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Connectivity issues with Ultimate-N 6300

JJohn62
Beginner
2,027 Views

After 15 months of trouble-free (but possibly slow) operation, the Intel 6235 wifi card installed in my laptop (running 64-bit Windows 7) started to drop the connection - soon rarely staying connected for more than 5 minutes at a time. I followed all the troubleshooting steps suggested in various threads on this site (including installing the latest drivers), but without success. I therefore decided to replace the card with an Intel Ultimate-N 6300.

When I first booted the laptop after installing 6300, the wifi speed was a revelation: the speed appeared to be 3-4 times the speed of the old card. But within minutes, the card began dropping the connection, and within a couple of hours, it stopped connecting to the internet entirely.

The card now continuously reports that it is connected to the wireless network, but that the network has no internet connection. However this is not the case: with an ethernet connection to the router, the laptop is able to connect to the internet without a problem, and a different laptop (with a different model of wifi card) connects to the internet without any issue.

The card also takes 2-3 minutes to start functioning at all, after a reboot. And if, during this time, I try to access Network Connections, the laptop freezes until the connection has been established.

I have tried every suggestion that I have come across for troubleshooting both 6235 and 6300 connection issues, including:

  • reloading the drivers
  • loading different versions of the driver - 15.0.0.75 (29/11/2011), 15.11.0.7 (26/01/2014) and 15.15.0.1 (17/11/2014)
  • running with the PROSet software, and running without the PROSet software
  • changing the router security to WPA(2)
  • disabling TCP/iPv6
  • disabling Windows turning off the card to save power
  • different router wireless channels
  • Netsh int ip reset and Netsh winsock reset

My router settings include:

Security mode: I have selected WPA/WPA2-PSK (The only other options are WPA, WPA2 and WEP.

WPA algorithms: I have selected AES (The only other option is TKIP.

Channel width: 20/40MHz (The only other option is 20MHz)

801.11 mode: 802.11n only

There is one measure that enables the card to connect to the internet: restricting the router (and therefore all devices using the network) to 802.11g, but this is clearly an unacceptable workaround for an 802.11n card. And for the last 24 hours, I have been finding that the card is again losing the connection from time to time, and the connection can then only be restored by rebooting the PC.

It has been suggested that the driver for the 6300 is very similar to that of the 6235, and therefore the issues that I am now facing could have the same root cause as the issues that I was experiencing with the 6235.

I would be grateful information on how to resolve the 6300 connection issues.

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7 Replies
jbenavides
Honored Contributor II
948 Views

Hello Jon_,

Since the original adapter was working correctly before and the connectivity issues persist after the replacement and other actions performed, there are some aspects to consider.

- The issue may originated in other components of the PC, or due to problems in the Operating System. Were there any hardware or software changes applied at the time the issue started? (new applications, system updates, etc).

- Intel® wireless adapters can only be installed by the manufacturer or its authorized representative. There may be regulatory restrictions or implications originated by the replacement of an unsupported wireless adapter.

http://www.intel.com/support/wireless/wlan/sb/CS-011644.htm Regulatory Information Regarding Hardware Installation or Upgrade

http://www.intel.com/support/wireless/wlan/sb/CS-031167.htm Why Doesn't My Laptop Recognize My New Intel Wireless Adapter?

- Please make sure your wireless router is using the firmware version recommended by the manufacturer.

- Please apply the configuration from the following advisory:

http://www.intel.com/support/wireless/sb/CS-030709.htm?wapkw=wifi+recommended+settings What are the Recommended Settings for 802.11n Connectivity?

- Have you tried placing the computer close to the wireless adapter in order to discard interference or narrow down possible causes for the issue?

For further assistance, let us know the details of your system: PC model, Router model and firmware version, wireless driver version shown in device manager.

JJohn62
Beginner
948 Views

Many thanks for the response.

Since the original adapter was working correctly before and the connectivity issues persist after the replacement and other actions performed, there are some aspects to consider.

From many other postings on the forum, it is clear that Ultimate-N 6300 (and other cards in the same family) often work well for a period of time, and subsequently experience deteriorating performance increasing connectivity problems.

Were there any hardware or software changes applied at the time the issue started? (new applications, system updates, etc).

No. Other than the network card problems, the laptop has been running without issues. I have not installed any new programs or devices for some time. The only updates that I have applied are the routine Microsoft Windows 7 updates.

Intel® wireless adapters can only be installed by the manufacturer or its authorized representative.

I do not understand this comment. I have exchanged a wireless card for a similar wireless card from the same manufacturer, that uses the same driver. And I have replaced the card because the original card was exhibiting the same symptoms as the new card is exhibiting. Can you clarify "can only be installed by". I am sure that it cannot be "illegal", and there was nothing in the terms and conditions of the supplier to the effect that I was not allowed to use the card that they supplied. When you refer to "manufacturer" are you referring to the manufacturer of the card, or the manufacturer of the laptop? I do not understand why the would work if installed by the manufacturer or its authorized representative, but not work if correctly installed by anyone else?

There may be regulatory restrictions or implications originated by the replacement of an unsupported wireless adapter.

