topic Re: Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz Slow speed in Wireless

Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz Slow speed

Niko87 — Sun, 22 Nov 2020 11:51:35 GMT

Hi I recently bought a new laptop and I have problems with the download speed in Wifi, I state that before I had never had similar problems, this new hardware uses the Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz i updated the drivers, windows 10 version is build 1909, my modem router works fine with all other devices.
Tested with both 2,4ghz and 5 ghz band, but the speed is always very slow compared to the maximum band of my provider, for example I should download at about 10 MB / s and instead it does not exceed 4MB / s.

The only way I noticed that it seems to be fine is to move the laptop closer to the router, but this didn't happen with the old laptop because it was fine even when I was far away in the room and with the door closed.

I would like to know what the problem is and how I can solve it, thanks everyone

Re: Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz Slow speed

n_scott_pearson — Mon, 23 Nov 2020 04:13:38 GMT

Hhmmm, if proximity makes a difference, you may have an antenna problem. You need to check if the antenna lead(s) have come off the wireless card. If not, you may need your laptop vendor to look at whether the antenna leads have been damaged somehow (hinge is involved).
...S

Re: Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz Slow speed

Niko87 — Mon, 23 Nov 2020 09:35:06 GMT

By doing the diagnostic test with HP's integrated software everything is working, the fact is that there are moments that it is fine and then it goes back to downloading again slow

Re: Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz Slow speed

Niko87 — Mon, 23 Nov 2020 16:41:29 GMT

Is there anyone else who can investigate this issue?
I repeat that the only problem is the download speed that fails to download over 3-4mb`s when it should reach 10, the really strange thing is that as I get out of my room (the router is about 10 meters away) the speed increases significantly and remains stable, so there will certainly be some interference or incompatibility but I need some Intel experts to help me, I'm really desperate.

Re:Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz Slow speed

Sebastian_M_Intel — Mon, 23 Nov 2020 20:01:58 GMT

Hello Niko87,

Thank you for posting on the Intel® communities.

In order to better assist you, please provide the following:

1. Run the Intel® System Support Utility (Intel® SSU) and attach the report generated:

Open the application, check the "Everything" box, and click on "Scan" to see the system and device information. By default, Intel® SSU will take you to the "Summary View".
Click on the menu where it says "Summary" to change to "Detailed View".
To save your scan, click on "Next", then "Save".
Use the option under the reply window to attach the report to the thread (Drag and drop here or browse files to attach).

2. Brand and model number of your router/modem.

3. Are you having issues with Bluetooth also or only Wi-Fi?

4. Is this the original adapter that came pre-installed in your system or have you changed/installed a new adapter recently?

5. Were you able to have your wireless connection in a normal/expected performance before? If yes, did you make any changes before the issue started?

Additionally, as this is a new system; you may want to double-check with your system manufacturer (OEM) or the reseller for any hardware problems as this is not expected behavior for a brand new computer.

Regards,

Sebastian M

Intel Customer Support Technician

Re: Re:Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz Slow speed

Niko87 — Mon, 23 Nov 2020 20:46:26 GMT

Hi thank you for your help, hopefully i can find a solution hoping it is not a hardware problem.

then here is my report

2. Modem Technicolor MediaAccess DGA4131FWB

3. Bluetooth works fine, only with Wifi I have problems

4. original adapter

5. With the old notebook I have never had such problems, now with this new one I am having this bad experience, in the same place.

I will contact my reseller for information on this product and will also ask the HP notebook manufacturer a question

Re:Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz Slow speed

Sebastian_M_Intel — Tue, 24 Nov 2020 17:49:45 GMT

Hello Niko87,

Thank you for your reply.

Based on what you report, this seems (as previously mentioned by the community) a problem with the antennas or a hardware problem in your PC.

Try the following recommendations just to rule out any software issue:

1. Try a clean installation of Wireless Drivers (both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth):

Step 1.1: Download and save the drivers on your computer:

Download the latest Wi-Fi Driver from the Intel® Wireless support.
Download the latest Bluetooth Driver from the Intel® Wireless support.

Step 1.2: Uninstall the driver.

A. Uninstall your Wi-Fi/Bluetooth driver.

Go to Device Manager.
Expand the Network Adapters/Bluetooth category.
Right-click your Intel Wireless Adapter and choose to uninstall it.
Make sure to select the option to Delete the driver software for this device.
Repeat steps A through D until the option to Delete the driver software for this device is greyed out.

