Tech Help Please, Win 10 problem or WiFi adapter?

July 31, 2020 | Vanity

[PROCON]

Tech Help Please!

I keep getting kicked off of the internet on my desktop computer, my router and modem are functioning properly, as I have my Roku TV on too and it doesn't ever skip a beat.

The computer is a year old refurbished Dell I bought from Amazon, super fast, with Win 10 and I'm running the Brave browser.

It didn't come with a WiFi adapter so I bought a TP-Link USB Wifi Adapter, (single band), for PC N150 Wireless Network Adapter for Desktop and it worked fine for about 6 months and then I started getting internet cut-offs, sometimes briefly and sometimes longer, it would just kick-out and then eventually come back on, very frustrating.

Well, screw it, thought the WiFi adapter went bad so I bought another of the same and it worked for about 60-90 days and it started kicking me off too.

So, I installed another brand of Wifi adapter a few days ago and the kick-offs happened immediately and frequently, very frustrating.

Disclaimer: I am not tech savvy at all but I'm starting to think that the whole problem lies with the notorious Win 10 updates that happen almost monthly, and I've read they cause many problems of their own.

Your input to fix this problem is greatly appreciated.

[linMcHlp]

How to Flush and Reset the DNS Cache in Windows 10

Brave Browser is a good Internet browser. For the meantime, set it to automatically "Clear browsing data" for BOTH:

Settings >> Additional Settings >> Clear browsing data >> Advanced

and

Settings >> Additional Settings >> Clear browsing data >> On exit

For each of those, ENABLE all the selections EXCEPT "Site and Shields Settings" and "Passwords and other sign-in data"

For general cache cleaning, you might try Piriform’s Cache Cleaner aka CCleaner. Download the free version.

Get a wireless access point that connects to your PC via Ethernet cable, and set it up as an alternate that you can switch to, and test your Internet connection. Find out, if this works better / more reliably, than the USB version.

Use Net Limiter, in order to monitor your PC's network traffic. Become familiar with what is the usual traffic, so you can, in contrast, notice the unusual traffic.

Become familiar with your Windows 10 hosts file; as part of keeping an eye out, for unusual activity. How to Lock, Manage, Edit Hosts File in Windows 10

If you have been using your ISP's DNS servers, try using some free and public DNS servers. Do NOT use those of Google, Cloudflare, nor Quad9.

[JFoobar]

Get at intel AX200 wifi pcie card.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3000M-PCI-E-Wi-Fi-6-Intel-AX200-WiFi-Card-for-desktop-802-11ax-Dual-Band-BT5-0/

Usb is not for networking. It’s PNP and kicks into low power mode whenever it feels like it. If you aren’t using an antenna, you aren’t doing wireless properly.

The reason why wireless works fairly well on laptops is because they wrap the antenna around the outer casing. With that usb dongle, you don’t meet that requirement. That usb dongle is a last resort if you are in a bind, not a reliable networking device for daily use.

[Viking2002]

Brave is my default browser, and I like it. Firefox used to be my go-to back in the day, but now it’s a hot mess. And Cloudflare shoud be declared a public heath emergency.

[Paul R.]

Very interesting! We only have one neighbor’s router occasionally show up on devices that are in the front part of our house. All the other neighbors are far enough away to not be a problem (I think.) However, I DO have a 2nd wireless router out in my shop. Are 3 wireless routers on one channel enough to cause a problem? Every once in a long while we have unexplained connection problems within the house. (They are not getting worse, however. Some time back we did have gradually degrading connections, but replacing the wireless router in our house cured that.)

Also... I’d expect too much traffic is a problem if, say, a motel has a cheap wireless router and several people are accessing it, but, can the dropouts / speed be highly customer device dependent? The reason I ask is that last week we stayed a couple nights at a small (10 cabin) “resort” near Lake Barkley, KY. We were not even expecting Internet Service at all, but it turned out the owner allows connection to the Wi-Fi in his house, which is near enough to the cabins that we got a “two bar” signal most of the time. What was odd was that my wife’s LG smart phone, normally fairly reliable, would either not connect or was VERY slow, my daughter’s LG smart phone (slightly different model) connected easily, and was reliable and fairly quick online, while my Lenovo N22 laptop would connect easily and was also fairly quick online, but disconnected every other new page view or so (but would then easily reconnect when I went to do so.) This behavior was consistent both nights we were there.

