T400 & Access Connections... Do we need it?

Is it better to ditch Access Connections and just run the Windows connections manager? I'm running x64 Vista. Should I just remove it?

 

I like Access connections because it is a lot more powerful than the Windows version. You can manage Wi-Fi, LAN, WWAN, modem, etc. It is even possible to set up different IP configs (automatic or distinct), homepages, firewalls, proxies, etc. for each connection.

I think it is one of the best of the ThinkVantage software packages. I also like Power Manager for battery thresholds and the ability to turn off devices individually. Presentation director is also very effective for the ease of running a presentation on a clean extended desktop [Fn+Space maximizes a window on the external monitor/projector].

However, if you only connect to a couple of Wi-Fi networks and use similar security/DNS settings for each, you can probably ditch Access Connections. It is designed for people with lots of different connections to manage (like me).

 

I use access connections (and presentation director) quite a bit on my work machine (T61p running XP), but I found that vista's default wireless connection manager was fine for my new home machine.

When vista is "good enough" I prefer remove the lenovo layer of software. But, as jonlumpkin said, it depends on how you use it. It's easy to try it out by disabling the startup of one or more of the lenovo apps using ccleaner (or whichever tool).

Andrew

 

i only use my laptop at home and school which is wifi.

i uninstalled it because it was slow to pick up new networks

 

I don’t like bloat—and since I don’t use the WWAN and modem, and because Vista already has a “vastly improved” Network and Sharing Center, I’ve chosen to go without Access Connections. Granted, there are some nice features with it, but if you already know your way around Vista and it does 85 percent of the job, I see no need for yet another piece of software—and the learning, maintenance and related it requires.