Full description not available
P**D
Extremely slow transfer speeds - SOLVED!
I just built three new computers for a client's home use based on 9th generation i5-9400 and chose this wifi card as a cost-effective but high-speed connection. Win10 Home (1903) did not automatically install drivers so I downloaded and installed drivers from the FebSmart website, which installed without a hitch.However, the speedtest results on all three computers were extremely disappointing. After checking the properties of the connection, I found that it was connecting at only 2.4Ghz... which negates all of the advantages of AC speeds including MIMO and beam forming. Usually dropping down to 2.4GHZ is the result of a very weak signal (b/c 2.4GHz has a longer range than 5GHz), but the computers were only one to two rooms away on the same level. These are some steps I tried:• I thought maybe the computer case was blocking the signal, but turning the case so it was not between the antennas and wireless router made no difference.• I tried two different connections: first a TP-Link 1750AC router, then a high-end commercial grade Ubiquiti AC access point. Same results.• Finally I tried shutting down the 2.4GHz transmission on the router to force the wifi cards to connect at 5GHz, but the wifi cards could no longer even see the SSID — that provided me with the clue I needed... the cards were not operating at 5GHz at all!After poking around deep in the wifi driver properties... I finally found the problem — for some inexplicable reason, the driver's default setting was to run in 802.11b mode only (the slowest possible connection)... No wonder the speed was so abysmal! Additionally, your router could also be set to restrict wifi connections to specific modes which could result in unstable connections or even prevent connections altogether if this wifi card driver is restricted to modes not aligned with the router settings.The default mode I found might not be true for all installations or driver versions (this driver is 4.0.3.262), but if you run into an issue of extremely slow transfers or connectivity issues then checking the following might solve the problem:Device Manager / Network Adapter / Qualcomm Atheros QCA61x4 / Properties / Advanced / Wireless Mode:The mode choices range from 01 (11b) to 12 (11a/b/g/n/ac). Changing the mode from the default of 01 to 12 immediately resolved the problem. There are a few other modes which also support AC but restrict other connection speeds if you prefer. There is one other setting which could be significant: Preferred Band which defaults to 'No Preference' but can be changed to 'Prefer 5GHz'.After this crucial driver tweak, the connections are now blazing fast! I hope this helps anyone else experiencing unexpectedly slow transfer rates.
F**1
Works great, both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
What's NOT to like? The price was good and it combined both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in one unit. The fit is good, the backplate is sturdy and there were no problems installing. Wi-Fi worked immediately. I did have some issues with the Bluetooth, but I attribute that to previous drivers and Microsoft doing something weird in the 20H2 update. I'd previously been using an ASUS BT-400 thumb sized USB adapter and it worked flawlessly until that update. From then on, any pair of headphones using any driver I could find just left them with choppy, stuttering audio. I've tried different headphones, I've tried newer and older drivers, I've then gone on to upgrade my processor, motherboard, processor, ram, etc, so it wasn't a hardware issue. Google searches show that MANY people have had the very same issue and have not been able to resolve it given the assistance given. I was hoping new hardware with different drivers would help. I DID have that same stuttering issue on initial install with this FebSmart adapter, further confirming that it was NOT a hardware issue. I went into the device manager and a couple of other places and just started removing devices and deleting drivers, then trying to get Windows to recognize the drivers on the provided disc being meant for the hardware was a bit of a headache. I blame Windows refusing to let go of the old drivers from the previous hardware and insisting that they were meant for this adapter. I'm not really sure what finally cleared out whatever the problem was, but Bluetooth works now, and flawlessly, for the first time in nearly a year and a half. I like that I don't have a USB port filled with a thumb adapter and that everything fit nicely inside the PC case. So, the bottom line is that it's working and working well and I'm very satisfied with this adapter.
M**N
Easy to install and huge improvement
Originally had a usb wireless-n adapter installed, but the signal strength was terrible.This adapter was about 10x faster (speeds jumped from about 6mbs to 65-70mbs), which is acceptable given the pc's location in my house. It was easy to install and included a smaller bracket for slimmer cases - nice inclusion.It also comes with Bluetooth which connects to a USB header on the motherboard. That was a bit finnicky but I think that's an issue with the mobo/USB headers, rather than this card. I haven't tinkered with it because I don't truly intend to use any Bluetooth devices with it (it's an older pc with a couple refreshed components to facilitate my kid's digital learning days). Should that change, I will look into any driver updates that may help improve performance.Overall, it is a great value, easy to install, and a huge improvement over my previous adapter. The dual antennas picked up my router's signal far better and made for a more enjoyable experience for my kid.
C**E
Disappointing
Works but speeds are extremely slow even when next to the router ~10mb/s for a gigabit internet connection
Trustpilot
2 months ago
3 weeks ago
