cbnepa wrote:
Hello. Warning - I'm a bit technically challenged. My new HP Spectre Ultrabook came with this same Wireless AC 7260 adapter and I've been having problems since day one. HP website does not have the updated drivers (last version they have is 16 - lovely).
...Or is there another option that will solve the problem permanently?
Don't sweat the driver number. I'm still using v16.6 since it came out about a year ago, because it's the one that has consistently worked. Later versions have had failures to resume from sleep, for me, anyway, and so I've always reverted to 16 after trying out the latest and greatest.
Solving the problem permanently? That's the issue of the day. Look at all the threads here on this forum. Most are variations on the same themes for the N or the AC adapters, either: not waking up, or dropping connections, or connecting slowly.
There are solutions, though. Unfortunately for many, however, these solutions sometimes depend on the router or modem to which you're connecting. I'm pretty sure, from reading here, that some access points are simply not going play nicely with the latest Intel parts, if they play at all. That might be part of your problem.
In addition, there are multiple settings in the advanced properties of the adapter that have to be gotten right. And, the setting combos are not always the same for everyone, that's another thing that makes this problem so frustrating. Note that the settings can change slightly between driver versions. The routers, too, have settings that have to be just right to get full throughput and steady connections.
At a minimum, VHT should be on. Ad hoc QoS should be WMM enabled, on your adapter and the router. Channel width settings for both bands should be on "Auto". And in Power Mgt, allow the computer to turn off the device should be enabled--if I disable that, my adapter is offline (red X) when I wake up the PC.
I'm using 16.6.0.8 with the AC 7260 and connection to an AC modem router with Broadcom firmware. My ThinkPad BIOS is NOT the current version, and neither is the firmware in the router. I don't update firmware in any device if the release notes don't describe a problem that I'm having.
So the takeaway is, you have to tweak this wireless adapter, and that rubs some people the wrong way. The standard troubleshooting tips of using the most current driver, and updating BIOS and firmware, are NOT necessarily going to be effective for everyone because of the sheer number of variables involved (settings and hardware combos) in the equation.
This adapter part will work--they're not inherently defective. They're just a pain in the @ss to get set up right, if they're going to work well. And that may depend on hardware and network that is beyond your control.