Switch Alpha 12 causing network issues

atraplin
atraplin Member Posts: 3 New User
edited November 2023 in 2019 Archives
My 1-week old Switch Alpha 12 is crashing my Fido Hitron wireless router wishing seconds of logging in to Windows. Any ideas? Driver update? Fault WAN adapter? Return my Alpha and buy a Surface Pro??

Best Answer

  • BW022
    BW022 Member Posts: 6 New User
    Answer ✓

    I'm not sure what you mean by "crashing" your router. If the router is resetting or hanging after the Acer connects... that would be rare and difficult. Before you can say it is the Acer... I would try:

     

    1. Ensure another Windows machine can connect to the router via WiFi.

     

    2. Connect to some different WiFi networks. Setup a phone as a WiFi hotspot, go to a friends, or a Starbuck's, etc.

     

    3. (If possible) Connect the Acer to the router via a wired connection. See if that works. You'll need a USB 3 to Ethernet dongle.

     

    4. Check router. See if it has limits on the number of devices. Turn off any other WiFi devices. Look at its settings.

     

    5. Update the Acer Wifi drivers.

     

    6. (If possible) Connect a USB WiFi dongle to the Acer, turn off the onboard WiFi, and connect to the router via the USB WiFi dongle.

     

    7. Replace the router. Lots of routers offers by Internet service providers are darn cheap. It probably isn't even ac. More modern routers often mean higher speeds, greater connection ranges, less dropped packages, and fewer connection issues. Many ISP offer free or cheap upgrades simple as the old hardware is unreliable. If this is your router... you can buy an inexpensive one and try it.

     

    These steps should give you a good idea if it is the Acer or router.

     

     

     

Answers

  • BW022
    BW022 Member Posts: 6 New User
    Answer ✓

    I'm not sure what you mean by "crashing" your router. If the router is resetting or hanging after the Acer connects... that would be rare and difficult. Before you can say it is the Acer... I would try:

     

    1. Ensure another Windows machine can connect to the router via WiFi.

     

    2. Connect to some different WiFi networks. Setup a phone as a WiFi hotspot, go to a friends, or a Starbuck's, etc.

     

    3. (If possible) Connect the Acer to the router via a wired connection. See if that works. You'll need a USB 3 to Ethernet dongle.

     

    4. Check router. See if it has limits on the number of devices. Turn off any other WiFi devices. Look at its settings.

     

    5. Update the Acer Wifi drivers.

     

    6. (If possible) Connect a USB WiFi dongle to the Acer, turn off the onboard WiFi, and connect to the router via the USB WiFi dongle.

     

    7. Replace the router. Lots of routers offers by Internet service providers are darn cheap. It probably isn't even ac. More modern routers often mean higher speeds, greater connection ranges, less dropped packages, and fewer connection issues. Many ISP offer free or cheap upgrades simple as the old hardware is unreliable. If this is your router... you can buy an inexpensive one and try it.

     

    These steps should give you a good idea if it is the Acer or router.

     

     

     

  • atraplin
    atraplin Member Posts: 3 New User

    I ended up returning the Acer as no other device in my household has any issues with the wireless network (and the router cooperated with the other devices perfectly). My new machine is running bug free, so I suspect the previous one had a faulty network adapter.

  • KyleM
    KyleM Member Posts: 10

    Tinkerer

    I am having similar issues!

     

    Background, 1 yr old TP-Link Archer C7 AC-1750 router.  Latest firmware, recently reset.

     

    Internet restarts are getting worse and worse, now approaching 2x times a day.  I cannot specifically correlate it to Switch Alpha 12 activity but this frequently happens when I initally fire up my computer.  I will not say it is 100% the case, but I cannot remember a single instance where I was not on my SA12 and the internet crashed.

  • atraplin
    atraplin Member Posts: 3 New User

    No other device connected to my wifi caused this "reboot" issue. It went away for a couple days following an upgrade to Windows 10 Pro (for work), but came back worse than ever. Typically the router rebooted within minutes of "waking" my Alpha.

     

    As I said before, I returned the Acer and haven't had the problem since. Not to knock the Acer product, but after seeing how reliable several Surface Pro 3's and 4's were around the office, I ended up paying the difference to get a Pro 4 and have enjoyed every minute with it. (And my router doesn't reboot!)

  • KyleM
    KyleM Member Posts: 10

    Tinkerer

    Apparently not an uncommon problem with this wireless adapter.

     

    http://forum.tp-link.com/showthread.php?94180-Archer-C7-router-crashed-by-Dell-laptop-with-Killer-adapter

     

    The link happens to be for the Tplink Archer C7 router and is a router update, but it should at least lead others to a possible solution for their network.

  • houndofspace
    houndofspace Member Posts: 1 New User
    The Switch Alpha 12 crashes my network too. I have the Archer C7. Several router updates did nothing. It is worse on 2.4 but still happens on 5 ghz. Support have been unable to find a solution. I am busy and my solution for two years has simply been to use my desktop at home and only turn on the Acer when I go out. Lame solution though.

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