Spectre wifi bug repro steps

[DaveParker]

My new Spectre 13t-aw100 CTO (custom build with OLED screen) has slow wifi: my other devices get 10Mbs on my home network, but the Spectre gets only 1Mbs.

I think the issue may be related to Intel's wifi driver. The driver generates the error message "Windows cannot initialize the device driver for this hardware. (Code 37) The request is not supported" when booted in Safe Mode with Networking. Detailed instructions are below. I don't know if the error message is normal, or if it is indicative of a hardware or software failure, but I suspect it is a software failure in the driver.

If your machine does not already have the latest 10/6/2019 version 21.50.1.1 of the Intel driver, there are instructions for installing it on the "Spectre X360 AX201" thread. That thread also has several solutions for slow wifi problems that have worked for other users. However, the solutions did not work for my machine so I have posted this information on this new thread.

I worked around the problem by using an external USB Wifi adapter (TPLINK, under $20 at Office Depot). Hopefully, an Intel driver update will fix the problem.

More detailed instructions for reproducing the error message:

1) Make sure that you are displaying your desktop on "PC Screen Only".
2) Shut down.
3) Disconnect all external devices and cables.
4) Press the Power button.
5) Immediately start tapping the ESC key until you see "ESC...Pause Startup" in the lower left corner of the screen.
6) Press F11 for "System Recovery".
7) Select "Troubleshoot" (use the TAB and ENTER keys, or the touchpad).
😎 Select "Advanced Options".
9) Select "Start Settings" (not "Startup Repair").
10) Select "Restart".
11) Your screen will go blank for a few seconds.
12) Select "Enable Safe Mode with Networking" using F5 or 5.
13) Your computer will reboot into "Safe Mode with Networking".
14) Press WINDOWS+S (the Windows icon key and the S key).
15) The search menu should appear.
16) Type "device manager" and hit the ENTER key.
17) The Device Manager dialog box should appear.
18) Expand the "Network Adapters" category, if it is not already expanded.
19) Open the properties box for the "Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz" (double click or click and press ENTER).
20) On the "General" tab under "Device Status" my machine displays the error message:
"Windows cannot initialize the device driver for this hardware. (Code 37) The request is not supported".
21) On the "Driver" tab, it lists the build date as 10/6/2019, and the version as 21.50.1.1.
22) Shut down.
23) Reconnect any external devices or cables.
24) Press the Power button to power back up normally.

[Lil_Boy_Blue]

Hi

The most obvious thing is that the WiFi antenna are fixed to the back of the screen,

USUALLY, but yours is a bespoke version and maybe they aint. 

OR connected to the WiFi board itself, or are broken where they pass thru the hinge.

However...

Copy, Paste and Save in Notepad, as LBB.bat (not a .TXT) and double click to run.
Preferably run as an Administrator.
OR
Copy and use the individual command lines as needed.

Post anything non-personal, but relevant please.

@Echo OFF
getmac
netsh lan show interfaces
netsh wlan show interfaces
netsh wlan show drivers

PAUSE
systeminfo
PowerShell -Command "Get-NetAdapter"
PowerShell -Command "Get-NetAdapter -Name * | Format-Table -View Driver"
PowerShell -Command "GIP -Detailed"
PowerShell -Command "Test-NetConnection"
PAUSE

This is as close as I got...

https://support.hp.com/gb-en/product/hp-spectre-13-aw0000-x360-convertible-pc-series/29100376/model/...

Maybe Definitely post your SKU:  ??

I know this is a daft question, but is it a wLan or wWan adapter?

[DaveParker]

Hi Lil_Boy_Blue,

Thank you for all of the suggestions.

The antenna thing occured to me, so I moved the Spectre from 1 foot to 50 feet away and still got the same 1Mbps download speed.  But to me, the antenna still seems like the most likely culprit if it is a hardware failure.

Below I've copied the results of running your batch file as an Administrator.  The output says that the receive and transmit rates are 130 Mbps, but the most I actually get on the Spectre are a little over 1 Mbps when I run various online speed tests or when I download files.  I suspect the 130 Mbps should actually be 13.0 Mbps, because that's the maximum speed on get on my other devices, but not on the Spectre.

I'm not sure if the SKU is different from the Model or ProdID, but from the bottom of my computer:

HP Spectre x360 Convertible Model 13t-aw100

ProdID 6YG70AV

S/N# 5CD945630N

The Intel AX201 is a wLAN adapter.

Thanks again.

Physical Address    Transport Name
=================== ==========================================================
62-A2-A5-38-C0-A4   \Device\Tcpip_{0A0C3D0A-2E44-4B11-A6AE-CA90D1739605}
0C-DD-24-D3-27-81   Media disconnected

The Wired AutoConfig Service (dot3svc) is not running.


