Serious throughput issues with Intel AC7260

[SMons2]

I've been repeating myself for a while now on other threads, but as requested:

- Hardware used - NUC D54250- 16GB RAM- 480GB SSD

- Windows 7 x64 Pro (relatively clean install, all Windows updates done, all the latest Intel drivers installed as of 20/11/2014)

- Using an Intel 7260AC Dual Band card with driver version 17.1.0.19

I'm currently using a Netcomm NB304N (it's an Australian designed N300 wireless modem / router with the latest firmware installed). But that's besides the point.

I've a 6 year old laptop with an Intel 5100 half-height card that runs off said modem / router no problems from the same location as the NUC. I have suffered from limited access from sleep (and very seldom still do, but VERY seldom, and at completely random intervals, despite the "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" tick box being checked in Device Manager.

The problem

Serious throughput issues. The 7260 has some serious issues with speed. As an example, I cannot stream 1080 on Youtube without the thing buffering every two minutes. 720 fares a little better but still buffers and sometimes gets stuck on buffering; extremely frustrating, and embarassing when the NUC is being used for legitimate work (eg, Skype conference calls). And I am at a pains to know / find out how to resolve this. My download speeds on the 7260 are approximately 4Mbps. Upload speeds are around 1Mbps but where I live that's (proportionally at least) normal. The internet service I've signed to offers around 20Mbps, and my other machine using the 5100 card gets around 15Mbps download and around 5Mbps up.

Been using and monitoring Intel's Download Center page for the 7260 since May, but my research regarding this whole issue (throughput AND limited access) suggests this has been going on for quite a while. That's my frustration.

Troubleshooting

Well, tell me what to do as offered above and I'll do it. As it stands now, I've tweaked the settings in Device Manager, swapped out drivers left-right-and-center, BIOS settings (which have inevitably failed...). There's very little 2.4GHz interference where I am, but again, that's besides the point because the 5100 on another computer works completely fine at the same location.

Concluding

Now. I do apologise if I ever sounded confrontational. That's not intentional, rather it's the frustration setting in. But there's gotta be a point where someone from Intel tells us 'sorry we don't know and can't help', and let the problematic users move on. Well, I sort of have already with a Asus USB dongle but I don't think that was designed for 10 hours a day usage (it gets rather warm)... So yeah.

Any suggestions to fix the limited access upon wakeup once and for all, and the more annoying speed issues, is greatly appreciated.

[BB4]

<<The internet service I've signed to offers around 20Mbps>>

That's pretty awful--2.5 MB/s, considering you have a card that can do 37+ MB/s on the 2.4band.

But beside that, you should try the 17.12 driver that has been linked multiple times in the other threads you've posted to.

Install that driver, then post back here:

All of your Advanced settings in the adapter properties.

Your Power Mgt. tab settings

Your router settings. Both bands if you have two.

Also, as was written elsewhere, this might be an antenna issue, for both devices. Your other PC isn't even maxing out the router. Despite what we work out with the driver and router settings, that router might just be a flop.

[SMons2]

Yeah. Was on fibre a few months ago but moved, and stuck on a (much) slower copper connection. The issue however has been with me since I had fibre, so we're back to square one

Also. Spent 30 minutes carefully prying the NUC's motherboard from the chassis (that was fun...). No visible issues with the antennae within the NUC. Unsure what you meant by 'antenna issue, for both devices', because the laptop using the 5100 card is perfectly fine (and has always been). I'm only suspecting the speed readings to be like that because of a bug in Windows 7 maybe. Anyways.

Wasn't keen that the 17.12 driver is not official (and it's from an unknown source as far as I'm concerned). Have nothing to lose so... Gave it a try by:

- Extracting the Win7 folder that I found inside (hence bypassing the ProSet software) - Uninstalled the 17.1.0.19 driver

- Restarted the NUC

- Went back to Device Manager

- Right-click, then chose Update Driver

- Pointed the target as the Win7 folder extracted earlier, and that installed 17.12

- Gave the NUC another reboot

First-time connection with the new driver stayed in the 'identifying' stage for a few minutes. Then it sussed itself out, and off I went testing.

So far so good. Have NOT TOUCHED A SINGLE SETTING in Device Manager. I'm streaming 1080 Youtube videos and sweet baby buddha it is not buffering. At all. It's been 20 minutes, and not a single buffer related lag.

So yeah. Looks like it's been a driver issue all along. Going to play with the connection a bit more and see how it fares, but it's looking good. Heck, even put the NUC to sleep and woke it back up 2 minutes later. No issues.

If only Intel officially releases 17.12, then I'm all happy now.

A big thanks for the 17.12 suggestion Gatto, and to anyone else reading, apologies for the constant spammage elsewhere.

[BB4]

<<If only Intel officially releases 17.12, then I'm all happy now.>>

Intel farmed it out to the OEMs. CRCinAU got his somewhere (don't remember), I found it also at Lenovo. His is a straightforward extracted set of saved folders, so it's the same thing as you'll get when Intel puts it up here. I ran Lenovo's executable and cancelled at the point of install. That way the extracted folders are saved but none of the ProSet stuff or setup runs.

A simple driver update, like you did in Device Manager, is the way to go. For a home user, ProSet is just overhead you don't need.

