Wifi Issues

[DNABoss2022]

Randomly my WIFI will stop working properly. I don't fully disconnect from online games, but my ping spikes to insane levels (from ~60 to 1100 exactly)  i will freeze in place and any downloads will stop. the wifi then stutters for anywhere between 2-15 minutes (at least till I rage quit), and then works like normal. this only seems to majorly effect my pc as every other device will lag, but not nearly to the same extent. switching networks to a hotspot does not resolve the issue. this issue started around three weeks ago on Star link WIFI, and i have an Asus WIFI card (all drivers are updated according to device manager.)

[SpookyCitrus]

Device manager and Windows updates don't get the latest drivers. Install the WiFi driver from the Asus webpage for your motherboard. Alternatively, if it's an Intel based WiFi card you can install Intel Driver and Support Assistant and get the driver from it's automatic installer. 

 

Also just an FYI, if all of your devices are affected, even if to the others the issue is minimal it could be a problem with the actual network, either equipment or service. You using StarLink and Hotspots makes me think you're in a rural area, which would make it likely your area just has poor connectivity with satellite and mobile networks, there isn't much you could do if that were the case.

 

It is also possible that your computer is the problem and it's causing some sort of interference with the whole network, though this is more rare and would need to be troubleshooted.

[DNABoss2022]

Thanks, I'll check out the Asus page drivers. The main reason this is an issue is that it is a relatively new problem, with no changes in hardware that could be affecting in. 

[E-waste]

Run a simple ping command to your gateway IP address

 

First open cmd, and open it as administrator to use -t for ping

 

ipconfig

 

Look for IP v4 Gateway usually

 

192.168.1.1

 

ping -t 192.168.1.1

 

Look for timing instability after five or ten minutes.

 

Are you using 5 Ghz or 2.4?  I like 5 Ghz, as it doesn't go through solid objects well, but if signal strength is an issue, use 2.4

 

Use the old way to configure this, Windows settings is not helpful or consistent.

 

Right click the network icon by the clock and select network options

 

Go to advanced section, and choose

 

"Change adapter options"

 

This actually takes you back to the Windows XP control panel with options that have existed since Windows 2000.

 

Right click your wi-fi device in the window (should also show Ethernet with a red x if you do not use it)

 

Right click that wi-fi icon and click properties.

 

I would like to go back to this first window of settings, to disable IPv6 and configure IPv4 DNS, but for now

 

At the top right choose Configure...

 

Look for wireless mode (AC / b,g,n,ac / ac,ax)

 

Try n, a, ac, ideally one that ends up using 2.4 Ghz consistently.

 

Try a,n if it is an option, or if necessary

 

b,g,n

 

Do not use b,g or b or g only, as they are much slower

 

To check wireless frequency

 

Ironically use Windows network settings, but go to status, and not the wi-fi area at all.  Under status group, click properties, only to look at the 2.4 or 5 Ghz, and do not, I repeat, do NOT use this screen to modify ANYTHING.

 

Yeah, it will work, once, then provide conflicting settings and report old settings such as previously used dns addresses that are no longer used.  Please don't rely on the provided IP addresses here to ever diagnose network issues, it will cause so many more issues and wasted troubleshooting time.  Wireless frequency seems to be reliable though and there doesn't seem to be a simpler GUI way to access such important information.

 

After changing the wireless mode to a consistent 2.4 Ghz, give that a try.

 

If it doesn't help, keep it at 2.4 Ghz please, but try decreasing the send / transmit buffers as well as the receive side buffers.

 

Try 64 or even 32.

 

Try setting wireless transmitter power to maximum power SAVINGS, instead of max performance.

 

Consider investing in a high-gain, directional, not an omni-directional, wi-fi antenna and use the highest gain antenna you can afford.

 

Right now, any device with an omni-directional antenna wastes 95+% of the power used, outputting wi-fi in a 360 degree radius, most of it will never ever reach the desired access point.  It seems ridiculous to ever use such antenna with a fixed point access point that won't likely change, and you also know where it is.  You could greatly improve wi-fi signal, latency, and heavily reduce interference from nearby networks that are not in the same direction as your ap, with antenna that has a 30 degree signal radius.

 

Think of a pie, and make four sections.  Each of those are sqaure 90 degree angles.

 

Quite literally, your wifi signal would radiate outward very similar to the way a pie slice starts from a small point expanding outward at 90 degree radius.

 

I think you could immediately see that 90 degrees is FAR too wide to only reach a nearby wi-fi antenna, already before it gets a few inches away from the client, is already spreading past the ap antenna.

 

30 degree is very narrow, 1/3 of a quarter pie section.

 

I think about 15 dBi is nearly this radius, higher dBi is narrower and would be even better.  Remember directional, not omni, which means all radial directions, providing a weak transmission, and allowing in more interference from many in-range wi-fi networks.

 

You'd think I have antenna recommendations, but I don't even use a directional antenna, but I would like to, overall I'd rather use wired, not a fan of wi-fi if I don't have to use it.

 

There is also a way to use iPhone data cables to work through some kind of switch, and you could have wired networking for smartphones, instead of using wi-fi.  Charges battery and improves network performance.

