spin 3 Qualcomm Atheros QCA61x4A Wireless Network Adapter stops working randomly

Hi, I have a spin 3 that I got in 2021. It originally came with windows 10 but as windows 11 came out it kept bugging me to update so I did. After that, the wireles network adapter just started to disconnect randomly.

At first it was just a couple times a week but then it escalated to every 20 minutes, to not even lasting more than a minute. I followed a few tutorials online and restarted the driver and it would work for a while until it didn't, then I uninstalled it and installed it again, nothing, disable/enable again, nothing. I ended up doing a factory reset but it stayed in windows 11 as it's been a while since I updated.

After I reset it still didn't work but after a couple days of trying it suddenly worked again, only disconnecting a few times per day so I took the chance to change the driver, it didn't work so I went back to Qualcomm Atheros QCA61x4A Wireless Network, that didn't work either and then it just one day decided to start working again somehow. It stayed like that for a few months until today. A couple weeks ago it began to disconnect from the WiFi again but it was like once a week only, then this week again, every day, yesterday it was multiple times a day and today it just won't stay connected no matter what. Sometimes, the option for WiFi won't even show up at all.

The Bluetooth driver also doesn't work most of the time.

I really don't know what to do, I really enjoy this laptop and I truly want to fix it.

[Edited the thread to add model name to the title]

Accepted answers

billsey

OK, they shipped your model with a Lite-On WLAN card:

That uses the Qualcomm Atheros chipset and it pretty cheap to replace. https://www.amazon.com/Deal4GO-QCNFA344A-Dual-Band-802-11ac-Bluetooth/dp/B08GYNQ6SC

I might be tempted to upgrade to an Intel AX200 design instead, to add WiFi 6 support. Don't get an AX201, that uses a different communications protocol. If you are at all comfortable with opening up your computer, the replacement process is pretty simple. There are 11 screws holding the bottom of the case on. You remove those and pry the case halves apart. With the bottom case removed you disconnect the battery. The WLAN module is up beside the fan:

Those two antenna wires and the screw right under them is all you need to deal with to remove the card, and you reverse the process to reassemble.

All comments

billsey

Which Spin 3 model do you have? Your full model number is usually on the same sticker as your serial number, it should look something like SP3xx-xxx-xxxx. The WiFi/Bluetooth card might be going bad…

roseisrose

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1270917#Comment_1270917

Oh no 🥹 it's a sp314-21-r1wt

Is it fixable?

billsey

OK, they shipped your model with a Lite-On WLAN card:

That uses the Qualcomm Atheros chipset and it pretty cheap to replace. https://www.amazon.com/Deal4GO-QCNFA344A-Dual-Band-802-11ac-Bluetooth/dp/B08GYNQ6SC

I might be tempted to upgrade to an Intel AX200 design instead, to add WiFi 6 support. Don't get an AX201, that uses a different communications protocol. If you are at all comfortable with opening up your computer, the replacement process is pretty simple. There are 11 screws holding the bottom of the case on. You remove those and pry the case halves apart. With the bottom case removed you disconnect the battery. The WLAN module is up beside the fan:

Those two antenna wires and the screw right under them is all you need to deal with to remove the card, and you reverse the process to reassemble.

roseisrose

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1271094#Comment_1271094

Thank you so much! I will try this! ✌️

billsey

Let us know how well it works.

roseisrose

Sorry it took long, I recently acquired the Intel ax200. I opened the laptop and swapped it with the other card. It absolutely fixed all of the problems, now both the WiFi and the Bluetooth work perfectly fine! Thank you so much!