x370 taichi WiFi issue

wardog,

My son shamed me into testing more Wi-Fi alternatives here is the latest:

Moved the Taichi system to my work bench right under the Hawking Access Point - ~35' from TP-Link 1200 Router.

The system detected the Hawking and only the Hawking! The 5GHz band connection went away.

Tried to connect to the 2.4GHz band and Windows went through all the motions and then said it could not connect!

Moved the system back to the table next to the TP-Link 1200.

The system detected the 2.4GHz and 5Ghz bands.

Connected OK again to the 5GHz band.

"Forgot" the 5GHz band and tried to connect to the 2.4GHz band.

Windows went through all the motions and then said it could not connect!!

Based on the comments made on Amazon by someone who had the Intel 3160 Wi-Fi Adapter in his Laptop it looks like he was right saying the Adapter is very weak.

A little more information - by some unknown magic I turned on the system and there was a very weak 2.4GHz connection! The icon showing signal strength was minimal - one or two bars. I shut the system down and turned the case around so that Wi-Fi Antenna(s) is facing toward the Wi-Fi Router and now the signal strength jumps between 2 bars and full strength. I don't know if the variation has something to do with the Router Radio or the Wi-Fi Adapter on the M/B. The distance between the Router and the Intel Wi-Fi Antenna(s) is not more that 10 feet. I cleared the Windows Log files so that I could see exactly what errors were being generated when I booted and connected to the 2.4GHz band. No errors were generated! So...it appears the Wi-Fi Adapter on "MY" Taichi M/B works but has severe limitations.

I changed the positioning of the Antenna(s) on the Taichi case so they are pointing out away from the case at a 45 degree angle. Now it gets full strength all the time as long as the Antenna(s) are facing the Router. Turned the case around and the signal was back to 1 or 2 bars!      

Edited by Ken429 - 13 Jul 2017 at 5:43pm

I guess you guys gave up on my Taichi Wi-Fi issue.

However, wardog you were correct! I bought a TP-Link C1200 Router and magic occurred. The Taichi is connected to the TP-Link Wi-Fi Router at 5 GHz and works as advertised! Sure would like to understand why all my other devices worked on the "very old" SMC Router and the X370 Taichi went nuts trying to connect. It looks like whatever the Taichi wants is not available on any of the other Routers in the neighborhood including the Hawking Access Point in my Den since it only sees the TP-Link Router?!

One other benefit I got from the new Router is the range of the 2.4 GHz band. The other Wi-Fi devices show the TP-Link signal at full strength through out the house where as the SMC signal strength was weak. The Router and Taichi computer are located in the basement and all the other devices are used upstairs. At this point if I did not want to connect to the an Ethernet network I would not need the Hawking Access Point device - but I still prefer a hardwired Ethernet connection where ever possible. The Hawking does a nice job of that.



Edited by Ken429 - 10 Jul 2017 at 6:17pm

Reinvented,

Like I have said several times above, everything else I use or that other people use that visit their wireless devices work with no issues on the network. Most of them connect to the Hawking Access Point but I have used the SMC for various Laptops and a Cannon MX870 Printer that is connected all the time.

The Hawking Access Point is relatively new so it should have all the unknow magic you refer to.

So I have one system the Taichi that will not connect to the SMC Router and it does NOT see any other networks in my house (Hawking) or any of my neighbors Routers.

I have two Amazon Kindle Fire Tablets, a Samsung Smart Phone, a brand new Netgear AC1200 USB3.0 Adapter and various IPhones, IPads and IPods that all work on the existing network and all see the various Routers available in the neighborhood!

But...maybe you're right and the Taichi needs some magic that is contained in some yet unnamed Router to make it come to life and see the Wireless world around it. Like I said above, I tend to run all the computers in my home network on Gigabit Ethernet so even though the Taichi is causing me heartburn when trying to use the onboard wireless chip it is happy running on the Ethernet configuration. Even if it is possibly a M/B defect I'll probably not replace it unless I get the urge for pain on some rainy day!

Ken429 wrote: Maybe some rainy day I'll go buy a $300 Router and see if the Taichi M/B radio will act like all the other devices that work on the current WiFi hardware.

That makes sense ........... NOT

Hold yer horses back some and know knowing the models you have give me some time to look into them, 'k?

Ken429 wrote: I downloaded and installed the Wan driver from the X370 Taichi Web Site and then let Windows Update to the latest driver which is: Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168 #2 Driver Intel 3/28/17 19.51.0.4.

That's what I did day one - my first post on this thread. It's good to know that the Wi-Fi built into the TaiChi M/B works for someone. I am almost beginning to think I have a defective M/B. Since every other device I or a visitor has used in this house shows a bunch of Routers in the neighborhood. The Taichi only shows the SMC Router!

What Brand and Model of Router are you using?