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Intel centrino wireless-n 2230 keeps dropping connection.

idata
Employee
53,800 Views

Hi I've been looking through some of the threads but i cant really find an answer to my issue.

I recently got my self a Dell Inspiron 17R SE and it comes with the Intel Centrino wireless-n 2230.

I cant really do much stuff on the internet or play online games as the internet keeps dropping out.

I have updated the driver and still nothing. I really don't know what else to do any help will be much appreciated.

Thanks.

some more information. I know its not the internet as my family can use there laptops/Games consoles without any internet issues.

OS: Windows 8.

256 Replies
SJohn21
Beginner
1,206 Views

This crazy issue is just tarnishing the Intel's name further and further. I think i will follow your advice too(Since its ok to spend $20). I will never ever purchase a laptop with intel wireless adapter again in my life. This wireless adapter is the worst.

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LKowa
Novice
1,206 Views

Everyone having issues please refer to the folllowing post:

Please make sure you have your routers configured optimally and your channel that your router is configured on is not congested.

This often is the cause for connection anomalies and correcting it greatly improves network performance.

It also helps that you configure your router to be set to the correct data rate. To perform this configuration change please see the router manufacturer's documentation.

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TRani
Beginner
1,206 Views

Same problem with a Mini-PCI 2230 card mounted into a new Intel NUC i5 model. It had all the characteristics of being an apparent hardware problem.

However, strangely, completely removing the driver (device manager, selecting the card, pressing delete button and checking to remove the driver software) and reinstalling Intel's complete software package (didn't choose driver-only) solved the problem, it now seems stable even in Wireless-N. Previously it could only be made stable by disabling N mode.

Edit: Scrap that, it didn't become stable at all. Just a random incident, also the working under G mode part. The card just plain and simple does not seem to work very well. Think I'll just flush this card down the toilet and get a $5 Atheros off Ebay which for sure should save me a lot of unecesary work.

Intel should simply stop selling these, considering how widespread and severe the problems seem to be.

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aolda1
Novice
1,206 Views

Er, don't quite know what's happened and don't want to jinx this by commenting but I'm on about day two or three of having a stable connection and not one drop. No idea how. Not much help to those still having issues but thought I'd drop by with an update. Wonder if there's been an 'update' to the drivers? weird.

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aolda1
Novice
1,206 Views

Normal service has resumed! Nice to have a few days of stability but now back to my fourth drop of the morning. Reading above with people changing routers and still having problems? got to be the card itself, i changed roaming to medium seemed to work a bit, but yeah has to be the card for all these varieties of issues to keep occuring. Also seems to drop off when switching websites. On Chrome btw.

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aolda1
Novice
1,206 Views

Welp I give up, need to save up money for a good set of powerline adapters as this card is now taking the p**s. Unreal drops of connection (boom! there she goes again) after a few solid days now its gone ridiculous. Network trouble shooting three times inside of a minute!? utter rubbish. (dropped three times whilst trying to post this)

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JSchm12
Beginner
1,206 Views

I went through a good week or ten days with few problems, then last night I couldnt go ten minutes without a drop.

Im just going to buy a new card.

Sick of this.

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MBoon1
Beginner
1,206 Views

Talked with dell tech support. They helped, did some stuff, and so far so good. I will say when the streak ends.

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jbb
Novice
1,206 Views

I've found a solution that works for me. I got a new modem. I was using a Netgear modem and it kept on disconnecting every few minutes. I dug up an old Dlink DIR635 modem and tried it (modem has old drivers in it). Worked and no disconnection, still going on for about 6-7 days.

I then tried a new Dlink DIR835 and was a stable but kept on dropping every few hours.

The Dlink DI635 modem works just fine. I'm not sure why as I didn't change any settings on the laptop.

Maybe the DIR635 has better range and signal strength. I honestly don't know.

I still think Intel has a lot to answer for. With this many people experiencing the same issue they should have come up with a solution. This is not an isolated case Intel, fix the problem.

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LKowa
Novice
1,206 Views

Did you all try the fix I linked to?

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DGian
Beginner
1,206 Views

I recently

 

got myself with a Toshiba Satellite P70-A-104 with Windows 8 -> 8.1 -> format windows 7 and it comes with the Intel

 

Centrino wireless-n 2230. Guess what? This network Wi-Fi adapter sucks at

 

all!!! It doesn't work properly with any of the windows versions!!!

In wireless

 

networks in two different routers I face lot of disconnections and although laptop

 

connects properly to various Wi-Fi networks but it just drops the connection

 

even if I keep it right next to the antennas!

When I put

 

in these 2 routers Ethernet cable (Atheros network card) between router and

 

laptop I have full speed and no disconnections!!! What is going on? I am very disappointed

 

from Intel!!!I have a lot of Intel products and those network adapters are very

 

bad!!! Please find a solution to our problem!!!
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Jbert5
Beginner
1,206 Views

The problem was solved when I disabled the wifi N (the most recent wifi protocol)

 

I noticed this problem, which also added to interference probably.

