Intel® Wireless-N 7260 - slows

[SGowr]

Hi,

I have a problem with Intel Wireless-N 7260. The card works just fine, but after a few minutes transfer slows down to about 4Mb/s (802.11n -> 802.11b?).

I tried with all drivers and always have the same problem (now I have ,16.6.0.8). Sometimes the card loses connection and I must reset it.

Windows 7 64bit Professional on Lenovo Z510

Sorry for my english.

[RS17]

New official intel drivers 17.0.5 for Windows 8.1

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?lang=eng&changeLang=true&DwnldId=23994 https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?lang=eng&changeLang=true&DwnldId=23994

try it and let us know how works.

[RA6]

Robert7511

If these new drivers are real then why is it when I try to search the drivers on the site they still have 17.0.3 posted and they do not have these 17.0.5.8 drivers? Also have the made a Windows 7 version of these drivers?

Thank you

Robert

[JMeye10]

Hello together,

I want to share an experience:

Yesterday I loaded the new drivers, installed it and had the same BAD result like with the drivers before.

Today I uninstalled the drivers as described here:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/727499-wifi-remedies-samsung-laptops.html http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/727499-wifi-remedies-samsung-laptops.html

I had to repeat the uninstall of the driver round about 10 times. Every round a older version of the Intel driver as before was activated.

After the procedure I installed the version 17.0.5 of the driver and now I have a stable connection with an accetable speed, in the same enviroment, with HT enabled.

I don't know why it makes a difference? Intel, is your upgrade routine ok?

Regards,

Johannes

[tvete]

It does partially improve driver stability. I've always been removing all traces of old drivers before installing the new one. My 7260N works perfectly using that upgrade process with HT mode ON and full 100 Mbps internet.

[KFied]

I had exactly the same issue with my N7260 wifi card (lenovo z510) and I know how frustrating this could be. My solution below:

I'm using Windows 7, but there was a DVD with drivers attached to my z510 for Windows 8 (at least that's what is says on the DVD). I've browsed thru the WLAN drivers on that DVD and finally found the ones that worked for me

PLEASE NOTE: Before I installed these I've deleted N7260 from my Device Manager and I also removed all software in Add/Remove Programs that had anything to do with my WLAN and it worked

Here's the .zip package with Intel drivers. BTW. I have no idea why it's so large. When you unzip it it will be over 600MB. Anyway, choose the right version (x32 or x64) and install it:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2b1MwuubiSFbEdsNTJjMEdtNnM/edit?usp=sharing Intel.zip - Google Drive

Good luck!

[RLubi]

I had the N-7260 in my Dell Insprion 15R, and wasn't even getting half the download speed I should on my 2.4ghz N network, no matter what drivers, card settings, or router settings I used. (This was despite the wireless connection status to the router being reported as expected for my network, at 130mbps). Dell even replaced the N-7260 with a new one, no change. I was considering returning the computer for refund, but decided to instead try replacing the N-7260 with the Intel Centrino Advanced N-6205 that works well for me on my Lenovo Thinkpad W530. (I had also considered a Dell card with an Atheros-based chipset.) Bought a brand new N-6205 from an excellent eBay merchant for $16, installed it, and what a world of difference! Speedtest result immediately doubled from 23mbps download to 46. Then I made a few adjustments to the pc network settings (basically disabling QOS and the "topology" options) and card settings so that it mimicked the settings on the Lenovo, and that raised it to 57, same as the Lenovo, and what should be expected given my cable tier. FWIW, the two laptops are using different drivers for the N-6205...they both seem fine.

I was skeptical that switching to a different card would help, but it turned out to be a 100% solution! More in my earlier post:

[GBals]

Rick441, which OS are you running? What do you mean by "(basically disabling QOS and the "topology" options)"?

Thanks!

[RLubi]

TGunnar, my OS is Windows 7 Pro.

Regarding your other question, I'm referring the options that appear in properties for my wireless network connection, and specifically which ones I deselected (unticked). Screenshot below. (I don't use File & Printer Sharing, so that is unticked as well.) When I have QOS or either of the "Toplology Discovery Mappers" ticked, download speeds drop some, at least on my network. But replacing the N-7260 with an N-6205 was by far the most important part of the fix. Any further questions, let me know.

[GBals]

Good to know, thanks!

And very strange that my 7260 is working with the latest driver. I'll do another speed test with the 6205 in to see if there exists any difference...

UPDATE 7.3.2014

7260 kept disconnecting, installed 6205, see previous post for details.

[Jose_H_Intel1]

We are currently working on a new driver. I will keep you posted.

[JBeck13]

dear intel

same issue for me... 5ghz works, 2,4ghz is just terrible

to be honest, I don't belive that new drivers will fix this issue anymore

we have quite a number of this cards in our company, and they are blocking the daily business... People can't work with this devices.

do you have an estimated timeline for solving this issue, otherwise I'm forced to throw that cards out.

thanks,

jbe

[VGupt11]

Any Update on this?

I am yet another helpless user for the same card!

[tstob]

what problem do you have?

I put the 17.13.0.9 driver on mine last night, seems to work. this is with my router at home tho. my problem has been traveling. also when it goes to sleep I used to lost the card, will test that tonight.

I transferred a large 1gb file on my Wireless N seemed to work ok, not even sure how to benchmark that. my router is Asus RT-N16, so only Wireless N, works well with Merlin software.

will test it more this evening.

[VGupt11]

The problem is that whenever i am connecting to the wifi router, it goes down and all others connecting to this wifi, fails to connect until we restart it. This issue is there when i install 17.x.x but when i roll back drivers for N-7260 to16.5, i am able to access net but after a while..speed drops from double digit to single.....

thanks

Vinay gupta

[RWidm1]

joe_intel wrote on Jun 24, 2014 10:28 AM :

We are currently working on a new driver. I will keep you posted.

Joe from Intel, you posted this > 4 months ago, when this 7260 issue was already 6 mos old. Now its 10+ months old.

What is the issue? By now your engineers must know. Is there a recall/replacement program?

[PMans]

if Intel could have fixed it in the driver or with updated firmware, they'd have done so.

since I swapped my card for a 6235, I've never had an unexpected drop-out with linux. It takes an extra second to connect after resuming from sleep, and is not as quick as the 7260's peak performance, but no more pain of connections failing all the time.

I got nowhere complaining to Intel customer support, they simply wanted me to try different drivers for Windows, and play with the various settings, that simply mitigate the problem.

[RWidm1]

speculatrix wrote:

if Intel could have fixed it in the driver or with updated firmware, they'd have done so.

I got nowhere complaining to Intel customer support, they simply wanted me to try different drivers for Windows, and play with the various settings, that simply mitigate the problem.

Lenovo tech support troubleshooted my N 7260 which consisted of making a few settings different on the adapter... such as increasing roaming aggressiveness to "5. Highest" and confirming the deselection of "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" settings. We let the laptop sleep and like clockwork, when the laptop woke it did not recognize it had a wifi card.

Lenovo offered to send me a replacement card, but said it would be the same 7260. I asked if there was another card they could send, perhaps the 7265 that appears to have recently been released, since its widely known the 7260 is defective. They said they do not have any info on the 7265. OK then, I said to send the replacement 7260 so at least we could establish beyond a doubt that the 7260s are a defective product (as if there was any doubt). Then Lenovo came back on the line and said they had no 7260s available, and no information on when they might have them to send. In other words, no solution whatsoever.

I then asked what other non-Intel wifi cards would work with the Flex 15. They said none that they are aware of.

So what choice is there but class action and contacting the state attorney general for help? So short sighted. I used to think of Lenovo and Intel as quality companies.

[BB4]

You continue to characterize this card as "defective" as though that were a given.

And yet all kinds of us have that adapter working just fine. There are several of us here still posting with advice and experience about what you need to do to get it working. And if you'll read the longer threads, you'll see plenty of others that got it sorted out, said "bye" and haven't been back. Because their cards are working. Good luck with your lawsuit.

ProTip: if you deselect that power saving option, the card won't wake up.

[JSaud]

A vehicle does not need a 100% failure rate in order for a recall to be issued. Some of us, such as myself, have gone through 3 different operating systems with 4 different 7260 chips with countless driver swaps, along with the multitude of settings tweaks that has been described in this monumental thread, all with no success. Likewise, once I called Intel and mentioned 7260, even before describing my problem, they said they are aware of the issues and are working on a solution. I had even given all of my contact info to Intel, as they said their engineers would be "more interested" in working with me as an end user further to see if we can come up with a solution to the masses of users out there. Of course, Intel never called me to work on the issue further, so I have nothing further to add to that particular topic.

I no longer have a 7260, as I needed a device that worked and I was not prepared to play musical-part-swap for a 3rd round with Dell, who might I add provided rather decent support throughout this issue. Given that there were no other "swappable" parts in Dell's inventory that matched the form factor of the 7260, my entire laptop was replaced and works absolutely fine with the different model Dell that they offered me with an Atheros card. That being said, Intel's "keep quiet" behavior on the issue, supplemented by the magnitude of users who still, STILL continue to have issues does nothing but upset me as somebody who was a big supporter of Intel.

Point blank - Yes, this card is defective. If you got lucky, great, some people have. Some even had success with the tweaks at hand, but an alarming number of users found out it was only a matter of time before the issue resurfaced, as made clear by a lot of their follow-up replies. The fact is, a substantial portion of users have gone above and beyond the call of duty with their role of being an end user and have yet to get anywhere. That coupled with the time that has passed and you have a 2+2=5 situation. It's still a problem. It's still a rather big problem. And yet we're still looking at 5 as the answer. A fix is past due.

If a class action lawsuit is formed, I'd stand by it with confidence. This type of behavior is not acceptable by any stretch of the imagination. Intel is no exception.

[BB4]

Thanks for the well-written reply. I don't agree necessarily with your overall conclusion--not because I'm an apologist for Intel, but because personal and institutional experience suggests otherwise. But I am sympathetic to several points. The Intel techs or mods who reply here are not entirely "keeping quiet" on the issue, but I do think that the stock set of suggestions to try are somewhat thin. We get a lot more feedback from knowledgeable other users here. I think that they just don't have the personnel resources to devote to it. Probably why no one ever got back to you, as you described above.

Really, I don't think it's a matter of luck. What I do believe the crux of the issue is, is that the 7260 parts are just a tad beyond the ken of most ordinary end users. The great mass of peeps who buy laptops just want to plug them in and have them work. The higher number N and AC cards are more like enthusiast parts rather than end users parts. If you're comfortable with futzing with multiple settings, and, with these cards, sets of settings, then you can probably make it work. It's clear that many have. But that's not for everyone as is obvious in these threads.

Also, the OEMs don't quite seem to know how to monkey with them, either. If you read some of the forum pages from the mfr's sites, you can see some unbelievably wonky or totally-miss-the-point replies to questions about how to make wireless work. I think that the OEMs have figured that if they put in a brand name part that Windows is going to sort out the driver and power and configuration variables and that it's all going to work right out of the box. Well, it doesn't. Tech generations ago, maybe. Today, not so much.

Then, there's the body of info that becomes available to Intel and other component mfr's about their parts and how they aren't as plug-and-play as they all thought or hoped they would be. It's like the drug approval process: trials are run on limited numbers in a population and sufficient data are obtained to determine whether the product does what it's intended to do. And then, after it's released to the general population, you start to see all kinds of interactions and side effects that couldn't have been determined from the trials.

That's what we're seeing here in this forum. End users reporting side effects and interactions (or lack of interactions--like a stable connection with a router). These are what have led to the gaggle of drivers, I suspect, many of them not entirely successful. It does indeed smack of throwing it up and seeing what sticks.

But I think we know that a driver isn't going to fix all. I don't have any reason to doubt that these cards are simply not going to be able to realize their full potential with some routers, modems, or combinations thereof. When the locals suggest that you upgrade your modem firmware, that's the signal. And when the adapter settings are optimized and the firmware is current and you're still no go, game over man. They're not going to tell anyone that you'd better just get a newer modem.

Finally, shame on the OEMs for two things: one, putting enterprise parts, with too many things to have to know about and screw around with, in home user devices, and, two, for whitelisting parts in the BIOS. If I want to swap out something that I and my tech support can't figure out, then let me. And if Intel is complicit in that with, for example, Lenovo, then boo on you.

There you go. I got no skin in the game with Intel. I just think we need to have some balance in this discussion, somewhere between recalls and lawsuits at one extreme, and puppies and kitties and kumbaya on the other.

[JSaud]

@ GattoNero, hi there - I appreciate your well written response as well. I don't mean to go on to some sort of self righteous "I'm a tech guru" type of extreme, but it's worth noting a few key points. I work in the IT field and am very familiar with all of these settings changes, parameters, etc with both Windows as well as Linux. I have active bug reports with several Linux trackers in regard to this issue, which I initiated prior to realizing this is also an issue that exists on Windows with identical problems. When you have hardware failing to this degree across Windows 7, 8, Ubuntu, Fedora, Mint, you name it, it's difficult to not point the finger at Intel; the hardware manufacturer. It's also worth mentioning that I have tried a total of 3 home routers (one in active use, two on the shelf I set up for testing this 7260 issue), along with my work environment's wireless, and all four environments did nothing positive in regard to my wireless performance.

I hope you can understand that the level of troubleshooting I've done, coupled with the lack of response from Intel has caused me to be a little more callus in regard to this issue. This card is a year and a half old. There have been countless reports about it. I never said that the 7260 is a 100% failure, but to ignore the magnitude of users reporting the-very-same-issue with this card would be downright foolish, yet Intel hasn't addressed it.

I understand that you cannot possibly test every single scenario prior to release. I get that. I understand it. Here's the difference. If Intel would have released the card, problems arose, they said "whoops" and addressed it, that'd be fine. I would support a company that messes up left right and sideways *but* fixes the issue over a company that does nothing to address a widespread issue any day of the week.

I apologize for being so callus, but Intel's lack of communication, response, and activity on the issue has caused this situation to come to this. Nothing bothers me more than a large corporation selling a product that has known issues without addressing those issues. Again, if Intel would announce today "hey folks, here's the plan to address this" I'd change my stance entirely. But given they're not, and undoubtedly won't, I can only look at them with a magnitude of frustration.

I mean, let me ask you this. Put yourself in the shoes of myself and the users facing the issue. What... what do we do? We've replaced the card. Some of us have had motherboards, antennas, this-that-and the other replaced, all with no dice. We've tested other operating systems, drivers, settings, and preferences, again all with no success. We have a non-functional product that we paid money for. What do you do? Sing kumbaya? Sorry for being so abrasive - but I certainly don't think so. If Intel would actually address the issue at hand, I'd be happy to host a bon-fire to sing a little kumbaya with Intel being my primary guest, but until then...