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HP Recommended
Elitebook 845 G10

Hi!

 

Let me just start with saying that I'm a wireless engineer (certified CWNA/CWDP) and I've been working with Wi-Fi networks for about 14 years. I'm just saying that because I don't want to hear "check your access points or settings".

 

I've done packet captures (802.11 packets) and Realtek 8852CE WIFI chipset and/or drivers for Windows are really bad.

The drivers does not comply with all the standards that it is supposed to support according to HP and Realtek. And also, it does weird things like reporting FAULTY/incorrect about the WIFI around it (it interprets or reports INCORRECT values from the surrounding WIFI stations signal strengths that are so off that it sometimes reports dBm values in the postitives (+).

 

My findings so far (using the Windows drivers):

- It doesn't seem to use 2x2 spatial streams when sending data, only when connecting. You'll get same speed using both 1 and 2 spatial streams (tested with Cisco access points that has 4x4:4 SS). You can get a correct MCS rate but it doesn't reflect on real data packets transmissions. Further testing needs to be done (preferably by HP....).

- Since the latest driver update (6001.16.150.600), the disconnecting issues are less, but the issues with 80 MHz channels and 160 MHz channels are still there. You can't get the throughput to expect with the chipsets presented MCS rates (tested in clean RF environments of course). Even though the driver connects with a MCS rate that matches a 80 MHz channel - it does not send data packets accordingly.

- It reports incorrect signal strengths from surrounding WIFI equipment/stations (*huge* difference to the reality). Not  even correct within +- 10 dBm's.

 

To less WIFI-technical users:

- Drivers for Windows are VERY poor
- You get half the speed compared to what other WIFI6E adapters with the same specifications. This is true when connecting to a 80 MHz radio (5 or 6 GHz).

- On 160 MHz channel you can't connect properly at all.You can't connect to access points that won't allow clients to go back to 80, 40 or 20 MHz channel widths.

- It is not supporting 160 MHz wide channels. 80 MHz is max it can connect to, but then it only transfer data at half the speed it should.

- The current linux though (non-official drivers since Realtek don't support linux) works BETTER. At 80 MHz channel width you actually get the throughput to expect from the MCS-rates you'll get when connecting.

 

Worst thing:
It took HP 3 months to replace the WIFI card with another of the exact same card! Even though I told them (and wrote) it's a driver/chipset issue. Then I get told by the support that they won't replace the chipset with Intel AX210 which is known to work fine. Even though I said I could pay for it they won't replace it. They are not doing anything to help me as a customer at the moment. I still can't use my laptops WIFI at certain places and it has taken many many days to investigate these issues (time that I could have spent working instead).

 

WIFI works fine as soon as I connect a real working USB WIFI6E adapter (tested Intel and Mediatek chipsets).


Otherwise the laptop is great (Elitebook 845 G10).

 

(I have ordered a Intel AX210 card from Amazon to put in myself, will report back when I get it)

 

1 REPLY 1
HP Recommended

So, I bought a Intel AX210 WIFI card (cost is about $30) and I've been running it for a few hours now.
WIFI seems to work like it should now. Finally.
Drivers are the latest ones from Microsoft, not directly from Intel themself. I may update later on but I want to check if it really works out-of-the-box, which Realtek definitely doesn't.

 

So far:

1. Stable. No weird behavior: stable latency, no disconnections.

2. Higher throughput (even with the same MCS rate as the Realtek 8852CE reported(!)).

3. The driver/chipset reports correct signal values from nearby stations.

I have not tried using this card with 160 MHz channels on 802.11ac (wave 2) or 802.11ax yet, but will do as soon as I can.

 

HP support could have swapped the WIFI card from the start, which I asked for in the ticket where I explained the issues in depth. All of this would have been sorted within a few days. Would have saved both them and me hours. 4 months of waiting and trying to prove to HP that this Realtek chip is indeed not working as it should.......

 

 

 

 

 

† The opinions expressed above are the personal opinions of the authors, not of HP. By using this site, you accept the <a href="https://www8.hp.com/us/en/terms-of-use.html" class="udrlinesmall">Terms of Use</a> and <a href="/t5/custom/page/page-id/hp.rulespage" class="udrlinesmall"> Rules of Participation</a>.