We have started to deploy Dell Latitude E7270s in our shop and have noticed a problem. When cold-booting the laptop in a docking station, or with a LAN cable connected, both the Wifi and LAN show up as 'connected'.If we disconnect and reconnect the LAN cable, the Wifi disconnects and only the LAN connection remains (as expected).
And if the laptop is restarted (warm-boot), it properly comes up with only the LAN connection active.It's only on a full shutdown/power-on (cold-boot) that the problem occurs. Which, unfortunately, is the normal case when users first arrive in the morning.We have already verified that the BIOS/Power Management/Wireless Radio Control has both options (Control WLAN / WWAN radio) selected, just like all previous models of Latitudes we've configured.The problem occurs both with our corporate image and a Dell factory image.We've run Dell Command Update and applied all the latest BIOS and Driver updates.Has anyone else come across this problem? More importantly, do they have a fix? Ricardo272 wrote:This link from Ricardo272 led to a solution (Thank you!)- Install the Administrators Toolkit for Intel Proset.- Run 'Intel PROSet Wireless / IntelĀ® PROSet/Wireless Tools'- In the 'Administer' section, click the 'Administer.' Create a password if prompted.- Select 'Create a new package', then click 'OK'.- Select the 'Application Settings' tab- Click on 'Adapter Switching' in the left column, and select 'Enable Adapter Switching' in the right column.Side Note: 'This setting is used for Windows 7 Client only.'
This may explain why it's not a widely known problem. We still use Windows 7, but other companies are likely on Windows 8 or 10 and may not have come across this issue.- Click 'Close' and save the package, then click 'Finished'.- At the bottom of the 'Package Saved' window, select 'Apply this package to this computer' and click 'OK'.Initial testing reveals this has solved the problem. I expect putting this package in the corporate image should ultimately resolve the problem.The 'Enable Adapter Switching' option does not appear in the standard 'Intel PROSet/Wireless Wifi Connection Utility', either as an application or adapter setting. So far as I can tell, it's only available after installing the Administrators Toolkit, and then can be changed only by setting up a custom profile and applying it. ITproJim wrote:Have not experienced that problem but wondering what if you go into network and sharing and disable the wireless adapter if you don't want it used? Or turn off the hard switch if it has one. What is the issue with the wireless connecting if the LAN is also connected?
Security or speed concerns? Not sure why that is a problem.It's a problem because each laptop is now grabbing two IP addresses, needlessly.Disabling the Wifi is a problem when the user undocks and walks into a conference room.
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Training the users to manually enable/disable Wifi (when they've never had to before) should be an unnecessary training problem.There is no hardware switch to turn the Wifi off and on.Lastly - every other model Dell laptop we have used prior to this one has worked correctly. Ricardo272 wrote:This link from Ricardo272 led to a solution (Thank you!)- Install the Administrators Toolkit for Intel Proset.- Run 'Intel PROSet Wireless / IntelĀ® PROSet/Wireless Tools'- In the 'Administer' section, click the 'Administer.' Create a password if prompted.- Select 'Create a new package', then click 'OK'.- Select the 'Application Settings' tab- Click on 'Adapter Switching' in the left column, and select 'Enable Adapter Switching' in the right column.Side Note: 'This setting is used for Windows 7 Client only.' This may explain why it's not a widely known problem. We still use Windows 7, but other companies are likely on Windows 8 or 10 and may not have come across this issue.- Click 'Close' and save the package, then click 'Finished'.- At the bottom of the 'Package Saved' window, select 'Apply this package to this computer' and click 'OK'.Initial testing reveals this has solved the problem. I expect putting this package in the corporate image should ultimately resolve the problem.The 'Enable Adapter Switching' option does not appear in the standard 'Intel PROSet/Wireless Wifi Connection Utility', either as an application or adapter setting. So far as I can tell, it's only available after installing the Administrators Toolkit, and then can be changed only by setting up a custom profile and applying it.
KirkCG wrote:ITproJim wrote:Have not experienced that problem but wondering what if you go into network and sharing and disable the wireless adapter if you don't want it used? Or turn off the hard switch if it has one. What is the issue with the wireless connecting if the LAN is also connected?
Security or speed concerns? Not sure why that is a problem.It's a problem because each laptop is now grabbing two IP addresses, needlessly.Disabling the Wifi is a problem when the user undocks and walks into a conference room. Training the users to manually enable/disable Wifi (when they've never had to before) should be an unnecessary training problem.There is no hardware switch to turn the Wifi off and on.Lastly - every other model Dell laptop we have used prior to this one has worked correctly.Yeah this is super annoying. Had this problem with newer dells but also with some year-old units once I updated drivers on them. The main production subnet/VLAN at my office is already pretty congested so it drives me berserk to see the little IP hogs grabbing two addresses on DHCP.
I think I found the one of the extra/bonus Intel wifi features was causing some of it and I stopped installing it.It also helped to PortFast the switch ports for those desks. I know that can be a gamble depending on your environment, but the time it was taking for the switch to get ready to serve the system was often long enough that the laptop would already be up and have gotten a connection from the wifi while the Ethernet port was still showing as disconnected. PeterJMc wrote:KirkCG wrote:ITproJim wrote:Have not experienced that problem but wondering what if you go into network and sharing and disable the wireless adapter if you don't want it used? Or turn off the hard switch if it has one. What is the issue with the wireless connecting if the LAN is also connected?
Security or speed concerns? Not sure why that is a problem.It's a problem because each laptop is now grabbing two IP addresses, needlessly.Disabling the Wifi is a problem when the user undocks and walks into a conference room. Training the users to manually enable/disable Wifi (when they've never had to before) should be an unnecessary training problem.There is no hardware switch to turn the Wifi off and on.Lastly - every other model Dell laptop we have used prior to this one has worked correctly.Yeah this is super annoying. Had this problem with newer dells but also with some year-old units once I updated drivers on them. The main production subnet/VLAN at my office is already pretty congested so it drives me berserk to see the little IP hogs grabbing two addresses on DHCP. I think I found the one of the extra/bonus Intel wifi features was causing some of it and I stopped installing it.It also helped to PortFast the switch ports for those desks.
I know that can be a gamble depending on your environment, but the time it was taking for the switch to get ready to serve the system was often long enough that the laptop would already be up and have gotten a connection from the wifi while the Ethernet port was still showing as disconnected.The system's I've had problems with were actually running 8.1. Will have to check my leases on Monday afternoon and see if I still have some. KirkCG wrote:Initial testing reveals this has solved the problem.
I expect putting this package in the corporate image should ultimately resolve the problem.Some more testing: The package created by Intel PROSet is a small (.