8260NGW wifi not working/not showing up.

[Rickw86]

I have a problem with my intel 8260NGW wireless card.
A few weeks ago I opened up my laptop to clean it thoroughly which meant I had to disconnect the antenna cables. (Used esd wrist strap and all other precautions)(only disconnected the antenna cables from the card, never unseated the card itself.

After reassembling everything and turning on my laptop I noticed the wifi wasn't working. The wifi adapter didn't even show up in the list of network adapters, only the bluetooth and ethernet showed up in the list.
So I thought maybe I hadn't properly reseated the antenna connectors.
Opened the laptop up again, disconnected and reconnected the cables again. (Being careful not to damage the connectors and making sure to connect the correct cables to each point on the wifi card.)
This solved the problem at that moment.

Now, a few weeks after that incident, the wifi adapter isn't showing up again. Haven't opened up my laptop since last time and it's been sitting undisturbed on my desk the whole time, meaning there is no reason the antenna cable connectors would have dislodged.
Just to be sure though I opened my laptop up to disconnected and reconnected the antenna cables again. This time that didn't solve the problem though.
Bluetooth, which is part of the same wifi card, is working perfectly fine, its just the wifi part that isnt working.

Any suggestions on how to solve this issue other than replacing the wifi card with a new one?

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello Rickw86

Thank you for posting on the Intel® communities.

Could you please provide the following information?

1. Is the Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260 the original wireless adapter that came pre-installed on the laptop or did you install/integrate it on the system?
2. When the issue happened for the second time, was there any recent change that may be related? For instance: Windows® updates or Wireless/Bluetooth drivers?
3. At this moment, is the wireless adapter showing up on Device Manager? If yes, do you see any error code? (right-click on it and click on Properties >> General tab).

Also, please run the Intel® System Support Utility (Intel® SSU) and attach the report to this thread to gather more details about your system.

• Download the Intel® SSU and save the application on your computer: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/25293/Intel-System-Support-Utility-for-Windows-
• Open the application, check the "Everything" checkbox, and click "Scan" to see the system and device information. The Intel® SSU defaults to the "Summary View" on the output screen following the scan. Click the menu where it says "Summary" to change to "Detailed View".
• To save your scan, click Next and click Save.

Note: To attach a file, you must click the “Attach” option on the bottom left-hand corner of the response box.

Best regards,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Rickw86]

1: it is the original wifi adapter that came preinstalled in the laptop.

2: last windows update was october 14th and did not cause any problems. The day before yesterday, when the problem occured for a second time, there have not been any updates of drivers nor windows.

3: wifi adapter is not showing up in device manager, only bluetooth (part of the same wifi adapter) and ethernet are showing up.

When I get the chance, I will download intel SSU with another device, transfer it to the laptop and post the results here.

[Rickw86]

The report generated by ssu.

[AndrewG_Intel · Accepted solution]

Hello Rickw86

Thank you for your response.

Please try the following steps to see if this helps to solve the problem:

Step 1:

Go to Device Manager, click View and select Show hidden devices.

• Click Network adapters to select it. Click Action and click Scan for hardware changes. Double-click Network adapters to expand the list. See if your wireless network adapter appears on the list.

Step 2:

Perform a Clean Install of the Wireless and Bluetooth drivers:

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000022173/network-and-i-o/wireless.html

To avoid Windows® update reinstalling a different driver during the process, we recommend first downloading and saving the driver installers in your computer, then disconnect the Internet, uninstall any instance of "Intel ® PROSet/Wireless Software" from Windows® App & Features, and after that to proceed following the Clean install steps

We recommend testing first with the latest system-specific driver from your Asus* website*.

https://www.asus.com/us/Laptops/ASUS-ZenBook-UX330UA/HelpDesk_Download/

• Intel Wireless Lan Driver and Application Version V19.70.0.5
• Intel BlueTooth driver Version V19.60.0.3

Note: You may also check with ASUS* if they recommend installing the ASUS Wireless Radio Control Version V1.0.0.7

If the issue persists, you may try the Clean Install of the Wireless and Bluetooth drivers using our latest generic drivers:

• For Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260 Windows® 10 Wi-Fi Driver Version: 22.0.0 >> https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/29902/Windows-10-Wi-Fi-Drivers-for-Intel-Wireless-Adapters?product=86068
• Intel® Wireless Bluetooth® for Windows® 10 Version: 22.0.0 >> https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/29919/Intel-Wireless-Bluetooth-for-Windows-10?product=86068

Step 3:

Try Windows® tools to fix network problems:

A- Run the network troubleshooter:

On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and type and then select Identify and repair network problems in the list of search results to run the network troubleshooter. The network troubleshooter will automatically detect the network problems on your PC. You just need to follow the steps in the network troubleshooter and see if this issue can get fixed.

B- Reset Network Settings in Windows 10:

1. Select the Start menu and type Network. 
2. In Windows Settings, select Network and Internet.
3. In the left navigation pane, select Status to make sure you're viewing the network status window. 
4. Click the Network Reset link and review the Network Reset information message. 
5. Select Yes in the network reset confirmation window.

Step 4:

Run Winsock. This tool defines how Windows network software should access network services. Resetting Winsock data may be helpful for some network connection issues:

• Press the Windows Logo Key and R at the same time to open the Run dialog. Type cmd and press Ctrl, Shift and Enter at the same time to run Command Prompt as administrator. You will be prompted for permission. Click Yes to run Command Prompt.
• Restart your PC to complete the reset.

Additional steps you may try if you feel comfortable with them. On the other hand, you may contact your computer manufacturer (OEM) for assistance with these suggestions:

1. Perform a cold reboot (hold the power button until the PC powers off).
2. Reseat the battery if possible (remove and reinstall). Refer to your system manufacturer for guidance.
3. Try a hard shut down (shut down and remove power and battery from the device), wait for a couple of minutes, and turn on the PC.
4. Load BIOS defaults. Refer to your system manufacturer for guidance on settings/updates.

If the issue persists after trying the steps above, we recommend contacting your computer manufacturer directly for further support. For instance, It may be needed to perform a restore from a system restore point or to physically inspect the wireless network card (it may need to be reset or check if there are hardware issues).

Best regards,

Andrew G.

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.

[Rickw86]

Running winsock helped. Thank you.

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello @Rickw86

We would like to know if you were able to review the steps suggested in our previous post. Feel free to share any feedback regarding the outcome of the steps.

Best regards,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello @Rickw86

Thank you very much for your response. We are glad to know that one of the suggestions helped with this issue. Since the thread has been marked as "Solved" and if you don't have additional inquiries, we will proceed to close it soon.

Best regards,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello @Rickw86

We will proceed to close this thread now. If you need any additional information, please submit a new question as this thread will no longer being monitored. It has been a pleasure to assist you.

Best regards,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician