F5F Stay Refreshed Hardware Desktop Software issue: missing WiFi adapter

Software issue: missing WiFi adapter

Software issue: missing WiFi adapter

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_Shipow_
Member
72
11-14-2021, 10:45 AM
#1
Hello! So I have this machine (with a RAM/GPU upgrade I made this year): https://www.newegg.ca/msi-aegis-rs-11te-...6883152765 On the wireless side it supposedly has the following: LAN Chipset Realtek RTL8125B-CG LAN Speed 2.5Gbps WLAN WiFi 6 (802.11ax) 2.4Gbps, Dual Band 2.4GHz / 5GHz Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.1 I can see the shark-fin MSI wireless antenna on the machine and have checked that it's physically screwed into the WiFi card, but my wireless capability has completely disappeared. I'm plugged in via a powerline adapter currently and the internet works fine. But checking device manager doesn't show any WiFi adapter. And going into internet options (Windows 11) only shows me the wired options. I haven't used wireless in around a year or two so have no idea when this happened - I just had new internet installed today and the 1.5 Gigabit speed there likely outstrips the powerline limits I'm hitting of 120Mbps so I wanted to try and see how things were over WiFi instead. Anyone know what may be the issue? Is the WiFi card dead and needs replacing? Is this a BIOS problem? Any help would be much appreciated, thanks!
_
_Shipow_
11-14-2021, 10:45 AM #1

Hello! So I have this machine (with a RAM/GPU upgrade I made this year): https://www.newegg.ca/msi-aegis-rs-11te-...6883152765 On the wireless side it supposedly has the following: LAN Chipset Realtek RTL8125B-CG LAN Speed 2.5Gbps WLAN WiFi 6 (802.11ax) 2.4Gbps, Dual Band 2.4GHz / 5GHz Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.1 I can see the shark-fin MSI wireless antenna on the machine and have checked that it's physically screwed into the WiFi card, but my wireless capability has completely disappeared. I'm plugged in via a powerline adapter currently and the internet works fine. But checking device manager doesn't show any WiFi adapter. And going into internet options (Windows 11) only shows me the wired options. I haven't used wireless in around a year or two so have no idea when this happened - I just had new internet installed today and the 1.5 Gigabit speed there likely outstrips the powerline limits I'm hitting of 120Mbps so I wanted to try and see how things were over WiFi instead. Anyone know what may be the issue? Is the WiFi card dead and needs replacing? Is this a BIOS problem? Any help would be much appreciated, thanks!

K
kubawster1337
Junior Member
19
11-16-2021, 02:26 AM
#2
You searched for available drivers for the Wi-Fi device and then installed them. I’ll let you know whether it functioned properly or what errors occurred.
K
kubawster1337
11-16-2021, 02:26 AM #2

You searched for available drivers for the Wi-Fi device and then installed them. I’ll let you know whether it functioned properly or what errors occurred.

P
PonyGaming24
Junior Member
13
11-16-2021, 01:37 PM
#3
Are there any hidden devices listed in Device Manager? In short, you might be let down by the Realtek Wi-Fi performance when under stress. Consider replacing it with an Intel model such as an AX series. Alternatively, you could use a budget M.2 adapter paired with a 9260 M.2 card—it won’t reach 1.5 gigabits but will reliably deliver around 800 megabits and perform stably. Intel drivers are generally well maintained, so I haven’t encountered major problems with Intel Wi-Fi cards.
P
PonyGaming24
11-16-2021, 01:37 PM #3

Are there any hidden devices listed in Device Manager? In short, you might be let down by the Realtek Wi-Fi performance when under stress. Consider replacing it with an Intel model such as an AX series. Alternatively, you could use a budget M.2 adapter paired with a 9260 M.2 card—it won’t reach 1.5 gigabits but will reliably deliver around 800 megabits and perform stably. Intel drivers are generally well maintained, so I haven’t encountered major problems with Intel Wi-Fi cards.

M
Maxy_Will
Junior Member
45
11-22-2021, 05:39 AM
#4
I put in the Intel Wi-Fi driver because it was listed on the MSI HERALD-AX INTEL AX200NGW WI-FI 6 page. However, I’m not sure it’s actually installed correctly... I should take a look inside the case and verify honestly. There’s nothing like that in Device Manager. I have two ExpressVPN software entries, a Realtek PCIe Family Controller and several WAN Miniports. Realtek says the drivers are current too (but that applies only to LAN, right? So it doesn’t matter). And yes, I might want a PCIe Wi-Fi card to replace the one I currently have if it’s not working. Thanks for the suggestions on what to check! I’m also unsure about the quality of the Wi-Fi signal – my phone shows 650Mbps on SpeedTest when near the router, but it drops below 100Mbps when I’m in the office... Is this a signal loss or just a problem with phone antennas and their size?
M
Maxy_Will
11-22-2021, 05:39 AM #4

I put in the Intel Wi-Fi driver because it was listed on the MSI HERALD-AX INTEL AX200NGW WI-FI 6 page. However, I’m not sure it’s actually installed correctly... I should take a look inside the case and verify honestly. There’s nothing like that in Device Manager. I have two ExpressVPN software entries, a Realtek PCIe Family Controller and several WAN Miniports. Realtek says the drivers are current too (but that applies only to LAN, right? So it doesn’t matter). And yes, I might want a PCIe Wi-Fi card to replace the one I currently have if it’s not working. Thanks for the suggestions on what to check! I’m also unsure about the quality of the Wi-Fi signal – my phone shows 650Mbps on SpeedTest when near the router, but it drops below 100Mbps when I’m in the office... Is this a signal loss or just a problem with phone antennas and their size?