Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter - Dell XPS15 9570 Windows10

[MGUser]

I'm experiencing random wireless disconnection in my Dell XPS15 9670 PC, which is equipped with Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Network Adapter.

I tried to update driver, delete and reinstall the device ... nothing worked to fix the issue.

I saw various threads in the Internet that refer to this issue, but none of them provided a clear and final solution.

Is there any?

Many thanks in advance for the support.

[Khun_Doug]

MGUser,

What version of Windows 10 is installed on the laptop? And what is the driver version of the Killer wireless adapter?

Would you describe the wireless you are connecting to? What model router or access point? Are there other devices and people sharing the wireless? How close to the wireless are you, and what types of obstructions to the wireless is there?

[MGUser]

Hello and thank you for the reply (which I'm reading just now; for some reason I had no notification email).

Herein my answers.

PC OS: Windows 10 version 21H1; build 19043.1055

PC Driver: Qualcomm Atheros Communications Inc, version 12.0.0.948, date 22/04/2020

Wireless Access Point:  it's my home access point, which my ISP rebranded and provided me with; it should be dual band Zyxel 8825; it's configured to work at 2.4 GHz (bandwidth 20/40 MHz) and 5 GHz (bandwidth 20/40/80 MHz).

The only user of the wireless is myself, with two devices; the Dell PC at issue and a smartphone. The Smartphone never experiences issues.

The Dell PC randomly disconnects from the Access Point even when I work very close to it, with no obstruction in between.

Disconnections are extremely frequent (so that the WiFi is practically unusable) when the Dell WiFi device is set to work  in "Wireless Mode" "12-11 a/b/g/n/ac" (it's a setting which you can do by accessing the "Advanced Configuration" of the device);

disconnections are less frequent (but still, annoying, as they randomly happen three-five times during a standard working day) when the device is set to work in "08-11 a/b/g/n" mode.

I tried to: update drivers, remove and reinstall the device, change different configuration parameters of the device (e.g. disabling mimo power saving, setting  roaming aggressiveness to 'lowest', different settings of preferred band .... )  with no success.

Thank you again for the support. Whatever advice is welcome.

[Khun_Doug]

MGUser,

On the Dell PC have you tried configuring the wireless to prefer the 2.4 GHz band instead of allowing automatic selection? I am curious if the frequent disconnects are so frequent on the 2.4 GHz band.

Also, has this ever worked properly and then suddenly began being problematic? For example, was the wireless working correctly when you first got the laptop, and then it started to disconnect after some period of weeks or months? And is the Killer 1535 the original adapter that was in the laptop?

[MGUser]

Hi Khun.

Yes, I tried to set 2.4 GHz as the preferred bandwidth and disconnections still happen.

The adapter I'm using is the original one. At the beginning, disconnections were really uncommon; even if there was one sometimes (say, one in a few days).

Then, they started being more common: I don't know what the reason could be (of course, I've been continuously updating bios, drivers and OS).

I tried various set ups, with no or little success.

BTW, I've seen lots of complains in some blogs about this issue (as an example: https://www.dell.com/community/XPS/Dell-XPS-15-7590-Killer-WiFi-Network-Adapter-Issue/td-p/7522523).

Thank you for your support.

[Khun_Doug · Accepted solution]

MGUser,

Just so you know, I don't work for Dell or Intel. I am a retired IT Network Admin with more than 30 years in the business. After reading the other thread/forum you included in your post, the one recommendation is similar to the one I was about to suggest. It could the AC-1535 just isn't that good in the configuration Dell used. One user in the other thread replaced that with a different M.2 Wi-Fi adapter and the problems stopped.

My thought is that possibly you have a defective adapter. But you won't be able to verify that without Dell getting involved. And depending on the status of your warranty, there could some cost associated with having Dell look at the laptop. You will need to weigh the costs of having Dell work on the laptop versus just replacing the adapter. If you do go the replacement route, you will need to be sure that whatever you buy is compatible with your laptop.

Alternatively, you can get a USB wireless adapter. There must be at least 100 to choose from. I know this isn't the best option, but it will be easier than replacing the internal adapter, or paying Dell to service the laptop.

[MGUser]

Dear Khun_Doug,

I actually came to the same conclusions and just wanted to check whether there was any alternative workaround to apply.

Thanks again.

[MGUser]

Just to close the issue,

I've replaced the Killer 1535 wifi card with an Intel AX200. 

So far, so good.

Thank you again for the support

[ClariceStarling]

I see this problem on the Dell community also ... it's really discouraging that so many people could have the same problem.  My WiFi on my NUC was cutting out periodically and after doing some standard trouble shooting, I scanned for corrupted files on System File Checker.  It did repair some corrupted files and I haven't had any problems since.  Could be a coincidence, but I think it's always a good idea to make sure you don't have any corrupted files.  Might not fix it ... but can't hurt!  

[ClariceStarling]

BTW Intel Community Support is better than Dell Community Support ... Dell is hard to read imo!  The way Intel has the posts condensed in one column is more useful in my opinion! 

[n_scott_pearson]

Have you tried doing a clean install of the original drivers provided by Dell? If Dell actually tested their products before delivering them into your hands, this should work.

If you want to try, use a process like this:

1. Download the original drivers (do not attempt to install them just yet).
2. Disconnect Internet access completely. Unplug Ethernet cable and disable Wireless connections.
3. In Device Manager, find the entries for the Wireless (and Bluetooth, if supported) driver(s). If none, go to Step 7.
4. Uninstall these driver entries (select to delete associated software).
5. Reboot (keeping Internet access disconnected).
6. Go to Step 3.
7. Install the Wireless (and Bluetooth, if supported) driver packages downloaded in Step 1.
8. Reboot.
9. Check to see if this loaded drivers successfully. Test Bluetooth device connection if you can.
10. (Very Important!) Disable Windows Update (so it cannot automatically replace these original drivers).
11. Reconnect to Internet and test wireless.

If successful, you can reenable Windows Update if you wish. This could possibly replace the drivers and screw things back up, however.

Hope this helps,

...S

[MGUser]

Thanks.

That will be my last attempt.