There are various regulatory restrictions restrictions relating to wireless products. But it is incorrect to imply that they mean that a wireless card cannot be replaced by another card that meets the regulations (which this card does). The same regulations apply to USB wireless cards, and no-one would suggest that one should not purchase and use a USB card. From a regulatory point of view, there is no difference between plugging in and using a USB wireless card, and installing and using an internal card.

Please make sure your wireless router is using the firmware version recommended by the manufacturer.

I had already downloaded the latest firmware for the router, but it made no difference.

- Please apply the configuration from the following advisory:

http://www.intel.com/support/wireless/sb/CS-030709.htm?wapkw=wifi+recommended+settings What are the Recommended Settings for 802.11n Connectivity?

Again, I had already checked this. (My original posting gives the corresponding settings for my router.)

Have you tried placing the computer close to the wireless adapter in order to discard interference or narrow down possible causes for the issue?

Yes - this was one of the first actions that I took.

For further assistance, let us know the details of your system: PC model, Router model and firmware version, wireless driver version shown in device manager.

PC: Samsung 550P7C

Router: Billion Bipac 7800N

Firmware version: 1.06g

Wireless driver (from device manager): 15.15.0.1

I am very committed to resolving these issues, and look forward to any help that you can give.

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jbenavides
Honored Contributor II
948 Views

Hello Jon_,

Please apply the following actions and let us know if there is an improvement:

- Check the Power options, in the advanced settings of the Power plan and make sure the Wireless Adapter is set to maximum performance both on battery and when plugged in.

- Check the network configuration in the router and confirm that WWM is enabled.

- Under the Advanced properties of the wireless adapter, set Roaming aggressiveness to Lowest.

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JJohn62
Beginner
948 Views

Thank you for the further suggestions.

jonathan_intel wrote:

- Check the network configuration in the router and confirm that WWM is enabled.

I have tried operating with the proposed settings (assuming that you mean WMM), but unfortunately this has made no difference.

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jbenavides
Honored Contributor II
948 Views

Hello Jon_,

Please do a clean install of the Wireless driver using the following actions:

- Navigate to the Support Website of thehttp://www.intel.com/support/oems.htm PC manufacturer and download their recommended OEM driver for the Wireless Adapter.

- Access Windows Control Panel, Programs and Features and Uninstall "Intel® PROSet/Wireless Software", *If it is installed.

- Go to Control Panel, Device Manager, Network Adapters, right click on the Intel® Centrino® Ultimate-N 6300 and Uninstall it, make sure you mark the option to "Delete the driver software for this device"

Reboot or scan for hardware changes. If an older driver is detected and installed, repeat the actions to uninstall and delete it as well.

- Install the Intel® PROSet/Wireless software and driver (make sure to customize the installation and install all the driver components).

As second option, you may try the same process using the generic driver from https://downloadcenter.intel.com/product/59474/Intel-Centrino-Ultimate-N-6300 Intel® Download Center.

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Ilene_K_Intel
Employee
948 Views

Hello Jon,

Let me respond to your reply.

There are various regulatory restrictions restrictions relating to wireless products. But it is incorrect to imply that they mean that a wireless card cannot be replaced by another card that meets the regulations (which this card does). The same regulations apply to USB wireless cards, and no-one would suggest that one should not purchase and use a USB card. From a regulatory point of view, there is no difference between plugging in and using a USB wireless card, and installing and using an internal card.

The FCC disagrees that a USB card and an integrated card are the same thing. https://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/rules-regulations-title-47 FCC Title 47 Part 15 has a lot to say in this matter. Intentional radiators (i.e. Intel Wireless adapters) that are integrated into a system (i.e. laptop) must be certified at the system level. Furthermore "the users manual ... for an intentional ... radiator shall caution the user that changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment."

The USB card is also certified at a system level however the difference is that you are not replacing the wireless adapter within the USB card.

The comparison should be between the USB card and the laptop with integrated wireless per the FCC compliance requirements.

One other item I noticed in your configuration is that you have channel width set to 20/40MHz. If you are using 2.4GHz we strongly recommend you change this setting to 20MHz. In 2.4GHz there are only 3 non-overlapping channels with a width of 20MHz each. By using this setting you may be using 2 of the 3 available channels which can lead to interference issues.

You may want to use an application that can scan wireless networks nearby. This will allow you to see if the channel you are using is unusually busy with nearby devices. By using the scanning application to test different channels you can find one that has fewer devices and most likely has less interference. Also, look around your home to make sure the wireless router is not placed near other sources of interference like a microwave, cordless phone or baby monitor. If your AP supports 5GHz, create a separate ssid to connect to 5GHz. There is generally less interference at 5GHz as there are many more channels available.

Please let us know if you continue to have problems connecting.

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JJohn62
Beginner
948 Views

Thank you for this detailed response.

I have noted your explanation and clarification of the FCC regulations, and I have changed the channel width to 20/40MHz.

There was a cordless phone transmitter near the router. Since it had been there for 3 years, I had discounted the possibility that this was responsible for the issues that I have been experiencing. However, I have now moved the phone transmitter, and the reception of the Ultimate-N 6300 is now much improved. I therefore feel that the issue has been resolved.

Thank you, again.

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