Sporadic but recurring connection dropouts on an Intel 6235 wireless adapter

[idata]

Dear all,

I have the same issues of intermittent sudden connection dropouts as reported by others with the Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6235 Wifi adapter and the Intel Proset 15.x drivers!

My system is a brandnew desktop computer with an Intel i7 3770 Quad-Core CPU, an Intel Z77 chipset, an Asrock Z77E-ITX mainboard, 16 GB of RAM, and Windows 7 64-bit.

Previously, I already encountered the issue with this adapter's predecessor, the Intel Centrino 6230 and only managed to resolve it by going back to an older driver version. If my memory is correct, the Intel Proset 14.x version range worked flawlessly, but the 15.x drivers lead to the dropouts (I always use 64-bit drivers).

These can occur randomly after 5 or after 50 minutes. The adapter suddenly disconnects and won't reconnect to the wireless network unless it is reset. The wireless router itself is fine as there are over a dozen devices from all types of brands that connect regularly to it without any problem at all.

The fact that the problem occurs on two different cards (6230 and 6235) leads me to believe that there is a driver problem.

On the 6235, going back to a 14.x driver does not seem to be an option on the table, because the device seems to be only supported by 15.x versions. I already tried going back from the recent 15.2 version to the previous 15.1.1 (after uninstalling through the device manager), but the problem still persists. Now I just went back to 15.1.0 and it's been ok so far, but i'm not very optimistic.

I have tried different changes in the driver settings but with no success. The problem persists!

I'd be thankful for a solution.

Best regards,

Steve

Edited 9/5/2014 by John S. (Intel Customer Support).

The "/message/169514# 169514 Sporadic but recurring connection dropouts on an Intel 6235 wireless adapter" thread will be locked. This thread will remain on the forum for you to reference, but no new posts will be possible on this thread.

The 17.1.0 version of Intel® PROSet/Wireless Software and Drivers has fixes for connectivity related issues with the Intel® Centrino® Advanced-N 6235 wireless adapter. If you are still experiencing connectivity issues after installing the very latest software and drivers and you require further troubleshooting, please contact Intel Customer Support. If you prefer to ask questions, make comments, and/or receive answers on this support forum (Wireless Networking Support Community), please start a new thread or find an existing thread that matches your specific issue with your specific hardware/software.

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[OSmit1]

Can anyone confirm that using Microsoft driver 14.8.8.75 works/ still works and does this disable WiDi? I've been naively waiting for an update that'll fix all my problems!

Thanks

[MH7]

I've been on the Microsoft driver for about 6 weeks now and have had no problems with my connection at all. It does mean you lose WiDi but for me that's a non-issue.

[JGuzi1]

Some update

Before sending my Samsung to service I was able to flush it completely and restore system to factory (there is nothing to lose ).

After restoring, I've done all maintenance tasks like installation of anti virus and complete actualization (windows 8). Additionally removed with 'Programs and functions' some Samsung pre installed apps (Norton, player stuff, helpdesk etc) BUT leaved all drivers in peace (even not running SW update).

Now it works much better - about 1 hang on hour (37 db signal 10 cm from router). Maybe this is a clue - you must have exact and only driver version because - like with 16.1 version - some parts of package can be downgraded or upgraded. Maybe some parts or registry entries stays even after driver remove. So basically you can never clean driver garbage and got one chance only...

I don't believe in miracle - this solution probably resolve only 1% of problems and - as you see above - it is not 100%.

I will update this later with exact version number that came with my system.

Cheers

[UPDATE]

Preinstalled by samsung intel driver version is 15.5.6.48

And what is also important there are 3 intel ProSet components:

Intel PROSet/Wireless for Bluetooth(R) + high speed v15.5.4.0423

Intel PROSet/Wireless for Bluetooth(R) Technology v2.6.1209.0268

Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software v15.05.6000.1620

It works almost fine (tested for about 5 hours only one disconnection in that time)

[AGrad]

Hello, i've the same issues on my Dell XPS 14. Dropouts, loosing connections. The 6235 ist the worst Wifi Adapter i had...

