard TalkTalk Huawei HG633 models. My phones are able to pick up the nearer router and drop the other one seamlessly, giving me normal Internet and mail access without my intervention.
 
The problem is the Windows 10 laptop. Whenever I change router, it's slow to pick up the nearer router, and when it does it says I haven't got Internet access. The Internet is there definitely because the phones work. I've tried switching WiFi off before I leave next door and switching WiFi on again but it won't find the Internet whenever I change routers.
 
Rebooting the laptop always works by finding the nearer router and Internet, but, given the phones work well without faffing, it seems a bit crude. Can anyone please help me get the laptop to work like the phones do? i.e. get onto the nearer router and have Internet access ?
 
Thanks in advance
 Moving from one router to another and back - nice but dim
I cant think of an automatic way to give priority hopefully someone does?

Google found this?

mywindowshub.com/how-to-change-priority-of-wireless-networks-in-windows-10/
 Moving from one router to another and back - hawkeye
Thanks for the reply. I don't think priority is the issue. The issue is that the router that I connect to after moving next door, or coming back home, won't give me Internet access unless I restart the laptop. The connection to the router happens eventually after a short wait but it tells me there is no internet.
 Moving from one router to another and back - Bromptonaut
Sounds similar to a problem we had with Windows 10 and IP address allocation.

www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?f=6&t=23579

Are you able to check whether your laptop is correctly acquiring an IP address from either router?
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Wed 13 Sep 17 at 14:07
 Moving from one router to another and back - smokie
... and maybe the subnet and/or the gateway address is the same so somehow it's getting confused. (Subnet is the first three octets e.g. 192.168.0)

EDIT:

1) Open a DOS prompt and type ipconfig and hit enter. That will show you your IP address and gateway address.

2) When you reach the other location do it again and see if there is anything in common.

3) Then type ipconfig /release. This will stop all networks by releasing the configs. Then type ipconfig /renew, which will get new ones and should work without having to reboot.

I suspect maybe it's simply that the laptop isn't recognising it's out of range and isn't therefore isn't bothering to look for a new network. It would be easy to make a batch file on your desktop to do the release and renew, if there is no better answer.

EDIT EDIT you can probably achieve the same by disabling and re-enabling the connection, somewhere in Control Panel, networks. Also Windows used to show you a list of all networks for you to choose from, doesn't it do that any more?
Last edited by: smokie on Wed 13 Sep 17 at 16:55
 Moving from one router to another and back - Stuartli
I have the same result with an HTC 10 which Saves any wi-fi connection and links up automatically whether home or public hot spot wi-fi, whereas a Dell laptop needs to specifically be hooked up to a new wi-fi signal.

Might be to do with the fact that there are two different operating systems involved, with Android specifically having the quick link feature due to the phone's mobile practicality.

Also check the Network and Internet Status configuration in Windows Settings for the laptop.
 Moving from one router to another and back - hawkeye
Untick 'connect automatically' to both routers

ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew

seems to have made it work without having to reboot. Only needed to do ipconfig stuff once and have been back and forth twice.

Thank you very much.

Virtual pint of Black Sheep is yours.
 Moving from one router to another and back - hawkeye
Thank you for the replies. Will try the DOS prompt stuff tomorrow.

I thought I was a pretty hot machine code programmer in the 70s; thought I knew DOS inside out in the 80s while programming in RM/Cobol; since the90s when I employed folk to do the hard work I've been getting steadily more timid as Windows has been getting more complex.
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