 

I think you can disable it in the driver settings.

 

Try this

 

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BYeun1
Novice
1,206 Views

I finally fixed my problem and got it to work on wireless N . I bought a newer router and now my wifi does not drop, slow down, or stutter. The card works much better with this new router than my older one.

I still find this card disappointing, as it should be backwards compatible with older N routers. If you cannot buy a new router than I recommend setting your card to wireless G until you get a newer router. Of course any wireless N router will be backwards compatible with G, even on your more "advanced" wireless adapter. My older laptops with N worked fine with my old router too. Well, I'm done complaining, good luck to the rest of you.

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JSchm12
Beginner
1,206 Views

As a last resort I shut off my N much like others here and it seems to improve performance. No drops so far over a couple days.

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TRani
Beginner
1,206 Views

That one worked for me for a couple of days as well, before it crashed again and became unable to keep a stable connection even for five good minutes!

Since a couple weeks I am now running an Atheros AR5B195 Wifi+bluetooth combo card bought for $3 on E-bay from China.

100% smooth operation, zero drops, 30-50 megabit speeds most of the time. Just what Wifi-N is supposed to be in an environment without too many disturbance sources. So life is now good. I am going to return the Intel 2230 card to the store right now. Not much money, but certainly enough to buy a fine bottle of Cabernet to celebrate the fact that I have now gotten rid of the little absurdly problem-ridden silicon brick.

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mmite1
Beginner
1,206 Views

This driver worked for me after three days of searching. Don't uninstall the older one, just upgrade to this version: wireless_16.1.5_e64

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AHegh
Beginner
1,206 Views

Hello,

I have the same problems with me Intel N 2230 wireless card. I bought a Lenovo S430 Notebook with Windows 8 and updated to 8.1. I also have the newest drivers for the WLAN adapter (but I have to mention, that it worked with no driver until now). First I thought my old router would be the problem, so I bought a new one (Fritz Box 3390). But the connection drops remained not only the same, they got worse with every day. It started with one connection drop per five minutes and until now I have two connection drops per minute, which is absolutely ridiculous and makes working with the laptop impossible.

My second notebook (with a WLAN adapter from another company) and even my Smartphone don't have any connection problems at all. The distance from the router for every device is the same (but it doesn't matter if the N 2230 card is one meter next to the router or five meters).

Here's what I tried (and doesn't work for me):

- Update Intel drivers

- Downgrade Intel drivers (and update again)

- Update Windows from 8.0 to 8.1

- Buy new router

- Change 20 MHz router bandwith to 40 MHz

- Change router auto-channel to fixed channels and tried every non overlapping channels

- Disables energy saving features of router and WLAN adapter

- Changed position of the notebook within the room with the router

- Disabled all other wifi devices in the apartment (wireless mouse / smartphones / notebooks)

- Change settings of N 2230 card according to this article: http://www.intel.com/support/de/wireless/wlan/sb/cs-025332.htm http://www.intel.com/support/de/wireless/wlan/sb/cs-025332.htm

I would really appreciate a solution for this problem or a answer, if it is a hardware issue.

Best regards,

vespear

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JSchm12
Beginner
1,206 Views

Shut off the N portion of the card - connect with the B or D.

Not only did drops stop but (surprisingly) my performance got better too.

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AHegh
Beginner
1,198 Views

Hello corsors,

thanks for your advice. I tried this already, but it had no influence on my connection drops.

Best regards,

vespear

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PM5
Beginner
1,198 Views

Intel continues to congratulate you !!!

I have had my wifi card replacement, 3 types of routers. Now just a few weeks old router with new firmware, latest intel wifi driver and shittier than it was ever !!! Now I can't use normaly for half an hour. 20 Mbit/s internet running at 1Mbit/s, hooray what a performance in 2013.

You can't write a normal driver more than one and a half years ? What kind of people work there?

 

This sh*t is killing me mentally, already half a year.

 

System Windows7 64bit. I have bought usb wifi, but I don't want to use it, cause I want use the main wifi.

 

Never Intel machine, never anything that intel ! :@
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Jose_H_Intel1
Employee
1,198 Views

We are looking for more volunteers willing to assist testing and debugging drivers. The people who would like to help with this task must be using our latest driver (15.10.3.2 for Windows* 8/8.1) and still have connection drops. Please note the following considerations:

  • Be a technical savvy person in wireless networking.
  • Be willing to install/uninstall drivers and provide feedback.
  • Have software skills. If possible, knowledgeable in software debugging.
  • Be located within the United States (Portland, Oregon is a plus).
  • Intel® wireless adapter must be preinstalled by the system manufacturer.

In order to participate please send me a private message.

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