Fresh install Windows 7 - Intel Advanced-N 6235 Wi-Fi not connecting at full speed

[tkolarik]

I decided to go back to Windows 7 after not being too happy with Windows 8 but I am having problems with the Intel Advanced-N 6235 Wi-Fi card I swapped for my original BBK5 POS. Originally, I had Windows 7 running on an SSD with the factory card installed. I uninstalled the drivers and replaced the original card with the Intel Advanced-N 6235. I found the drivers and installed them and got great speed with my N900 router.

But trying to do a fresh install or Windows 7 - SP1 Ultimate, I cannot get connection speed above 54mbps. I check all setting on the router (which have not changed) and the card, changing from channel width of 20 to auto, the only other choice. My first run through of the fresh install I installed nearly everything first before installing the Wi-Fi drivers and tried it a second time installing them right after the chipset drivers with the same results.

I'm wondering if there is something different happening when installing the factory card drivers and updates that allowed me to connect at the correct speed that is not working when going straight to the Intel drivers???

Any ideas? I hate to thing I have to replace the old card, install Winders, remove and replace cards, before the card works at the right speed!

[dstrakele]

1) Have you changed your location? The 5 Ghz band signal drops off much more rapidly than 2.4 Ghz.

2) What connection speeds do you get with Ethernet connected directly to the modem?

[tkolarik]

**update**
Just reinstalled my Windows 8 from backup and it too shows max connection on both 5Ghz and 2.4Ghz bands. I did a bit of research and it seems that there is some issues with those cards dropping connections often, which I noticed also. I wonder if Intel updated the driver to only use only one antenna and the 20mhz channel width until they find out the problem.

@dstrakele It's not a distance issue, before I had it up to 300mbps at my kitchen table and 240 in the rear bedroom. It's locked at 54 now, both on Windows 7 and Windows 8. I get 24Mbps from Comcast and I have a Netgear WNDR4500 N900 router.

[tkolarik]

Well I ripped that Intel Wi-Fi card out and put the factory one in, up to 72.2 which is max for the BBK5 single stream 20 mbps width and put the dual band unit in another netbook... 54mbps. Got to be the card. Bought it thru Amazon, Intel says they don't support end-users, how do I get it repaired, replaced, or RMAed?

[mrc00l88]

hey tkolarik - where are you checking your speeds from? I don't get above 54mbps on the 6235 either if I check from within windows.

[Quasimodem]

Swap the antennas around....

[mrc00l88]

BNaughty wrote:
Swap the antennas around....

my antennas are good. the speed i see on the card in network settings is only 54 mbps. i am guessing it is due to isp provider comcast? or should i atleast be reading higher than 54mbps.

[Living_Room_Roc]

Just for the sake of covering all bases, have you checked the channels on your router?

[mrc00l88]

Living Room Rocker wrote:
Just for the sake of covering all bases, have you checked the channels on your router?

It's that my router only has g, b, a (after installing, reinstalling, the drivers a bunch of times lol). Going to pick up a new router - any suggestions? Thanks!

[Quasimodem]

mrc00l88 wrote:
It's that my router only has g, b, a (after installing, reinstalling, the drivers a bunch of times lol). Going to pick up a new router - any suggestions? Thanks!

Cisco EA4500 or EA6500