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Intel Ultimate-N 6300 AGN lockups

idata
Employee
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Hello,

I recently purchased and installed an Intel 6300. Initially everything was great, my download speeds improved, and my signal strength certainly peaked. But I have a recurring problem with sustained network file transfers. Below is what I have to work with, and what I've tried to resolve it.

System:

Alienware M11x R1 (GS45 Chipset)

Windows 7 Home Premium x64, running the default OS loadup that it shipped with.

Router:

RT-N16 w/DD-WRT

Machine the files are being transferred from:

Intel SS4200 via ethernet (Unsure as to chipset/driver version)

Windows Home Server (w/PowerPack 2)

Previously I had a DW1520 wireless card, which had poor connections to the router (140 mbps/s connection speeds, according to Windows Status). After installing the 6300, I loaded the most recent drivers from Intel's website, and saw my connections improve to 280-300 mbps, which is excellent. I can browse the internet, play games, and otherwise use it just fine. But whenever I perform any sustained file transfer greater than say 200MB I will intermittently have a system freeze. The download grinds to a complete halt, but oddly enough Windows never reports that the transfer rate is slowing down, it just stops. This happens about 15 seconds before the system completely locks.

I've tried installing the driver that came with the 6300, which appears to be about 2 releases prior to the latest one available, but to no avail, same symptoms. I've performed a chkdsk on the hard drive to confirm no bad sectors are hanging it, I've run memtest86+ on the memory for 20 hours, with 8 passes an no fails I'm convinced this is not the culprit.

The only other information I can provide is that the old DW1520 didn't have the problem, nor do other laptops. At this point I'm trying to determine if this is perhaps a defective Wifi card, or an underlying driver incompatibility. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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idata
Employee
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I am having similar problems.

Installed the 6300 on my old e1505 dell laptop. Everything works great for a bit, but after so much time (5 minutes ~ 20 minutes), my whole system freezes. No Blue Screen of Death, or restart. Just a simple screen being completely frozen.

Really loved the speeds I was getting out of it and wondering how to fix this.

Anyone with suggestions?

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idata
Employee
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... same here on a Dell XPS M1330. It's quite strange there's no BSOD. Maybe it's an electrical issue? Perhaps the card is pulling to much power and therefore, other components on the mainboard shut down.

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idata
Employee
1,438 Views

Installed Intel Ultimate-N 6300 AGN card to a Dell M6400 laptop to replace 4965AGN. After a few days of use, my laptop started experiening lockups for no apparent reason. No BOD, but the entire laptop just locks up and the only way to get out of this is to force a reboot by pressing the power button. This 6300AGN card is used to communicating with LinkSys E4200 router. This old 4965AGN card never experienced this problem. I'm using the latest driver downloaded from Intel.

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idata
Employee
1,438 Views

Same for here... win7 64bit, ultimate 6300 connected to cisco e4200 wpa2. system hang without any error message. (Dell inspiron 1525)

running the latest drivers. The system hang while using the network more then usual. (the card might get warmer?)

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idata
Employee
1,438 Views

Hello boys and girls.

(Unfortunately I can not English, I'm German) This text is translated by Google. And revised by me on translation errors .....

For two months I have been working on a solution. And?

 

I think I know the cause.

 

.

 

Please be patient for another two days!

I now know why so few users are affected.

 

But more on that later.

Incidentally, the real problem with me was very difficult to detect.

 

I had cloned the same time with the WiFi built a system to other hardware. My troubleshooting was 1 1 / 2 months in the same direction "SystemSID for two systems on the same network.

 

However, even after SID change, and even on fresh install Windows 7, the problem continues.

 

A defect in my new SSD was also not excluded.

 

But everything is ok except WiFi.

I discovered this thread only a week ago.

 

Just as the thread to "NBR", http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m11x/543471-stock-wi-fi-card-intel-wifi-6200-system-freezes.html see here.

None of all proposals to be effective. I also think Intel is not aware of the problem. It is simple but very difficult to find.

I hope to be able to really help. Or this thread is so old that nobody has a problem?

I just wrote about this a lot of work to spare others. (New installation, or return of the Wi-Fi)

Final test run. Chance of success is 80%. The solution is definitely a compromise.

 

Publication about Thursday or Friday.

I'm happy now.

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idata
Employee
1,438 Views

I'm sorry. The extent of my tests is really huge and still not completed.

 

Unfortunately it was in the last two days results, again spoke to my theory.

 

Thus, it is not possible for me to offer a 100% solution. On the contrary, I doubt any connection now. And if not 100%, then there is no solution.

 

But one thing is clear to 100%, an emerging "Freeze" is solely in connection with the "WiFi 6300" and occurs only where it is installed.

