New Dell XPS 15z (L511z) Wireless Card Issues

Thank you so much for this fix. I have had a total improvement in connectivity!!

Thought I'd report back. I uninstalled both intel wireless components and reinstalled them. I then had the APMMode option in the registry, which I have set to zero.

I got an improvement again in range, but sometimes even line of sight with the access point, I'll get dropouts for a few minutes on and off and then full strength again.

I'm in Australia so I don't think able to test my situation for Dell  / Intel.

I'll just wait and come back here occassionally to see if there are driver updates in the future.

So in summary, I've had my intel card replaced, and reloaded the revised drivers. Running at around 95% capacity on wireless now.

Aaron

Thanks for the updates Clainsworth and Aarondwyer.

I believe that between Dell and Intel there will be new drivers coming. I will certainly post here once I learn of them.

TB

I literally received my XPS15Z today and I'm having the same issues as everyone else.

Tried updating the driver - it says its running 14.2.0.10 already. Tried uninstalling it and reinstalling it and have the same issue. Speedtest.net states a download speed of 0.20MBps whereas all the other PCs on my network get at least 7MBps....

There is no APMMode setting in the registry at all. This machine will also not join my Homegroup, even though it can see there is one there. I thought it might be McAfee stopping it, but turning that off didn't help either. In addition, the connection speed for the wifi adapter keeps dropping from 54mb to 2mb.. this cannot be right. I don't have a "n" router, but it should connect and stay connected at 54mbps on my "g" router

I purchased 3 year NBD on-site warranty as well, so how do I log a support call to have an engineer come out and replace the card?

Well my replacement laptop came arrived yesterday and it still has the exact same problem. This problem must be on the majority of these laptops and I suggest that Dell recall every single one of these. I'm going to return this laptop, get a refund, and invest in a new non-Dell laptop as this problem seems to be appearing on the non "Z" model too. I've given up, and just want a nice and new working machine.

Good luck you all with this laptop. I've had my laptop replaced 3 times already for the same problems (+ red strikes on my screen - I had to send my laptop back for them to change the screen) with endless hours spent with technical support. They wouldn't offer a refund when asked after 32 days. I bought my first laptop XPS 15z in June. I received the last one the day before yesterday. I didn't even open the box yet as I know I'm still gonna have problems. I'm really upset that I flushed 1700$ down the drain and no one at Dell will help me. I still have to work with my 10 year old Inspiron 6400 laptop, because of the connection problems (it drops all the time). It's infuriating when you lose your work constantly. I'm at my wits end. I even made a complaint and no one responded. Never will I buy anything at Dell again, never!! This was my third computer at Dell and I recommended numerous tims to friends in the past. Never again!!  I am a very unsatisfied customer. Never have I been treated this way by any business in the past. I work in a law firm and I have been advised to take action. Anyone interested let me know. This could well become a class action. I'm in Canada.

Awesome news Terry. I'll be keeping a look out and would be glad to get some new drivers!

Thanks for the update.

I just wanted to step in and say that engineering has informed me that Intel has duplicated some of the problems you all have been mentioning here in this thread. A new driver is being worked.  I currently have no ETA but will post here as soon as I have more updates.  For those of you still having problems make sure that you are updated to the latest drivers.  As some have mentioned disabling Bluetooth has helped, if you don't require the use of Bluetooth you may wish to disable it and see if you have better performance.

TB

That's great Terry, but for those of us who have spent countless hours on the phone with technical support to reinstall the drivers (I've done it on 2 computers already and I'm not ready to do it a third time), it's not such great news. Why is Dell selling computers being aware that they have major problems. I consider a disfunctional driver a major problem. I consider this to be very dishonest. Like I mentioned before I received the first laptop in June and I still don't have a functionnal laptop to work with (I work three days a week on this laptop). The sound card is also an issue. The sound is so low. The keyboard is a also a personal issue for me. The dropping Internet connection is also a major issue. I mean, what else can I think of. And I haven't even started installing new software on it yet. Why didn't Dell refund me after 32 days? They should pay me at this point for me to use this laptop with the hours I wasted on it.  

I'm returning mine today, I had it for less than 21 days and going through this forum now, I'm so frustrated that Dell hasn’t resolve this issues for months!!.. I wasn't even able to download the drivers in this computer since it keeps dropping the wireless connection!! Also the speakers had this terrible sound with static all the time. We have some of the top line Dell desktops at work and I had very good experience with the brand, but I think this will be the end. I have the same question than others, why is Dell selling computers being aware that they have major problems….. Good luck to all of you with this issue, now I’ll try to find something similar (No Dell again), will be difficult, I really liked the XPS 15Z.

I have noticed that whenever I have a torrent-program active the disconnections from the WiFi are much more frequent. Do you guys have the same problem with torrents active?

Honestly i'm not so much disapointed at the laptop issue, because it can happen to all in this business, even to the best. What makes a difference is how that company handles the issue and its customer that makes the whole company to exist in the first place, and thats whats bothering me because Dell FAILS miserable at taking care of its customer.

Its now about three months since i received this laptop and directly i noticed the issue but i had a hard time convincing them to send out a new wifi card (intel 6300) because the system was too new for them(Dell Sweden) to admiting there was an issue. I used this forum as a reference where a Dell technichan(Terry) had confirmed the issue, so i finally got the wifi replacement but after testing it i still had the same issues so i had to send the laptop in for an antenna replacement. When i got my laptop back, besides having the same issue it now also wasn`t correctly assembled.

They refused to refund me and told me i just had to live with it!?! but i did`t agree to that and after numerous hours of waiting in cues and talking to different technicans (well stupid of me not writing up their names directly) they told me that there was a possibility to get my money back if the European office agreed to it. I even agreed to swop the xps to an alienware at that stage because i really needed a working system, they were happy about that but told me i probably had to pay the difference between the systems and i was fine with that.

Well i thought that would speed up things but i was way off because a Dell technichan stationed in South Africa called me up and asked me if i was willing to do more tests to try to solve this issue but at that time at least here in Sweden, Dell had a campaign on their alienware laptops that would almost match what i had to pay for my XPS. He convinced me that it doesn`t matter because if it came to a swap, Dell would swap my system to an system that at least had same specs or better if they didn`t have the specific spec. Well i agreed to let him try to solve the issue because he told me if not succesful he would put an order for alienware the oncoming week. The issue didn`t get solved and the week passed, so i then asked to get the swop and a swop i got but to a new xps 15z. That really anoyed me because the technicans and i already came to a conclusion that would only put me back to square one again. I told the technicans that i was upset about that and i only thought they were trying to buy time by doing so and demanded i either get a alienware or a refund. He told me he would contact the right people about that but after 2 weeks i still got the xps 15z replacement with the same issues.

Now he is finally telling me that a refund is likely to happend but highly recommends a alienware swop BUT i have to stand for the differences!!!

Is it ok to waste customers time and patiance by giving out misleading information??

Sorry about the long complaint but i had to get it off my chest and hopefully there is people at Dell that cares and do something about their technichans/customer care.

I've reinstalled all drivers and disabled bluetooth and still nothing. Any further suggestions?

I thought my system OS being set to French when the laptop arrived was going to be the only thing Dell got wrong with the z15. Wow I was wrong.

Is there a way we can be notified of when the drivers are ready? Or do I have to come back to the forum everyday?

Aaron