This post is more than 5 years old
7 Posts
0
2035932
WIFI problems on Dell xps 15 L521X
I got my Brand new xps 15 yesterday, It works fine, looks great, I'm overall satisfied with it. (even though it gets warm all the time)
Problem is, the WIFI doesn't work well at all, I'm 2 meters from my box right now, And I'm not experiencing any problems, but as soon as I get upstairs in my bedroom, my signal speed drops significantly, I can't even load a youtube video, I was downloading a game from steam yesterday, and the dl speed dropped to 6mb/s!! That's awful, If this problem can't be fixed, I'll be returning mine, and won't buy any other Dell product, I don't see how a laptop that pricey can have that kind of problems. ( because I heard I wasn't the only one, a lot of people have the same problem)
Anyways, if any of you have a solution to fix my problem (Like a Bios), I'd be really grateful.
Thanks !
(sorry for my english, I'm french)
jommw
14 Posts
0
April 30th, 2014 22:00
I am having the same problem as this user 2 years ago.
please advise what the current Dell XPS15 has for corrections to the ongoing wireless problems.
xChrisx
4 Posts
0
April 30th, 2014 23:00
Dell will waste your time with driver re-installs, wifi card exchanges, motherboard exchanges, screen exchanges (in which the antenna sit) and then systems restores until you shout loud enough that you get a refund....then by an asus n series.... :emotion-2:
All the above attempted 'corrections' made no difference to my wifi connection....another user suggested a usb wifi dongle if your willing to compromise/give in to dell. From what iv'e researched online it seems he connection issues are due to the hardware design/layout/metal chassis
jommw
14 Posts
0
May 1st, 2014 12:00
Thanks for your advice, XCHRISX, i haven't called them directly yet because I was worried about just what you said.
last night though, i spent a couple of hours downloading new drivers that were specified for my service tag number (vs. just generically for the model) and I got a lot of them that hadn't been suggested previously.
In particular, WiFi&BT Qualcomm W74 along with a couple of Chipset drivers
i THINK i'm seeing an improvement today, but am going to wait until a few days have passed to get my hopes up... or to buy an Asus :o)
thanks again!
furryCat
1 Message
0
October 7th, 2014 11:00
I found a solution for my wifi problems. My wifi speed was correlated with distance - it worked fine beside the router but it was terribly slow when the laptop was more than 10 ft away from the router. Dell tech support tried everything from changing my laptop settings to changing the router settings. They even replaced my screen and wireless card, but with no success. They also sent me a USB wifi adapter, but that didn't improve the speed very much.
A few days ago, I bought 2 new wireless router and one of them magically worked. I'm paying for 30 Mbps and consistently get 30 Mbps everywhere in my house!
laptop: Dell XPS 15 L521X
Previous router: Hitron CGN2-ROG (from my cable company)
New router that fixed problem: Linksys EA6900
New router that didn't fix problem: D-Link DIR-850L
So it seems to be a compatibility issue of the wireless card with the router. The funny thing is that within our family, we have 2 other laptops and 2 mobile devices that didn't have the problem. These devices range from 7 years old to 6 months old, and they all worked well with my previous router.
Sure this is a fix in my house, but I can't go around to all my friends and family asking them to replace their fully functioning routers. I'll speak to Dell tonight and see what they'll do to remedy this.
aheathxps
2 Posts
0
December 6th, 2014 15:00
I am having the same issues with terrible range on my xps521... I bought this back in Jan. 2014 and need to get this resolved. Everytime I call on the issue they try and fix it over the phone or tell me I need to open the laptop up and check the connection of the wireless card. I never seem to have time to spend hours on the phone to help Dell fix this faulty equipment. I did just purchase a new wireless router and once I ge back home I will see if this helped. If not I will just go ahead and take a vacation to spend the amount of time Dell will need of me to get this machine working as it should. Austin
aheathxps
2 Posts
0
December 7th, 2014 14:00
Okay, just got home and put the new router to the test. I knew that the phones and iPads worked better but they previously worked MUCH better than the xps521. I must report that Asus RT-AC66R made a huge difference. Plus after I tested the xps521 up one flight of stairs I took the suggestion of another forum post to turn the wireless adapter to maximum while on battery power. This also helped as I went up one to the top floor in our bedroom where I have never been able to use the xps521. The few times I talked to a Dell tech over the phone they never recommended this adjustment. The bottom line is this laptop is beautifully made but has a major flaw with wireless performance. The wireless router/modem that Time Warner provides is also substandard, if you have the resources to replace your router I would suggest it. Good luck!
