My Aspire S3 loses WIFI connectivity very often. - A reset fixes it, but this happens very often.

I have the same problem. Acer S3-391. Windows 8. This happens when I am connected to the internet but also when I am transferring files localy. When I try to copy a large file (more then 200 MB) the transfer suddenly drops from around 3-4 MB to 300kb and then to 30 kb and then 0. Sometimes the transfer drops to 300 but manages to go back again to 3-4 MB. But mostly the transfer is stopped. Strangely, after the transfer drops I can connect to the internet....

I reverted to the 10.0.0.75 (24-7-2012) drivers and the problems are gone. The 10.0.0.217 drivers caused the problem.

You can find the older driver (among a couple of more) here:

http://support.acer.com/us/en/product/default.aspx?tab=1&modelId=4088

I have had similar issues with my Aspire s3 391 as well. for me it was a two part fix.

Part one I found here on the Acer website.  http://acer.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/27675  Follow those intructions and see if that helps.

For the most part that solved it except sometimes when I was running on battery for a long time it was come back.  This turned out to be a setting found deep in the power settings. Here is the menu path to get there, open your Charms bar and click settings, then click control panel. Now you want to click power options. (if you are in category view you will first need to click "hardware and sound" to get to power options)  On the power options page there are two default plans Balanced and Power saver.  The one you are using will be in BOLD text.  Next to that will be a link to "Change plan settings" click that link.  On that page there will be a link that says "Change advanced power options" click that and a small window will open.  Scroll down the menu in that window until you get to "wireless adaptor settings" click the plus nest to that to expand it and a new options will apear below that says power saving mode.  Click that plus to expand as well.  Now you need to change the setting for both optins to maximum performance.  

These tow steps combined seem to have fixed the problem for me.  I am currently expirementing with the low power saving setting for on battery to see if it works as well and have not had any problem so far but it has only been one day.  

I hope this helps you as it took me quite a while to find these two things myself and I know how frustrating it can be when your new computer is not working proerly.  

The older driver fixed my problems.  Thanks.

I have the same problem, and it drives me crazy. Tried all the things above, including drivers from .75 to .225 and changing the power settings, to no avail.

Is there nothing one can do?

Did I really pay that much money for a computer that can't go online in a normal way?

Happy and thankful for any help!

I am having the same problem with my wifi connection on my Acer Aspire P3-171.  However, my connection does not 'drop' as I can still ping out, just experience higher response times and extremely low throughput.   I could be in the middle of downloading a file at over a megabyte per second and it drops down to nothing as in 0 kbps from both my local metwork and from the internet.

When this happens i'll check my laptop or smart phone connected to the same wifi network and no problem exists.

I have updates the wireless nerwork adapter (Qualcomm Atheros AR5BMD222) to 10.0.0.234, even tried disabling bluetooth.

I also went into device properties for the above mentioned device via device manager and unser the Power Management tab I removed the check from, "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power."

I also went into the advanced power settings for both plugged and unplugged for high performance, entertainment and power saver and made sure that the setting for my wireless adapter setting was set to maximum performance for power saving mode.

I have the issue intermitmently regardless how long the unit has been on battery or not and eebooting makes no difference.

The only firewall I am running is the one that comes with Windows, apart from the firewall on m router.  This problem occurs independent of the browser I am using as it happens via a simple file copy operation over my local network.

I thought that maybe the included keyboard case had a material in it that caused signal loss but that would have been a big oversight suring product testing but I tried it in tablet mode only and had the same problem.

Someone mentioned they had luck with an older driver and if I can find it I'll try that.  If anyone has any suggestions i'll be bappy to hear of them.

Thanks,

John

I can confirm you that the older driver worked on my S3, the version is 9.2.0.474. All the 10.x versions seem to get poor wifi signal.

 I was having the same problem, I use a replicator for my WiFi at home to extend the signal through the whole house-  I upgraded from Win 8 to Win 8 Pro and the problem is solved.

Have you updated the Atheros driver to 10.0.0.276? I've had no problems with my S3-391 since updating the driver.