Wireless AC7260 - Still not working with 17.0.2.5

[JGoh]

I have a DELL XPS 15 Touch 9530 with the Intel Dual Band Wireless AC-7260, and the Wifi has no end of problems. With the default 16.0 driver it keeps disconnecting from the network, showing limited connection etc. Since then we have tried replacing the Wifi card, but it did not help. Upgrading to the latest 17.0.2.5 driver stops the Wifi from disconnecting, but the connection is so bad none of the web pages will load up.

We are using two access points (D-Link DAP-1665 and TP-Link WA9091ND). It works better with the 5Ghz Wifi from the D-Link access point, ping results as below:

Reply from 74.125.135.113: bytes=32 time=298ms TTL=53

Reply from 74.125.135.113: bytes=32 time=388ms TTL=53

Reply from 74.125.135.113: bytes=32 time=518ms TTL=53

Reply from 74.125.135.113: bytes=32 time=490ms TTL=53

Reply from 74.125.135.113: bytes=32 time=235ms TTL=53

Reply from 74.125.135.113: bytes=32 time=441ms TTL=53

Reply from 74.125.135.113: bytes=32 time=272ms TTL=53

Reply from 74.125.135.113: bytes=32 time=479ms TTL=53

Reply from 74.125.135.113: bytes=32 time=411ms TTL=53

Reply from 74.125.135.113: bytes=32 time=288ms TTL=53

Request timed out.

Reply from 74.125.135.113: bytes=32 time=327ms TTL=53

Reply from 74.125.135.113: bytes=32 time=215ms TTL=53

Reply from 74.125.135.113: bytes=32 time=295ms TTL=53

Reply from 74.125.135.113: bytes=32 time=566ms TTL=53

Reply from 74.125.135.113: bytes=32 time=344ms TTL=53

Reply from 74.125.135.113: bytes=32 time=201ms TTL=53

With the N wifi access points, both shown really bad ping:

Request timed out.

Request timed out.

Request timed out.

Request timed out.

Reply from 74.125.135.101: bytes=32 time=2195ms TTL=53

Request timed out.

Reply from 74.125.135.101: bytes=32 time=1582ms TTL=53

Reply from 74.125.135.101: bytes=32 time=3846ms TTL=53

Request timed out.

Request timed out.

Reply from 74.125.135.101: bytes=32 time=3090ms TTL=53

Request timed out.

Request timed out.

Request timed out.

Request timed out.

Request timed out.

Request timed out.

Request timed out.

Please help as it render my laptop completely useless!

[JGros8]

Tell me, Joe Intel, why your promise of yet another new driver should give me any confidence?

As far as I can tell, the 7260 line is an abject failure, and I'll remind you that there are "lemon laws" to hold manufacturer's to their promises.

I think, a year into this debacle, that it is time for Intel to send us all replacements (in a working product line!) and deprecate this useless p.o.s. And then you can start fixing your internal processes that produced it -- Engineering (for faulty design), QA (for erroneous approval), and Executive (for not fixing it).

[idata]

Hi Jeff

We're sorry for the inconvenience this may have caused you.

These drivers should help you:

Intel® PROSet/Wireless Software and Drivers for IT Administrators

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?lang=eng&changeLang=true&DwnldId=23988 https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Det...&DwnldId=23988

Intel® PROSet/Wireless Software for Windows 8.1*

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

Intel® PROSet/Wireless Software and Drivers for Windows 8*

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?lang=eng&changeLang=true&DwnldId=23993 https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Det...&DwnldId=23993

Intel® PROSet/Wireless Software and Drivers for Windows 7*

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?lang=eng&changeLang=true&DwnldId=23992 https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?lang=eng&changeLang=true&DwnldId=23992

Best,

Blake Landau

Intel

[RA6]

Blake,

I have a question. why are these driver not on the List of drivers when you do a search for new drivers? I see the new Bluetooth drivers out there but not these ones.

[Jose_H_Intel1]

@rob99999_2, the drivers will be available soon from https://downloadcenter.intel.com/default.aspx Intel Download Center's search. We are working on it.