 

A system installed with "3945" or "4965" or "5100" I never did crash.

 

(Under no circumstances, always stable)

Preliminary information: 

In all my tests I am only using the 2.4 GHz band. (I never used 5.2 GHz)

 

But even here I see no connection.

1."WiFi 6300" test only to "HP Pavilion HDX9350" and "9480". (Operating System 100% identical, since "9480" is a clone of "9350")

2.I have every available "Wifi driver" to test for a connection error - same behavior.

 

("Oldest 13.4.0.0" to the "latest 14.1.1.0" is displayed as "14.1.1.3")

3.Each Driver removal was by deleting the old driver. Each driver installation was done only after system reboot.

 

(There were no drivers to install Vista and Win7 independently, because all I had deleted)

 

Better it gets.

4.All driver settings I've tried, but could never establish a connection to the problem. That is why I describe it not in detail.

5.All OS system error can be excluded since no problems with "WiFi 4965" in both HDX. (Never)

 

Even then, when "4965 WiFi" was built "HDX" in one, and the other "HDX" with "WiFi 6300" worked.

6."Virtual WiFi" Initially I had also suspected, but could also create a stable system without being inactivated.

7.Before each test, I deleted the previously existing network connection and set the router back.

 

Thus, here error causes are excluded.

8.For all tests, the systems were switched on permanently. (Energy saving mode turned off)

 

The same applies to the router's Internet connection and "wireless router connection" to the notebook.

First observation: 

A freeze of "WiFi 6300" takes place only while connected to the router.

 

An active "WiFi 6300" ("WiFi Laptop" turned on) without a router connection never produces a crash.

 

This statement is good for debugging, but meaningless for daily operations. (Without "router connection" no wireless card required)

Second observation: 

The freeze occurs regardless of the stress.

 

I needed no large downloads. Freeze all performed in idle mode.

 

Mean, 90% believed safe, theory. (Now disproved)

 

But perhaps it does help someone.

I assumed that each of the freeze problem has more than one wireless device to a router operates.

 

At the same time, I assumed that each of them uses channel bonding.

 

(Yes, this is just one of the advantages over an older wireless card.)

To this end, the channel bandwidth of the WiFi drivers are provided by the 2.4 GHz "20Mhz" on "automatic".

 

At the same time have the radio channel of the router to "n + g" (2.4 GHz) and "For 300 Mbit / s optimized use of radio channels" are set.

This creates a stable 300Mbit / s connection between "WiFi 6300" and the relevant routers.

 

Now is an additional router connected to a "wireless device" made in the channel bonding "2.4 GHz band" is not supported,

 

it comes at the "6300 WiFi system" to freeze within minutes.

 

Additional example of my connection to the same router without any "channel bonding in the 2.4 GHz band", "3945 WiFi" or "Wi-Fi 4965)

 

For other users this can be any other wireless device. (Eg phone, media player, next-door neighbor who has access to the same router)

 

To exclude all factors, it must have done a test.

 

This was the system with "WiFi 6300" (or 6200) alone have access to the router. No other router connections!

 

After 24 hours of continuous testing without a freeze, a statement can be made.

My first recommendation for an alternative way of multiple connections to the router was switched off the router function "for 300 Mbit / s optimized use of radio channels."

 

(I do not mean the WiFi driver setting)

 

This was my first success in any case without any freeze error. This unfortunately only with a maximum connection speed 130Mbit / s.

Under utilization of this knowledge, I banished all wireless devices that do not support the 2.4 GHz channel bonding.

 

So I tested without 3945 and 4965th

Further tests were performed only with a double connection to the router between "6300" and "5100".

 

I switched the router to function "for 300 Mbit / s radio channels optimized use" back to active.

 

Both notebooks ("HDX 6300" and "Toshiba with 5100") had stable 300Mbit / s connection.

 

Test run 24 hours in idle. Do not freeze.

 

My previous assumption was confirmed by yet.

Assuming this alleged knowledge (one-sided channel bundling problem), I expected to get the Toshiba to freeze.

 

To this end, I switched the driver of the "HDX 6300 in WiFi" (during connection of the two notebooks),

 

the channel bandwidth to 20MHz. (was "automatically")

 

result: Toshiba does not freeze, but the "HDX with the 6300" crash after 20 minutes. (Freeze)

 

It is impossible to understand.

Of course I made the same test again, this time however, I switched to the Toshiba 20MHz channel bandwidth.

 

result: Again it came to the freeze on the HDX.

 

The Toshiba with the "Wifi 5100" was always stable and never crashed during testing.

The results make me mad. I find no meaningful Freeze condition.

Now the test for Wednesday, Thursday and today. This is due to the Crown.