jommw
14 Posts
0
December 7th, 2014 18:00
I finally got a new external wireless card from Best Buy. disabled my internal wireless card. no problems since then. Dell did not help me at all with this problem.
ohall74
2 Posts
0
October 8th, 2015 20:00
have these items been resolved?
3. I am unaccustomed to touchpads like this one has. Not only does the tracking pad cover the click buttons, the entire touchpad functions as a left-click, with right-click being in the lower right corner. Previously, I typed with fingers on the buttons at all times; this touchpad threw me off. Ultimately, this comes down to personal preference, but I dislike the touchpad.
4. The sound is bad. Lower-register sounds such as drum beats are sometimes not audible at all. If you need to listen to music or whatever, you need headphones; the quality is not good at all otherwise.
5. TWO DIFFERENT COMPUTERS OF THIS MODEL DEVELOPED CRIPPLING HARDWARE PROBLEMS IN THE SPAN OF THREE WEEKS. Upon delivery of the first machine, I booted it up and was immediately met with the error message, "Your battery has experienced a permanent failure and needs to be replaced." Welp. Because the battery was integrated, I couldn't replace it myself, so I had to return it and get a second computer of the same model. I installed Ubuntu on the second computer because I dislike Windows 8. In just a little over two weeks, during which time I subjected the computer to nothing more than what I consider to be everyday use, the computer developed problems with the motherboard that rendered it completely useless - one day, out of the blue, it just stopped turning on. Couldn't do a thing to fix it. Fortunately, this was within Amazon's 30-day full refund policy on laptops, so I was able to return that one, too, but if the problem had developed a week later, I would have been much worse off. I will not be purchasing another computer of this model; it says something about the hardware that two different machines broke so quickly.
First, the wireless card kept getting disconnected from the antenna - they don't stay in place very well but I eventually managed to get them wrangled on so they stay and I can use the wireless. I keep a wireless USB antenna on hand just in case though.
That's not the biggest issue though - the big issue is that the hinges on the case were absolutely terrible. I've had this computer for less than 6 months, and while I'm not a super consciously gentle laptop user, I am definitely not aggressive with it. I just had to have both hinges replaced because the bolts came loose and the plastic pieces that held the bolts were both cracked or coming off the bottom lid. This was considered 'accidental damage' and not covered by my Dell warranty, even though it's clear the case was either made really poorly or it wasn't assembled properly. I wanted to post this review mainly to warn others of the risks - always open and close the case only from the middle! The repair guy I took the computer too (who charged less than Dell would have to fix it, of course!) said that he gets Dells in all the time for this issue.
I have to point out that Amazon was more than willing to help me with either with a full refund or covering the cost of repair. Thank you Amazon!
ohall74
2 Posts
0
October 8th, 2015 20:00
Hello Harish< am looking at this pc I55584287RED , it also has wifi connection problems as reported with
this laptop. Have these issues been resolved?
I got my Brand new xps 15 yesterday, It works fine, looks great, I'm overall satisfied with it. (even though it gets warm all the time)
Problem is, the WIFI doesn't work well at all, I'm 2 meters from my box right now, And I'm not experiencing any problems, but as soon as I get upstairs in my bedroom, my signal speed drops significantly, I can't even load a youtube video, I was downloading a game from steam yesterday, and the dl speed dropped to 6mb/s!! That's awful, If this problem can't be fixed, I'll be returning mine, and won't buy any other Dell product, I don't see how a laptop that pricey can have that kind of problems. ( because I heard I wasn't the only one, a lot of people have the same problem)
Art green
omrseo
2 Posts
0
May 3rd, 2016 07:00
What's the consensus on the best course of action for people who don't work with their computers set on top of their wireless routers? Return the item?