[Cde_G]

Hi Jeff,

It looks like you're in NYC so let me tell you the lay of the land out on the West coast. Intel used to have their wireless division down in San Diego. At that time their cards were the best in the business.

A few years back they had a management shakeup and the big CPUs (Sean Malloney and Craig Barrett) were forced out, and the current nitwits Paul Otellini and Krzanich and more of the same from Chandler, took over and moved the entire operation up to a swamp in Oregon where the quality, well.. let's just leave the word quality out of it.

My advice to you is to pull that 7260 card, tape it to a strip of carboard and make yourself a book mark. That's about all of your investment dollar that you're going to get out of it.

[JGros8]

cLOWN,

Thanks for the update. Another industry giant ruined by the pursuit of "shareholder profits".

I get tired of having all my technical (financial, telco, etc.) assistance coming from people who aren't actually competent. Ditto for executives who can't actually lead.

I have been poking and prodding this stupid card for several months now: Windows and Dell identify it as the N-7260 originally running driver 16.1.3.1 but the Intel tools identify it as the AC-7260 running 16.1.3.0. No one knows who is right. I keep applying new drivers and the thing does get better. But it isn't as good as the 2230 Centrino card in my other laptop.

Jeff

[PTomo]

Joe

I use the latest 1.7.1.0.19 driver and i still have issues with my 7260-AC. I have already tried everything. Removing the card's drivers then reinstall the new ones. Turning off energy saving. Disable U-APSD, set roaming to highest, enable WMM still i lose connection in every 5 minutes and lagg in every game...

There is a ping test that i had made: http://pastebin.com/yvpPnevV Intel ping test - Pastebin.com.

When will the problems be fixed?? This card doesn't work since it has been released.

Peter

[Jose_H_Intel1]

Mafu, I see you are pinging Google*. What happens when you ping your router (default gateway address)?

What is the wireless encryption type you are using? Did you verify both the laptop and router are using WPA2-AES?

Did you test with a different router/network or perhaps updating the router's firmware?

You may also try with the latest driver version provided by the system manufacturer which at this moment is v17.12

[AL3]

Hi,

I recently bought DELL XPS 9530 with AC7260.

With all driver versions at first time I'm able to connect to WiFi (WPA2-AES), but after few seconds status appears as No internet access and in Network and sharing center it shows Limited.

Tested with latest driver also: 17.1.0.19.

Using 2.4Ghz N network (TP-LINK WR740N v4 router)

When I disable security - only then I'm able to connect and stay connected all day.

So what is wrong with driver/software - why its not working with WiFi routers with enabled security?

[John_S_Intel]

Suggestions:

1. Make sure your AP firmware is up to date.
2. If you can connect and stay connected without security, then the 7260-AC wireless adapter and PROSet software & drivers are apparently working.
3. Make sure you have the latest BIOS update for your Dell XPS 9530.
4. Is your home network the issue? Will this same system (Dell) work when connecting to any other network with security (like a Starbucks hotspot or something or at someone else's home or at work)?
5. This is a security settings issue, not a connectivity issue per se.
6. Do you have all of the latest Windows Updates?
7. Is there anything on Dell's support forum related to this issue?
8. Is there anything on the support forum for your wireless router related to this issue?
9. Are you using Channel Bonding? If so, make sure it is not set to Auto, but rather set to 20MHz. Channel Bonding is not recommended when using the 2.4Ghz band. This is a setting that can be changed in the access point (wireless router).

[RLuit]

I got my Intel ac7260 2 weeks ago and had alot of stability problems from the moment i installed it on my Acer aspire 5750G.I have a Netgear Nighthawk 7000 wich is a ac router but most of the time all i got was a crappy 10MB/s transferspeed to my nas or htpc.Sometimes after rebooting or reinstalling the ac7260 i had a 80MB/s transferspeed but that only lasted a few minutes.Yesterday i logged on to the nighthawk (wich is in bridgemode behind a adsl modem/router) and setup static ip's form my devices.I rebooted the nighthawk then my laptop and htpc and started testing.I gotta say setting up static ip's did the job and im finaly happy i bought the intel ac7260.

