Windows 11 Mobile Hotspot - slow and unstable speed

[Krxon]

Hello

I have this PCIEe WiFi card based on Intel 6E AX210:
https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/GC-WBAX210-rev-10#kf 
Im using it to connect Meta Quest 3 VR headset and my PC via Windows Mobile Hotspot to play PCVR games

Both Quest 3 and AX210 supports WiFi 6E With max speeds up to 2400Mbps

However, when I connect these two via latest Windows 11 pro Mobile Hotspot I'm getting mediocre speeds, like 200-400 mbps, very rarely it goes up to the 1200 Mbit, but it's not stable. The speed varies non stop and creates stutters when playing PCVR games on my Quest 3 in regular intervals.

I've spent A LOT of time on this, searched internet, found so many of us with the same exact problem.
I have fast PC with WiFi card which should yield better and stable speed and Quest 3 device which can utilize fast speed.

My questions:

1. What I cant get max speeds, as advertised on both devices, with this setup?
2. Why is speed oscillating non stop, why is not stable?
3. Why does this connection stutter in regular intervals?
4. Is it even possible to get advertised speeds between my PC and Quest 3 with this card by using Windows 11 mobile hotspot feature?

If Yes, please provide reliable steps how-to

Few impoortant mentions:

- When doing PCVR gaming, there is no other programs active other than Steam and Virtual Desktop program
- The speed varies when I connect my smartphone as well, not just VR headset
- I'm the only user connected to this WiFi card
- PC and Quest 3 device are in the same room, distanced approx 2 meters, no obstacles
- AV is blocked
- Latest Windows 11 Pro 22H2 OS build 22621.2715 and all updates and
- Latest Intel 6E AX210 WIFi drivers: 22.250.1
- I had the same issue with Meta Quest 2, little bit slower PC and Intel AX200 WiFi on Windows 10 and Windows 11

My current PC specs:

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7900X
Cooler: Noctua NH-D15S
RAM: 2x32 GB Trident Z5 6000
MBO: Asus Tuf Gaming X670E-PLUS
GPU: SAPPHIRE RX7900XT
PSU: Corsair RM750i
SSD: Samsung 990 Pro 2 TB M.2
SSD: Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB M.2
CASE: Fractal Design Define R4 Black Pearl
OS: Win 11 64 pro

I really hope to find final solution to this issue.

Thanks
Regards

[Alberto_R_Intel]

Krxon, Thank you for posting in the Intel® Communities Support.

We will be more than glad to assist you with this matter. 

In order for us to provide the most accurate assistance on this scenario, we just wanted to confirm a few details about your system:

Is this a new computer?

Was the Windows* 11 Mobile Hotspot working fine before without showing the slow and unstable speed behavior you are describing?

If yes, when did the issue start?

Did you make any recent hardware/software changes that might cause this problem?

The wireless card, did you purchase it separately or did it come installed on the computer?

Does the problem happen at home or in the work environment?

Please attach the SSU report so we can verify further details about the components in your platform, check all the options in the report including the one that says "3rd party software logs":

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000057926/memory-and-storage.html

Any questions, please let me know.

Regards,

Albert R.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Krxon]

Hello

Sorry for late reply, I was away. Ill answer the questions now and will attach log in the Tuesday.

- Is this a new computer?

Ive assembled it in Januarry 2023.
Note that I had exact the same issue with slow initial speed with previous PC as well.

- Was the Windows* 11 Mobile Hotspot working fine before without showing the slow and unstable speed behavior you are describing?

If yes, when did the issue start?

No. It was always like this.

- Did you make any recent hardware/software changes that might cause this problem?

I got myself Samsung nvme disks, and I upgraded previous Asus PCIe Wifi card based on intel AX200 chip
with Gigabyte PCIe card with intel AX210 chip. I wrote all in my initial post.

- The wireless card, did you purchase it separately or did it come installed on the computer?

Both PCIe cards were purchased separately. On Both I used latest intel drivers. For both I did driver intel cleaning before installing latest one.

- Does the problem happen at home or in the work environment?

I work from home, so its both
Its fairly isolated location so I see maybe 2 other wifi signals from neighbors

I assembled my PCs since 386s. Built so many PCs for my family and friends. Ive told you this so that you can know that I know my share of necessary knowledge around PCs

I will repeat my main problems:

- 1. slow initial speed between PC and Meta Quest 3 or Samsung S10+ Phone

- 2. Unreliable speed. It varies from 200ish Mbps to max 1.1 Gbps on both cards.
Old one has 1.2 Max But new one should go to up to the 2.4

- 3. I cant get max 2.4 Gbps at all on Gigabyte PCIEe WiFi card based on Intel 6E AX210 chip
It seems that Windows Mobile Hotspot doesn't even it never activate WiFi 6E on my PC

I've found so many people online on various forums, social networks, help-desks with exactly the same issue.