There is 1 interface on the system:

    Name                   : Wi-Fi
    Description            : Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz
    GUID                   : 0a0c3d0a-2e44-4b11-a6ae-ca90d1739605
    Physical address       : 62:a2:a5:38:c0:a4
    State                  : connected
    SSID                   : ACTIONTEC
    BSSID                  : 00:1c:f0:c5:c1:2b
    Network type           : Infrastructure
    Radio type             : 802.11g
    Authentication         : Open
    Cipher                 : WEP
    Connection mode        : Auto Connect
    Channel                : 3
    Receive rate (Mbps)    : 130
    Transmit rate (Mbps)   : 130
    Signal                 : 99%
    Profile                : ACTIONTEC

    Hosted network status  : Not available


Interface name: Wi-Fi

    Driver                    : Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz
    Vendor                    : Intel Corporation
    Provider                  : Intel
    Date                      : 10/6/2019
    Version                   : 21.50.1.1
    INF file                  : oem36.inf
    Type                      : Native Wi-Fi Driver
    Radio types supported     : 802.11b 802.11g 802.11n 802.11a 802.11ac 802.11ax
    FIPS 140-2 mode supported : Yes
    802.11w Management Frame Protection supported : Yes
    Hosted network supported  : No
    Authentication and cipher supported in infrastructure mode:
                                Open            None
                                Open            WEP-40bit
                                Open            WEP-104bit
                                Open            WEP
                                WPA-Enterprise  TKIP
                                WPA-Enterprise  CCMP
                                WPA-Personal    TKIP
                                WPA-Personal    CCMP
                                WPA2-Enterprise TKIP
                                WPA2-Enterprise CCMP
                                WPA2-Personal   TKIP
                                WPA2-Personal   CCMP
                                Open            Vendor defined
                                WPA3-Personal   CCMP
                                Unknown         CCMP
                                Vendor defined  Vendor defined
    IHV service present       : Yes
    IHV adapter OUI           : [00 00 00], type: [00]
    IHV extensibility DLL path: C:\WINDOWS\system32\IntelIHVRouter08.dll
    IHV UI extensibility ClSID: {00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}
    IHV diagnostics CLSID     : {00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}
    Wireless Display Supported: Yes (Graphics Driver: Yes, Wi-Fi Driver: Yes)

Press any key to continue . . .

Host Name:                 DESKTOP-RJMCH59
OS Name:                   Microsoft Windows 10 Pro
OS Version:                10.0.18363 N/A Build 18363
OS Manufacturer:           Microsoft Corporation
OS Configuration:          Standalone Workstation
OS Build Type:             Multiprocessor Free
Registered Owner:          All Users
Registered Organization:   HP
Product ID:                00330-51341-77593-AAOEM
Original Install Date:     11/23/2019, 5:49:17 AM
System Boot Time:          11/25/2019, 4:58:44 AM
System Manufacturer:       HP
System Model:              HP Spectre x360 Convertible 13t-aw100
System Type:               x64-based PC
Processor(s):              1 Processor(s) Installed.
                           [01]: Intel64 Family 6 Model 126 Stepping 5 GenuineIntel ~1298 Mhz
BIOS Version:              AMI F.06, 10/28/2019
Windows Directory:         C:\WINDOWS
System Directory:          C:\WINDOWS\system32
Boot Device:               \Device\HarddiskVolume1
System Locale:             en-us;English (United States)
Input Locale:              en-us;English (United States)
Time Zone:                 (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada)
Total Physical Memory:     16,128 MB
Available Physical Memory: 13,398 MB
Virtual Memory: Max Size:  19,072 MB
Virtual Memory: Available: 16,464 MB
Virtual Memory: In Use:    2,608 MB
Page File Location(s):     C:\pagefile.sys
Domain:                    WORKGROUP
Logon Server:              \\DESKTOP-RJMCH59
Hotfix(s):                 9 Hotfix(s) Installed.
                           [01]: KB4519573
                           [02]: KB4497727
                           [03]: KB4508433
                           [04]: KB4515530
                           [05]: KB4516115
                           [06]: KB4517245
                           [07]: KB4524569
                           [08]: KB4501374
                           [09]: KB4524570
Network Card(s):           2 NIC(s) Installed.
                           [01]: Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz
                                 Connection Name: Wi-Fi
                                 DHCP Enabled:    Yes
                                 DHCP Server:     192.168.0.1
                                 IP address(es)
                                 [01]: 192.168.0.48
                                 [02]: fe80::e92f:434c:9502:f9e9
                           [02]: Bluetooth Device (Personal Area Network)
                                 Connection Name: Bluetooth Network Connection
                                 Status:          Media disconnected
Hyper-V Requirements:      VM Monitor Mode Extensions: Yes
                           Virtualization Enabled In Firmware: Yes
                           Second Level Address Translation: Yes
                           Data Execution Prevention Available: Yes

