How can I configure my phone to automatically connect to remembered wifi networks? (after having left the device to sleep)

Question

That question occured to me when I saw the WIFI_MODE_FULL API documentation:

Wi-Fi will be kept active, and will behave normally, i.e., it will attempt to automatically establish a connection to a remembered access point that is within range, and will do periodic scans if there are remembered access points but none are in range.

However, in my recent experience, my Nexus One never connects automatically to my remembered networks (It just displays the notification that some open networks are available). However the programming API suggests that it should be able to connect automatically - how can I configure my phone to do that?

I have a Nexus One with Android 2.2.

Edit: Thank you for your comments. After checking, I have found that my N1 does connect automatically to the remembered networks - but after I have left it to sleep, it is never connected (even though I set the Wifi sleep policy to "Never") - and when I open the Wireless configuration panel, I find that my remembered networks are "disabled". How can I prevent that?

Answer 1

I have this same problem, intermittently, with my N1/froyo/CM6. I don't know why it happens, but it's been happening since the froyo update afair.

I've noticed it happens less often if I stay in one place. This led me to the theory that, since I live at a university, the fact that networks will pop in and out of range even as I enter my dorm and walk up to my room will make my N1 think that the network's unstable and thus disable it.

Toggling definitely fixes the issue.

Answer 2

I have had a similar problem, though intermittent, on my ADP2 (=MyTouch 3G) running Froyo (via CM6). I believe that networks become disabled when a connection attempt fails. I suspect something like the first connection attempt occurring when you are only barely in range, and once that fails, the network is "disabled" until you explicitly choose it and successfully connect.

Answer 3

You could kill two birds with one stone... y5 is a little app that automatically toggles the wifi connection when you enter/leave cells with known wifi access points. I would bet that toggling wifi might help it connect when it detects a network it knows.