I'm struggling to fix my Wi-Fi connection and could use some assistance.
I'm struggling to fix my Wi-Fi connection and could use some assistance.
Hey everyone, I've experienced some significant lag increases recently, especially in games like CS:GO. The delay would reach about 300ms and the packet loss often hovered between 10-20%. Unfortunately, I can't use a physical cable through the floor, so I had to rely on Wi-Fi. I tested it on other devices within my network, which didn’t have issues. I switched to another router I had, but it didn’t help either. So I suspect the problem is with the WiFi dongle I was using. It was a TP-Link TL-WN823N, which only supported 300Mbit/s. I decided to upgrade to a TP-Link AC1300 Archer T3U. For the last two days I’ve been trying everything—disconnecting the device, switching bands, or using different drivers—but nothing seems to work. The dongle functions on other devices and Windows 10 systems, but when connected it either disconnects immediately (especially on the 5GHz band), after a short time, or keeps showing pings around 200ms. It feels like the latency is coming from somewhere between my router and the dongle. I’ve tried uninstalling the driver and checking various versions from the manufacturer’s site, but still no improvement. If you have any tips or alternatives, please let me know as soon as possible.
I take it the router is what is under the floor and is the one you swapped out? I’m wondering if it’s a generational issue. That 5ghz thing is indicative of the 5ghz band not working for some reason, either because it has penetration problems or lack of signal problems of another type. I do know of one old school trick that may not help you: Really old school WiFi A. Nobody uses it because it is dirt slow, but because no one uses it the band tends to be clear and because it’s lower freq it has better penetration than some. Might not be fast enough though. Might also still not penetrate. Gah. Unless it’s higher freq than B. I need to check. Blank space in the brain bank. WiFi a and b use the same protocol but are on different frequencies. For a while a lot of cheap routers wouldn’t do a at all and would only do b/g
The 5Ghz is functioning properly on my phone and any other device I test. I don’t believe there’s a penetration problem, since the router sits on a shelf and I’m positioned right above it. Even if I place the PC directly over that spot on the floor, it still works. It’s not the thickest floor I’ve used before.
I’m not present and I can’t perceive radio waves, so even if I could, I wouldn’t be able to confirm. You were looking for suggestions. Another thought: if the receivers and transmitters differ in generations, they’d likely rely on the simplest common standard, which might limit the newer gear’s performance. Focus on the devices involved. Your phone probably uses distinct (and maybe more sophisticated, though I don’t know) tech. One additional idea: a processing problem inside the device itself could also be at play. It seems unlikely but not out of the question. UPDATE: another possibility: signal shadow. It’s possible the router isn’t sending the signal effectively because its position relative to the computer receiver affects coverage. Edited May 1, 2020 by Bombastinator Any other thoughts added
I think you should consider a PCI/PCIE Wi-Fi adapter. I've faced many issues with USB adapters—both cheap and expensive ones. Problems include unexpected drops, slow speeds, weak signals, or poorly written drivers that lead to critical errors. It's frustrating enough without having to deal with them anymore.