# TP Link USB wifi adapter dropping connection



## vnajduch

Hi all, 
I'm having an issue with my TP Link USB wifi adapter losing connectivity during video calls or extended downloads. 
I have tried multiple recommended fixes; disable power options allowing sleep, uninstalled/reinstalled USB drivers, disabled USB legacy support in the BIOS etc but it still seem to get intermittent drops especially during high packet count streams like during video calls over google hangouts. 

I'm currently running windows 10 pro with all recently patches, wifi router is a TP-LINK archer C7 and a TP link USB adapter running 5Ghz. 

I've played around with multiple settings on the adapter to no avail. 
Also, this seems to be the only device thats dropping, I have other devices; laptops, XBOne connected via wifi which have no issues. To resolve the loss, I just have to unplug/plug the adapter back in to bring the connection back up. This almost looks like an issue with the USB specifically since the signal is always 300Mb+ and the windows antenna doesnt show as disconnected, I just start loosing pings and I have to pull/plug the adapter. 

PS: I didn't see any default template to posting system diag like I've seen on other forums in the distant past, so if that is a necessity, please shoot me a link to the instructions. 
Thank you for your assistance. 

Victor


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## spunk.funk

What is the model# of your TP-LINK USB adapter?
Go to the TP-LINK download page, and download the latest driver for Windows 10. TP-LINK Product Support - Download Center - TP-LINK


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## vnajduch

spunk.funk said:


> What is the model# of your TP-LINK USB adapter?
> Go to the TP-LINK download page, and download the latest driver for Windows 10. TP-LINK Product Support - Download Center - TP-LINK



Its the AC1200 Wireless Dual Band USB Adapter Archer T4U. 
Thanks.


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## spunk.funk

There is no driver for Windows 10 so, Download the 8.1 driver Download for Archer T4U V1 - Welcome to TP-LINK Unzip the folder to your desktop, right click *setup.exe* and choose *Properties/Compatibility*/ choose compatibility with Windows 8, check* Run As Administrator*.


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## OldGrayGary

Hi all


Actually, TP Link finally released a Windows 10 driver in January 2016:
http://www.tp-link.us/res/down/soft/Archer_T4U_V1_160101.zip

Cheers


[... it took them a while ... I had a customer with that gadget ....]


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## vnajduch

OldGrayGary said:


> Hi all
> 
> 
> Actually, TP Link finally released a Windows 10 driver in January 2016:
> http://www.tp-link.us/res/down/soft/Archer_T4U_V1_160101.zip
> 
> Cheers
> 
> 
> [... it took them a while ... I had a customer with that gadget ....]


This is the driver I already have installed. 
Any other ideas?


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## spunk.funk

Follow the instructions in this link http://www.techsupportforum.com/for...-and-wireless-connectivity-issues-573730.html and post the requested logs and screenshots.


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## vnajduch

spunk.funk said:


> Follow the instructions in this link http://www.techsupportforum.com/for...-and-wireless-connectivity-issues-573730.html and post the requested logs and screenshots.


Sorry about the super late response. For a second I thought this got resolved with a windows update, sadly it did not. 

Here is the IPconfig output. My carrier is Charter ethernet - 100mb. 
Using a TP link Archer C5 AC1200 Wifi router (don't know the modem type exactly) and Bit Defender for the antivirus software. 
I'm not sure what to do with Xirrus though. On the instruction page it says to take a screen shot, but of what?

C:\Users\vnajduch>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : DeepThought
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Wireless LAN adapter Local Area Connection* 3:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 62-E3-27-20-10-F3
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : TP-LINK Wireless USB Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 60-E3-27-20-10-F3
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::cc7c:19b8:f493:af91%19(Preferred)
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.107(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Monday, August 08, 2016 10:44:54 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, August 09, 2016 12:44:53 AM
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 190898983
DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-1E-C3-F0-42-60-E3-27-20-10-F3
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled


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## spunk.funk

You would take a screenshot of WiFi Inspector showing your Access Point (Router) the signal strength, the broadcast channel and the other wireless networks in your area that might be causing interference. It should look like this attached picture.


