Intermittent WiFi Connection Issues - can't load web pages

tpilk · 20 Oct 2015

Hello. I'm having a ton of trouble with a W7 (Home Premium 64 bit) laptop. As per the title, the wifi connection on this machine on my home network is spotty at best. Frequently loses internet connection and is generally very slow, even in the room that the router is in. This is the only device on the network that has problems, and is the only one running Windows, too (one OSX device, two iOS and one Android with no wifi issues). This laptop only uses the 2.4GHz spectrum, though a 5GHz is available.

This is a cable connection through Charter - 60Mbps down, 4Mbps up.

The router is new to the network (1 day) - a TP-LINK WDR-4300. It replaces a WDR-3600 that was RMA'd, and in the interim I put up an old Linksys WNR1000v2 I had laying around, and that worked just fine. The modem is whatever Charter gave me, a basic Arris of some kind.

The laptop in question is using Windows Firewall / Microsoft Security Essentials.

I've made a few changes to the network, sending all of the 2.4GHz traffic to channel 2 in order to avoid interference from a baby monitor and other nearby wireless networks. I am not broadcasting the SSID on the 5GHz band but otherwise have not made any changes to the network. Because the other devices on the network don't seem to have problems, I have tried the diagnose utility for the network on this laptop and it will always restart the laptop's Atheros wireless network adapter and say that the issues have been fixed.

Here is my ipconfig file information:

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\Angelle>ipconfig/all

Windows IP Configuration

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

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection 2:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : A6-4B-F5-C7-B8-11
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Atheros AR9485WB-EG Wireless Network Adap
ter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 84-4B-F5-C7-B8-11
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::d80c:b396:5f37:720f%15(Preferred)
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.101(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, October 20, 2015 8:44:59 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, October 20, 2015 11:14:51 PM
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 377768949
DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-17-99-06-5C-30-F9-ED-B9-47-A7

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 30-F9-ED-B9-47-A7
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Ethernet adapter Bluetooth Network Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Bluetooth Device (Personal Area Network)
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 84-4B-F5-C7-B8-12
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter isatap.{835713E8-E775-4769-BC9B-A5154C115220}:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter isatap.{6BED4E29-91E2-4CE1-ABCD-6E6701D9CB85}:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #2
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter isatap.{DDA95687-D56D-4744-98F6-7D87C54759DE}:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #3
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter isatap.{D45B3B22-F688-47EE-809F-A755C04A31AC}:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #4
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated as I am about to pull my hair out over this.
Let me know if there's any other info I can provide. THANK YOU!

tpilk · 22 Oct 2015

I've done a little research on this and some people say the baby monitor in conjunction with the older laptop (2010-ish) is the culprit.

The laptop is too old to have 5GHz capability so it has to be on the 2.4GHz spectrum, and though I thought I put all web traffic on a channel that would keep us out of the monitor's way, it may still be the cause. Other devices using 2.4 aren't having trouble, which seems odd to me.

I used Netgear's WiFi Analytics app to scan the channels again, and I realized it's only showing me other named networks that it can see. So the monitor may not be showing up on here at all and it's interfering anyway?

I may be able to get a usb 5GHz adapter for the laptop, but I'd prefer to solve the actual issue if possible instead of applying a $20 band-aid.

Any thoughts as to why running the older and very basic Netgear router didn't produce these same results? We are using the baby monitor regardless of what network hardware is in place so I'm puzzled as to why the interference doesn't present itself with that in place.

Ztruker · 22 Oct 2015

Replace the Atheros WiFi adapter with a new dual band a/b/g/n adapter. They are cheap and normally very easy to change out.

Also check to make sure the antenna leads are firmly connected to the WiFi card.

What is the make and full model number of the laptop. WOuld be good if you would fill out your System Specs.

tpilk · 22 Oct 2015

Hi Ztruker-

Sorry, it's a Sony Vaio SVE151D11L. I updated my system specs, sorry about that.
Here's a link to the full spec sheet for the laptop model if that is helpful:
https://docs.sony.com/release/specs/...1DFYS_mksp.pdf

I'll look into replacing the Atheros adapter, that would be an easy way to fix the issues.

Thanks!

Ztruker · 23 Oct 2015

I found this:

Removing the Old Card

Place your laptop so that the Vaio logo on the front of the case is down on the table or desk and the back is facing up. There are several small panels, each with screws holding it in place. Remove all of the panels until you find the small wireless NIC. The other two panels should cover the RAM and the hard drive. The NIC will be the small card with the two wires sticking out of it. Remove the wires from the card by pulling on them carefully but firmly. There should also be two screws holding the NIC in place. Remove those and you can pull the NIC out of its slot to remove it entirely.
Related Reading: How to Disable Sony Vaio Care on Startup

Installing New Card

Insert the new network card into the old network card's slot. Reconnect the two wires that you removed earlier by inserting them into the new NIC. At this point the network card may be sitting up at a 45-degree angle. Press down on it so that it's lying flat, then reinsert the two screws you removed earlier to hold it down. Replace the back panels and the battery, then plug in the computer. Try connecting to the Internet by opening a browser and logging onto a Web page. If you connect, then your "operation" was a success.

tpilk · 26 Oct 2015

Thanks again, Ztruker. I think I have this fixed to the extent that it can be before I replace hardware.

Appreciate the suggestion to do that, as I probably wouldn't have thought of it and I'd rather not permanently occupy a USB port with a dongle if that can be avoided.