Brand new Nokia 770.

Every time I want to connect to the internet, a dialog pops up, and "Searching....." appears for several seconds, then I get a list of all the available WiFi networks whose SSIDs are NOT hidden, and then another delay, followed by the appearance in my list of my own WiFi router whose SSID is hidden (but I can see it because I have the Connection configured already). Finally, once that appears in my dialog, I can click Connect and attach to my router.

Since I already have that connection pre-configured, and the WEP key entered and everything, why shouldn't the device check the availability of that WiFi access point FIRST, INSTEAD OF doing the "Searching....." thing first, when I'm right here at home? And only go "Searching....." if my own WiFi router does NOT appear to be available?

I can't find a way to configure the device to behave this way, but shouldn't it be possible?

Bear in mind that you are initiating a search - so it's behaviour is somewhat reasonable.

If however you tried to use the web browser and didn't have a connection already established, the N800 should automatically establish a connection using the last known good WiFi connection - without prompting you.

Does that make more sense?

First, make sure you have the WLAN connection option selected under the "Connect
without asking" setting in the Connectivity option in the Connection manager.

Then you should be able to edit the connection using the "Connections" buttonto set it as the default connection to automatically select when your on your chosen network.

I have found a simple workaround for this, as what you describe is annoying.

If you click on the red circle at the top of the screen (that shows red when not connected to instant messaging services and green when connected) and set it to "on," it'll connect to the first wifi network it finds that you have saved/configured in the regular connection manager / connection search thingy.

I use this all the time. Connects fairly quickly this way.

BTW, you have to have "connect without asking" on for wlan to get this to work. (find this in the connection manager connectivity settings)

This also assumes you use the instant messaging functionality of your internet tablet. I setup a special gmail account that was my regular gmail account name + ".onthego" and use it exclusively with my 770 when I'm "on the go."

mzandrew - any application that requires internet access should initiate a WiFi connection when one isn't already established, that's all that the GTalk/Jabber application is doing in order to register your presence.

Opening a web page, updating RSS feeds or listening to the AccuRadio mp3 stream should all establish WiFi connections when required.

Many thanks, you guys! But actually I don't find that any of your answers work for me so far.

Milhouse said:

> Bear in mind that you are initiating a search - so it's behaviour
> is somewhat reasonable.

I'm afraid I can't find a way to see it like that. The only reason I'm "initiating a search" is because I don't have any choice - which is my point. There is no option for connecting-to-a-known-WiFi-without-searching-for-one-first; if there were such an option, I'd click on it instead. My only option, though, is to click on any one of the various Connection options which all do the same thing -- they open up the "Searching...." dialog which searches for all available WiFi connections.

> If however you tried to use the web browser and didn't have a
> connection already established, the N800 should automatically
> establish a connection using the last known good WiFi connection -
> without prompting you.

> Does that make more sense?

It does make more sense, which is why I am wishing the device would behave that way. But it doesn't. My question was about the Nokia 770. Your answer mentions the 800 instead, I don't know whether that's because the 800 does act as you say? Or whether you just typed it wrong, and you actually were referring to the 770? But my 770 doesn't do that.

My 770 (which does indeed have the "Connect without asking: WLAN connections" setting selected) does INITIATE the attempt at connecting, WITHOUT asking whether it should do so or not, ever since I turned that setting on. However that's all the phrase "without asking" is referring to. It is NOT referring to refraining from making me select WHICH WLAN to connect to once it begins making the connection attempt. It's only referring to refraining from asking that question which it used to ask before I turned on that setting, about whether or not I want it to even make a connection attempt at all.

DC said:

> First, make sure you have the WLAN connection option selected
> under the "Connect without asking" setting in the Connectivity option
> in the Connection manager.

Yes, I did find that one.

> Then you should be able to edit the connection using the
> "Connections" buttonto set it as the default connection to
> automatically select when your on your chosen network.

I just searched yet again, in that spot, and still there is not any such option to select a "default" connection.

mzandrew said:

> I have found a simple workaround for this, as what you describe is
> annoying.

> If you click on the red circle at the top of the screen

Ah, see, there's the rub. I don't use any instant messaging services whatsoever. So I don't have that red circle. Besides, Milhouse says there's nothing special about the red circle that causes it to do what we're looking for....he says that ANY application should cause that same behavior.

> it'll connect to the first wifi network it finds that you have
> saved/configured in the regular connection manager / connection
> search thingy.

Milhouse's second reply:

> mzandrew - any application that requires internet access should
> initiate a WiFi connection when one isn't already established, that's all
> that the GTalk/Jabber application is doing in order to register your
> presence.

> Opening a web page, updating RSS feeds or listening to the
> AccuRadio mp3 stream should all establish WiFi connections when
> required.

They do. They all do establish a WiFi connection when required. They do so by automatically, without asking, opening up the "Select connection" dialog, which searches, and searches, and searches, and finally lets me select the router across the room, instead of just selecting it automatically.

Hey, I found the answer! The answer was in my original question all along. The problem is the hidden SSID.

All you have to do to make it act the way it "should" (the way Milhouse says, and the way I hoped it would), is make your home network just a teeny weeny bit less secure. I'm not happy about it, but I guess it's okay. The problem is the "Hide SSID" setting in the Router. I don't WANT my SSID to be broadcast all around the neighborhood, so I have that "Hide" setting turned on. Nokia supports that, by having the "Network is hidden" option, but what they don't tell you is what an inconvenience it's going to be if you use it. Because when it first starts making a connection attempt, it only looks for your "last used" WiFi among the available non-hidden SSIDs. Not finding it there, it does the search for all other available non-hidden SSIDs (that's the first, really long delay), shows them all in the dialog, then starts searching for your pre-configured networks by SSID specifically (and that's the second delay), which is when it finds that your pre-configured one is indeed available, and adds it to the list so you can select it and finally connect.

Changing the router to "Hide SSID" disabled, now the Nokia 770 does just what Milhouse says it should do.

But it shouldn't be necessary. The device should look for the pre-configured WiFi SSID by name, BEFORE initiating the time-consuming search for all nearby unhidden WiFis.

Oh well.

Thank you for all the suggestions!

Hi Kari

I said N800 but it's the same on the 770 as well.

Hiding the SSID really has little effect on your security. The SSID is included in the WiFi packets and can be sniffed by any script kiddie leading to the discovery of your supposedly hidden network. Hiding the SSID will only deter the most casual of hackers, who really aren't going to be a problem as long as you are using the most basic WiFi security (eg. WEP, better still WPA).

At the end of the day, enable the SSID and don't worry - as long as you are using WPA.

See this article for further details - the final sentence sums it up:

Just don’t depend too much on disabling SSID broadcasting for securing your network.

That would sound logical, however the value of the hidden SSID is greatly over rated and the easiest workaround (if you own the network) is to enable SSID broadcasting. Obviously if it's someone else's network you will have to live with the delay.

You could raise a bug in the Maemo Bugzilla in order to see what Nokia think about it, and perhaps they will explain why they have decided on this scanning sequence.

That's good news, Milhouse, thank you.