NP550P5C 15.6" Series 5 Notebook wifi speed & range issues

Hi all, I seem to have wifi issues with my laptop (running on Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6235); it seems to work fine in the hall, kitchen and near the router with speeds of 20 to 30Mbps, but once in my bedroom the speed goes down to 1-2.5Mbps, websites load slowly and often crash so it looks like a blind zone; however, my other and much older Toshiba performs a lot better with speeds up to 20Mbps though it also can crash sometimes.

I have found this threat below and took it back to the shop while still under warranty and had the wifi card replaced twice, which made no difference (they said they couldn't replace it with a different model/make which I had insisted on).

https://communities.intel.com/thread/31090?start=0&tstart=0

So I'm back to square one trying to boost the range and was wondering if anybody with perhaps a similar issue could suggest an inexpensive solution that has worked for them. If the only option is a dongle/wifi adaptor or signal booster, it'd be great to know which particular model/make worked for you.

Many thanks

 

First a question: Are you using the latest driver direct from Intel? My experience suggests they fixed the bugs in the original driver around September last year when the stability and performance of my 6235 was noticeably improved.

Before that happened I carried around one of these as my backup system. Not only does it have a proper antenna but also has an extension lead so it it can be positioned away from the computer where the signal strength is better.

John

 

@JackLap: Beyond trying different drivers, I would say you should try the tweaks described in the WiFi Remedies thread linked below, which can dramatically affect WiFI range and speed and stability -- particularly when running on battery.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/727499-wifi-remedies-samsung-laptops.html

 

Thanks very much for your replies. I have been struggling with this for a good while now and nothing seems to have worked - I have updated drivers and tried different settings; changed channels on the router, and switched from 2.4 to 5Ghz and it all works exactly the same so I think it's a hardware issue; the wifi card or chassis or both which is why I was hoping to have a different card replaced when I took it back to the shop. They said they couldn't upgrade and I said I was happy to downgrade as long as it works properly...

First, I will try rolling back to the Win8 driver and then updating to the latest driver again, but I'm not very hopeful. In the meantime I was wondering if you knew how easy it might be to replace the wifi card by myself?

Many thanks

 

The most difficult part of the hardware swap is usually getting the bottom off the computer. Once you are there then the first thing to check is that the antennae cables are properly plugged into the WiFi card.

You should be able to swap to a newer WiFi card such as the Intel 7260 (you will need to figure out which is the right version for your computer - probably half size card and including Bluetooth). However, getting the driver properly configured can be a challenge and you may need to remove all trace of the old card and driver before installing the new one.

John

 

After much delibaration and further wifi testing, I've concluded that my wireless signal is quite mysterious, inconsistent and unpredictable and that my best option will be to go for an adaptor. First, I have looked at the three below and the one suggested by John seems a great choice, but it looks like this model has been discontinued (though still available) so I was wondering if the new version performs the same or better than the one with the external aerial? Someone mentioned to me that I should go for the faster one and this one is 300Mbps so twice the speed. I'm not sure if it matters as the top speed I get off the wireless is 30Mbps (when I'm near the router) so I'd appreciate advice on this. (I also have a USB extender I could use to place it where I could get a better signal perhaps).

TP-Link TL-WN722NC 150Mbps High Gain Wireless USB Adapter: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

http://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-TL-...=1401830240&sr=8-1&keywords=TP-LINK+TL-WN821N

Also, sizewise the 3rd one would be ideal, but I'm not sure how much I can expect from it:

TP-Link TL-WN725N 150Mbps Wireless-N Nano USB Adapter: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

Last, but not least, I was thinking about an ultimate solution More expensive, but in many ways ideal for me.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-PA4...8&qid=1401829372&sr=8-1&keywords=tl-pa4010kit

I read in one of the reviews, however, that it is required that the adapters are plugged in directly and no extension leads and adaptors can be used for it to work properly. If that's the case, I'll be in trouble, as all my equipment is connected to one long extension lead

 

Are you streaming files (eg video) across a local network or just needing internet connectivity? If the latter, 150Mbs is likely to exceed the speed of the internet connection and your reported 30Mbs is probably the internet connection speed.