B. Restart your computer.

Step 1.3: Driver installation.

Locate the drivers you downloaded back in Step 1. Run as administrator, and follow the wizard to completion. To Run as administrator right-click over the file you downloaded and select the option to Run as administrator.

Note: Repeat the steps above for Wi-Fi/Bluetooth.

2. On HP's website, I could not find any Intel wireless driver from their site. Have you checked with HP* if they provide a customized driver for wireless?

Regards,

Sebastian M

Intel Customer Support Technician

Links to third-party sites and references to third-party trademarks are provided for convenience and illustrative purposes only. Unless explicitly stated, Intel® is not responsible for the contents of such links, and no third-party endorsement of Intel or any of its products is implied.

Re: Re:Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz Slow speed

Niko87 — Wed, 25 Nov 2020 09:58:00 GMT

I tried to do as you told me, and the situation seems to have improved slightly, however I would like to explain the problem better, my modem / router supports 802.11ac technology while my new notebook supports Wifi 6 with 802.11ax technology, it may depend even from this?
Then, as a connection in general, surfing or watching streaming video there are no problems, or even doing a live stream at 1080p / 60 fps, I have not had any interruptions, the most annoying problem is when downloading for example a game that speed is reduced by about half for example instead of downloading at 10MB`s it travels between 4-6MB`s, and another notation is the wifi signal icon in the system tray which is never full, always missing a notch.
Also there were times when it seemed that the speed was going to the maximum of its band and then returning to those values, so could an antenna / hardware problem be ruled out? are there any other methods i could try?

Re:Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz Slow speed

Sebastian_M_Intel — Thu, 26 Nov 2020 00:58:42 GMT

Hello Niko87,

Thank you for your reply.

Please try the following just for testing purposes:

Access the Advanced Intel® Wireless Adapter Settings: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000005585/network-and-i-o/wireless.html
Use the Recommended Settings for 802.11ac Connectivity: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000024678/network-and-i-o/wireless.html
In channel width, try testing both: Auto and 20MHz.
Have you been able to test this with a different router/modem or even a different network?

Regards,

Sebastian M

Intel Customer Support Technician

Re: Re:Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz Slow speed

Niko87 — Thu, 26 Nov 2020 19:02:07 GMT

This does not solve either, the only way to solve it is to bring the notebook a little closer to the router even as soon as you leave my room itself

Re:Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz Slow speed

Sebastian_M_Intel — Fri, 27 Nov 2020 18:55:47 GMT

Hello Niko87,

Thanks for the update.

Based on what we have done, this seems to be a hardware problem either with the adapter itself or the antennas.

As we recommended before, the best you can do is to contact the reseller or the OEM directly for a hardware inspection as this is not expected for new computers.

Regards,

Sebastian M

Intel Customer Support Technician

Re: Re:Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz Slow speed

Niko87 — Fri, 27 Nov 2020 19:23:33 GMT

Are you sure it's a hardware/antenna problem? because I just moved my notebook in my room to another location and it seems to be doing better, in fact it managed to download over 50gb in about a couple of hours reaching speeds up to 9MB's. This I can't explain, what's the real problem then?

Re: Re:Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz Slow speed

Niko87 — Fri, 27 Nov 2020 19:54:34 GMT

I can't edit the previous post and I write it here.
I would like to explain better why it seems and seems to have solved it, and to really understand if it is a hardware or antenna problem.
In my room I simply moved the desk with the notebook from one wall to the other, for example before the desk facing the wall was near the window where on the other side there is the bathroom, just behind there is the toilet, and it was in this point that the connection download speed was going very slow.
By moving the desk with the notebook to another wall closer to the door and where there is a closet behind the wall, the connection works as it should, i.e. almost at its maximum speed and with full signal (not always but better than before) of the card network.
So I wonder, was it just a problem of interference or signal that does not pass well in a certain point of the room, or is it still talking about a hardware problem with the antennas?
I would like to understand once and for all what the problem really is.
But if I have to say mine I'm afraid that this chip with Wifi 6 still lacks some optimization on your part with the old routers that use 802.11.ac standards and have difficulty receiving from the router.