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## vnajduch

spunk.funk said:


> You would take a screenshot of WiFi Inspector showing your Access Point (Router) the signal strength, the broadcast channel and the other wireless networks in your area that might be causing interference. It should look like this attached picture.


Here ya go. 
Thanks. 

Victor


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## spunk.funk

Your IP Config log and your Wifi inspector screenshot show you _are_ connected with a _very_ strong signal and no _other_ wireless networks in your area causing interference. 
There should be no reason to loose connection. 
In WiFi Inspector, do the *Connection, Quality *and* Speed* tests.


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## vnajduch

spunk.funk said:


> Your IP Config log and your Wifi inspector screenshot show you _are_ connected with a _very_ strong signal and no _other_ wireless networks in your area causing interference.
> There should be no reason to loose connection.
> In WiFi Inspector, do the *Connection, Quality *and* Speed* tests.



All completed with no issues.


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## vnajduch

I hope I stressed in the initial report that this is mostly occurring during high packet streams like google hangout video calls or watching steaming videos. I usually do not drop while idle.


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## khichaya

There is technical solution , you can cut the usb cable then you will find four small wires v+ d- d+ gnd- you can put the v+ and gnd - in smart phone charger :thumb:


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## khichaya

I think you have problem in usb port or maybe the cable of your adpter is more taller


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## vnajduch

khichaya said:


> There is technical solution , you can cut the usb cable then you will find four small wires v+ d- d+ gnd- you can put the v+ and gnd - in smart phone charger :thumb:





khichaya said:


> I think you have problem in usb port or maybe the cable of your adpter is more taller



The adapter plugs directly into the port, there is no wire. Also, this issue occurs on multiple ports on the case, even the USB 2 ones. To note, this is the second or third adapter I've tried and still seeing the same issue. Are there any possible dump of log files which can be looked through for issues in the history?


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## khichaya

Your old os is windows 8 yes ? When you see this problem for first time ?


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## vnajduch

khichaya said:


> Your old os is windows 8 yes ? When you see this problem for first time ?



It was Windows 7 ultimate and I do not recall seeing this issue then. I assumed it might be the current OS so I tried to reinstall the USB 3 drivers for good measure, but that didn't help. But yes, it seems this might be related to when I upgraded which is why I posted to the Windows 10 sub forum.


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## OldGrayGary

Hi all


Just to see -- have a look in Event Viewer (right-click the Windows 10 Start Menu icon and select Event Viewer) -- select "Event Viewer (Local) at the top of the list in the left-hand pane, and expand the "Critical" and "Error" categories (click on the plus [+] sign in front) in the "Summary of Administrative Events" window.

Look for networking errors ... that coincide with the timing of your dropped connections. If nothing shows in the errors categories, check the "Warning" and "Information" categories as well. I'm interested to hear if you see any mentions of your adapter "losing its lease" on an IP address due to a timeout. Also curious if you have IPv6 on that adapter enabled or disabled. If its enabled, you might want to extend the "lease" time should that prove to be a problem. Or, if you have no need for IPv6, you can disable it as a test.

Just a thought....


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## vnajduch

OldGrayGary said:


> Hi all
> 
> 
> Just to see -- have a look in Event Viewer (right-click the Windows 10 Start Menu icon and select Event Viewer) -- select "Event Viewer (Local) at the top of the list in the left-hand pane, and expand the "Critical" and "Error" categories (click on the plus [+] sign in front) in the "Summary of Administrative Events" window.
> 
> Look for networking errors ... that coincide with the timing of your dropped connections. If nothing shows in the errors categories, check the "Warning" and "Information" categories as well. I'm interested to hear if you see any mentions of your adapter "losing its lease" on an IP address due to a timeout. Also curious if you have IPv6 on that adapter enabled or disabled. If its enabled, you might want to extend the "lease" time should that prove to be a problem. Or, if you have no need for IPv6, you can disable it as a test.
> 
> Just a thought....


