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home network drops out, internet remains

PHilt
Novice
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I have a 6-week old HP laptop with an Intel AC3168 network adapter. Upon boot up, home network and internet are fine. If the home network is not in use after about 10-12 minutes the connection is lost & clicking on PC icon in File Explorer does not restore the connection yet the internet connection is still operable. Rebooting or changing an adapter setting, such as changing Roaming Aggressiveness to any other setting (without rebooting) will restore the home network right away yet after the same time interval, if not being used, the home network connection is lost while internet remains. I have disabled all power-saving settings I can find. I even selected "no SMPS" under MIMO Power Save Mode and tried different Transmit Power settings but the underlying problem remains. "Update driver" reports I have the latest version. The laptop remains accessible to the PC at all times. Router is an Intellinet Wireless G Broadband model 523431. Suggestions?

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idata
Employee
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Hello Pogo,

We understand you're experiencing connectivity issues on your new laptop using the Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168 1x1 adapter.

This can be caused by many factors. However, the first thing the jumps out is that you're using a very old router. Wireless-G (802.11g) is a legacy standard that was released back in 2002. This was followed by 802.11n in 2007, and 802.11ac (current) in 2013.

https://www.intel.com/content/dam/www/public/us/en/documents/pdf/next-gen-80211ac-wifi-for-dummies.pdf Source (pages 8 and 10)

While wireless standards are backward compatible, there are many drawbacks to using legacy networks. In this case you're sacrificing security, reliability, and performance. We highly recommend upgrading your network with a Wireless-N or AC capable router, this will increase your connection rate and help decrease issues caused by radio interference.

The option to update driver in device manager only checks to see if there is a newer generic driver in the Windows* Update Catalog. Usually you won't find any updates there. Instead you may refer to the following article:

- https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000005559/network-and-i-o/wireless-networking.html Download the Latest Driver for Your Intel® Wireless Adapter

There was a new set of drivers released earlier this week. We recommend installing the Bluetooth® driver followed by the Wireless package:

1. Bluetooth®: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/27493?v=t Intel® Wireless Bluetooth® for Windows® 10

 

2. WiFi: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/27615?v=t Intel® PROSet/Wireless Software and Drivers for Windows® 10

We hope this information helps. If you would like us to take a deeper look, please attach the following to your response:

1. Intel® System Support Utility report.

 

1. Download the latest https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/25293 Intel® SSU

 

2. While connected to your WiFi network, run the scan for "everything."

 

3. Save and name the report.

 

2. Wireless Autoconfig report.

 

1. Right click your start menu icon and select Command Prompt (Admin) from the list.

 

2. Enter: netsh wlan show wlanreport

 

3. Go to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WlanReport\

 

4. Upload the wlan-report-latest.html file along with your reply.

Best regards,

 

Carlos A.
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PHilt
Novice
1,289 Views

I will be busy with other matters for a few days. In addition to downloading the drivers you recommend for my laptop wifi adapter, I earlier began wondering when this puzzle developed whether to replace my Intellinet router. The wifi adapter in the PC is a Ralink RT5390R 802.11bgn*; would this adapter also benefit from a more up to date router? I assume the only "hassle" would be giving all 3 computers and my smart phone (wife's desktop can benefit from but does not really need home network, only internet) new encryption keys.

*Had not thought until now to update the drivers for the PC's adapter but it seems like a good idea along with your other suggestions.

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idata
Employee
1,289 Views

Hello Pogo,

 

 

Setting up your new router should be fairly simple, usually done through a setup utility or web interface. If it's a retail model (as opposed to one provided by your Internet Service Provider) you may need to choose an SSID (service set identifier, primary network name) and set up a password which you will need to save on all your devices.

 

 

Newer wireless routers allow for the use of WPA2 encryption, which is more robust than the WPA encryption used by your current model. They are usually designed to be used in environments where a lot more devices will be connecting, and are better capable of dealing with RF interference and obstacles.

 

 

The following articles should be helpful, if you have any questions please don't hesitate to let us know.

 

 

NOTE: Any links provided for third party tools or sites are offered for your convenience and should not be viewed as an endorsement by Intel® of the content, products, or services offered there. We do not offer support for any third party tool mentioned here.

 

 

- https://www.wikihow.com/Choose-a-Wireless-Router How to Choose a Wireless Router - by wikihow.com

 

- https://www.intel.com/content/dam/www/public/us/en/documents/pdf/next-gen-80211ac-wifi-for-dummies.pdf Next-Gen 802.11ac Wi-Fi For Dummies - Intel Special Edition (if you've got time for reading, this is a great resource in general)

 

 

Best regards,

 

Carlos A.
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PHilt
Novice
1,289 Views

Much thank for the advice & encouragement. The Blue-Ray & WiFi upgrades seem to have (somewhat) eased the droputs mentioned above - and it's easier to reestablish the intranet connections. I have purchased but not yet installed a Linksys EA6350 AC1200+ router. Will be busy with a big civic event through Sunday but then Monday will try setting it up. I'll keep you advised. As an irrelevant point, your forum seems to have a Mountain Zone time stamp.

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idata
Employee
1,289 Views

Hello Pogo,

 

 

You're more than welcome. We're always glad to help, let us know how it goes.

 

 

You can change the time zone displayed for you by clicking on your avatar (top right, next to the search) and going to your preferences.

 

 

Best regards,

 

Carlos A.
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PHilt
Novice
1,289 Views

Apparently if you replace an 11-year old G router with a new AC router, good things happen. Thanks for all the comments & suggestions. It now seems my home network is stable & reliable.

idata
Employee
1,289 Views

Hello Pogo,

 

 

We're very glad to hear that our advice was helpful.

 

 

If you need any further assistance, please don't hesitate to contact us again.

 

 

Best regards,

 

Carlos A.
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