Thanks

Regards

[Alberto_R_Intel]

Hello Krxon, I just wanted to check if you saw the information posted previously and if you need further assistance on this matter?

Regards,

Albert R.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Alberto_R_Intel]

Hello Krxon, No problem at all. Thank you very much for confirming that information.

Once you get the chance, please provide the SSU report so we can further assist you with this scenario.

Regards,

Albert R.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Alberto_R_Intel]

Hello Krxon, I just wanted to check if you have the chance now to provide the SSU report?

Regards,

Albert R.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[DavidF1]

Hi, same problem here

What the mods seem to be missing is that due to regulatory spectrum restrictions the 5Ghz band is locked out in Win11 in a way it wasn’t in Win10

Similarly the Windows Hotspot polling seems to be impossible to turn off

With Win10, my mobile and some clever scripting I could use the mobile to first force a 5Ghz connection before then switching off polling with a script

= perfect PCVR

At this stage however I’d recommend a 2.5Gbe+ WiFi6E router wired into the PC…

OR wait for WiFi7 and better headsets then do the same -but Oculus is WiFi6 only

Hope this helps (I went the router root)

[Alberto_R_Intel]

Hello Krxon, I am doing a follow-up on this case.

For this scenario, it is important to mention, that the process when you install a wireless card separately is what we call a "Wireless Integration", and the thing about that process is that there are a lot of components that come into play, like for example: board, wireless card, drivers, PCI adapters, antennas m.2 ports, all those parts need to be compatible for the proper functionality of the Wireless connection. There is also regulatory information about the "Wireless Integration" that you can verify in the following links:

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000005687/network-and-i-o/wireless.html

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000005846/network-and-i-o/wireless.html

We would like to let you know that the Intel® wireless drivers are generic, meaning they do not contain the customizations done by the OEM. Still, there is a new driver version for the Intel® AX210 card, which is 23.10.0.8. Please try a clean installation of that driver following the instructions in the links below:

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000022173/wireless.html

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/19351/windows-10-and-windows-11-wi-fi-drivers-for-intel-wireless-adapters.html?wapkw=ax210

We also recommend to get in contact directly with ASUS Support to make sure the latest BIOS version is currently installed in your machine or, if necessary, to gather the instructions on how to update it:

https://www.asus.com/support/

DavidF1, Thank you for posting in the Intel® Communities Support.

Please submit your inquiry on a new thread, the reason for this is that every scenario is different even if the same product is being used, so for us to better assist you and in order to try to fix the problem, please submit a new thread:

https://communities.intel.com/community/tech

Let me apologize for any inconvenience.

Regards,

Albert R.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Alberto_R_Intel]

Hello Krxon, I just wanted to check if the information posted previously was useful for you and if you need further assistance on this matter?

Regards,

Albert R.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Krxon]

I give up on this because i don't have the time and nerves to play this endless game of cat and mouse.
What I am 100% sure is that I installed all by the book, tried all kind of safe or regular installs.
I have fast Workstation PC and in ideal environment, which are supposed to allow close to max advertised speeds.

What I learned so far:

1
- Microsoft Hotspot feature is just a gimmick, because its not reliable. Its using variable speed and it stutters non stop.
Its OK to hook phone to the PC or PC to the router, but only for basic non demanding tasks which requires max and stable speed.
Will they ever fix that? Nobody knows, I'm not the first one who asked that and got left hanging without clear answer.
They either don't care or got other reasons to make it stable. Maybe to boost sales of standalone wiFi routers?
Everything is possible in corporate world.

2

- Intel WiFi adapters are prone to WiFi regulations and doesn't offer full speed in some countries due to all kind of regulations.
Even on high end mobos with integrated WiFi intel cards its the same issue.

From my point of view , as customer I feel that I am being cheated because on the product box it's not clearly stated that this product may not work as advertised in my country because of the regulations.

Why is that? Because it's not good for the sales, so its deliberately written in small letters elsewhere.

So I rest my case and will not bother any more with this.

Regards

[Alberto_R_Intel]

Krxon, Thank you very much for your response.

For this scenario, we would like to let you know that for Intel® all the feedback and comments provided by all of our clients are very important. For that reason, I will send your remarks and observations related to this case to the proper department, for them to be aware about this situation in order to keep improving the customer's experience in future releases while using Intel® products.

Regards,

Albert R.

Intel Customer Support Technician