Hardware and Info: 

1. "HDX9350 with 6300"

 

Always stable with 300Mbit / s. Even with simultaneous use of the "Toshiba with 5100". The only requirement:

 

No change in channel bonding on the fly.

2."HDX9480 with 6300"...

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idata
Employee
1,438 Views

Awesome work, thanks for all you've done!

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idata
Employee
1,438 Views

And thank you for reading it!

 

This translation is too technical and therefore difficult to understand.

 

To "NBR" I could read already, you have no "WiFi 6300" more.

 

This is certainly the best solution to this problem.

Currently, all four systems still run stable, but I do not believe any more final solution.

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idata
Employee
1,438 Views

In my case I can more and more pinpoint that the system freeze while receiving large data amount.

When in crash (ie during file receiving transfer) I can see that the network transfert drops down in the taskmgr to 0% and then after maximum 3 secondes the system freeze and that's it that's all...

Also, I tried to install the Intel Proset/Wireless Wifi Connection Utility (witch doesn't come with the driver ICS_s64.exe) and it give a little more features access (like enabling or disabling de Cisco CCX... but that didn't changed anything...)

Is there a specific antenna for receiving data or since it's 3x3 it decide by itself wich is wich ?

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idata
Employee
1,438 Views

In my case it is the intel wifi 5100 agn that is the problem. In researching ways to rectify this I have discovered this is a widespread problem and it doesn't matter what kind of computer is trying to use this os which OS. The problem is with the hardware and not what you are doing. It seems the only way to fix it is to go around it and invest in a usb wireless or something comperable ($30-40). After much research and multiple inquiries it seems this is the bottom line...it doesn't work anymore. If it even makes a connection it will not hold it and at best it tells you it is not connected. Time to move on...I've been spinning my wheels for weeks over this...

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idata
Employee
1,438 Views

Anybody have an update on that ?

I have absolutely no idea what to do...nor who to contact.... did anybody talk with any intel rep about it ?

Did anybody test with different antenna config ?

mine tend to crash more when Receiving data rather then sending... is it the same for others ?

is it just a bad product ?

thansk for your help !!!

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idata
Employee
1,438 Views

Guys, the same issue here (I have Intel Wireless N 100 and my system hangs during high traffic). Hangs both WinXP and Win7.

I sit behind wireless-n router and my understading is that the router sends some invalid packets sometimes on high traffic (2.5 mb/sec or so), so the PC freeeses as drivers cannot handle the broken packet due to the obvious buffer overflow in driver code.

I guess we need to change router parameters, such as RTS Threshold = 2200, Fragmentation = 2300, Preamble Type = Long. I tried these parameters and they seems to be working.

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idata
Employee
1,438 Views

I have the same wireless adapter lock up issue with my 6300 AGN running on a pretty new Dell Latitiude E5420 with Win7 Pro 32 bit. Usually it is just the wireless adapater that is locked up and after I disable\re-enable the adpater, I can pass traffic again. I agree with previous post that it happens most often when doing FTP of large files and I have also seen this when streaming video. I did see similiar issues with older laptop that has Intel 4965 adapter but not nearly as bad as with this 6300. I have tried all the latest drivers, including 14.2.0.10. I usually am running with 5 GHz bonded channels. One of my APs has 2x2 radios and other has 3x3 radios but I have seen the lock ups when using either AP. I really do not want to have to go with a USB wireless adapter but will have to if I can get the 6300 to work reliably. Any help would be appreciated.

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idata
Employee
1,438 Views

I have the same problem. Whole system locks up. I have to resart the hard way. I have dissabled my 5ghz band on my router and this has fixed the problem. Tends to happen when I am downloading large files or there is a lot of use on my network. It would be nice if I could use both bands

Driver Version 14.1.1.3

Thinkpad T510/ windows 7 pro 64 bit

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idata
Employee
1,438 Views

Quick update from my end on this issue:

Intel Wireless N100 Driver version 14.3.0.6 still has this issue: system lockup if downloading something over wi-fi at the speed of 8 mbit/sec or so. For 14.3, the system lock up in 1 to 5 minutes.

I found a never version of the driver, 15.0.0.75 (for WinXP 32-bit), and it is a little bit more stable: the system locks up in 27 minutes (not in 1..5 mins as usual).

I get it here (note there is no such drivers on the official page yet):

http://rz.x-drivers.com/7ba40cf19fd84852c3b40c8e59a1c5fd/www.x-drivers.ru_intel_wireless_15.0.0.75.zip http://rz.x-drivers.com/7ba40cf19fd84852c3b40c8e59a1c5fd/www.x-drivers.ru_intel_wireless_15.0.0.75.zip

UPD: After additional try&errors, the issue looks like resolved completely by turning OFF the 802.11n mode in device manager->wireless network adapter properties.

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