Wifi connection keeps dropping on my new HP ENVY m6-k025dx Sleekbook laptop.

[cjpembo]

Actually.... I'm going to have to eat crow on this one.  I've managed to get 100% theoretical rated throughput with my 2230 card (in Linux as I don't have Win8 installed).  The solution has two parts:  what is the highest rated speed this card can achieve and can your router support it.  I'll tidy up my notes and report the exact details soon.  But I'm getting  a sustained 168 Mbps throughput.  Rock solid.  No drops.

I'd also like to apologize for bashing HP here.  They've been great and hot-shotted a new 2230 card to me to test in under 16 hours.

[cjpembo]

Here's the cliff notes for highest performance (details later)

Router:

1. Disable 20/40 MHz coexistence
2. Use channel 6
3. Use WPA2 AES
4. Do not use TKIP or TKIP+AES

2230 Card:

1. Use hardware crypto on card (not software crypto in CPU)
2. Do not disable 80211n mode
3. Do use power save (seems counter-intuitive!).  Don't confuse that with power level which is highest by default in linux.
4. Enabling/disabling bluetooth has zero effect on performance
5. The 2230 is single-stream, single-band.  Therefore, it is not 5GHz capable.  This is probably the #1 reason why users are "disappointed" with the performance.  It has to coexist on the b/g/n band of your router unless you have a n-only router.  I suppose, but I cannot test, that the card could achieve approx 300 Mbps on a n-only setup.

I tested these settings at my rural location... cell phones off, other wireless devices powered down, cordless phones powered down... etc.  I have zero 2.4 MHz interference from other networks/devices where I live.  The 2230 firmware will throttle the card down to "play fair" and not clobber other devices within range.  So if you have a noisy 2.4 GHz spectrum where you live, your mileage may vary.

I guess I should add: although I had bluetooth turned on, I did not have any bluetooth devices paired.  I don't know if a pairing would make a difference.  I tested throughput by moving a 1GB file over my home network.

[petwir]

Finally Finally Finally!   I've been fighting dropped wifi connections for over a YEAR!   I'm a software engineer so I thought "I should be able to fix this myself".  I finally gave up and contacted HP support (for the 3rd time) and allowed them to control my computer.  They determined it could not be solved without replacing the wifi card!

My bad wifi card was an Intel(R) Centrino(R) Wireless-N 2230.  It is now replaced by a Qualcomm Atheros QCA9565, and everything is working as it should!

[Jon_Edwa]

I have had this same issue, same models listed earlier in this thread. (Windows 8 OS)I too have had issues over many months, bought a new wifi router which was probably unnecessary. It seems to work fine for a while, in my case months, then stops working when an auto update is somehow installed or for some other issue stops working again. Drivers, etc nothing helps.

My advice is to be tough with HP support, even though it takes some time for them to do all their "documentation". They still made me test ridiculous things, and ask questions such as if my Time Warner internet was bundled with cable TV and home telephone. I asked why I should answer this, he couldn't say and made me answer it after I asked  repeatedly why this is relevant. They also initally wanted me to take it apart to test reseting the card or something, but said ok stop when I had trouble opening the case which was stubbornly stuck on. 

Not cool that they made me waste nearly 2 hours with tech support on phone, when I told him at the beginning of the call about this well documented issue, and the exact part and model # of the defective card. Now I still have to wait until Monday for a manager to call me back, the "supervisor" I spoke to wanted to replace it with a "new" wif card of the same defective model, which if you read this thread won't work. Hopefully then he will quickly let me ship it to them to replace it with a new card, which is an apparent solution someone else mentioned at the end of this thread. 

I hope others with this issue find this thread, and can eliminate some of the wasted time HP insists is necessary. I like HP products and love my Windows 7 desktop, its worked well for me over the years. However I will think twice about a new HP computer next time unless the support is GOLDEN from here on out. 

Jon from Austin, TX

[petwir]

The way the process worked for me was first I had to spend several hours with support allowing them to eliminate all of the "solutions" that I had already tried myself.  You must be patient with this part of the process, because it is their job to do it this way just in case a siimple solution is all that you need.

Then they offered to have me ship my computer  to them for resolution.  I did not like that idea, so then they offered to ship the replacement part to me for self-install.  This is the option I picked and I was thorougly impressed by the install instructions that came with the part.  It was written very well, just like the instructions that come with a lego toy block kit.  If you arn't that handy with stuff like this though, you could hire someone to do the install for you.

The instructions also required I mail the defective part back to HP (at their expense) after the install.  I did so, and everything went very smoothly.  It was all by FedX, and the FedX people had seen HP packages before and knew exactly what to do.

[Steve97223]

This is absurd.  Is there a phone number to call?  I purchased this laptop for my mother for Christmas.  She is extremely sick with cancer.  She just finished chemo at the time and recently they found another cancer.  I live 3000 miles from her.  I flew back for her surgery and to take care of her for some time.  I was able to temporarily fix the wifi issues but they're back.  There is no way she can repair this on her own.  I am so disappointed I purchased this laptop.  The problem seems very common.  Does anyone know of a way I can get my mother help with this?  I am giving the background because she is not in a position to spend hours fixing what was a brand new laptop with issues immediately.  She doesn't need to go through the, "Make sure your router is on" ridiculousness...

[petwir]

Wow Steve, I feel for you.  I also maintain computer systems for my mother and my mother in law, but they live within an hour of my house.  Even so in both cases I ended up switching them off of PCs and Laptops to Tablets which in my opinion always have fewer support issues.  So if you could affort to, you might purchase her a tablet (IPad, Kendle, Google), configure it yourself, and then mail it to her(?)

Regarding your current laptop issue (that is 3000 miles away) the best idea I can come up with is to have her take it to a local reputable computer support store and pay them to deal with it.  Should cost a lot less than an airplane ticket and your time.

When I contacted HP for support on this issue, I used their online chat communication method.

[Steve97223]

Thanks man.  I bought her an iPad the year before and she loves it which is why I chose the solution with the laptop and touch screen.  She is pretty good for a 71 year old.  The laptop has always been a problem and flying back would actually be more expensive than a new laptop.  Crazy.  If anyone knows of an HP number to call, that would help.  She was so happy when she got this.  Just disappointing...

Thanks again

[cjpembo]

@petwir:  can you tell us where you obtained your Qualcom Atheros QCA9565?  In addition, was it an exact fit?

And thanks for taking the leap and trying some new hardware to fix this issue... it will save the rest of us a lot of trial and error.

[petwir]

It was a perfect fit for replacing my  Intel(R) Centrino(R) Wireless-N 2230.

I didn't have to search for it or buy it.  HP provided it to me free of charge, mailed right to my house with step-by-step install instructions.  I had purchased my laptop through HP online and with some expensive options on it, so they totally covered this.  I don't know if support would be as accommodating with a store-bought device?

The frustrating/difficult part was all of the support hoops one must go through to get HP to conclude that part replacement is necessary.