Name                      InterfaceDescription                    ifIndex Statu
                                                                          s
----                      --------------------                    ------- -----
Bluetooth Network Conn... Bluetooth Device (Personal Area Netw...      18 Di...
Wi-Fi                     Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz                 3 Up



Name                      InterfaceDescription                     DriverFileNa
                                                                   me
----                      --------------------                     ------------
Bluetooth Network Conn... Bluetooth Device (Personal Area Network) bthpan.sys
Wi-Fi                     Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz            Netwtw08.sys




ComputerName                          : DESKTOP-RJMCH59
InterfaceAlias                        : Wi-Fi
InterfaceIndex                        : 3
InterfaceDescription                  : Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz
NetCompartment.CompartmentId          : 1
NetCompartment.CompartmentDescription : Default Compartment
NetAdapter.LinkLayerAddress           : 62-A2-A5-38-C0-A4
NetAdapter.Status                     : Up
NetProfile.Name                       : ACTIONTEC
NetProfile.NetworkCategory            : Public
NetProfile.IPv6Connectivity           : NoTraffic
NetProfile.IPv4Connectivity           : Internet
IPv6LinkLocalAddress                  : fe80::e92f:434c:9502:f9e9%3
IPv4Address                           : 192.168.0.48
IPv6DefaultGateway                    :
IPv4DefaultGateway                    : 192.168.0.1
NetIPv6Interface.NlMTU                : 1500
NetIPv4Interface.NlMTU                : 1500
NetIPv6Interface.DHCP                 : Enabled
NetIPv4Interface.DHCP                 : Enabled
DNSServer                             : 192.168.0.1
                                        205.171.3.65

ComputerName                          : DESKTOP-RJMCH59
InterfaceAlias                        : Bluetooth Network Connection
InterfaceIndex                        : 18
InterfaceDescription                  : Bluetooth Device (Personal Area
                                        Network)
NetCompartment.CompartmentId          : 1
NetCompartment.CompartmentDescription : Default Compartment
NetAdapter.LinkLayerAddress           : 0C-DD-24-D3-27-81
NetAdapter.Status                     : Disconnected



WARNING: Ping to 13.107.4.52 failed with status: TimedOut


ComputerName           : internetbeacon.msedge.net
RemoteAddress          : 13.107.4.52
InterfaceAlias         : Wi-Fi
SourceAddress          : 192.168.0.48
PingSucceeded          : False
PingReplyDetails (RTT) : 0 ms



Press any key to continue . . .

[Lil_Boy_Blue]

Hi

http://partsurfer.hp.com/search.aspx

Please delete the serial number.

829941-001 SPS-HP USB to Gigabit RJ45 Adapter L40752-005 SPS-WWAN PHUKET 7560 LTE-ADV w/GPS M.2

Things don't add up.

DNSServer                             : 192.168.0.1
                                        205.171.3.65

8.8.8.8     8.8.4.4  perhaps?

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/product/130293/intel-wi-fi-6-ax201

So who fitted the WLAN device?  

[DaveParker]

Hi Lil_Boy_Blue,

Thank you for your reponse.

The Intel AX201 WLAN device was fitted by HP.  It comes pre-installed in the Spectre x360 13t-aw100.

I don't know how to delete the serial number from my previous post.  But, I don't really mind if it is public knowledge because it might make it easier for anyone from HP who might read this post to track down information about my specific machine.

I think the DNS servers are okay.  My network consists of a DSL modem (ACTIONTEC M1000) connected to a wifi router (D-LINK DIR-655).  I believe that the ACTIONTEC modem is at 192.168.0.1 and is acting as a DHCP server for the other devices on my home network.

Another thought that occured to me:

Since I have Windows 10 Pro installed, while many other people might have Windows 10 Home, are there any Windows 10 Pro settings that might be throttling my connection speed?

[DaveParker]

Well, at least my HP Spectre and I are not alone.

Some people are reporting exactly the same problem that I'm having on my Spectre, except that it's on their Microsoft Surface machines that are using the same Intel AX201 wifi chip.

For example: i5 / AX201 SL3-13 WiFi slow all the time 

[DaveParker · Accepted solution]

Problem solved.

I changed the security on my wireless router from "WEP" to "WPA or WPA2" and now I am getting a full speed internet connection.

Apparently Windows 10 and/or the wireless device drivers will soon no longer support WEP wireless security at all: Windows 10 will soon refuse to connect to WEP networks