Swift SF314 -41 keeps dropping wifi and connection every 5 minutes

Staffordgooner

My laptop keeps dropping the wifi connection every 5 minutes or so. I've read a previous thread with similar problem and can confirm that my driver is up to date, my wireless mode is set to 11 a/g/n/ac and my power plan is set to Maximum Performance. Screen shot of my system spec if it helps. Three other laptops in the house, none of them drop their wifi, so assuming it has to be something with this laptop? ANy help greatly appreciated.

And here is my Talk Talk router channel info ..

Vince

[Edited the thread to add issue detail]

billsey

I believe your laptop uses a Lite-On WCBN807A WLAN card. It's a M.2 2230 card and you can replace it with any other card with similar specs. You might think about going to the Intel AX200 or AX210 instead, to add WIFI 6 support as well as better driver updates. They aren't too expensive.

William_mk2

@Staffordgooner

Sometimes a simple system restore will fix the issue.. 

Try windows x

click on power shell admin or command prompt admin 

type rstrui

chose an earlier date on which your computer was working fine  

click on next, finish, yes

It will restore your computer to an earlier date 

if you get an message - system restore not completed - click on close 

It will show you all the icons..

Try and check whether it is working now ..

If it is not working..

Try windows x 

go to device manager 

expand network adapter

right click on wireless driver - uninstall 

Restart the computer 

It should work fine.. 

If it is still not working 

Uninstall the wireless adapter from device manager 

Dont restart the computer. 

Go to support.acer.com 

chose your country 

type snid or chose your model 

go to drivers 

Install the wireless driver 

It should work fine.. 

William_mk2

@Staffordgooner

If it is still not working then we have to do a refresh and reset

click on start - settings - update and security - recovery - reset this pc - get started 

or 

on start - type here to search - type reset this pc - click on reset this pc on the top - click on get started 

It will show you keep my files and remove everything

chose keep my files 

chose the account - type the password - click on local reinstall - click on reset 

It will be in progress.. 

login to computer and start using the computer. 

If it is still not working 

click on start - settings - update and security - recovery - reset this pc - get started 

chose remove everything 

click on local reinstall - just remove my files - click on reset

It will be in progress

Note:

If you do refresh ( keep my files ) - all your personal files like pictures, music , documents , videos will still be intact.  Only the applications will be lost

If you do reset ( remove everything ) - you are doing a factory default.  It will become like a day one computer.  It will wipe out everything and take your computer to day one like a new computer. 

You can also do the recovery in an alternative way..

There are two alt keys on the keyboard. If you look at the bottom row of keyboard you can see the one on the left side of space bar and the other on the right side of space bar. The alt key on the right side will be looking like alt, alt gr or alt car. Turn off the computer. Hold the alt key on the left and tap f10 continuously.  It will go to repair mode. It will show you chose an option, continue, troubleshoot.  If it is not going to repair mode, turn off the computer. Turn on the computer. Hold the right alt key ( alt gr or alt car or alt ) and then tap f10 continuously. It will go to chose an option continue and troubleshoot..

It will show you chose an option, continue, troubleshoot

Go to troubleshoot - click on reset this pc

click on keep my files ( only applications will be lost )  chose your account and type your password  - click on local reinstall - click on reset

It will be in progress 

If the keep my files option is not working 

Go to troubleshoot - click on reset this pc – click on remove everything – click on local reinstall – just remove my files – click on reset 

It will reinstall windows. 

If the just remove my files is not working.. 

Go to troubleshoot - click on reset this pc – click on remove everything – click on local reinstall – Fully clean the drive – click on reset 

It will reinstall windows. 

Note: You can also go to chose an option , continue , troubleshoot by holding the alt key + tapping f10 or alt gr + tapping f10 on the keyboard while turning on the computer.  Once you see the troubleshoot option, you can stop tapping the f10 and stop holding the alt key.  Then you can try the keep my files and remove everything ( just remove by files and fully clean the drive ) by following the steps which was mentioned above. 

Note: Please dont miss any of the steps mentioned above. Please try keep my files first. If it is not working then try just remove my files and if it is still not working then please try fully clean the drive. Even after reinstalling windows if you are going to face the same issue then internal wifi might have gone bad. You can go to a nearby store and get a external usb wifi adapter. It is very simple. Just plug in to the usb port, connect to wifi and start using the internet.

Staffordgooner

Thanks William - MRK, will work through these in next 24 hours

Staffordgooner

Have got as far as having to re-install the driver from the Acer support site. So far so good, but have to go out now, so will work it more tomorrow and update again.

billsey

I believe your laptop uses a Lite-On WCBN807A WLAN card. It's a M.2 2230 card and you can replace it with any other card with similar specs. You might think about going to the Intel AX200 or AX210 instead, to add WIFI 6 support as well as better driver updates. They aren't too expensive.

Athwart

Frequent drop-out problems are commonly due to driver problems. I see you are using Windows 11 however the most recent Wi-Fi driver on the Acer site for the SF314-41 is dated 2020 and is for Windows 10. You might try searching the Wi-Fi card manufacturer's site for a newer Windows 11 driver.

I see your router is set up for 5GHz 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5). Windows usually defaults to 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6). Although it should be backwards compatible, I have found in the past with an older Wi-Fi 5 router that I had better connectivity by setting the Wi-Fi driver properties in Device Manager to use 802.11ac rather than 802.11ax.

You might also try connecting using 2.4 GHz rather than 5 GHz. If your laptop is somewhat remote from the router, 2.4 GHz will give a stronger signal albeit possibly busier with more traffic. But it might also be more reliable with an older 2.4 GHz protocol such as 802.11n (Wi-Fi 4) or 802.11g (Wi-Fi 3). Worth a try anyway.

StevenGen

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/674617/swift-sf314-41-keeps-dropping-wifi

The best way to fix your problem is to do this with the wireless driver in Device Manager, as you could have a problematic driver that needs either refreshing or updating completely through Device Manager > Network adaptors and go to Wireless LAN Driver (NFA344A Liteon) and do this:

Device Manager > Network adaptors >right click Wireless LAN Driver (NFA344A Liteon) >properties>drivers>update driver>browse my computer for drivers>Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer and chose the latest/last driver that you have already installed, or you can also update the driver to the newest driver this way also.

Staffordgooner

Really appreciate all the advice. It has been stable for a while now after completely re-installing the driver. Will look at the next steps suggested if it starts to play up again. Thank you everyone :-)

Staffordgooner

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1160796#Comment_1160796

Typed too soon, started dropping again. Will try other driver advice now

William_mk2

@Staffordgooner

Thanks for the update. You are welcome !

Staffordgooner

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1160898#Comment_1160898

Thank you for this. I checked the Qualcomm driver site and they have no drivers for Windows 11 and found another similar problem reported on the microsoft support sites where the owner fixed by swapping out for an AX210, so I think you might be on to the solution here. Going to order one today.

Staffordgooner

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1160898#Comment_1160898

I have now installed the AX210. Getting the driver was a problem. The download from the intel site would not work, coming back with an error saying there had been an issue, but not saying what. I found the driver via the Lenovo site which worked perfectly.

So far, so good. Will confirm in a couple of days if problem gone for any future help to others.

billsey

I've had good luck with the Intel cards, they seem to be very proactive in releasing drivers for them.

Staffordgooner

For anyone else coming across this thread with the same problem, changing the network adaptor card for an Intel AX210 has fixed the problem.

billsey

Good news then! :)