Here is a copy of all the associated events from the last time I did a video call and saw drops. I don't have the exact times (which I will look for next time) but there aren't that many events overall. 
Thanks for looking.


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## khichaya

Check you modem and routeur filters


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## khichaya

Try to make test speed of your internet


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## vnajduch

khichaya said:


> Check you modem and routeur filters


Which ones? Your video is for windows privacy settings.


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## khichaya

From the supporter where you get wifi


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## vnajduch

khichaya said:


> From the supporter where you get wifi


Yes, I understand, which settings are you referring to?


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## khichaya

Reset it that all


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## khichaya

You can check: 
Dns sever 
Url filter 
Ftp filter


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## vnajduch

khichaya said:


> Reset it that all



I'd like to get another opinion if possible. I understand there may be a gut reaction to factory defaulting my wifi router, but unless the router settings were effecting other devices I don't think thats a good idea.


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## OldGrayGary

Hi again all


I took a look at your Event Viewer log, and as far as networking is concerned, the two wireless errors look to be linked to an "IHV" portion of the Realtek wireless drivers (I'd have to guess that the TP-Link device is based on a Realtek chip). It's entirely possible that the error ("WLAN extensibility module has failed to start") doesn't even apply to the loss-of-connection issue.

You could try keeping a fresh download of the TP-Link driver handy, and uninstall the current driver, use CCleaner's Registry Cleaner to remove orphan entries (*let CCleaner make a backup of it's changes, though, so you can undo them if things get worse rather than better). Then reinstall the drivers. Just as a test.

Since the disconnects most often happen during extended, unbroken online use (like video calls) ... I'm interested to hear if things disconnect when connected directly to the modem/router/gateway device. If it is possible (if you have an Ethernet cable & enough access to the modem/router/gateway device) connect an Ethernet cable directly to your computer & make a good long video call or have an extended gaming session ... See if the connection drops for wired connections as it has been for the wireless connections. That might provide a clue.
_________________________

Your error logs also point to a problem with Windows Backup. One of the Backup errors has to do with a lack of disk space (as perceived by Windows Backup, anyway) ... and one error is probably unimportant, and has to do with a permissions issue. If you don't happen to use Windows Backup, turn it off / disable it. I'm guessing that you might have wanted to make a system image backup, and Windows figured out it wouldn't fit on your DVD or external USB drive.

And - just to cover all the bases -- you can call your DSL provider to see if they have any ideas on why your service would get interrupted when online after a few hours or so.

At least you know one thing about those TP-Link USB adapters ... they pull in a very strong signal. A client of mine who bought one for his old Windows XP rig (I've been trying to get him to replace it or install Linux, but he's stubborn) was over-the-moon in the signal strength & performance of his TP-Link adapter. His face lit up like the happiest clown in the circus. [He went from 3 - 5 MBps to 144 - 160 MBps! .... granted, his old device was a few generations out of date].

Let's see how it goes....

[P.S. ... a little note about CCleaner: if you happen to use its Cleaner function, remove the checkmark in the option-box in front of MS Search ... that will save you some Event Viewer errors. ... Also you can do without its monitoring functions ... no sense in having a vacuum cleaner running 24 hours a day - just run it when you need it]


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## vnajduch

Thanks Gary, I'll give that a try. A wired connection isn't really possible, the reason for the tp link lan ia because my office desktop is in the attic and needs the strong ac signal. I'll set up a test call with a buddy after i reinstall the adapter drivers and let you know how it goes. P.S. the windows backup errors can be ignored, having a disk space issue which I'll resolve at a later date.
Thanks again. 

Victor


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## omendata

First thing i would do would be to test it on another machine.

Then use wifi diagnostics/survey program to check for interference and try dropping it from AC to N to B type networks see if it has anything to do with channel overlap / interference.

If this is just with Skype use the skype diagnostics.

I would also do a large file transfer to another machine and see if it gets interrupted.

It may just be a sip problem but you need to isolate.


