Intel AC-9260 Wifi problem (5ghz) after forced windows update (20H2)

[Julienn25]

So im back here again after having issues with my Wifi-card after another forced Windows Update. ( https://community.intel.com/t5/Wireless/Intel-AC-9260-Wifi-and-bluetooth-problem/m-p/1223350#M31530 ) 

 After trying everything i sent in my computer and they changed the wireless card and it worked until...guess, Windows forced another update on my computer a couple of days ago (20H2)

What has happened:

Now my Wifi-card is only "Half"-broken and I can´t connect to 5ghz networks although all my other devices are working perfectly fine with the 5Ghz network (2 apple TVs, 2 other computers, 2 cellphones and a gaming console.)

I can see the 5ghz networks but i am unable to connect to them. When i try to connect to 5ghz network (Both main router and extender) i type in my password and it load for a while on "Checks network requirements" until it says "unable to connect to network".

What i have tried:

- All my drives, bios, Windows, Lenovo drives/software are up to date.

-  Uninstalled, reinstalled, removed, added the wifi drive a couple of times

- Uninstalled, reinstalled, removed, added the Bluetooth drive.

- Unchecked "allow the computer to turn off this unit to save power and cant get 5ghz connections to work.

- it is the same network adapter that came  pre-installed in my system and has been replaced by lenovo once with the same model that is currently installed.

- No issues with bluetooth

- Tried with Lenovo Intel WLAN Driver V.21.20.0.5 (02 sep 2019) see attached picture.

Please see attached file for SSU log

[Khun_Doug]

Julienn25,

It's possible that your PC was moving between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz wireless, and you weren't aware of it. The switching would likely be unnoticeable unless you were doing something bandwidth intensive. The point is that Windows could have been changing connections and you weren't the wiser.

The easiest thing to try is having Windows forget about the 5 GHz network, and then add it back. You would go to Settings, Network & Internet, and then Wi-Fi. From there select Manage known networks. From the list of known wireless connections, find the one for the 5 GHz network, click it, and then click Forget. Then try to reconnect to the 5 GHz network.

[Julienn25]

@Khun_Doug 

I get the feeling that you have not been reading what i wrote...

first of when i remove driver for network card all passwords get reset, second windows downloaded the update on the 5ghz and after restart i could not connect to it at all.

[Khun_Doug]

I have read what you have written. The wireless passwords are not tied to any particular wireless adapter. So removing and/or uninstalling a wireless adapter does not remove the password for an SSID. Those are not bound to a specific adapter. You could just as easily disabled or removed an adapter, put in another adapter, and Windows will still know about wireless networks you have connected to, and the password for that SSID.

A driver update is not going to update only one band on an adapter. The entire adapter gets updated. Everything the adapter is connecting to will be using the updated driver(s).

[Julienn25]

Thank you for reading but im sorry you dont seem to have the capability to help, just offering useless tips.

If there is no Wifi driver on the computer why would Windows store wifi-passwords? that´s common sense and not so much technical into it.

Removing/uninstalling the driver resets and removes all network-settings and passwords...

https://www.intowindows.com/how-to-reinstall-the-wireless-wi-fi-driver-in-windows-10/

https://www.top-password.com/blog/reset-or-reinstall-network-adapter-in-windows-10/

Also you can read about the process in easy terms here

I really love the length of your text trying to explain something that is not true.

[Khun_Doug]

Julienn25,

In your original post, you do not reference that you used the Windows tools for Reset network. The second reference you post is a handy tool for cases where stored passwords don't match, or some network corruption is causing a problem that cannot be otherwise resolved. Reset network with the built-in reboot does indeed remove SSID passwords. You didn't write that you had done that. You wrote that you removed/uninstalled a network driver. Uninstalling or installing a wireless adapter does nothing with saved wireless connections and passwords. You wrote that you had uninstalled the driver and then installed another driver. That process does not remove saved wireless passwords. You could even remove your wireless adapter, uninstall the driver for it, connect to Internet via Ethernet cable, and Windows would still have a list of your saved wireless networks.

Now on to your more pressing issue, not being able to connect to the 5 GHz network. Please use the Microsoft Store to install NetSpot. NetSpot monitors your wireless adapter and lists all the routers and access points that are received. The goal is to see if you adapter is actually receiving the signal, and if so, how the connection is reported.

[Jeff62]

I have had this problem and tried a few solutions on my Wifi terminal and the most effective was to limit the channel width to 20 MHz.

But it was not realy releveant as other equipments worked fine with the other configuration.

After that I looked in the netword card advanced configuration and found a specific parameter which seemed to be the most relevant to solve my problem : Channel bandwidth for 5 Ghz

This parameter was set to "Auto".

I set it to "20 MHz" and the problem disappeared.

Using this parameter allows me to reset the channel width to 20/40/80 MHz on my wifi terminal for other equipments to work with.

[stickyyy]

THIS WORKED FOR ME!

[n_scott_pearson]

My personal opinion? Always, always, always do a fresh install of the Wireless and Bluetooth drivers after doing any Windows upgrade, even a minor one (like 21H1 to 21H2). Microsoft has for years screwed this up and never learns from their mistakes (or listens to the complaints?).

Off my soapbox now...

...S