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Wireless Adapter clashes in Windows 10

shermans
Pro
Posts: 1,303
Thanks: 101
Fixes: 3
Registered: ‎07-09-2007

Wireless Adapter clashes in Windows 10

I have just bought a re-furbished desktop computer, pre-loaded with a new copy of Windows 10.

However, instead of having a wireless card, it has been shipped with a new USB Wireless dongle. (LB Link. 150Mbps) which surprised me.  I know nothing about these but presume they are suitable.  It came with the original packaging.

The problem is that the Wireless Adapter clashes evidently with my router.  When I first try to access the internet, the first page often loads satisfactorily.  But whenever I try to load another website, the Wi-Fi just hangs.  The only solution is to re-boot.

To make matters worse, the desktop Wi-Fi grabs the router and blocks anything else from using it.  I have two other lap-tops, a tablet and three mobile phones, all of which work well with the router normally.  I get many visitors also with their own devices, all of which work until I try to access the web with the new desktop, when all other devices freeze.

I have contacted the supplier to discuss it, but all he ever says is that it is the fault of the router and that it is not compatible with Windows 10 - it is actually a new BT Home Hub 5, so I doubt that is correct.

 

As I have no knowledge of wireless adapters, are there perhaps any settings or adjustments which one can make in Windows 10 which might resolve the clash ?  Sending the desktop back to the supplier is impractical due to the cost and it would no doubt be cheaper to buy either another USB adapter or an internal wireless card.

I would be grateful for any thoughts or suggestions.

8 REPLIES 8
rongtw
Seasoned Hero
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Re: Wireless Adapter clashes in Windows 10

Is it not possible to run a Cable direct from desktop to router ?

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MisterW
Superuser
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Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Wireless Adapter clashes in Windows 10

Have you checked if there is an updated driver http://www.lb-link.cn/download.php?CateId=11

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

ReedRichards
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Registered: ‎14-07-2009

Re: Wireless Adapter clashes in Windows 10

I've noticed that Windows 10 can hog the broadband when it's downloading updates on request.  But otherwise your wireless adaptor would seem to be faulty.  Maybe updating the driver will fix this, maybe not.  Something that works for a short while then goes wrong may be overheating.  

shermans
Pro
Posts: 1,303
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Registered: ‎07-09-2007

Re: Wireless Adapter clashes in Windows 10

Thanks for the various suggestions.  I have tried to update the driver but the driver is the latest one already.  I can access the internet without problem by connecting directly to the router by Ethernet cable, but it is not a practical long term solution because it is normally in a different room and the router has to be kept centrally in the house for other devices to work by wifi due to thick walls.

I had begun to suspect Windows 10 might be hogging the broadband as it is a new installation and no doubt needed updating.  The trouble is that where I'm using the desktop (a holiday home) I only have a very poor 512k connection (if I am lucky).  I am wondering whether Windows has been trying to update in the background and therefore hogging the broadband.  The wifi dongle is over the top for such a connection - 150 mb is over-kill for 512k and I suspect it takes precedence over any other wifi device.s

This has been very difficult to prove because on Windows 10 I have no idea what background processes may be going on.  I can see them of course in task manages but I do not know what to look for.  There is no recognisable process to suggest that Windows is updating.  I have nevertheless left the desktop turned on for 16 hours in the hopes that it would be able to download all it needed to do in that time, but at 512k maximum that would equate to 30 Gb (subject to my maths being correct but I could have got a few zeros wrong !).  That seems a lot because the recovery disk for Windows is only 22 Gb.

I have not yet loaded any other software than what is pre-loaded by the vendor, so it cannot be anything that I have done.  This morning, things are a little better but I have no confidence as there is still some interruption.

Looking at the WiFi performance in Task Manager, it is showing consistently 16 kbps Send and 968 kbps Receive.  I am not sure whether that is what is actually being sent and received all the time or purely the theoretical speed.  It also records IPv4 address 192.168.1.82 and IPv6 fe80::a128:419:e07C:4856%7 but I have no idea what either of them mean !

If anyone can explain, it would be helpful.

wisty
Pro
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Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Wireless Adapter clashes in Windows 10

I suggest you check whether Windows update is acting as a torrent server.

Settings/Update & Security/Advanced options/Choose how updates are delivered/ Set to off

However, as you don't get the same problem on a wired connection I don't think it is likely to be Windows update saturating the broadband link.That would happen both wired and wirelessly.

Have you tried the new dongle in one of the laptops. Turn off or disable the existing Wifi adapter, and plug in the new dongle. If you get the same problem, then that says it is the dongle

 

An other test is to check whether, when you have the problem, the other devices can communicate with each other. If it's your slow broadband that is saturating then there should be ample Wifi capacity on the local network for the laptops to see each other and the PC.

Personally, at <£6 delivered off EBay, almost my first diagnostic choice would be to try a different adapter

 

 

shermans
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Registered: ‎07-09-2007

Re: Wireless Adapter clashes in Windows 10

Problem solved !

First thanks for all the suggestions.  I decided to leave the blessed thing alone running for two nights and stop worrying !  There were more interesting things to do.  After about 20 hours, suddenly I found that all my devices were working again and I could use the new desktop online.  Miraculous.  So as a test I turned it off and re-started it - guess what ?  A big message about Windows updating and a warning that it would take a very long time.  An hour or so later, the update completed, and it has been perfect ever since.

 

In the good old days, the WiFi icon on the tray used to blink when something was being downloaded, but I could find nothing similar in Windows 10 to alert me.  It was all going on in the background and was just hogging the broadband - at 512k I suppose that is not difficult !

 

Anyway, thanks again.

NorthPole
Aspiring Pro
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Registered: ‎05-07-2013

Re: Wireless Adapter clashes in Windows 10


@shermans wrote:

In the good old days, the WiFi icon on the tray used to blink when something was being downloaded, but I could find nothing similar in Windows 10 to alert me.  It was all going on in the background and was just hogging the broadband - at 512k I suppose that is not difficult !


shermans, you might like to try this little program - it does run on Windows 10 as well. I think there are similar ones out there too if you search.

shermans
Pro
Posts: 1,303
Thanks: 101
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Registered: ‎07-09-2007

Re: Wireless Adapter clashes in Windows 10

Thanks for that t.  It is very useful and certainly would have made the issue of the updates more obvious !