WiFi adapter test

agrinnall

Is there anything I can do to test a WiFi adapter?


I have a Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro that has an Intel Wireless-N 7260 adapter. For some months now it has occasionally dropped the connection to my Virgin Media Hub, but today it has happened at least 10 times. I have to manually reconnect, and sometimes I either need to disable/enable the adapter, or even restart the computer. I have updated the wireless driver (version 18.33.15.1, date 11/11/2018) but that hasn't helped.


At the same time I've been using my work laptop and it has retained the connection throughout, so I'm assuming there isn't a problem with the hub.



If necessary I'll buy a USB adapter, but if there is any test I can run that might point out a fault that can be fixed that would be good.

esuhl

I've occasionally found wireless adaptors (or routers) work better if they're assigned a fixed local IP address.


It shouldn't make a difference if DHCP is working properly, but it's worth a try.

System

I would download a wifi scanner app and do a wifi channel scan on your laptop. You may find several wifi networks are using the same channel as you. Change the channel and the problem will probably go away. I had a customer once who couldn't connect to the router in the same room as he was. Turned out the entire village was using Channel 11. I changed the channel and the problem went away.

unforeseen

I have updated the wireless driver (version 18.33.15.1, date 11/11/2018)

V20.120.1 dated March 2019 is the latest driver.

esuhl

Tarambor wrote: »

I would download a wifi scanner app and do a wifi channel scan on your laptop.

Good point. Here's a free scanner the OP can use.



https://www.metageek.com/products/inssider/free/


Ideally you want to use only channels 1, 6 or 11. (Due to channel overlap and the fact that networks using the same channel can negotiate broadcasts, increasing latency but avoiding interference.)

agrinnall

unforeseen wrote: »

V20.120.1 dated March 2019 is the latest driver.

That's interesting, because I did an update from the adapter entry and it didn't use that new version, unless it had to go through the intermediate version first and if I try again it'll get the latest one.


And thanks for the suggestions about the scanner, I did have a mobile app at one point but no longer, so I'll give esuhl's link a try.

arciere

esuhl wrote: »

Ideally you want to use only channels 1, 6 or 11. (Due to channel overlap and the fact that networks using the same channel can negotiate broadcasts, increasing latency but avoiding interference.)

Precisely, if all those 3 channels are congested, don't be tempted to use a different one (like 4 for example), you will have lots of lost packets and interference.

DoaM

Was the work laptop in the same room? Sometimes physical location within a property can make a difference, as can orientation (position) of any external aerials the router may have.

Assuming there's no mechanical issue (thick walls, walls with metallic compositions, etc.) then different locations in a property can see different other Wi-Fi networks/congestion, so run inSSIDer from both locations in your house before you decide on which channel to change to.

agrinnall

Turns out that while there is a driver with a date of March 2019 for the 7260 it has no changes from the previous version (the one I'd already installed) so it doesn't actually update it. I downloaded the Intel Driver & Support Assistant which confirms all my drivers are up to date.



inSSIDer shows that my Virgin Hub is using channel 11 (signal between -37 and -43dBm, whatever that means), as is my printer. The other things with a signal below -70dBm are another Virgin Hub (on 11), Virgin media (on 6 and 11, would this be my V6 box?) and what seems to be a Roku (also on 11, not mine - I have a Firestick). There are then a bunch of things that aren't mine that use mainly channel 1 with a few using 6 and one using 13.



I notice that everything uses 2.4 GHz and nothing uses 5 GHz, has the latter become redundant?


Anyway, the signal seems to be much better today, it hasn't dropped at all (touch wood) so perhaps the driver update did do the trick.

DoaM

Is the device you used inSSIDer on capable of 5 GHz Wi-Fi? If not then it won't show any channels. Not sure why your printer shows though - it should be a device ON a network, not a network hub in itself.

With inSSIDer, the "taller" the signal the stronger it is. You should know which is your own network as the name(s) should match your hub(s).

System

arciere wrote: »

Precisely, if all those 3 channels are congested, don't be tempted to use a different one (like 4 for example), you will have lots of lost packets and interference.

Sorry but that's just rubbish. I've been doing that for years and never had an issue. You will have much less interference than the intermod you'll get from being on the same channel as nearby access points.