Intel AX201 160 MHz - Slow speeds on Orbi Router Network

[hentear]

I recently built a PC with a motherboard (MSI MAG Z690 Tomahawk WiFi DDR4) that has an onboard Intel WiFi-6 AX201 160 MHz adapter and have been running into issues regarding internet speeds. 

Here's a rough description of how my WiFi network is setup:

ISP -> [TM-AC1900 - "WiFi #1" - Broadcasts a Guest Network] -> [Orbi Router RBR50 - "WiFi #2" - Broadcasts the Main WiFi network] -> [2 Orbi Satellites - RBS50 - Extends the Main WiFi network]

My room that my PC is in is between the Orbi Router and the TM-AC1900 Router, so drops in speed to either network due to distance should be the same. 

My old PC had a "TP-Link TL-WDN4800 802.11a/b/g/n PCIe x1 Wi-Fi Adapter" and functioned fine on either network, but now my new PC gets way slower speeds on the main WiFi network (WiFi #2). My WiFi speeds should be roughly 250-300 up and down, and that is what any other device, including my old PC, on either WiFi #1 and WiFi #2 gets. 

I was getting about 15 up and 10 down on WiFi #2's network until I changed the 5GHz's channel from 48 to 40, and now I get about 150 up and down. It's improved, but still not the normal speeds I used to get on the old PC or what I do get on WiFi #1. 

While I can get my correct speeds on WiFi #1, the range on that connection does not cover every room, which is why I got the Orbi network. So in the future, if I were to move my PC I would get the slower speeds which isn't ideal. 

What I've done so far to troubleshoot:

-Update my WiFi Drivers (22.160.0.4)

-Restarting my PC

-Restarting both WiFi routers

-Disabling Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) in the WiFi adapter settings

-Disabling and re-enabling the WiFi adapter

-Updating my BIOS Version (7D32v18)

-Updating the Orbi Network's firmware (v2.7.4.24)

-Disabling the Guest Network from WiFi #1's router

[Steven_Intel]

Hello hentear,

Thank you for posting on the Intel® communities.

Please perform the following steps:

• Make sure there are no pending Windows updates.
• Try using the recommended settings for 802.11ax connectivity based on the article https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000057574/wireless.html
• Perform a clean installation of the drivers provided by MSI v22.140.0.3 (https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MAG-Z690-TOMAHAWK-WIFI-DDR4/support#driver). If the issue persists, please try a clean installation with the latest generic driver version 22.160.0(https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/19351/windows-10-and-windows-11-wi-fi-drivers-for-intel-wireless-adapters.html)

Clean installation instructions: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000022173.html

Best regards,

Steven G.

Intel Customer Support Technician.

[Steven_Intel]

Were you able to check the previous post?

Let us know if you still need assistance.

Best regards,

Steven G.

Intel Customer Support Technician.

[hentear]

None of those steps worked unfortunately. I temporarily moved one of my Orbi Satellites next to my computer to test the speeds and got the full 300 Mbps, so the WiFi adapter is able to get those speeds on the Orbi WiFi network. I also moved my computer to the same room of the Orbi Router and got the same results. I'm assuming that there's something between my PC and the Orbi router in the next room over that is causing the slower speeds and just didn't have the same issue with my old PC.

I've since router an ethernet cable to my PC and have solved my issue, although it's not a solution that directly solves my concerns with the WiFi adapter and my network.

[Steven_Intel]

Thank you for your response.

I understand you have already found a workaround for this issue. You can try the following steps if you would like to keep troubleshooting:

• Make sure both the router and wireless adapter are using the same wireless standard. You may need to contact your Internet Service Provided to ensure this.
• Enable Unscheduled Automatic Power Save Delivery (uAPSD) on the wireless advanced settings tab.

As you mentioned, this could be an interference issue since the connection is working fine when both devices are closer. With that being said, we cannot discard the possibility of a hardware issue, for that reason we recommend you to contact the board manufacturer for further assistance.

Please keep in mind that this thread will no longer be monitored by Intel. Thank you for your understanding.  

Best regards,

Steven G.

Intel Customer Support Technician.