Wireless Adapter Problem

[Buehler445]

Need some help from those far smarter than I am.

I have a surface Pro that I dock up at the office. Yesterday the internet quit working on the machine, so come to find out the signal is super weak. Shit. Another computer in the office is working fine.

So I take the rig home and take it to the other end of the house from my router and it has great signal. Much longer distance, more wall the whole works.

Thinking it may have lined itself out I took it back and another laptop into the office. The laptop works fine, still no signal strength on the Surface.

Initially, I thought the hardware was failing, but it works at the house. I thought the router was failing but the spare laptop and the other computer are working fine. I have no idea what in the flying **** is going on.

Hardware Specs:

Computer: Surface Pro 4

Wireless Adapter: Marvell AVASTAR Wireless AC - Network Controller

Driver Version: 15.68.9125.57

Protocol 802.11N both routers.

Home Router: Shitty ass ATT Modem/Router combo

Office Router: Some ****ing high dollar MicroTik job that is supposed to be business class - provided by the ISP.

Any idea what I have going on here? TIA

[FlintHillsChiefs]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

That second laptop I brought in I sat next to the Surface. That should preclude it from being interference.

Not really. Not all wireless NICs are created equal. Some are better than others, and some have better antenna placement within the laptop shell. Unless I'm misunderstanding you, and both laptops are surface pros?

I'd go to the nearest Wireless Access Point (WAP) in your office - you can see them hanging from the ceiling usually - and try connecting to the wifi there. If it connects there, we know it's a signal problem and you probably need to get an IT/Networking guy involved and have them do a site survey/heat map. If the WAPs are above the ceiling tiles, just walk around the office space and see if you can connect anywhere. They're usually not that far apart. Usually 30-40 feet or so.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by DaFace

What options do you have under "band" and "frequency"?

Shit. I don't remember what is under band.

Frequency was

2.4 A only
2.4 B only
2.4 A and B only
2.4 N only
2.4 A, B, N

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by FlintHillsChiefs

Not really. Not all wireless NICs are created equal. Some are better than others, and some have better antenna placement within the laptop shell. Unless I'm misunderstanding you, and both laptops are surface pros?

I'd go to the nearest Wireless Access Point (WAP) in your office - you can see them hanging from the ceiling usually - and try connecting to the wifi there. If it connects there, we know it's a signal problem and you probably need to get an IT/Networking guy involved and have them do a site survey/heat map. If the WAPs are above the ceiling tiles, just walk around the office space and see if you can connect anywhere. They're usually not that far apart. Usually 30-40 feet or so.

No the other one was a junky old laptop I mothballed but keep around.

I'm flying solo here. The office consists of me and my dad. ISP installed the Service and router. Then there is a switch and a printer. No IT guys, no multi point access, just dumbass farmers.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

No the other one was a junky old laptop I mothballed but keep around.

I'm flying solo here. The office consists of me and my dad. ISP installed the Service and router. Then there is a switch and a printer. No IT guys, no multi point access, just dumbass farmers.

To his point, if you take the Surface over near the router, does it work fine?

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by DaFace

To his point, if you take the Surface over near the router, does it work fine?

I'll check when I get back out there.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by DaFace

What options do you have under "band" and "frequency"?

Under frequency there is
2412
2417
2422
2427
2432
2437
2442
Auto

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by DaFace

To his point, if you take the Surface over near the router, does it work fine?

Yes. Works fine. Good signal, loads pages. Whole works. Mind you this is about 15 feet and 1 wall away from where it won't get good enough signal to do anything.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

Under frequency there is
2412
2417
2422
2427
2432
2437
2442
Auto

You could try messing with that, though I honestly doubt it'll make much of a difference.

[arrowheadnation]

Try turning off blue tooth on the Surface Pro.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by arrowheadnation

Try turning off blue tooth on the Surface Pro.

I reached out to Buehler directly since it was basically just me and him working on it, but this was the winner. He recently got a new bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and every time they're on, the network drops.

Unfortunately, it seems like the only good solution is to upgrade the router so that he can use 5GHz instead, but that's better than nothing.

[Buehler445]

Yeah. Face is a wizard.

[arrowheadnation]

Glad that worked....er….not glad, but you know what I mean. That Bluetooth issue is a fundamental flaw of some Surfaces that Microsoft doesn't seem to want to own up to. We discovered it a year or so ago at the company I work for.