Ok - I may well have found a solution. I rebooted in safe mode with networking and no matter what I did, I couldn't cause any wireless issues. I did multiple power cycles and downloads of 2Gb at a time - no problems. Speed was back at full and I got between 5Mb/s and 6.5Mb/s download speeds - about right for wireless N.
I started up the performance monitor and watched the network data throughput - it was pretty consistent.
I then rebooted into "normal" mode and re-ran exactly the same tests in the same order. The network monitor showed burst traffic with regular breaks in transmission of a few seconds. Throughput was reduced and what took 4 minutes to copy in safe mode now took 11 minutes and the time to finish was increasing.
I cancelled the file copy, went into the conntrol panel and disabled all Bluetooth devices. I then started the file copy again and watched the graph on the performance monitor. While not as smooth as in Safe Mode, it was pretty acceptable and no dropouts.
I'm just about to power cycle the machine then do some longer term testing. Watch this space .......
Ok - two power cycles later, another 5Gb of downloads, numerous speed tests and I've not lost a connection or had a network issue yet. Bluetooth is still disabled so it looks very much like there is an issue there. I'll use the machine tomorrow and see how stable it is but for the moment, it seems that I may have stumbled across a temporary solution :)
My apologies for replying late. Thank you for the troubleshooting. I really appreciate your technical expertise. As the wireless works fine in ‘Safe Mode with Networking, you may try to disable the firewall. You may also try to uninstall the anti-virus completely from the system. Turn on the Bluetooth and check if it makes any difference.
Keep me posted with the information. I will be glad to assist further.
I've been using the machine all day with the bluetooth disables without a problem with the wireless.
I've wasted a week with trying to get this laptop to work properly so rather behind with what I should be doing work wise. I'll have to have a play with the antivirus and bluetooth some other time now.
For reference I'm using Microsoft Security essentials on all of my machines here and Windows Firewall so nothing out of the normal. This is the only machine I've ever had an issue with on my network (Apple / Linux / Windows / Android) and it hasn't worked properly (from new on either Win8 preinstalled or a fresh Win7 install) on any of my routers or access points.
Ok - still not 100% and I've had a couple of wlan lockups - especially after returning from hibernate mode.
I've disabled the firewall and antivirus and enabled the Bluetooth and the issues with network pauses and slow throughput came back straight away. I've linked below to two graphs of network activity - both with no firewall/antivirus but you can see the difference with the Bluetooth enabled and disabled.
Please provide me the Service Tag and the name as it appears on the account via private message (click my username and then click Start Conversation) so I may access your records and check for further course of action.
Keep me posted with the information. I will be glad to assist you.
Well my new network card arrived today. I had requested an alternative model to rule out driver / incompatibility issues but was told I'd have to have what was originally supplied with the machine. Unsurprisingly, it's no better.
I've had enough of this machine. It failed shortly after delivery and I've spent more time trying to get the issues sorted than using it. Below is my email to the guy who is dealing with my complaint :
"Hi Arn
I received the new wireless card yesterday and fitted it last night. Initially the machine refused to boot - it hung each time on booting into Windows.
I then went in through safe mode with networking and it did the same.
I then went into safe mode (no networking) and removed the drivers for the device. This allowed Windows to boot. I then reinstalled the latest drivers from the Dell website and power cycled the machine.
The issue is still there - exactly the same as before. In fact if anything it is slightly worse as even with the Bluetooth off, I'm now getting the odd network pause. With the Bluetooth on, it is very poor. I'm getting network burst traffic with long pauses of inactivity in-between. I also have frequent disconnects from the router and the only way to reconnect is to disable the wireless and re-enable it (sometimes works - sometimes needs a reboot).
I would like to return this laptop under my rights through UK Law as being unfit for purpose. The fault was inherent with the machine when purchased, it was present in the pre-installed Windows 8, it was present after wiping the machine and reinstalling Windows 7 and is present after installing the new network card. The machine also failed with a dead motherboard less than half an hour after being delivered. This doesn't instil me with confidence in the product. In the time I've had the machines (less than a month), I've spent more time trying to diagnose the issues than using it.
I'll need a few days notice before it is collected to back up my data and securely erase the hard drive as I also have customers data and confidential information stored on it.
BBDom
27 Posts
0
June 14th, 2013 14:00
Ok - I may well have found a solution. I rebooted in safe mode with networking and no matter what I did, I couldn't cause any wireless issues. I did multiple power cycles and downloads of 2Gb at a time - no problems. Speed was back at full and I got between 5Mb/s and 6.5Mb/s download speeds - about right for wireless N.
I started up the performance monitor and watched the network data throughput - it was pretty consistent.
I then rebooted into "normal" mode and re-ran exactly the same tests in the same order. The network monitor showed burst traffic with regular breaks in transmission of a few seconds. Throughput was reduced and what took 4 minutes to copy in safe mode now took 11 minutes and the time to finish was increasing.
I cancelled the file copy, went into the conntrol panel and disabled all Bluetooth devices. I then started the file copy again and watched the graph on the performance monitor. While not as smooth as in Safe Mode, it was pretty acceptable and no dropouts.
I'm just about to power cycle the machine then do some longer term testing. Watch this space .......