Re: Re:Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz Slow speed

Kaleidoscope — Fri, 27 Nov 2020 23:41:22 GMT

Hi I'm having kind of the same issue at the beginning where internet connection drops, slows down, dns error while loading pages, and every few minutes the wireless network disconnects and freezes. Today I might have found a solution to fix the problem, but I'm not sure if it works since it just started working perfectly fine for a few hours for some funny reasons.

1) Reinstall (reset) your windows 10

2) Update all windows updates and optional windows Version 1909. OS Build 18363 .1237

3) If you have Norton Antivirus that comes with the new laptop, make sure you remove it when you reset windows 10.

4) Go to your router settings on the web something like: http://192.168.0.1/login.htm

Login with the password on router and check and see if wireless settings ok. Also check device manager network adapter settings to compare if everythings alright. Reset router by pulling power plug and replug.

As ridiculous as this sounds, don't download intel bluetooth wireless or intel wireless network drivers from website. Somehow my original wireless adapter is already the latest driver 20.0.0.6 so no need to update and mess things over since that might have been the start of it all. At the beginning there were some issues of dropped/slow connections, but somehow after updating all windows updates things are fine now. Try not to tamper with the wireless adapter settings and go for original settings and see how things go.

Re: Re:Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz Slow speed

Niko87 — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 17:52:34 GMT

Well I guess I solved it by simply moving the notebook to another part of the room, now it goes right at top speed and looks even better than expected.

Re:Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz Slow speed

Sebastian_M_Intel — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 21:58:37 GMT

Hello Niko87,

Thank you for your reply.

Another important factor that you may want to take into consideration, are the normal wireless Interferences like walls, other wireless devices, Microwave ovens, other wireless networks, etc. These interferences may be stronger in the mentioned room.

On the other hand, we still recommend you checking with the OEM as this is not expected for brand new computers.

As you consider the issue was solved, we will close this inquiry. If you need further assistance, please submit a new post as this one will no longer be monitored.

Regards,

Sebastian M

Intel Customer Support Technician

Re: Re:Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz Slow speed

Kaleidoscope — Tue, 01 Dec 2020 05:39:04 GMT

For me it worked for three days and then the network suddenly crashed going on and off. While it is fine now I don't know when it will crash again. It is the weirdest wifi adapter I have used. I think I might just replace my new laptop with another or change the wireless card to an older one. There is some issue with the wireless card and installing new drivers, etc will probably not fix the problem.

Re: Re:Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz Slow speed

n_scott_pearson — Tue, 01 Dec 2020 06:56:11 GMT

I think it's time to go back to your laptop vendor and have them look at the hardware.
...S

Re: Re:Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz Slow speed

Kaleidoscope — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 01:21:35 GMT

I think your right. I decided to go back to the store I purchased it from and have them swap an older intel 8260ngw wireless card instead. Gonna take two weeks. I could have sent it in to Asus under warranty but my recent experience with them a week ago was a terrible one, which made me completely lose trust in their credibility for computer repairs. They would simply send it back to me and say nothings wrong if I tried anyways knowing Asus even under warranty.

P.S. I think the ax201 wireless card crashes when there is too much network conflict. While some can work around this by disabling and enabling the wireless card then waiting for a certain period of time to hopefully make it work again, the reliability of this card becomes too questionable for me to accept. On a good day the wireless card will have no trouble. On a bad one it crashes, goes on and off then we have to hopefully troubleshoot to get it working again.

Re: Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz Slow speed

PaulTelInt — Fri, 21 May 2021 20:16:37 GMT

Dear Niko, Intel support,

I have exactly the same problem with the same card, Windows 10 and Dell Latitude 7310 and 7320. Actually I received 7310 as a new company computer and it has 4 TIMES WORSE performance than my 3 years old computer in a room that is 5 meters from the router. I spent long hours with my Corp IT support then with Dell support - reinstalling everything, configuring router and wireless card and at the end they gave up and said - it must be something wrong with the machine. They sent me the new computer 7320 and the new computer has exactly the same problem.

My guess is it is an extreemly poor wireless card or it is an extreemly poor design with the antenna.

Was anybody able to find any solution to this? Now I have two new computers and it's impossible to work - where different old devices get 80Mbps , this Dell with Intel card gets with good winds 20Mbps but connection gets to 1,2,3 Mbps and sometimes gets interrupted. Impossible to work with. When I read Dell troubleshooter saying "please get few feets to your router" I thought they were joking....