I'm still considering 17.12 as a Release Candidate. I get a rare failure to wake with it, but nothing at all like the other 17s which regularly failed to wake.

Previous driver I tried that worked as intended and which I had been using since last year, until trying 17.12, was 16.6. That's always been "Old Reliable".

[SMons2]

Right. Back to square one.

Driver 17.12 has gone belly-up on me. Working perfectly fine two days ago, some sporadic speed variances yesterday (but tolerable), but today... Absolutely refused to connect to anything today. Running CMD and pinging the router, it was getting 'Request timed out' half the time, and if not, the pings were taking over 2000ms on average. Had not changed a single setting in Device Manager, so I wasn't experimenting with anything.

Have reset the router (powered off for 5 minutes before powering back on) and no difference. In the meanwhile, the 5100 on a different computer is still going without issues.

Downgraded back to driver 17.1.0.19 in the meanwhile which works, but have the throughput variances once again (but hey at least it's working).

So. Any suggestions?

[tvete]

Since you're using Windows 7 x64, try the 16.8.0.6 or 16.6.0.8 drivers which are suited for that OS. I'm personally using 16.8.0.6 drivers and not planning to update since it's working perfectly. I get all of my 100/10 internet plan with very minimal jitter:

[SMons2]

Many thanks theveterans. Are you able to link a URL for a reliable download page? A google search brings up links from OEMS (eg, Lenovo and Dell) for beta drivers which seem to have ProSet bundled...

[tvete]

Here's 16.6.0.8 drivers which I recommend testing. This driver is only for Windows 7 x64. Intel removed this version in their website for unknown reasons:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/p1oo9yy0g8ctp0j/wireless_16.6.0_Ds64.exe?dl=0 Dropbox - wireless_16.6.0_Ds64.exe

[BB4]

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?DwnldID=23392 https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?DwnldID=23392

<<Intel removed this version in their website for unknown reasons>>

A vanilla Google search for "intel proset wireless 16.6" pulls this right up.

Release notes for 16.6: http://downloadmirror.intel.com/23392/eng/wireless_16.6.0_relnotes.htm Release Notes for Intel® PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software

Interesting reading here re: 17.12: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:Dl5ItoyyH_MJ:ftp://70.35.58.70/Notebook/Intel_WLAN/WLAN_v17.12/Intel%2520PROSet%2520WiFi%252017.12%2520Production%2520Version%2520-%2520SHWFW0538G.pdf+&cd=10&hl=en&ct=clnk http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:Dl5ItoyyH_MJ:ftp://70.35.58.70/Notebook/Intel_WLAN/WLAN_v17.12/Inte…

[SMons2]

Cheers for the drivers.

Interesting note; I'm still on 17.1.0.19 because the throughput issues that I've been having with it before are now gone (it's like when I first installed 17.12; no issues). It's day two now and still no issues to report. Pings to the router are taking a little long but as far as Skype calls in hi-def goes, not a single problem (and I've not changed settings in Device Manager)

Have downloaded 16.6 as a just-in-case though, so cheers once again.

Saw the web-cache and that's interesting how the 17.12 driver (the latest one) is still known to have issues, and very interesting how the rectification is a 'disable / enable, or reboot'...

Either way, will keep everyone updated with how the 17.1.0.19 fares. Because I'm at a loss for a logical explanation as to why this driver is working fine now when previously it wasn't...

[BB4]

Since you had the same experience with 17.12, I'm suspecting that it's not a driver issue.

[WKamp1]

I have been infected with my the same issue "Serious throughput issues with Intel AC7260".

History:

1. Using Windows 8.1 Pro using a new Toshiba KIRABOOK notebook using a AC7260 network adapter.
2. Was infected with my first problem "Intel AC7260 limited access after sleep"
   1. Solved 80% of this issueby using Driver "Intel AC-7260 V17.12.0.4"
   2. Reduced the throughput to about 7 MB/s using a ASUS RT-AC68U wireless router on 5GHZ band. Expecting minimum 70 to 100 MB/s.
   3. Above driver basically using 5GHZ band gives with a max speed of 300, instead of at least 700.

In other words, I have two issues, giving me headaches using the AC7260 Intel Adapter.

If anyone can direct me to revolving this BIG Intel problem I appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

Wouter

[SMons2]

If anything, I'm still on 17.1.0.19 (no change since my previous post) and my speeds are still somewhat holding up. Certainly no buffering when Skyping or streamining 1080 Youtube videos, but most certainly can be faster. Pinging my router during the more congested times (by congested, I mean 2x other devices nearby, tops, using the same network), the speeds get dismal.

No changes to any settings in Device Manager for me (all default), and again, no physical issues to report with respect to my NUC's antennae. Alas, I'm still thinking the drivers need some work to rectify all these issues.

Curious note. Bought a VAIO Tap 11 on sale the other day. Comes with the 7260 N card, and is running off driver 16.6. That sometimes randomly disconnects, but immediately reconnects. But only sometimes, and the speeds I get on that are superior over what I'm getting on the 7260AC on my NUC. Might try 16.6 sometime soon...

[tvete]

Well, 16.6.0.8 is one of the fastest drivers out there, but it's not as stable as some other drivers (applies only to Windows 8/8.1).