[2004, 20h2] Qualcomm AR5BWB222 Wireless Issues

[robyholmes]

Hi All,

 

For a few days now I've been having problems with Qualcomm devices connecting to our Unifi network. At first I thought it was Unifi issue so I updated the controller and firmware of the APs. However that didn't help. So I then started to find the only devices with problems had old Qualcomm wireless cards. I've updated the drives on a few and that seems to have solved the issue but one set of laptops still have the same issue. The cards in these are Qualcomm Atheros AR5BWB222.

 

I've updated to the latest driver found here:

https://www.ath-drivers.eu/download-driver-for-Atheros-chipset-with-id-74-and-Windows10-64bit.html

 

I've also played about with Advanced settings on the wireless card itself, enabling power saving, setting it to g/n only etc. However it doesn't make any difference. I've also disabled power saving via device manager (Windows power saving) but again no change.

 

Sometimes it connects, sometimes it doesn't. If it does connect it often shows very little signal if any. It works but randomly disconnects and reconnects. Unifi also reports 0% signal (Even though it is kinda of working). Everyone and again mind it connects with 99% signal and I can get a good download speed. Pings are 1 to 2ms to our local server. This keeps working even if I disable the wireless, but as soon as I restart it's back to not working.

 

Microsoft did report problems with older Qualcomm wireless cards on V2004 (20H1) but they seem to have sorted that as they they released the hold on the update block, however I'm struggling to find out what update or change was made.

 

Any help? Similar issues? I'm thinking I might need to look at purchasing new new wireless cards.

 

Thanks, Rob

[Michael]

I know far from ideal, but try creating an SSID that only broadcasts in 2.4.

 

I've found with some wireless cards over the years that they 'struggle' joining dual band SSIDs.

[robyholmes]

Well I think I might have made a break through this evening. I found a setting in my Unifi setup which moved 'High Performance Devices' to 5Ghz. as @Michael suggest I don't think these laptops like 5Ghz or certainly don't like only being on 5Ghz. So I removed this setting (Which is show as in Beta anyway) and that might have solved it.

 

So open your wireless network profile and under 'Advanced Options' you'll find 'High Performance Devices'. I unticked this and it appears to have worked.