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## vnajduch

omendata said:


> First thing i would do would be to testy it on another machine.
> 
> Then use wifi diagnostics/survey program to check for interference and try dropping it fro AC to N to B type networks see if it has anything to do with channel overlap / interference.
> 
> If this is just with Skype use the skype diagnostics.
> 
> I would also do a large file transfer to another machine and see if it gets interrupted.
> 
> It may just be a sip problem but you need to isolate.


I haven't had time to test this out since making some changes. I reinstalled the TP link adapter drivers and made some channel changes to the wifi settings. One thing I've noticed is that I cannot get an AC signal in the windows 10 wifi advanced diag despite having my signal set to AC preferred on the adapter.


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## vnajduch

OldGrayGary said:


> Hi again all
> 
> 
> I took a look at your Event Viewer log, and as far as networking is concerned, the two wireless errors look to be linked to an "IHV" portion of the Realtek wireless drivers (I'd have to guess that the TP-Link device is based on a Realtek chip). It's entirely possible that the error ("WLAN extensibility module has failed to start") doesn't even apply to the loss-of-connection issue.
> 
> You could try keeping a fresh download of the TP-Link driver handy, and uninstall the current driver, use CCleaner's Registry Cleaner to remove orphan entries (*let CCleaner make a backup of it's changes, though, so you can undo them if things get worse rather than better). Then reinstall the drivers. Just as a test.
> 
> Since the disconnects most often happen during extended, unbroken online use (like video calls) ... I'm interested to hear if things disconnect when connected directly to the modem/router/gateway device. If it is possible (if you have an Ethernet cable & enough access to the modem/router/gateway device) connect an Ethernet cable directly to your computer & make a good long video call or have an extended gaming session ... See if the connection drops for wired connections as it has been for the wireless connections. That might provide a clue.
> _________________________
> 
> Your error logs also point to a problem with Windows Backup. One of the Backup errors has to do with a lack of disk space (as perceived by Windows Backup, anyway) ... and one error is probably unimportant, and has to do with a permissions issue. If you don't happen to use Windows Backup, turn it off / disable it. I'm guessing that you might have wanted to make a system image backup, and Windows figured out it wouldn't fit on your DVD or external USB drive.
> 
> And - just to cover all the bases -- you can call your DSL provider to see if they have any ideas on why your service would get interrupted when online after a few hours or so.
> 
> At least you know one thing about those TP-Link USB adapters ... they pull in a very strong signal. A client of mine who bought one for his old Windows XP rig (I've been trying to get him to replace it or install Linux, but he's stubborn) was over-the-moon in the signal strength & performance of his TP-Link adapter. His face lit up like the happiest clown in the circus. [He went from 3 - 5 MBps to 144 - 160 MBps! .... granted, his old device was a few generations out of date].
> 
> Let's see how it goes....
> 
> [P.S. ... a little note about CCleaner: if you happen to use its Cleaner function, remove the checkmark in the option-box in front of MS Search ... that will save you some Event Viewer errors. ... Also you can do without its monitoring functions ... no sense in having a vacuum cleaner running 24 hours a day - just run it when you need it]



Gary, 
I have reinstalled the adapter drivers, but could not figure out how to work CCleaner. I found any USB entries in the registry cleaner portion, but wasn't comfortable enough to proceed with a full scrub. I may try to find another driver scrubber (or if you have one in mind) so I can clean the USB and adapter drivers in safe mode as well. 
I also modified my router settings to be less channel specific for good measure. One thing to note - I tried using 802ac only before which didn't seem to do much, and had conflicts with an amazon fire stick I have on the network so I switched it back to mixed mode. I did find a signal preference setting on the TP link adapter which can prefer ac signal only, however I keep seeing 802n when I check the signal type under the windows wifi advanced diagnostic within the windows 10 setting. Could this be the issue or do you know of a work around for that?
I have been super busy so I have not been able to test things out thoroughly, but should be able to have a better answer this coming Monday. 
Thanks. 