BBDom
27 Posts
0
June 14th, 2013 15:00
Ok - two power cycles later, another 5Gb of downloads, numerous speed tests and I've not lost a connection or had a network issue yet. Bluetooth is still disabled so it looks very much like there is an issue there. I'll use the machine tomorrow and see how stable it is but for the moment, it seems that I may have stumbled across a temporary solution :)
DELL-Amogh G
1.5K Posts
0
June 15th, 2013 11:00
Hi BBDom,
My apologies for replying late. Thank you for the troubleshooting. I really appreciate your technical expertise. As the wireless works fine in ‘Safe Mode with Networking, you may try to disable the firewall. You may also try to uninstall the anti-virus completely from the system. Turn on the Bluetooth and check if it makes any difference.
Keep me posted with the information. I will be glad to assist further.
BBDom
27 Posts
0
June 15th, 2013 15:00
I've been using the machine all day with the bluetooth disables without a problem with the wireless.
I've wasted a week with trying to get this laptop to work properly so rather behind with what I should be doing work wise. I'll have to have a play with the antivirus and bluetooth some other time now.
For reference I'm using Microsoft Security essentials on all of my machines here and Windows Firewall so nothing out of the normal. This is the only machine I've ever had an issue with on my network (Apple / Linux / Windows / Android) and it hasn't worked properly (from new on either Win8 preinstalled or a fresh Win7 install) on any of my routers or access points.
BBDom
27 Posts
0
June 16th, 2013 12:00
And for comparison, with my internal WLAN disabled, external USB WLAN card plugged in and Antivirus / Firewall enabled
http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/4811/qvi1.jpg
BBDom
27 Posts
0
June 16th, 2013 12:00
Ok - still not 100% and I've had a couple of wlan lockups - especially after returning from hibernate mode.
I've disabled the firewall and antivirus and enabled the Bluetooth and the issues with network pauses and slow throughput came back straight away. I've linked below to two graphs of network activity - both with no firewall/antivirus but you can see the difference with the Bluetooth enabled and disabled.
http://imageshack.us/scaled/thumb/20/h9b4.jpg
http://imageshack.us/scaled/thumb/203/zjs4.jpg
BBDom
27 Posts
0
June 16th, 2013 12:00
Ok - forum code didn't work - trying direct image links :
http://imageshack.us/a/img20/4008/h9b4.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img203/7278/zjs4.jpg
DELL-Amogh G
1.5K Posts
0
June 18th, 2013 13:00
Hi BBDom,
Please provide me the Service Tag and the name as it appears on the account via private message (click my username and then click Start Conversation) so I may access your records and check for further course of action.
Keep me posted with the information. I will be glad to assist you.
BBDom
27 Posts
0
June 18th, 2013 15:00
Hi Amogh - Arn has picked this up on incident 878169219
I'll update this thread with any further developments though.
DELL-Amogh G
1.5K Posts
0
June 20th, 2013 12:00
Hi BBDom,
Thank you for the information. I hope the issue is fixed soon.
Keep me posted with the updates. I will be glad to assist further.
BBDom
27 Posts
0
June 28th, 2013 12:00
Well my new network card arrived today. I had requested an alternative model to rule out driver / incompatibility issues but was told I'd have to have what was originally supplied with the machine. Unsurprisingly, it's no better.
I've had enough of this machine. It failed shortly after delivery and I've spent more time trying to get the issues sorted than using it. Below is my email to the guy who is dealing with my complaint :
"Hi Arn
I received the new wireless card yesterday and fitted it last night. Initially the machine refused to boot - it hung each time on booting into Windows.
I then went in through safe mode with networking and it did the same.
I then went into safe mode (no networking) and removed the drivers for the device. This allowed Windows to boot. I then reinstalled the latest drivers from the Dell website and power cycled the machine.
The issue is still there - exactly the same as before. In fact if anything it is slightly worse as even with the Bluetooth off, I'm now getting the odd network pause. With the Bluetooth on, it is very poor. I'm getting network burst traffic with long pauses of inactivity in-between. I also have frequent disconnects from the router and the only way to reconnect is to disable the wireless and re-enable it (sometimes works - sometimes needs a reboot).
I would like to return this laptop under my rights through UK Law as being unfit for purpose. The fault was inherent with the machine when purchased, it was present in the pre-installed Windows 8, it was present after wiping the machine and reinstalling Windows 7 and is present after installing the new network card. The machine also failed with a dead motherboard less than half an hour after being delivered. This doesn't instil me with confidence in the product. In the time I've had the machines (less than a month), I've spent more time trying to diagnose the issues than using it.
I'll need a few days notice before it is collected to back up my data and securely erase the hard drive as I also have customers data and confidential information stored on it.
Could you please advise on the next step.
Regards
Dominic"
BBDom
27 Posts
0
July 3rd, 2013 02:00
Dell have agreed to a refund. The laptop is now wiped clean, boxed and ready to be picked up.
I'm back on my old Vostro 1510 which is slowly failing (Nvidia card issue has thrown it's ugly head).
I fear this is where I say goodbye to Dell and give the other manufacturers a look in for future purchases.
kroenen85
1 Message
0
January 1st, 2014 03:00
Hi
the solution is very very simple. I had the same problem like you and just found the solution on a hungarian
website:
1. Change the Wireless Encryption settings in your router from AES to TKIP
2. Change the Security settings of the WLAN also to TKIP in Windows
by clicking on the WLAN Bars with left-mouse click and then right click on the WLAN in the information bar
then a separate window should appear, where you can change the encryption to TKIP
Thats all, you don't need to install any extra drivers etc. The hardware is not faulty, only they "forgot" to mention that
it's not fully compatible with AES, only with TKIP
I think this solution has been mentioned once before by someone, but was not considered "serious" because his previous suggestions
were also not working and everyone was obsessed with the driver problems.
I hope this works!!!