XPS 15Z Audio issue

Read my posts. I have always said this was Wifi related although that's not how this thread started.

forum.notebookreview.com/.../624891-xps-15z-crackling-audio-network-traffic.html

Enabling Intel My Wifi does not fix the latency issues or the crackling for me.

I just started system at home- new network.  Now it says no wireless adapter found...crackling again.  Calling Dell sending it back.  They'll probably make me pay, but I'm going over to the dark side.  This computer had so much potential.

I would like to know why it takes my computer 2-3 minutes (seriously) to connect to my wireless network @home?

is there a fix for that?

doug

Try and keep it on topic.

Forum has borked the link.

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=20433&ProdId=3315&lang=eng&OSVersion=Windows%207%20(64-bit)*&DownloadType=%0ASoftware%20Applications%0A

Which driver in particular from Intel? This one:

downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx*&DownloadType=%0ASoftware%20Applications%0A

?

Just got off the phone with tech support.  They said the audio issue is the mother board.  They wanted to replace the mother board, but I wasn't going for that since I just had it torn apart for a new wireless card and screen.  They're sending me a new machine, which while frustrating is still good of them and I appreciate that.  I just hope it works.

Regarding the wireless issue, the technician said that it can be fixed by downloading the driver from intel rather than dell.  He said he had done one an hour before I called.  He was very confident that downloading from intel would solve the problem.  I know that doesn't make sense, but that's what he said.  I requested a downgrade from the 6230 card but he was very insistent that the 6230 is a good card...and that you have to download driver from intel...

I still believe the audio problem is related to the 6230.  I hope I'm wrong.

Yes that is the best I can get to match the card. Win 7 x64 etc. It's actually an older version than what Dell has.

It's not "bleeding" into the audio signal. Somehow the digital path is being delayed or corrupted as I hear it. That's why it doesn't occur when nothing is playing. It only occurs when there is audio playing and there is network activity. If the devices shared the bus, then maybe the Wifi traffic is preventing audio digital data getting to the audio device in time.

I haven't gone to the site yet to download it, but I'm assuming it's the 6230n driver.  When mine woke up from sleeping just now it said no wireless adapter configured and it went to default setting.  While it was doing that the audio was crackling like nuts with the windows start up sound.  I say this only because dell was at my house and I watched them install a brand new wireless card and antennae about three weeks ago.  

I don't know how, but the problems have to be connected.  Maybe it's less of a wireless card and more of a bad mother board.  Maybe there's something funny with the connections or pathways on the mother board that causes bleed over into the audio signal when the wireless card is spiking.  I wonder how many people are exepriencing this?

It looks like you posted the link to the driver for the 6230n but make sure you follow all the instructions to make sure you're running 64bit and using the proper card.  

I have the same problem with mine,Good thing the threads here are very useful and helpful! More powers!

If the digital path is being corrupted then very likely it is the hardware on the mother board, right?

It could quite possibly be a hardware design fault. In that case yes it would be the motherboard. Laptops are basically all in one type devices with maybe a plug in module for BT and Wifi etc. Sometimes also a separate video card in higher end machines.

However, given that it happens on more than one machine, it's not going to be a hardware failure. It would be a hardware design issue.

That said, I'm reasonably confident a driver update could fix this and the overall hardware is sound. It could be that the Wifi driver is somehow blocking the audio driver from working effectively.

Also, you could probably prove the hardware is sound by running a Linux distribution (possibly even just a live CD/DVD).

TESTED WITH UBUNTU - FAULT NOT PRESENT!!

========================================

Yesterday I installed Ububtu 11.10 (this version support both the wired and wireless cards in the XPS15z seemingly as I am able to connect to my home network via both).

The audio problem is NOT present when running Ubuntu when connected via either wireless or wired.

Run up the supplied Win7 Pro 64, enabled the WIRED network adapter and the audio crackles. Disabled the WIRED adapter and the crackle stops. Instantly repeatable.

During this testing on both Win7 and Ubuntu the WireLESS adapter was enabled at all times.

If this were a hardware issue it would be present when running the machine under Ubuntu as well. As the problem is NOT present with Ubuntu I can only assume that the problem is with the Windows driver or something that Dell have done to the default config of the machine.

I am also experiencing sudden immediate power loss on my machine (no Blue Screen, just instant power off - the only entry in the Event log (sometimes, not every time) is that Windows started after not having shut down correctly.. very helpful! After over an hour on the phone to tech support on Friday they diagnosed this as a 'software issue' (how? there are no related software error reports in the logs!), but to humour their suggestion I installed Ubuntu. Time will tell on that one (the death was happening every few days randomly), but I was suprised that they didn't ofer to send out an engineer to replace my motherboard (with a refurb one!) for this fault given that that seems to be the stock answer from Dell for the numerous faults on this machine). I started another thread about this instant shutdown issue elsewhere, but it doesn't seem as common as the audio problems.

-FM

FatMonk, thanks for helping to isolate the issue.  I've long established since the summer that the Atheros Ethernet Network driver is the culprit, but some in this forum are confusing it with the Network driver.  

Dell, please provide an update.  The issue can be any clearer at this point.  I've had my Ethernet driver on my $1000+ laptop disabled for months as a workaround.