Victor


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## -WOLF-

I have personally used TP-Link in the past and I didn't have a great deal of issues with it, but it does appear to be directly related to the signal strength. I am uncertain as to the precise cause but it does appear to dislike having less than 60% signal strength and it also dislikes multi-channel routers, including ones that use the 5Ghz band.


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## vnajduch

-WOLF- said:


> I have personally used TP-Link in the past and I didn't have a great deal of issues with it, but it does appear to be directly related to the signal strength. I am uncertain as to the precise cause but it does appear to dislike having less than 60% signal strength and it also dislikes multi-channel routers, including ones that use the 5Ghz band.



When you say multi channel do you mean 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz running together, or multi-mode a/n/ac etc?


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## jenae

Hi, you should read through this thread (inSSider, is no longer free, however you can still get the free version, just google)


5Ghz -- Channels 36, 40, 44, 48 | SmallNetBuilder Forums


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## OldGrayGary

Hi all


I like jenae's idea - the tool in the thread she links to looks like it could answer some questions.

You might have answered this question earlier (I apologize if I missed it), but your router does provide two networks, right? (One in the 2.4 GHz "n" range, and one in the 5 GHz "ac" range).... 

The reason I ask the question: you can't get an "ac" connection unless you connect to the 5 GHz range network.

Since the signal has to reach you up in the attic, I'm curious to hear if the 5 GHz/ac network makes it up there (most routers will name the 2.4 GHz network by whatever name you chose when you set the router up ["My Network", for example] and simply add "5 GHz" to that name to represent your 5 GHz network ["My Network - 5 GHz", for example]).
___________

The recent model gateways/routers can support "channel bonding", where you combine two streams - very handy for heavy downloads like live video or operating systems - if you look in the user guide for your TP-Link, you'll see what features your model has. Generally, the downoad ("receive") and upload ("send") indicator lights on most channel-bonding gateways/routers will glow a different color - depending on whether channel bonding is in effect, or not.

Hope things work better soon.


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## vnajduch

OldGrayGary said:


> Hi all
> 
> 
> I like jenae's idea - the tool in the thread she links to looks like it could answer some questions.
> 
> You might have answered this question earlier (I apologize if I missed it), but your router does provide two networks, right? (One in the 2.4 GHz "n" range, and one in the 5 GHz "ac" range)....
> 
> The reason I ask the question: you can't get an "ac" connection unless you connect to the 5 GHz range network.
> 
> Since the signal has to reach you up in the attic, I'm curious to hear if the 5 GHz/ac network makes it up there (most routers will name the 2.4 GHz network by whatever name you chose when you set the router up ["My Network", for example] and simply add "5 GHz" to that name to represent your 5 GHz network ["My Network - 5 GHz", for example]).
> ___________
> 
> The recent model gateways/routers can support "channel bonding", where you combine two streams - very handy for heavy downloads like live video or operating systems - if you look in the user guide for your TP-Link, you'll see what features your model has. Generally, the downoad ("receive") and upload ("send") indicator lights on most channel-bonding gateways/routers will glow a different color - depending on whether channel bonding is in effect, or not.
> 
> Hope things work better soon.



I read through the thread that Jenae recommended and downloaded a wifi analyzer for my phone (as well as having Xirrus for the PC in the attic) however I'm not really making heads or tails of it. Analyzing the connection on auto channel width and channel I am at 585 Mbps speed, -61 dBm, channels 149 and 153 per Xirrus and speedtests are at 133Mb down/4.3Mb up. I only get about a fifth of that speed if I am set to a 2.5Ghz signal. I'm wondering what sort of changes to the channels would be required since I can't figure out if a higher channel (ie 149 and 153) is better than a lower one. But overall the signal is always strong and throughput is good, I just get the intermittent drops. 
Should I be set to a lower channel for better penetration since my PC is in the attic? Also, I do see one other network popping up on my scanner once in a while (which I do not connect to) but is there a way to block all wifi networks other than my own from the settings somewhere?

