Realtek RTL8821CE

[wowthatstings]

Hi All

This is a repost - I put it in the wrong category previously 🙄

I can honestly say I am sick and tired of trying to get this adapter working properly.

I bought a HP Laptop 14s-dq0xxx in May 2020. It's primarily used for browsing and doing a little spreadsheet work. It's always had a few issues with the wifi adapter but it's got worse in the past month or so.

Device details are:

HP Laptop 14s-dq0xxx
Processor Intel(R) Pentium(R) CPU 5405U @ 2.30GHz 2.30 GHz
Installed RAM 4.00 GB (3.82 GB usable)
System type 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor

Windows 10 Home
Version 20H2
Installed on ‎12/‎03/‎2021
OS build 19042.1237
Experience Windows Feature Experience Pack 120.2212.3530.0

Realtek RTL8821CE 802.11ac PCIe Adapter
Driver Provider: Realtek Semiconductor Corp
Driver Date: 23/08/2021
Driver Version: 2023.0.10.133
Digital Signer: Microsoft Windows Hardware Compatibility Publisher

Until a couple of months ago I'd lose the wifi connection when I woke the PC after it hadn't been used for a few hours. Now, it happens while I'm actually browsing. If I'm lucky I can go into Device Manager and disable/enable the adapter and wifi will reconnect. Most of the time though, I have to restart the PC.

As far as I can tell, I'm on the most current driver so my questions are

1. are HP and/or Realtek just incompetent when it comes to building a device with this piece of junk in it? and
2. is there an alternative adapter that I could replace it with?

[Max3Aj]

Hi @wowthatstings, 

Welcome to HP Support Community!

We noticed that this thread hasn't had any updates in a while since your original post; while this is rare, we didn't want this post to remain unanswered, so, here's the solution to your query. We hope it helps you and everyone viewing this post 😊

 
The intermittent disconnects, especially after sleep or idle—are classic signs of power management or driver instability issues with this adapter.

 Disable Power Saving for the Adapter

This stops Windows from powering down the adapter to save energy.

• Press Win + X → Device Manager

• Expand Network adapters

• Right-click Realtek RTL8821CE → Properties

• Go to the Power Management tab

• Uncheck: "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power"

• Hit OK, then reboot

Update or Roll Back the Driver

Option A: Try the OEM driver from HP

Visit HP's Support page for the 14s-dq0000 series and search using your specific model (like 14s-dq0020nr, etc.)
Download the Realtek WLAN driver dated closest to late 2020 or early 2021.

Option B: Install a newer (or better) version manually from Realtek

You can try downloading the latest driver directly from the Realtek website. Use the Windows 10 64-bit version only.

Change the Wi-Fi Adapter's Advanced Settings

In Device Manager:

• Go to Advanced tab in adapter properties

• Change:

  • Wireless Mode → 802.11b/g or 802.11b/g/n instead of Auto

  • Preferred Band → 2.4 GHz (since RTL8821CE is weak on 5GHz)

  • Roaming Sensitivity → Medium

Use a USB Wi-Fi Adapter

Yes, this is a valid and often the most frustration-free solution.

If you’ve had enough of the RTL8821CE, consider buying a USB Wi-Fi adapter from one of these brands:

• TP-Link Archer T3U or T2U Nano (stable and widely compatible)

• ASUS USB-AC53 Nano

• Netgear A6210

They're plug-and-play and avoid Realtek issues entirely.

Replace Internal Adapter (Advanced Users Only)

You can replace the RTL8821CE with a better M.2 Key E Wi-Fi card if your laptop allows it.

Options:

• Intel AX200 or AX210 (Wi-Fi 6 / 6E) – Fast and reliable.

• Ensure your BIOS isn't locked to certain vendors (HP has a history of whitelisting Wi-Fi cards).

If you go this route, you'll need to:

• Open the bottom panel

• Remove the old card and install the new one

• Install the Intel drivers from intel.com

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved, and if you feel this reply was helpful, click “Yes”.

Thanks for being part of the HP Community!

Regards,
Max3Aj