[AHesh]

OK I've managed to get a pretty stable connection for the last couple of weeks using this driver version:

15.8.0.5

There is a newer version but that messed things up so I went back to 15.8.0.5. I also tried uninstalling the Intel Proset software but that seemed to cause problems so I reinstalled it. I found the software and drivers here:

http://www.intel.com/support/wireless/wtech/proset-ws/sb/CS-034041.htm http://www.intel.com/support/wireless/wtech/proset-ws/sb/CS-034041.htm

It's labelled as 15.8.0 but when I install it, the drivers show up as 15.8.0.5

It looks like we're almost at 50 pages worth of threads for this incredible fail by Intel. I'm tempted to send this to the technical reporter at the BBC, it might make for a rather amusing news item!

Intel - do you actually have a fix yet or should we go to the press?!

[ANarb]

My wireless only became stable after I received a new modem/router from my cable company that increased my speeds to 50 mbps download and 10 mbps upload. Because I had tried everything in here including downgrading the drivers and that did not help at all. It makes me think that you need a really high speed connection to keep it stable but that's only a thought by me. I have not disconnected once since I received my new equipment from my internet provider.

[NPi]

after spending two days "chatting" with Asus techs who insisted I return my machine to its initial condition Or send it in for an RMA, I downloaded the last UX31a intel drivers and my machine has been running fine for the last four days. I haven't run windows update in a while, so I may be speaking too soon.

[DC4]

Hi everyone, I had the same issues that have been described here a number of times...

I have a Samsung NP540u3c which comes with the centrino advanced 6235n. After trying many driver updates and settings tweaks with little to no success, I decided to contact samsung to repair the laptop - but I didn't just tell them to see what's wrong and try to fix it, but I specifically asked them if it would be possible to swap the intel wifi card for another, from a different manufacturer. I also mentioned this thread as a reference that I'm not the only one with this issue or that it isn't common with this card (unfortunately).

They said ok and offered to swap it for an atheros card, with the repair covered by my warranty... So I sent them the laptop, and it took them two weeks to call me. When they did, they told me a peculiar thing - that they tried to swap the wifi card, but the atheros card had the same issues that the 6235 had! loss of signal, dropping connection and unable to reconnect, not finding any networks nearby, etc.

So they tried to find the real problem and were able to - they said the cables that connect the wifi to motherboard were in fact defective, and when they changed them for new ones, even the 6235N worked perfectly!

So they decided to leave the intel card in, tested it for another week and then sent the PC back to me. It's been a week since then and I tested it on a number of networks, with downloads and streaming videos, and I'm more than happy to report that the connectivity issues seem to be gone for good! I don't have the latest 15.8. drivers installed, just 15.5. or whatever came originally from samsung, and I still don't dare to update them to not mess anything up (very superstitious after the issues I had - y'all know what I'm talking about), but they seems to work well and I've experienced no hiccups at all.

One more thing to mention is that I haven't tried a "n" connection yet (I have none available), but considering that there are no problems on any of the "g" networks where they had been before, I think the "n" portion was fixed with new cables as well.

So the above might be a solution for all that still have a valid warranty and don't feel like voiding it (by swapping the wifi by themselves) - the guys at local samsung support were very helpful and were ready to swap the card, no questions asked - but in the end they even didn't have to...

Hope this helps...

[MH7]

@pinky85 I'm glad you've found a solution, but if swapping the cables has fixed your problems then I think maybe you have not been suffering the same issue as the rest of us.

After uninstalling all traces of Intel software and using the default Microsoft driver, I've had a perfectly good connection for 2 months now. So obviously it's not a cabling issue (in my case at least - Samsung Series 5 NP550P5C)

[MJagn]

Recently after following this thread i tried and rolled back drivers to 14.8 that came with win8. I must say that so far after two days my connection is stable - no more few mins drop outs - but next issue poped out. Now the connection has super poor quality, its laggy and spiky pretty much all the time. If I want to do anything that requires realtime decision making (which my job requires me to do) Im screwed.

I also contacted Dell's tech support, after exchanging just a few emails they told me its impossible to change my wi-fi card and they're throwing some ideas, most of which I've already tried.

It looks like only Intel can do something about it but I suspect there's a reason why they stall. Maybe issue is so big that it cant be fixed by drivers, in that case I think someone should return our money or change our hardware. Maybe trying to reach media is not that malice thing to do but just our only solution.

