Wireless
Participate in insightful discussions regarding issues related to Intel® Wireless Adapters and technologies
7368 Discussions

Dual Band AC 7260 - Endless stress

GRoss3
Beginner
2,619 Views

This is the 2nd thread I've decided to open regarding this specific adapter, that unfortunately it was already placed inside my new notebook.

Really I've no other words to describe it in a "polite" way than AWFUL. It's awful and don't try to tell the opposite. THAT'S IT, no doubt about.

I've tried new drivers and they don't work, old drivers and were stable for a short time, but during last months I've faced and still facing the same, endless, frustastring situation of Wifi drop of connection, lags spikes and random slow-down.

At the moment I'm using the driver 17.0.5.8, U-APSD disabled, bluetoth AMP disabled (eheh it DOESN'T WORK, never worked), "ScanWhenAssociated" exception added with regedit, unchecked power saving mode and still I've problems. And I've Windows 8.1.

The router is NOT the problem as I've other devices connected and work without slow-down or other issues..so must be this adapter.

Seriously ? All of us customers who have faced this problem, that are still waiting for a solution after almost 2 YEARS should ask you a refund, because you're selling a broken product, something that shouldn't be sold, at all.

For instance now I've 2000ms, 500kb/s with the download test !!! 500 !!! Are you KIDDING ME ? Neither in 2000s there was a so damn slow connection. While surprise ! with my other notebook, or friends' ones I've the max speed (8 mb/s in my zone) and always stable, not a single drop.

And this happens not always of course, but 30 % of the time, so if I'm having a conversation online I've problems, if I'm downloading something that I need this leads to a failed download, etc etc..

So, PLEASE, could you tell me what to do ? What to post here to find a solution ?

I'm trying to stay calm as much as possible but as I usually use this pc for my job then you can understand while I'm so stressed. I'm near to a broaking point and I won't wait so long before to ask to Acer to change it, of course with warranty. Better than nothing, but I won't give this adapter other possibities. I don't want workaround, I want what I paid for and it's legit.

I'll wait and answer and please not a link, because I can use google on my own.

THANKS

EDIT:

My router is a Netgear N-150, set on channel 6(tried even 1 and 11), WMM enabled, mode up to 54 Mbs.

And just deleted/reinstall driver and software for wifi/bluetooth and still here I'm, with the same situation, with the same stress. Funny I tried to download a driver from your site (90mb) and wasn't even able to download it..is that normal ?

Here's a screenshot to let you understand how weak and terrible is this adapter.

https://i.gyazo.com/3ea4063beed088d76ddad5971025833e.png https://i.gyazo.com/3ea4063beed088d76ddad5971025833e.png

And here's what happened after 1 single minute:

https://i.gyazo.com/76ecf5828f5840ec1d8ab104922d606e.png https://i.gyazo.com/76ecf5828f5840ec1d8ab104922d606e.png

And all other infos needed:

 

https://i.gyazo.com/1ef58fcc007c1e5fb95e4fb194f20e9c.png https://i.gyazo.com/1ef58fcc007c1e5fb95e4fb194f20e9c.png

https://i.gyazo.com/b48ffda9463c5779eaf2a510e71841bb.png https://i.gyazo.com/b48ffda9463c5779eaf2a510e71841bb.png

https://i.gyazo.com/89f0ce4c06af38b46c0401b85c17f917.png https://i.gyazo.com/89f0ce4c06af38b46c0401b85c17f917.png

0 Kudos
3 Replies
ASouz7
Honored Contributor II
551 Views

Hello Absynthinthespace,

We undertsand you frustation and will do whatever is within our reach to help you.

Is this wireless card native to your system or was it installed later? if this wireless adapter is the one installed by factory, Intel recommends that you try frist the latest drivers provided the OEM (Original Equipment Manufactorer). If you notice you still experience this inconvenience with your connection, as a second option, you can update the drivers using the most recent drivers for this adapter that have just been released in our Download Center. This link will lead you directly to the drivers so you don't have to search for it: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/25511/Intel-PROSet-Wireless-Software-for-Windows-8-1- Intel® PROSet/Wireless Software for Windows 8.1* - Version 18.21.0 file size 107.41 MB

Please, follow the steps below:

1 - Download and save https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/25511/Intel-PROSet-Wireless-Software-for-Windows-8-1- Intel® PROSet/Wireless Software for Windows 8.1* - Version 18.21.0 file size 107.41 MB and do not install it yet, follow the procedure below.

2 - Go to Control Panel, Programs and Features and Uninstall the current "Intel® PROSet/Wireless Software", if it is installed. When prompted, choose the option to "Discard settings".

3 - In Control Panel, Device Manager, Network Adapters, right click on the Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265 and Uninstall it. Make sure you mark the option to "Delete the driver software for this device".

4 - Reboot the PC or scan for hardware changes, check device manager and if an older driver is detected and installed, repeat the actions to uninstall and delete it as well. Repeat this process until the OS does not allow deleting the driver, or until the controller shows as Unknown Device.

5 - Reboot or scan for hardware changes, then uninstall and delete any older driver versions as you did for the Wireless adapter.

6 - Then, install the Intel® Wireless driver. During the first steps of PROSet/Wireless installation, make sure to customize the installation and install all the 3 driver components.

