Poor signal strength in your area.
Poor signal strength in your area.
I'm considering upgrading the PCIe Wi-Fi adapter on my main build. There are several reasons for this. First, the Wi-Fi signal is only two out of four bars even though I'm near the room with the router. Second, Windows 10 appears to be using 802.11n while I'm using the software. All other devices—my brother's PC and my laptop—can get full four bars, except my main rig. The adapters I'm using are: My PC: TP-Link Archer T6E, My Laptop: Intel Wireless-AC 8260, My Brother's PC: Qualcomm Atheros QCA61x4. Changing the antenna and tweaking the software (both TP-Link and Windows) didn't help. I'm getting around 100 Mbps while others reach 280 Mbps. My router supports 1 Gbps.
The software being used is not specified. Regarding connectivity, you are connected to either 2.4 GHz or 5GHz.
Windows XP includes built-in WiFi management features. Allow Windows to handle all WiFi-related tasks. You might want to use a phone app to check the signal strength near your computer. The signal could be weakened by objects in the room. 5GHz signals generally travel farther than 2.4GHz, so consider that when setting up your network.
It might be a faulty card, but you didn’t place the laptop near the wireless hub. Your case could be obstructing the signal. This is common. Companies like ASUS now provide antennas on cables to help. You can relocate the antenna outside the case for better reception. It could also relate to a driver problem. I’d suggest removing the TP Link software, installing only the driver, and letting Windows manage WiFi. Re-test it. If issues persist, consider replacing the WiFi adapter.