If your primary need is to improve the speed in your bedroom then option 1 will do the job nicely provided you only use the computer on a desk or table. Put the dongle in the stand somewhere out of the way and then plug the cable into the computer when you want to use it.

If, however, you want to be able to use the computer in several positions (eg on the bed) then a local WiFi transmitter will be more convenient. An alternative to the powerline adapter kit (which uses a network cable to connect one unit to the router and another cable between the other unit and the computer) is a WiFi range extender such as this which uses WiFi to connect to the router and then rebroadcasts on a different channel. Configure the range extender when it is close to the router then place it in a spare power socket in or near your bedroom (or somewhere between the bedroom and the router).

John

 

To view websties I'd probably be OK with what I get just now, but I do stream a lot on demand so would 150Mbs be enough with option 1? I used to stream even in HD on wired connection in my previous accommodation. That's why this seemed so tempting.

I also use my laptop on the desk mostly which is another reason why I was considering the wired adaptor; would you know if it is effected by power lead extensions and adaptors? Unfortunately, there are only 2 sockets in my bedroom both on the 'wrong' wall so everything is plugged into an extension lead running across the room. I would very reluctantly rearrange the room.

I have also thought about the booster, but I might find it difficult to find somewhere convenient to plug it in outside the bedroom, and I'm afraid that if I plug it in my bedroom (on the 'wrong' wall unless I get another extension lead) the signal might be too weak to be boosted enough?

And as we are discussing all options what is this and good for?

 

I agree that for your specific requirement the powerline adapter pair should best meet your needs and bypass the WiFi signal strength problem.

Are you streaming from the internet or from elsewhere on your home network? If it is the former then you are limited by the internet connection speed which will be a lot less than 500Mbs. However, using the powerline adapter pair that are rated at 500Mbs would give plenty of headroom for signal degradation (although running all your equipment off an extension lead shouldn't cause this) and still deliver whatever your internet connection is capable of supplying.

If you can find a little more cash then you could get the powerline + WiFi setup such as this and have the freedom of not tethering your computer to a network cable.

And I doubt that a little nano WiFi adapter is going to give better signal strength compared to a larger adapter with a bigger antenna.

John

 

I have seen this and it's probably the best option, however, having a choice between a cable connection and wifi, I'd always go for the former as it is more stable (?) and I think I'd use it 99% of the time so the wifi option would be almost redundant.

Instead, Id go for option 1 just to use it if I want to go wireless and/or especially in another enviornment (experiencing issues that option 1 will hopefully resolve).

And I'd get this to use for most of the time in my bedroom. I have also found a slower and cheaper option here, which would probably work exactly the same (?) considering my internet speed (I only stream from the internet), but then again perhaps it will matter if I do any further upgrades in the future so the question is should I go for the 500Mbps?

 

I'd tend to go for the cheapest. It's faster than your internet connection.

I would also address upgrading when the need arises. The faster equipment will then have shuffled along the price range to where the slower units are now.

John

 

Do note that Powerline tends to work poorly across separate electrical circuits (if it works at all). I had high hopes for Powerline 500 to drive a wired connection from our living room (with the cable modem) to my office; but because the two rooms are on different circuits, its performance was significantly below that of WiFi. Within the same circuit it worked brilliantly.

 

That's a valid point although I think (based on use of Amazon UK as a source of components) the location that we are discussing here is in UK where almost all domestic electricity supplies are single phase. The easiest way to check is that there are only two wires (live and neutral) going into the electricity meter. If there is a multi-phase supply then there will also be "Danger Medium Voltage" signs.

John

 

I did not realize that there would be a difference between US and UK in this regard. It is my understanding that newer Powerline implementations (using higher frequencies) do a better job of coupling across phases -- but the bigger problem can be jumping across circuits with individual breakers in a house. Indeed, that is what I experienced. But maybe there is a difference there as well in how UK and US houses are typically wired, and the types of breakers/fuses used. That I would not know