[DNguy20]

Hi everyone,

I have Sumsung Series 5 Ultrabook PN540U3C-A02UB 13.3 Ultrabook which I bought refurbished from Best Buy. The laptop worked fine for a few days, then the signal would get weak and the connection would drop. I found this thread and tried most if not all the suggestions to no avail. I have read most of the 600+ posts. However I did goto the link http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/727499-wifi-remedies-samsung-laptops.html WiFi Remedies for Samsung Laptops I followed the instructions and rolled back the driver to the MICROSOFT WINDOWS 8 (NOT INTEL) driver: 14.8.8.75. I also have uninstalled the intel blue tooth software and have the bluetooth driver disabled. Lastly, I have the intel software completely uninstalled!!

I can say that I have tried to install the intel drivers & software (the one that samsung recommends 15.8.0.1 and the latest intel driver 15.10.0.1. Both drivers have the same connection issue. I had to roll back both times to the microsoft windows driver 8.

The windows driver works and it works as it should. The signal is strong, and does not drop. With the intel drivers I am fine as long as I am 3 feet from the router and even then it drops for no reason. With the windows driver, I can go to the far corners of my house and the connection does not drop. The only draw back is that I cannot use WIDI.

If windows can write a driver that works, intel should use that driver as a basis and trash the other iterations. My suggestion to INTEL: Take the windows 8 14.8.8.75 driver and then add WIDI to it. I would gladly give a copy of it. As my screen name suggests: I AM WAITING!

[DLars1]

Intel wrote the driver that comes with Windows 8. It would be an impossible feat for Microsoft to write drivers for every piece of hardware that comes with the OS. The problem is that Intel has introduced a serious bug in the versions released since then. Maybe it has to do with WiDi, maybe something else.

[DNguy20]

The driver says Microsoft is the Author and I believe it is the generic WINDOWS 8 Driver for a variety of NIC cards not just Intel. Windows is forced to use this driver because there are no other drivers. You can uninstall it, but it keeps getting bound to this NIC card, because it the last and only driver remaining after all drivers have been deleted. It works good because all NIC cards use the same protocols in relation to windows 8. I wish I could give credit to Intel, but at least MICROSOFT has got us covered in the event of catastrophic failure which is what this is and until someone from Intel figures it out, we just have to wait. A computer without a network connection or a poor one is like a car that only has to top speed of 20 miles per hour. It might get the job done eventually, but you will pay a price in time and effort to fix the problem. Because the MICROSOFT Windows 8 driver works well, I simply do not believe Intel in that it is a problem installation, bad OEM design, or bad NIC Card. I can say that I bought this computer at about a $300.00 discount with known NIC card problems. The NIC card probably only cost $50 bucks to Intel. The OEM has lost the sale, has a black eye, and people like me come after the savings. My gain, Intel's loss. The OEMS have got to be hammering Intel financially for their losses which could have been fixed long long ago.. I am fine using the MICROSOFT driver. I already have WIDI on a Dell. So even if Intel does nothing, I win, but Intel needs to do the right thing, own up to the problem and get it fixed. Otherwise its going to turn into a huge lawsuit with consumers, OEMs, and retailers. This is the nicest way I can say to Intel to get a reality check. At the very least, they should release the Microsoft 14.8.8.75 as a new version to stabilize all the grumpy people out there who like new releases stating that WIDI does not work. Then work honestly to fix the problem with a real fixed release.

[DLars1]

Sorry, but you're still wrong and really shouldn't be presenting your presumptions as fact. First, take note that it says "Driver Provider" and not "Driver Author". Second, click the Driver Details button and take note of both the Provider and Copyright holder of the actual driver file (Intel Corporation).

I'm not here to pick a fight with other people having the same trouble as me, but it serves no benefit to anyone to pass about false information. Let's stay on topic and hope for a solution in the coming weeks.