How is this explainable?

[Revel]

“Plug an ethernet cable into your PC, and the other end into your router. Then turn off your wireless.”

Best Answer.

[OrangeHoof]

Plug an ethernet cable into your PC, and the other end into your router. Then turn off your wireless.

This is the best answer, provided you have a connection on your computer that looks like a phone jack. If so, get yourself an ethernet cable (it will look like a thick telephone cable) with little plastic clips on both ends. Clip one end into the phone jack on your computer and click the other end into one of the output jacks on your router.

They make 15-foot ethernet cables although you'd be better off to configure the connection at eight feet or less if it can be done. You can find ethernet cables at any electronics, computer, hardware or Wal-Mart store. If there are choices, look for one that says "CAT5" for simple computing.

Your router will probably have blinking lights for the connection you just made that will indicate data is moving between the router and the computer. Once that is established, unplug the USB wi-fi part because you won't need it. A reboot of both computer and router may be needed.

The benefit to this solution is you now have a direct wire between your computer and your router that is not subject to any interference from passing signals or too-close neighbors. It should not shut off like your wireless is doing.

[Paul R.]

I rather like having a boot and programs drive (SSD), and a separate data drive (HD) on my desktop. Few modest price laptops have room for that. Yeah, one can use an external data drive with a laptop, but that ties up a port which laptops are usually short on anyway. Yeah, one can add a USB hub - good luck on finding one that doesn’t exhibit some form of flakiness. I use SD cards as data drives on a couple of my laptops, but, I don’t store anything critical on them, and I try to (try to) back up regularly.

Mostly though, my GENERAL* experience has been that a desktop of a given price is more physically and electrically reliable than a laptop at a similar price with similar performance. Maybe this has changed in the last year or two, as I’ve not bought any machines in the last couple years.

*There are always exceptions. My little Lenovo N22 laptop has been excellent, but Lenovo desktops (note the plural) have, for me, had major problems with power supply failures.

[japaneseghost]

bkmk

[linMcHlp]

Before the next suggestion, make sure that you have the necessary username and password combination for any PPPoA or PPPoE connection with your ISP (if applicable).

Resetting the Router

While you have an Internet browser connection to your router - in order to administer your router - take screenshots of every settings page. Prepare to perform a complete reset of the router.

If you cannot find your router's manual, try connections in this order:

http://192.168.0.1/
http://192.168.1.1/
http://192.168.0.50/
http://192.168.1.50/
http://192.168.0.5/
http://192.168.1.5/
http://10.0.0.1/
http://10.0.0.2/

Default factory admin username and password combinations for routers:

admin / (blank)
Admin / (blank)
admin / admin
Admin / Admin
admin / password (use that text string)
Admin / password (use that text string)

If you cannot find the RESET button press-in-and-hold time duration, count to 30.

Go thru a RESET with the Power cable plugged in (and all other cables disconnected); and after the router settles down, instead of restoring settings, do the following:

Unplug the Power cable and unplug all other cables. Press and hold in, the RESET button for double the manual's suggested amount of time.

After that, plug in the Power cable and let the router do its thing and settle down. Followed by connecting a direct Ethernet cable between your PC and the router. Followed by you restoring the router's settings. Followed by connecting any other cables to the router.

Make sure that your Local Area Network router has a complex administrative password.

Make sure that NAT is enabled on your Local Area Network router.

If you are able to select a Wi-Fi channel for your Local Area Network, start with Channel 1 and leave it for a while. It tends to be the more durable Wi-Fi channel.