7 - Once the installation is complete, go to Device Manager >> Network Adapters >> Intel(R) Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260 and right click on it to open properties and again disable the U-APSD.

8 - Also check the "Transmit Power and make sure it is set to 5. Highiest.

9 - Set Roaming Agressiveness to 1. Lowest.

10 - Set the Preferred Band to Prefer 2.4GHz band.

11 - Set the HT Mode to HT for 802.11n

12 - Set the 802.11n Channel Width for 2.4GHz to 20MHz.

13 - Make sure Bluetooth* is disable if not necessary as it uses the same antennas and may impact on the connection as well.

On your router:

1 - Make sure WMM is disabled.

2 - Set the 802.11 mode to 802.11n only.

3 - Check and select a less crowed channel just as you have done previously as informed above.

GRoss3
Beginner
551 Views

Hello,

I've appreciated your help, but I'm 99.9 % done.

I've followed all steps and now I've 2500 ms and 300kb/s speed.. Is there something else to add ?

I don't know then but my netgear n150 doesn't have an option to modify the 802.11 mode, or at least I'm not able to find it.

In any case it doesn't work, actually it's even worse than before..

EDIT:

I've reinstalled the manufacter driver (Acer, 17.0.5.8), disabled U-APSD, turned off bluetooth, turned off power save mode, set router on channel 6. And guess what ? Wifi has started to work again, but after 1-2 minutes it continue to die, reaching even "hold on your seats" 30kb/s ! YES 30 F*****G kb/s.Then it goes back to 40ms and 7.5 Mb/s. It's a like a rollercoast.

I want to be sincere I've nothing against who has the role to answer customers, but let's be honest each other this product doesn't work and never will because after the fixing I did months ago it has started to give problems again without touching settings. No updates (windows, driver), no settings modified, nothing. It just started to run down the hill alone, against my will, so there MUST be a problem not only of driver, but of HARDWARE.

First Intel admits it, and faster customers will receive a support and/or a final solution to their problems.

Maybe it's a stupid question but as I NEED this pc for my job at least could I use the cable to bypass this problem ? As I don't have intention to send it to assistance now, as with December incoming it'd receive it back ofc in 2016.

And I'm sorry but no more Intel wifi-adapters for me.

0 Kudos
SMons2
New Contributor I
551 Views

I thought I'd chime in.

 

Have a D54250 NUC purchased about a year and half ago. The machine has it's random quirks (mostly graphics related - whole other story), but overall is fine and usable.

During the assembly process I thought that being an Intel device, it would be best sourcing Intel parts. So, Crucial RAM (micron branded chips, to whom Intel is a partner with), Intel SSDs (480GB 730 series for the 2.5'', 240GB 530 series for the mSATA), and lo-and-behold, the 7260AC card for wireless and bluetooth.

Since day one the card has been unpredictable. I will go as far as saying almost useless. Speeds are completely off wack (it's good one moment, nothing the next), not to mention horrific latencies and the frustrating no-connection-after-waking-from-sleep issue (requiring either a reboot or disabling and re-enabling the card in Device Manager). I went as far as returning my first 7260AC card, getting a refund, and buying another new one from another store (thinking it may have been a bad batch). No luck.

Research into the problem since a year and a half ago suggested that this is (very) likely a design flaw, as Intel was releasing drivers at a near monthly basis in order to placate everyone having issues. Again no luck. The latest drivers from what I've experienced were getting more and more unreliable so I gave up updating at driver version 17.8 if memory serves correct. Tried 16.8 as it had good reviews, and it worked (somewhat acceptably) for me for a month before it too randomly went downhill. Been on 17.1 for the past few months and it has been (somewhat) fine too, until it's been going down hill over the past few days (getting slower and slower according to the ping tests on cmd).

I was never able to stream 1080 on Youtube because the 7260 was just that slow. I've been making do with 720, but I'm struggling to stream at 360p now. And I've not touched a single setting to explain this downward progression in performance.

Being the Intel admin here is not a job I would aspire to be in - I have nothing against you. It's just unfortunate that people higher up are sitting on their hands refusing to acknowledge the issue, letting the face of the company (ie the admins here) struggle with the flak from frustrated customers; I am one of them. The Intel 6k series cards seemed to have this issue too (and no fix in sight), and those cards are now around 5 years old. Then we have the newer 7265 cards (notably found in the new gen NUCs), which also have the exact same speed issues found in the 7260.

Ironically though. I have an old Sony Z laptop that sports the Intel 5100 card. That works a treat. Not a single issue, and I have been, and still am seriously considering, harvesting that card (now around 8 years old) and installing that on the NUC.

So yeah. When I first got my NUC I was looking forward to a seamless, enjoyable business and HTPC experience. Bought myself a decent AOC monitor for the setup as well. The wireless department however has pretty much killed it. I have long since given up on Intel rectifying the issues on 7260, and the whole experience has negatively impacted on my perceiving Intel has a reliable company, irrespective of my relatively positive NUC experience. More so, as in this internet-connected world, Intel refuses to even acknowledge issues on their wireless devices - a slap in the face considering Intel is a 'serious' advocate of the Internet-Of-Things (IOT) ideology.

My next desktop will likely be a run-off-the-mill / simple all-in-one which I know works out-of-the-box, or something like the HP Stream Mini box if I still wanted some more modification freedom.

My two-cents worth.

0 Kudos
Reply