PS: Thinking back on some wifi issues I've had in the past (years ago) I remembered that sometimes the DHCP renewal can cause issues, so I hard set the IPs on the adapter to test. Again, I haven't been able to verify video call drops due to work constraints, but should have another google hangouts call this Monday to see if anything changed after my reconfiguration. 

Thanks. 

Victor


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## OldGrayGary

We'll "stay tuned" ....

If you can connect to the 5 GHz wireless network, that should produce the faster speeds. The 5 GHz just isn't always as available, as it's range tends to be a little shorter. 

Let's see how things test out ....


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## -WOLF-

OldGrayGary said:


> We'll "stay tuned" ....
> 
> If you can connect to the 5 GHz wireless network, that should produce the faster speeds. The 5 GHz just isn't always as available, as it's range tends to be a little shorter.
> 
> Let's see how things test out ....


The other problem is that the new AC protocols and the 5Ghz band are both less capable of penetrating barriers.


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## vnajduch

Sorry about the delay, finally got onto another conference this evening. 
Still seeing some drops at this time. Should I get a support ticket opened with TP-LINK?


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## OldGrayGary

Hi again


It won't hurt to talk with TP-Link, they might have a "known issue" that could be involved (and possibly a fix for it). 
_______________

When you tried CCleaner earlier, you had balked at removing some of the USB entries ... I'll assume you were in the Registry Cleaning function (since temporary files shouldn't have any effect on your current WiFi trouble). I'd recommend going ahead with removing those entries, as it might be possible that they are linked to that "IHV" setting, which had caused connections issues for some computers. CCleaner should only flag it if it is a "leftover' or "orphan" entry for a driver/process that no longer requires it (or has a newer, more effective version of it). Since CCleaner can save all the settings beforehand, there's virtually no risk (and potentially, a solution to the connection issue).
_______________

At one point, you mentioned "Xirrus for PC" (of which I must confess my ignorance - until you mentioned it a few posts ago) ... can I assume that Xirrus for PC is a sort of WiFi inspection program? You also mentioned 585 Mbps speeds when measuring (with Xirrus?) - which of course is an excellent speed (wouldn't seem likely to drop a connection) ... but was that the speed for the PC or your phone? And was the device receiving 585 Mbps using your WiFi or a cell/satellite signal? You also mentioned 133 Mbps ... still quite nice, and plenty for most conferencing calls. But - I'll guess that all those speeds were not achieved in your attic office?

It is completely true that nothing is going to be very fast at all using the 2.4 GHz band ... it's more likely to average about 24 Mbps or so. 

I'm assuming that your gateway/router provides two separate networks - the 5 GHz ac-capable network and a 2.4 GHz n-capable network. If the 5 GHz network doesn't reach into the attic: it would seem your only options would be to 
1) try a more powerful router
2) try an ac-capable "range extender"
3) run an Ethernet cable up to the attic.

[... hm... actually, though I don't use them myself, there are those "powerline" devices that might work ... the network signals travel over the electrical wiring in your home ... I haven't had any customers who needed such equipment, and I have a gigabit network in my workspace, so I've rather completely ignored the 'powerline' networking side of life ... my bad]
_______________

In the main, I don't expect that TP-Link adapter is the problem. Since there is a chance that a configuration tweak, settings change, or such - might help: might as well try. But if the real trouble is simply that the 5 GHz signal doesn't reach the attic adequately enough, then the TP-Link adapter is just an innocent bystander.