Yet, you may find that you have to keep at the Wi-Fi channel testing, to find the channel that is the more durable for your Local Area Network, given the structure of where you reside plus neighboring wireless signals.

Be prepared to switch to an all-wired connection between your PC and the router, when your Wi-Fi appears to not work (as you stated). In other words, test wired vs. wireless.

[dila813]

That doesn’t have a external antenna,, that adapter doesn’t work well and is likely only ideal for laptops to add wifi to.

I only use dual antenna at home for desktops with a cable to move it away from the desktop. Even the desktop can interfere and cause it to run high power causing it to have a short lifespan

Alfa Long-Range Dual-Band Ac1200 Wireless USB 3.0 Wi-Fi Adapter w/2x 5dBi External Antennas - 2.4GHz 300Mbps / 5Ghz 867Mbps - 802.11ac & A, B, G, N,
$39.99
Walmart
(52)

[minnesota_bound]

Poster and #28 I use TP-Link as well for my desktop pc.
I have Windows 7 and the icon is in the lower right corner of the screen. It looks like green signal bars.

It shows I am using channel 4 and I am the only one using it.
I see all my neighbors on different channels.
Nine are using channel 11
Seven of them are using channel 1

I use a ASUS router so if I needed to I would go into the router settings and change the channel there.
You can look up your model name at google and ask how to log into the settings.

[minnesota_bound]

Poster and #66 I use a flat ethernet cable to my work pc. Beats the heavier rounded ones. No difference in performance either.
https://www.amazon.com/flat-ethernet-cable-Electronics/s?k=flat+ethernet+cable&rh=n%3A172282

[Fresh Wind]

Look up how to change the channel on your router. It works. People around you buy a new router and use the default channel. A couple of users on the same channel should be OK but when more people join the club connections become sporadic.

Some routers will take your channel choice only as a suggestion, and will change the channel as it sees fit as confirmed by a WiFi monitor phone app which displays user names, channels, and signal strength in my area. I set a channel when I first set up the router, and it has changed a number of times since then. I assume it is adapting to the environment to give the best possible service.

Some routers may not do that, so this is definitely something to look into for anyone having sporadic problems.

[Fresh Wind]

Recently I experienced a strange problem when trying to log into my router. I tried using my usual Firefox browser, and got a security alert which blocked me from logging in. Switched to Brave, and had the same problem. Finally tried Pale Moon, and got in without a problem.

[Drago]

I agree with the above Ethernet cable posts...Ethernet wired connections are always the best way to connect a desktop PC (not moving around all the time like a laptop/iPad/phone). Get yourself a 20’ E-net cable and plug into the Cable/Spectrum? ISP router and the Dell.

[daniel1212]

“I prefer a desktop” Why? For 4 to 5 hundred dollars you can buy a decent laptop that is far more convenient than a desktop.

For the same reason that some people buy a pick up truck rather than a sedan or sports car. You get more for your money with a Desktop you can easily build and have control over what goes in it. And I like a 23" screen.

[daniel1212]

Windows 10 dropping wifi is a very common problem, which I have often experienced despite having 2 USB wifi adapters and one (Qualcomm) internal, in which none worked coming out of sleep or sometimes randomly. Right clicking on the icon in the System Tray and choosing “Troubleshoot” usually reset the adapter and worked, but not always. It has been better lately, and I forgot what I did that seems to have worked. Except that a Windows 10 update was installed (Ver. 2004; build 19041.1) which has its own issues, and rather than deselecting “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power” under adapter properties in Device Manager), which many saw should be disabled, I enabled it as some say this worked.

Thus far it has worked, by the grace of God.

[Right Wing Assault]

I vote for the ethernet cable. Goodbye erratic wifi.

[norwaypinesavage]

How old is your router? I had a similar problem with a five year old router, and the problem went away with a new one router. I had actually put a timer on the old router to shut it off for 15 minutes in the middle of the night when I wasn’t using it.

[trebb]

Did you try another USB port for the adapter? Or maybe plug it to an Ethernet cable to see if it still does it?