Intel Wireless Adapter Driver Confusions (TP-Link Archer Wireless Card)

[Decaf]

Hi All! I will try to be concise but I want to give full context as to my niche problem. My computer is Intel based, with an MSI Z370 Mother board and with a MSI wireless card (I don't know which one, but the model number on the card is MS-B905C), which is now 6+ years old. We have ATT Gig fiber. My download speed is pretty much limited to 25 Mbps, with some small variations. I have a nighthawk router that is around 5 years old as well. I always attributed the slow download speed to network/device throttling etc, and never gave it much thought. A couple weeks ago I got out my old Dell gaming laptop I was using before I bought my PC, which is maybe 7 years old, and it was downloading large games consistently at 120-150+ Mbps, on the exact same network. This got me thinking that maybe my wireless card in my PC was just not great, as it was just the stock one they put in when I had it built. That's just some context, and now is where I'm struggling, which is with Drivers.

Last week after I noticed the speed issues, I looked at my network adapter, and went onto the intel site to download the most recent drivers to see if that helped, which led me to the Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6e AX210 160MHz driver, the file name is "WiFi-22.230.0-Driver64-Win10-Win11". Installed it, worked fine, but no change in my download speed. Then I went and ordered a new wireless card to see if I could get better speeds, which is the TP-Link AX3000, which is the model "Archer TX3000E". I don't have a CD drive in my PC, so I went to the site in their guide to download the drivers before swapping out the card. The driver package was Intel drivers, specifically "WiFi-22.180.0-Driver64-Win10-Win11". Upon installation of the Archer driver packs, it just says "Unable to install, newer version already found" which makes sense just looking at the numbers. At this point, my internet still works, the driver that I previously updated is listed as the network adapter, but my speeds with the new card, which advertised much higher download speeds, is barely higher, at around 35-45 Mbps, much lower than is possible on my network as shown by my laptop, and much lower than the new tp-link card should be getting, so I'm back to thinking maybe its a driver issue. 

Now here is the actual problem. I wanted to try using the correct drivers for the card, so I went to the Intel FAQ on driver installation, and followed the instructions to uninstall the current driver. Device Manager > Network adapter > Find wireless Adpater > Uninstall wireless device > Check box to also remove associated drivers > restart computer. So now I had no network adapter installed with no internet connection. I run the Archer pack Wifi driver installation file as an administrator as instructed, and get the same "Newer version already exists" error message right away. I go and look through everything again, there's no intel wifi adapter in my device list or in my Program manager list. So I go to my download folder, and reinstall with the driver update I had originally used for my old card. and it worked fine again. Now my network adapter is back to reading "Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6e AX210 160MHz". I have since repeated this process, trying everything I can to remove the Drivers first, and I always get the same "Newer version already exists" even when there shouldn't be one installed at all. So if you've made it this far, here are my questions:

1. Is this newer driver, the Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6e AX210 160MHz driver, the one that I'm actually supposed to be using, and the tp-link website is just outdated for driver packs? And could a Driver difference as described cause lower speeds, even though it still works for my new card?

2. If so, why does my computer not list the Archer TX3000E as my current Network adapter as is shown in pictures on the tp-link website and other sources I've found the show the computer recognizing it as the current card?

3. Leading me to think that maybe there could be a built in Intel wireless adapter that is being used instead of the new card which is why my speeds are still low? (unlikely I know but just a thought)

4. Is it normal for the network adapter name to not reflect the actual make/model of the physical wireless card?

5. What could other reasons be for why my download speed is still slow on my PC and not on my 7 year old laptop? Unless this new card also sucks and the stock one in my laptop is just really good for its time? (The Archer card is at the top of multiple lists for newer wireless gaming cards and should have high download speed capabilities)

If you've made it this far I thank you for your time, even if you don't have any insights or ideas. I consider myself tech savy so I'm always happy to learn more about how all this stuff works, even if nothing changes for me, but I'd really like to get some higher download speeds which I know is possible. Thanks again!

J

[Jocelyn_Intel]

Hello, @Decaf  

Thank you for posting on the Intel® communities.  

It is worth mentioning that Intel does not support wireless integrations (installing a different wireless adapter into your system/laptop). We recommend you speak to the Manufacturer of your equipment for support on wireless integrations and replacement parts to ensure compliance with the regulatory requirements of your country and support. It is important to check for compatibility with the System Manufacturer, as there could be certain cards that will not work with the system.  

For more information, read the following article under the title "Regulatory Information Regarding Wireless Hardware Installation or Upgrade." 

Besides, Intel doesn't support and is not aware of the support or drivers of third-party products such as the Archer wireless cards. If you need assistance with this product specifically, contact the proper manufacturer of this card. 

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

Best regards,    

Jocelyn M.    

Intel Customer Support Technician.   

[n_scott_pearson]

If I understand correctly, you have a Wireless card of some sort attached to your motherboard. You then added a PCIe card hosting Intel AX210 silicon. Correct so far? Ok, so...

1. Did you remove the Wireless card attached to your motherboard? (hint: you should have)
2. Did you switch your antenna connections from the motherboard over to the PCIe card? (hint, you should have)

...S

[Decaf]

Thanks for your response! Yes I removed the old wireless card and disconnected the connector, inserted the new wireless card into the same PCIe slot and plugged the new card into the motherboard. The old card is no longer in the computer.

@Jocelyn_Intel  Thanks for your response as well! That is all good information to know. To be honest I did think it was weird that their driver pack brought me to the intel site. The card came with a CD installation, but my PC does not have a CD rom so their instructions send you to their home page, and when you click on the driver download for that model card it redirects to the intel driver download site. I guess my whole problem is that I'm weirded out that its using the intel drivers, that it works with different intel drivers than the ones it had me download, and mainly that my PC isn't recognizing it as the card that it is but as an intel wireless Adapter. All very strange, but I appreciate the info. 

@Podaen Thanks for that link! I will try that. Those steps look very similar to what I have tried a couple times except for using a different PCIe slot and trying to show hidden devices, I'll have to look around for that, but I thought I could see my wireless adapter, and I was selecting uninstall while also checking "remove associated drivers" and then when I was reinstalling the drivers it was showing up as the same wireless adapter rather than the new one of the different brand. But anyway thanks a bunch for taking time to post that help, much appreciated!

[Podaen]

Check here My solution