ac 3160 wireless adapter problems

[RPA-in-StC]

I just clicked the buttons to give you the kudos you deserve, bxcrwlly. I never would have kept searching the Intel site without your pointers. Thanks again.

To any Intel or HP technicians who are reading this exchange:

Please do a better job of keeping your update utilities current. I spent a couple of days troubleshooting the 3160 in my new computer -- and the new Linksys ac1200 that I bought after the computer because (presumably) my old Linksys wireless router was using such an early version of 802.11 draft n that the 1360 could hardly talk to it. Were the intermittant drops in internet connection caused by the Intel ac card? Or by the Linksys ac hotspot? Or by some combination of the two?

The obvious first steps in troubleshooting using the driver update checks in the HP Support Assistant and the Intel Driver Update Utility claimed the drivers were current. When the obvious fails, end-users like me who have no technical training wind up doing a brute-force trial-and-error fiddling around with every combination of settings (on two different devices in my case) that we can think of. Time passes. Frustration mounts. Good will toward the likes of HP, Intel, and Cisco plummets.

If the update utilities had worked, a whole lot of people like bxcrwlly and me would be happier with life. There would be less vitriol in the online forums about the supposedly crappy engineering and quality control in the HP, Intel, and Linksys products. End-users could go back to their real business in life instead of squandering time and energy playing IT technician. And the real technicians wouldn't have to read scolding notes like this one.

I join bxcrwlly in a fervent knocking on wood that the (needlessly arduous) driver update really is the fix to whatever was ailing our ac 3160s. And I'll add a few more knocks in hopes that Intel and HP will allocate the resources needed to make their help utilities more effectively  helpful.

[Jodyar]

I have had troubles with my Intel Dual band wireless AC3160 in my HP ENVY 15 after the November windows 10 1511 update. While I had the driver mentioned above and all ran smoothly prior to the update. Afterward the adapter would spontaneously disable with an error that no drivers were installed. I went to the intel site, found a slightly newer driver but this failed to obviate the problem. Only restarting the computer would reload the drivers. When that even occurs all plug-and-play capability disappears so even trying to bridge a work session by tethering my iPhone will not help as no drivers load and PnP capability seems lost. Please help!!!!

[Huckleberry2]

bxcrwlly,  your solution solved my issues. I did just as you suggested and got the driver from intel directly. Worked like a champ.  Why HP doesn't update their driver tool, who knows?  Thank you for solving my issue. Cheers!

[Huckleberry2]

Sorry, I appreciate the help, but your solutions did not work. I found the answer from bxcrwlly who said to install the latest drivers , not the old drivers on the HP site, because HP does not have the latest drivers.  His solution fixed this. Thanks!

[Jodyar]

I was not offering a solution but asking for help

[Huckleberry2]

Sorry Jodyar, maybe I replyed to the wrong person? I think your issue may be different and I'll let someone else that is more qualified answer you. Your issue may be be a Windows 10 issue and I've been too chicken to upgrade yet. Good luck to you!