See how it goes


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## vnajduch

OldGrayGary said:


> Hi again
> 
> 
> It won't hurt to talk with TP-Link, they might have a "known issue" that could be involved (and possibly a fix for it).
> _______________
> 
> When you tried CCleaner earlier, you had balked at removing some of the USB entries ... I'll assume you were in the Registry Cleaning function (since temporary files shouldn't have any effect on your current WiFi trouble). I'd recommend going ahead with removing those entries, as it might be possible that they are linked to that "IHV" setting, which had caused connections issues for some computers. CCleaner should only flag it if it is a "leftover' or "orphan" entry for a driver/process that no longer requires it (or has a newer, more effective version of it). Since CCleaner can save all the settings beforehand, there's virtually no risk (and potentially, a solution to the connection issue).
> _______________
> 
> At one point, you mentioned "Xirrus for PC" (of which I must confess my ignorance - until you mentioned it a few posts ago) ... can I assume that Xirrus for PC is a sort of WiFi inspection program? You also mentioned 585 Mbps speeds when measuring (with Xirrus?) - which of course is an excellent speed (wouldn't seem likely to drop a connection) ... but was that the speed for the PC or your phone? And was the device receiving 585 Mbps using your WiFi or a cell/satellite signal? You also mentioned 133 Mbps ... still quite nice, and plenty for most conferencing calls. But - I'll guess that all those speeds were not achieved in your attic office?
> 
> It is completely true that nothing is going to be very fast at all using the 2.4 GHz band ... it's more likely to average about 24 Mbps or so.
> 
> I'm assuming that your gateway/router provides two separate networks - the 5 GHz ac-capable network and a 2.4 GHz n-capable network. If the 5 GHz network doesn't reach into the attic: it would seem your only options would be to
> 1) try a more powerful router
> 2) try an ac-capable "range extender"
> 3) run an Ethernet cable up to the attic.
> 
> [... hm... actually, though I don't use them myself, there are those "powerline" devices that might work ... the network signals travel over the electrical wiring in your home ... I haven't had any customers who needed such equipment, and I have a gigabit network in my workspace, so I've rather completely ignored the 'powerline' networking side of life ... my bad]
> _______________
> 
> In the main, I don't expect that TP-Link adapter is the problem. Since there is a chance that a configuration tweak, settings change, or such - might help: might as well try. But if the real trouble is simply that the 5 GHz signal doesn't reach the attic adequately enough, then the TP-Link adapter is just an innocent bystander.
> 
> See how it goes


Gary, 
Thanks for the response. 
When I ran CCleaner I only deleted entries associated with USB drivers and left everything else. I'll proceed with removing the full list and seeing how that goes. 
Another interesting revelation is that that 2.5ghz signal is not recognizable via this adapter. During the google hangout I started tinkering with settings to see if I could isolate the issue. I enabled the 2.5 signal on the router but never saw a change in signal type (ie 802n) but did see the available bandwidth go down to 300m. What is interesting to note is that the 2.5ghz network is named something different than the primary 5ghz one yet I never had to re authenticate or even connect to the new network despite having a drop in signal when the configuration was saved and a noticeable difference in the signal strength from 500m+ to 300m.

Lastly, while running strictly on 5ghz signal, I had the adapter set to prefer 802ac but was only connecting via 802n according to the win10 wifi manager. I checked my work laptop this morning (which has never had any noticeable wifi issues) and it is connected at 802ac. Granted this is also on the same floor as the wifi router...


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## OldGrayGary

Hi again

I haven't looked at the user guide (which might be quite brief!) for your adapter ... maybe I can have a look later today .... Most of the adapters I've seen are backward compatible to some extent. But I've only had one ac adapter in my workplace (the one that went to the very happy lawyer [his speeds were finally nice])... but I didn't test it for backward compatibility.

I wonder if you take a few different devices up to the attic ... laptops, tablets, phones ... and see if any of them can connect to the 5 GHz wireless network up there. If none of those can, then it's probably just a signal strength problem - and the adapter is "acquitted of the crime" 

[Although there is still the issue of the "n" signal dropping during long connections ...]

Might be fun to:
Attach the TP-Link adapter to a spare notebook or computer, then disable the spare's usual adapter (leaving only the TP-Link adapter enabled) -- and try connecting for a long-term connection. You could test to see if the TP-Link can connect to both the "ac" and the "n" networks when in close range. Seems that the test would show a fuller picture of the adapter's capabilities.

Networks ... were much easier to handle when they were all wired ... Ah, the good old days  .... though things were a bit slower!


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