Wireless connection shuts down when laptop lid closes

[gerrtt06]

Hi again oh wonderful tech support forum. Today I have a strange problem.

When I shut my laptop lid my wireless network connection shuts off. I don't have any power options set when the lid closes if I'm plugged in, so that's not the issue.

This isn't a huge problem, but definitely annoying if I'm trying to download something or at work shutting the lid when someone comes around (usually I am working on something confidential and I shut the lid for confidentiality reasons when someone else comes around).

Any thoughts?

[johnwill]

Actually, that obviously is the issue. Somewhere, the lid closing is causing the wireless NIC to power down, obviously you have missed a configuration option.

[gerrtt06]

Actually, I'm noticing that it only happens at work, and at that setting my connection is usually either very weak or "no-connection" (even though it still works when it says no-connection). I'm thinking that it has more to do with it just dying on me rather than the lid, because when I'm on a different access point on the same network where I have an excellent connection it doesn't die when I shut the lid.

So maybe it's nothing. It doesn't happen at home either.

[johnwill]

It could be the orientation of the antennas, which are in the sides of the display on most laptops. When they are vertical, that's the best position. Horizontal will reduce the received signal strength quite significantly if the wireless router/AP is on a horizontal plane with the computer.