Q: Macbook Air does not connect automatically after sleep

I have the exact same thing.

Macbook Air wakes from sleep, and doesn't automatically connect to local preferred wifi networks until I hover over the wifi icon and it realises they exist.

It may be a problem with the connection information stored in your network profile.

1. Go to System Preferences > Network.
2. Click the Wi-Fi connection.
3. Click the Advanced... button on the bottom right.
4. Click the Wi-Fi tab.
5. Under Preferred Networks, select your wireless network.
6. Click the - (delete) button.
7. Turn off your Wi-Fi connection.
8. Turn it back on.
9. Select and login to your wireless network. This will re-save your connection under Preferred Networks.
10. Close your laptop and reopen it to test whether it worked.

Fixed now! Thanks.

I just tried the procedure @joshuafromauburn suggested and it solved my wifi connectivity issue. The weird part is, I know I tried that same thing about a week ago. Not sure what I did different.

Instead of closing the lid try restarting. Thanks for the tip! This worked for me.

It worked. been bugging me for awhile! thank you

I had a similar issue, and what worked were the following steps recommended by joshuafromauburn :

1. Under Preferred Networks, select your wireless network.
2. Click the - (delete) button.

My problem was caused by the fact I changed my encryption from WPA/WPA2 to WPA2 Personal. I failed to remove my old wireless network SSID name from the preferred networks list, and until I did so, reconnect, then bring my new SSID name with the new configuration to the top of the list, it wouldn't connect automatically. My old configuration look like this: SSID name WPA/WPA2 Personal. My new configuration looks like this: SSID name WPA2 Personal. I thought the first configuration would work with either WPA or WPA2 ... so that is why I didn't detect this issue until now.