[DNguy20]

I stand corrected. Kudos to Intel for getting it right and kudos to you for pointing that out. However, have you read the posts here? the sheer volume across platforms and the time table (last year?) Some of these people paid over $1000-$1,500 which in today's computing terms is like buying a Ferrari that can go 20 miles per hour. I see that intel has released multiple releases so they are trying to do something about it, but it's the frustration of having that Ferrari but it only looks good and you cant take it through its paces. If the problem is the WIDI, then release something without WIDI so that people can use the computer as it was intended, then fix WIDI. WIDI is optional anyway. You can buy these "refurbished" laptops all over the internet at deep discounts. I am surprised that even after the "refurbishing" that he problems persist. This tells me that no one is paying real world attention to detail and only applying band aids to the gushing wound. Yeah it might stop the bleeding, but the patient will eventually die from internal bleeding. I'm sure the refurbishers are following detailed protocol, but what if the protocol is flawed? They see a connection that seems stable, so you say "passed", but the truth is the stable connection is an illusion. I'm not trying to hammer intel's customer service reps, I'm sure that they are doing the best they can. I am hammering the engineers and the people responsible for fixing and I'm throwing down the gauntlet.

[KKlov]

WiDi is not optional for me, I have paid for the box, I paid extra to get all the intel requirements and I haven't been able to use WiDi yet..

It feels like Intel is just delaying a fix until Windows 8.1 is released

[dnguy23]

WIDI has stopped working with my Netgear PTV2000 since the last 4 versions of proset/wireless. The thing is I have several laptops in the same network with intel wifi cards, all use the same configurations and connect to the same router, so this is very much a drive issue. I've updated WIDI and MyWifi to latest versions also.

[oo1]

Hi,

i had the same problems with Intel Centrino Advanced-n 6235, i have a Samsung NP900X3D.

I tried all the solution suggested here, without success.

At last i solved setting WiFi Channel to 11 (it was set to AUTO) into my router settings. No more dropouts with it.

I have other devices connected to my router. Some of these had similar problems, Others worked right also with channel=AUTO. I actually don't know why this behaviour.

It is important to say that i had this problem only with my router at home, everything was ok with WiFi connections at work, at public environments (stores, bars, ..), or others..

I hope my experience could be helpful for you.

Best regards.

[MMISS41]

I have an Sony vaio duo 11 with an N6235 for 5 weeks and i have had zero problems with the wifi and i have it connected 16 hours a day everyday.

I have a TalkTalk HG523a router on 2.4ghz

John.

[DHolm5]

I've had a Samsung Series 9 Ultrabook (NP900X4C-A01US) with an Intel 6235 card for just over a year, and have suffered the sporadic wireless drops for most if not all of that time.

I finally had time to focus on the issue and found this thread--all 49 pages of it! It's a TRAVESTY that Intel hasn't chimed in. From the variety of manufacturers and models, it seems highly probable that it's a driver problem.

For those who have just found this thread, and for my own benefit, I'm going to summarize some key takeaways, and then I'll update the thread with my experiences as I try to solve the problem.

1. The Intel 6235 card seems to drop connectivity pretty regularly for a lot of people, on a lot of different devices. Folks have done solid troubleshooting/testing (as have I) to confirm that it's not a problem with their routers (e.g. every other device maintains connectivity). This is a REAL PROBLEM and neither Intel nor manufacturers have helped. [Kinda wish the MacBooks had 6235s cuz Apple users would set the Wall Street Journal on fire if this was affecting them!]
2. Out of all the proposed and tried solutions, it seems that changing the driver is one of the most popular. Much older versions of the driver seem not to have this problem. Suggestions are that the bug was introduced when WiDi was added as a feature. Will try this...
3. The other is to change wireless settings on the router--specifically setting a specific wireless channel, rather than "Auto."

What strikes me as interesting is that # 2 and # 3 actually are somewhat consistent with each other. I notice that my Netgear Push2TV says, very specifically, that the wireless router must be set to a specific channel and not to "auto." Seems like there's something in the WiDi spec that doesn't like Auto... That could explain the situation if either # 2 or # 3 fix the problem. Any thoughts?

So this is my "pre-troubleshooting" post... I will now try # 3 then # 2. More soon...

[DLars1]

My router was already set to channel 11 long before I got my new laptop, so # 3 doesn't seem to be a solution for me. Using the driver included with Windows 8 does work and it seems to be the best solution so far, if you don't need WiDi.