[DNABoss2022]

On 12/8/2024 at 10:32 PM, E-waste said:

Run a simple ping command to your gateway IP address

 

First open cmd, and open it as administrator to use -t for ping

 

ipconfig

 

Look for IP v4 Gateway usually

 

192.168.1.1

 

ping -t 192.168.1.1

 

Look for timing instability after five or ten minutes.

 

Are you using 5 Ghz or 2.4?  I like 5 Ghz, as it doesn't go through solid objects well, but if signal strength is an issue, use 2.4

 

Use the old way to configure this, Windows settings is not helpful or consistent.

 

Right click the network icon by the clock and select network options

 

Go to advanced section, and choose

 

"Change adapter options"

 

This actually takes you back to the Windows XP control panel with options that have existed since Windows 2000.

 

Right click your wi-fi device in the window (should also show Ethernet with a red x if you do not use it)

 

Right click that wi-fi icon and click properties.

 

I would like to go back to this first window of settings, to disable IPv6 and configure IPv4 DNS, but for now

 

At the top right choose Configure...

 

Look for wireless mode (AC / b,g,n,ac / ac,ax)

 

Try n, a, ac, ideally one that ends up using 2.4 Ghz consistently.

 

Try a,n if it is an option, or if necessary

 

b,g,n

 

Do not use b,g or b or g only, as they are much slower

 

To check wireless frequency

 

Ironically use Windows network settings, but go to status, and not the wi-fi area at all.  Under status group, click properties, only to look at the 2.4 or 5 Ghz, and do not, I repeat, do NOT use this screen to modify ANYTHING.

 

Yeah, it will work, once, then provide conflicting settings and report old settings such as previously used dns addresses that are no longer used.  Please don't rely on the provided IP addresses here to ever diagnose network issues, it will cause so many more issues and wasted troubleshooting time.  Wireless frequency seems to be reliable though and there doesn't seem to be a simpler GUI way to access such important information.

 

After changing the wireless mode to a consistent 2.4 Ghz, give that a try.

 

If it doesn't help, keep it at 2.4 Ghz please, but try decreasing the send / transmit buffers as well as the receive side buffers.

 

Try 64 or even 32.

 

Try setting wireless transmitter power to maximum power SAVINGS, instead of max performance.

 

Consider investing in a high-gain, directional, not an omni-directional, wi-fi antenna and use the highest gain antenna you can afford.

 

Right now, any device with an omni-directional antenna wastes 95+% of the power used, outputting wi-fi in a 360 degree radius, most of it will never ever reach the desired access point.  It seems ridiculous to ever use such antenna with a fixed point access point that won't likely change, and you also know where it is.  You could greatly improve wi-fi signal, latency, and heavily reduce interference from nearby networks that are not in the same direction as your ap, with antenna that has a 30 degree signal radius.

 

Think of a pie, and make four sections.  Each of those are sqaure 90 degree angles.

 

Quite literally, your wifi signal would radiate outward very similar to the way a pie slice starts from a small point expanding outward at 90 degree radius.

 

I think you could immediately see that 90 degrees is FAR too wide to only reach a nearby wi-fi antenna, already before it gets a few inches away from the client, is already spreading past the ap antenna.

 

30 degree is very narrow, 1/3 of a quarter pie section.

 

I think about 15 dBi is nearly this radius, higher dBi is narrower and would be even better.  Remember directional, not omni, which means all radial directions, providing a weak transmission, and allowing in more interference from many in-range wi-fi networks.

 

You'd think I have antenna recommendations, but I don't even use a directional antenna, but I would like to, overall I'd rather use wired, not a fan of wi-fi if I don't have to use it.

 

There is also a way to use iPhone data cables to work through some kind of switch, and you could have wired networking for smartphones, instead of using wi-fi.  Charges battery and improves network performance.

Can someone please translate this to common? it could be because its 2 am but i cant understand this at all

 

[E-waste]

On 12/14/2024 at 9:16 PM, DNABoss2022 said:

because its 2 am

Follow all the stepw you do understand, and when you are confused at any point, I'll explain why I think it might help.

 

For the wireless standards, it started in 1999.

 

Wireless A, using 5 Ghz, has more channels and is faster (near the signal) than 2.4 and 2.4 is also not an option for A.

 

B is next, 2.4 Ghz only, not as fast but because of 2.4 Ghz radio band, much longer range

 

G around 2004 or so, 54 mbits / s vs about 11 mb/s for B

 

N is 2009 or Wi-fi 4, optional 5 Ghz on some models, but never required, 100-150+ mb/s speeds with strong signal.

 

AC 2013 or 2014 is up or wifi-5, must support 5 Ghz and also 2.4

 

AX is the brand new, released just a handful of years ago, most people won't ever use speeds faster than AC (wi-fi 5) speeds, around 400-500+ mb/s speeds for quite a long time.

 

 

 

For the directional antenna stuff, if you have a weak or distant signal, it's an easy way to significantly concentrate your signal so it is not broadcasting in all directions, most will not reach the antenna.