Windows 8 to Have Greatly Improved Wi-Fi Connection Times
Get back on the net even faster with Windows 8.
Earlier on we learned about the new steps Microsoft is taking in making Windows 8 the most wireless connection-friendly version yet with its simplified and integrated Wi-Fi and mobile broadband controls.
Buried in some of that information was a brief comparison highlighting how much better Windows 8 will be at picking up Wi-Fi networks as compared to Windows 7, particularly when resuming from standby. In fact, according to Microsoft, Windows 8 will be 11 times faster than Windows 7.
"When you resume from standby, Windows can also reconnect you faster to your preferred Wi-Fi networks by optimizing operations in the networking stack, and providing your network list, connection information, and hints to your Wi-Fi adapter," Billy Anders, a group program manager on Microsoft's devices and networking team, explained. "Now when your PC resumes from standby, your Wi-Fi adapter already has all the information it needs to connect to your preferred Wi-Fi networks. This means you can reconnect your PC to a Wi-Fi network from standby in about a second –oftentimes before your display is even ready. You do not have to do anything special for this – Windows just learns which networks you prefer and manages everything for you. This work was a major part of the architectural work we did in the networking stack and with our hardware partners."

1) Scan all networks for a long time
2) Is the preferred network around?
---Yes
3) Connect to preferred network
Windows8 flow
1) Is the preferred network around?
---Yes
2) Connect to the preferred network.
WOW! Really improved!
Every improvement is needed. I don't know why your laptop takes 5-7 to wake from sleep, but mine is instant. Then I have to wait a small while before I can use the internet while the connection (wired or wireless) connects, which is annoying. If they can making connecting almost instantaneous that would help a lot.
Every improvement is needed. I don't know why your laptop takes 5-7 to wake from sleep, but mine is instant. Then I have to wait a small while before I can use the internet while the connection (wired or wireless) connects, which is annoying. If they can making connecting almost instantaneous that would help a lot.
Hard drive spin-up maybe?
A lot about a network is NOT HOST BASED. If the Win8 computer resumes from sleep/hibernation, inactive anything, and the DHCP address lease has been allocated elsewhere, then the time needed to receive another DHCP lease and populate a routing table will depend on a DHCP server, not the Win8 PC.
1) Scan all networks for a long time
2) Is the preferred network around?
---Yes
3) Connect to preferred network
Windows8 flow
1) Is the preferred network around?
---Yes
2) Connect to the preferred network.
WOW! Really improved!
To sum up, my wife's laptop requires something like a third of a minute between opening the lid and its restored state, while the netbook is ready to go under a dozen seconds.
I should try and see if Windows XP wasn't snappier, by any chance... As such, it could have been a regression dating back to Vista.
I thought the zenith of speed was Windows 98, reliability, Windows 2000... XP was a resource hog!
I think most of the push back comes from those who remember Windows ME, XP (pre SP2), and Vista. While Vista was a HUGE step up in terms of included driver availability, it was just so darned slow... Even Slower than XP was going from Windows 2000 on a Pentium iii. You needed a 2000 dollar computer in 2006 to run Vista comfortably. Therefore, since Vista was horrible, and Windows 7 was so much more refined, we all just assume that Windows 8 will be a resource hog again...
The difference is that Windows 8 is conceptually different: They are looking at less powerful systems to dominate the near future, for mobility's sake. Therefore, speed will be key. Power saving and time saving from wasted power is extremely important.
It isn't that Windows 8 is a waste: People just fear that we will loose all of our old hardware/software again...
That may be. But even best case scenario, my netbook with a SSD takes 1 second to 'wake up', but take up to 30 seconds to connect to my network. It is obnoxious, since the whole point of my 'netbook' is to quickly be able to connect to my 'network'. Windows 8 looks like it can be a nice improvement.
I believe this might be an inherent underlying architectural thing. Supposedly, many of Vista's faults were actually addressed in various service packs. I however, never found this to be the case, as even on new builds, I will occasionally try to use my old copy of Vista, only to find it as frustratingly bloated as when I first installed in oh so many years ago. I think the underlying structure of Vista was just too bloated and assumed too much hardware resources present, to be ultimately svelte...
That shouldn't matter. When it's in sleep, everything is stored in ram.
Of course I also don't like the current Metro UI but you can easily turn it off in the registry and voila, you have the new cooler aero theme, better features, better performance and etc, etc and it looks like Windows 7.
What better?
I didn't have any problems with any games, any! Even 10 years old games made compatible for Windows 7 with patches works fine with Windows 8. The only problem I've found is that Kaspersky are lazy weirdos and their Anti-virus/Internet Security and Pure products don't work but whatever, the other anti-viruses work.
Conclusion: install windows 8, there are no problems at all ^^