Really Slow WiFi on New Aspire E5-575

Chowder
Chowder Member Posts: 6 New User
edited October 2023 in 2020 Archives

I got this laptop less than 12 hours ago and haven't been able to get anything but a really slow Wifi connection. Here's what I've tried:

 

 

  • Uninstalling the driver, rebooting, then allowing the laptop to replace the driver (as opposed to downloading a specific driver)
  • Checking to see if the driver needed to be updated using the "check for driver updates" function on the laptop
  • Uninstalling McAfee

I use Verizon FIOS and have a relatively new router. My other devices work just fine. 

Answers

  • brummyfan2
    brummyfan2 ACE Posts: 28,457 Trailblazer

    Hi,

    You could try switching to different DNS provider, either OpenDNS or googleDNS, could you please post the model of your WiFi card.

  • Baldqban
    Baldqban Member Posts: 4 New User

    Have you tried downloading and reinstalling the driver from this page

     

    https://www.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/support-product/5976?b=1.

     

    There are three drivers for three different adapters.  I would try the specific one for your hardware.

     

    I had a similar, but worse  issue than you:  I simply could not connect to one of my previously working networks. Downloading and installing a different driver did the trick.  Take a look at my post of a few minutes ago.

     

    Good luck!

  • Chowder
    Chowder Member Posts: 6 New User

    According to the Device Manager, my Wifi card is Dell Wireless 1560 802.11ac. 

     

     

  • brummyfan2
    brummyfan2 ACE Posts: 28,457 Trailblazer

    Hi,

    I can not understand how Dell WiFi card ended up in an Acer laptop, could you please check the driver version, thanks.

  • Chowder
    Chowder Member Posts: 6 New User

    Sorry, disregard that -- I was working on two laptops and wrote down the wrong info. 

  • Chowder
    Chowder Member Posts: 6 New User

    I checked and according to the device manager, I hae a Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter. SInce the last time I posted, I've done a factory reset and then updated the driver.

  • brummyfan2
    brummyfan2 ACE Posts: 28,457 Trailblazer

    Hi,

    I have the same adapter with driver version 4.0.2.262,it works fine. It was installed by Windows OS. Have you tried a different DNS? 

    Capture.JPG

     

  • Chowder
    Chowder Member Posts: 6 New User

    I have not but will try that this evening. Thanks!

  • Chowder
    Chowder Member Posts: 6 New User

    I tried it and it made no difference. I also spoke with Acer technical support that told me that Acer did not support the Verizon fios router I use and to see if I could get Verizon to give us a different one. Since the router works fine with all of the other devices I use it for, that's not going to happen. I'm going to exchange this laptop for another brand.

     

    Thanks for your help.

  • Viqueira
    Viqueira Member Posts: 1 New User
    I have a brand new Acer E 15 that I bought for my high school senior to take to college. So far, it is a disaster. Internet pages will not load. I have called Acer support once, and had online chat twice.I'm at my wits end and I'm going to have to send this machine back.
  • slnacer
    slnacer Member Posts: 54 Devotee WiFi Icon
    In case someone is running linux OS like Ubuntu it is advised to run Ubuntu 1604 or higher . (or any linux distro with linux kernel > 4.4 ).
    Because necessary firmware bits are not loaded in lower linux kernel by default . Also one need to update linux-firmware package to latest.
    Here are the versions of Wireless card device version (rev 31) as well as driver+firmware versions for reference.
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    02:00.0 Network controller: Qualcomm Atheros Device 0042 (rev 31)
    product: Qualcomm Atheros [168C:42]
    vendor: Qualcomm Atheros [168C]
    bus info: pci@0000:02:00.0
    driver: ath10k_pci
    driverversion: 4.10.0-38-generic
    firmware: WLAN.TF.1.0-00267-1
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




  • jaicee98
    jaicee98 Member Posts: 1 New User
    So I just read that it's a compatibility issue between the latest wifi technology in new computers and older routers. Something about the older routers not recognizing the newer "N" series wifi  technology and consequently messing up upload/download speeds. To fix this simply go to your Settings > Device Manager > Network Adapters > *right click* Qualcomm Atheros... > Go to Advance tab > Click Wireless Mode on the bottom > Change the "Value" on the right to match the kind of router that you have. For me I picked 03 - b/g  from the defaulted a/b/g/n/ac. My download speeds went from 1-2Mbps to 30. Good luck and hope this fixes your issues!
  • Anita12
    Anita12 Member Posts: 1 New User
    edited December 2017
    Disabling WMM on the router fixed the issue on my Acer E5-575. There is apparently an issue with rhe Qualcomm Atheros network card and WMM.  Go to wireless settings, advanced to disable WMM.
  • chopsueycop
    chopsueycop Member Posts: 6

    Tinkerer

    jaicee98 said:
    So I just read that it's a compatibility issue between the latest wifi technology in new computers and older routers. Something about the older routers not recognizing the newer "N" series wifi  technology and consequently messing up upload/download speeds. To fix this simply go to your Settings > Device Manager > Network Adapters > *right click* Qualcomm Atheros... > Go to Advance tab > Click Wireless Mode on the bottom > Change the "Value" on the right to match the kind of router that you have. For me I picked 03 - b/g  from the defaulted a/b/g/n/ac. My download speeds went from 1-2Mbps to 30. Good luck and hope this fixes your issues!