Altough my transferspeeds look better and stable now if i look in status W7 say's wireless speed is max at 650 or 702 it keeps changing.

But it's almost never at 866,5Mbps.I have disabled bluetooth because W7 got laggy and slow on startup.I have driver v 17.1.0.19

[PTomo]

I have also pinged my default gateway but the problem still occours, the only difference is that the "avarage" ping is smaller ( with 17.0.0.34). Since i have changed my modem and renewed my wires but still no improvement, and i also lose connection when i connect to other networks, so i don't think that would be the problem.

I have tried to install 17.12 but it didn't work for me and offically it doesn't avaliable for my laptop on lenovo's website so i think it's not compatible yet... (I have Lenovo Y50 with Windows 8.1).

Now i use 17.0.0.34 since the 17.1.0.19 is very buggy for me. I don't have huge ping spikes with that version but after few restarts it start bugging and my wireless card doesn't even start on windows startup and sometimes even the windows doesn't start becuse of driver failure... (If you need the error messages i gladly copy them there.)

I use WPA2-AES encryption both on my router and laptop.

[AL3]

Thank you for your answer.

Seems it was Channel Bounding problem.

Only what to do in cases when I'm in public places and where Channel bounding is set to Auto? I don't have access to public routers to change this option! For another laptop and phone everything is working.

[Jose_H_Intel1]

Agris, try changing the channel width to 20 MHz for 2.4 GHz in your wireless adapter settings.

http://www.intel.com/support/wireless/sb/cs-025343.htm Wireless Networking — How to Configure 802.11n Channel Bonding on Intel Wireless Adapters

[Cde_G]

Just tried the brand new 17.0.1405.02 driver... Stays connected for close to 30 SECONDS!!!

[SMons2]

I'm going to make an attempt at returning-and-replacing my 7260 (dual-band AC) and see if that helps. Though from what I've been reading on the net, I shouldn't hold my breath. Been using this card (or, been attempting to at least) since driver v17.0.0 and personally for me it's gotten more and more unreliable every new driver release. Currently on W7 Pro x64 with the D54250WYK NUC.

I'm currently dealing with a six year old Vaio Z which comes with a 5100AGN card. That works perfectly fine (54Mbps) whereas the 7260 in the same environment barely splutters by at 256Kbps. IF it's connected that is.

Another thing to note is unfortunately I am not fortunate enough to have a router that supports 5GHz. Though apparently using the 7260 in that mode drastically improves reliability (and from what I'm reading, all the positive reviews of this card involve people using the card in that frequency mode).

Either way though. Not impressed with how things are progressing with support. All these driver revisions and quite a considering number of months later, it almost seems like an un-fixable issue (which forces me to conclude a potential design flaw somewhere for the 2.4GHz specific hardware of the card)

[RA6]

Sushimonster,

Well for one if you are trying to use the 7260 in a 6 year old computer is your biggest problem. The 7260 is was designed to work with the 4th Gen intel processes. I have it in my laptop and for the most part have no problem with it and I am running a 3rd Gen professes. I have also put one in a loved ones laptop and she is running a 2nd Gen processes. The issue may be a compatablity problem with such a older computer.

Thank you

Rob

[Cde_G]

Nice try. Why then does the same 6 year old computer (fast Centrino Dual Core running Windows 8.1 flawlessly) run a new Atheros card without a hitch?

[SMons2]

Rob, you have misunderstood.

- The 5100AGN is in the Vaio Z. That machine is six years old.

- I own an Intel 7260AC which I specifically purchased for a NUC D54250WYK (about a month old).

My comparison mentioned earlier was that the Vaio (with its 5100AGN) gives speeds of 54Mbps whereas the NUC (with the 7260AC) struggles with 256Kbps, assuming it remains connected. This, despite the fact that my network is uncongested and the fact that both machines are in the same position. The test was done with one machine turned off when testing the other. I have no plans on using the 7260AC with the laptop; that's not why I bought said card in the first place.

I cannot begin to describe the frustration with the speeds that the 7260 is giving me. Whilst it is reassuring that Intel is rolling drivers, it's (extremely) disappointing that the issue remains unresolved.