    What an amazing tip.  This fixed my machine!!!!!  But why pick 03 - b/g and not something else?  I wonder how I should know what to pick.  I have a Verizon Fios Actiontec router
  • scbbc81
    scbbc81 Member Posts: 4 New User
    jaicee98 said:
    So I just read that it's a compatibility issue between the latest wifi technology in new computers and older routers. Something about the older routers not recognizing the newer "N" series wifi  technology and consequently messing up upload/download speeds. To fix this simply go to your Settings > Device Manager > Network Adapters > *right click* Qualcomm Atheros... > Go to Advance tab > Click Wireless Mode on the bottom > Change the "Value" on the right to match the kind of router that you have. For me I picked 03 - b/g  from the defaulted a/b/g/n/ac. My download speeds went from 1-2Mbps to 30. Good luck and hope this fixes your issues!
    Anita12 said:
    Disabling WMM on the router fixed the issue on my Acer E5-575. There is apparently an issue with rhe Qualcomm Atheros network card and WMM.  Go to wireless settings, advanced to disable WMM.
    Thank you - both of these fix my issue, but I think I will use jaicee98s fix, as I prefer to keep wmm on on my router.
  • Metro
    Metro Member Posts: 3 New User
    I had the same EXACT issue on my brand new Acer A515-51G. Actually spent 4 hours with Verizon tech support AND 2x's with Acer 2 weeks ago.   In the end, after going through numerous reboots and other processes to fix the computer, they determined that my computer was defective and made me return to the place I bought it.  I got the new one today and the SAME EXACT PROBLEM persisted. I found it hard to believe that a 2nd brand new computer could be defective, with Download speeds of less than 1mbps on this computer, but getting 30-40 on all other devices.  I did an extensive internet search and found this thread and Followed the instructions by jaicee98 and I am now getting 25Mbps downloads.  I did play around with the settings however, as when I looked up my router's specs it stated that I have this:

    ...when I picked the advanced setting, wireless mode that matched my router (b/g/n) it only increased speed to 5Mbps. So I tried others until I got something that worked. For me, it was 03 that worked best. I am still downloading Windows 10 updates, so once I complete that process I will try other settings, as I should be getting around 40-50Mbps on this device (matching all others on my network).
    Anyway, thanks jaicee98 for the help!
    -Metro

    by jaicee98: So I just read that it's a compatibility issue between the latest wifi technology in new computers and older routers. Something about the older routers not recognizing the newer "N" series wifi  technology and consequently messing up upload/download speeds. To fix this simply go to your Settings > Device Manager > Network Adapters > *right click* Qualcomm Atheros... > Go to Advance tab > Click Wireless Mode on the bottom > Change the "Value" on the right to match the kind of router that you have. For me I picked 03 - b/g  from the defaulted a/b/g/n/ac. My download speeds went from 1-2Mbps to 30. Good luck and hope this fixes your issues!
  • tjc1
    tjc1 Member Posts: 1 New User
    Jaicee98 - you got it! Thanks a million - I was a couple hours in on this and looked like I was headed for many more when I found this post. Option #3 works because it does not include the N protocol, which seems to be the problem. Not as fast a connection as it is designed to be or could be, but workable until I get an updated router from Verizon.
  • chaspul
    chaspul Member Posts: 1 New User

    Hi everyone, first post and I hope it helps someone

    For several years have run an Aspire E14 which had gotten really slow WIFI since Win 10 updates.  For days I had tried everything including all of the above posts.

    Getting rid of the n setting increased download from 0.2 Mbs to 2 to 4. upload speed was greater than download.

    Went on to Acer Care Center ( the one packaged with the computer).  There waiting under drivers was one called Bluetooth  (11C I think this refers to WIFI frequency).

    Quick download and ages to install.  Rebooted, connected to my network and Magic, 40Mbs!!!  All protocols included in this download including n.

    Acer now acting as new! 

    Regards Chas

  • vivu
    vivu Member Posts: 1 New User
    Big thank to jaicee98!! The wifi issue has been aching on my head for two days. My brand new Acer Aspire A515 was reaching a speed of merely some hundreds of Kbps. My wireless driver is Intel Wireless-AC 9560 and I use the Arcadyan PRV2297B-E-LT router provided by Orange. I changed the Wireless 802.11a/b/g value to  the third one (2.4Ghz 802.11g) and it works like a charm. Now I'm browsing with a hundred of Mbps!!!

    So I just read that it's a compatibility issue between the latest wifi technology in new computers and older routers. Something about the older routers not recognizing the newer "N" series wifi  technology and consequently messing up upload/download speeds. To fix this simply go to your Settings > Device Manager > Network Adapters > *right click* Qualcomm Atheros... > Go to Advance tab > Click Wireless Mode on the bottom > Change the "Value" on the right to match the kind of router that you have. For me I picked 03 - b/g  from the defaulted a/b/g/n/ac. My download speeds went from 1-2Mbps to 30. Good luck and hope this fixes your issues!

  • Jovan_Zeng
    Jovan_Zeng Member Posts: 14

    Tinkerer

    jaicee98 said:
    So I just read that it's a compatibility issue between the latest wifi technology in new computers and older routers. Something about the older routers not recognizing the newer "N" series wifi  technology and consequently messing up upload/download speeds. To fix this simply go to your Settings > Device Manager > Network Adapters > *right click* Qualcomm Atheros... > Go to Advance tab > Click Wireless Mode on the bottom > Change the "Value" on the right to match the kind of router that you have. For me I picked 03 - b/g  from the defaulted a/b/g/n/ac. My download speeds went from 1-2Mbps to 30. Good luck and hope this fixes your issues!
    I don't know if You will read this or not, but You have just fixed my WiFi on my brand new Aspire 3. After setting up everything and being extremely happy with it, I have notices terrible wifi speeds, and i felt a bit of the buyers regret, but this fix actually made me like my new lap even more.

    I hope that karma will work it's way and that something nice will happen to You in return. :)