Question Wifi Adapter (Netgear Nighthawk A8000) disconnects periodically and won't reconnect without a reset

[dragonborn123]

The Problem: A8000 in my Windows 10 desktop occasionally disconnects (and by disconnect I mean it turns off, no blue light) and it won't reconnect/turn on unless I reset the adapter (via switch usb ports, enable/disable, or run the troubleshooter). None of my other devices have issues with the WiFi. Gigabit internet, USB 3.0 port.

What I've Tried: I've disabled the power saving options on all my USB ports and on the adapter itself. I've disabled USB selective suspend. I've uninstalled and reinstalled the adapter. I've switched USB ports, I've disabled all other WiFi adapters.

The A8000 has been great when it works, but it's so unreliable. Any ideas?

 

[Ralston18]

This wireless network adapter?

https://www.netgear.com/support/product/a8000/

Are you using the extension cable and cradle?

= = = =

Download the applicable adapter drivers directly from Netgear's website.

Manually install and reconfigure for your network.

https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/A8000/A8000_QSG_EN.pdf

No third party tools or installers.

 

[Lutfij]

unless I reset the adapter (via switch usb ports, enable/disable, or run the troubleshooter). None of my other devices have issues with the WiFi. Gigabit internet, USB 3.0 port.
Try using the adapter without an USB hub and make sure you've reinstalled your chipset driver with the latest version in an elevated command, i.e, Right click installer>Run as Administrator.

One other thing you can look at is if your motherboard is pending any BIOS updates. Speaking of, what is the make and model of your motherboard? Try and use an older driver version and see if you regain stability. I gave up on Netgear networking adapters since they were buggy and all over the place for some of the stuff I've used off their portfolio.

 

[dragonborn123]

This wireless network adapter?

https://www.netgear.com/support/product/a8000/

Are you using the extension cable and cradle?

= = = =

Download the applicable adapter drivers directly from Netgear's website.

Manually install and reconfigure for your network.

https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/A8000/A8000_QSG_EN.pdf

No third party tools or installers.

That's the correct product and I'm using the extension cable and cradle. I did download the latest driver from the website directly and installed it manually.

 

[dragonborn123]

unless I reset the adapter (via switch usb ports, enable/disable, or run the troubleshooter). None of my other devices have issues with the WiFi. Gigabit internet, USB 3.0 port.
Try using the adapter without an USB hub and make sure you've reinstalled your chipset driver with the latest version in an elevated command, i.e, Right click installer>Run as Administrator.

One other thing you can look at is if your motherboard is pending any BIOS updates. Speaking of, what is the make and model of your motherboard? Try and use an older driver version and see if you regain stability. I gave up on Netgear networking adapters since they were buggy and all over the place for some of the stuff I've used off their portfolio.

That's a good suggestion, I don't think I've tried reinstalling with elevated permissions. I'll give that a go.

Motherboard is a Gigabyte 990FXA-UD3 (really old, believe it was purchased in 2012, I haven't gotten around to upgrading everything in the machine just yet). I can look into BIOS updates, but I don't think I'm behind and my mobo is likely way beyond end-of-life support.

I have heard Netgear can be buggy, so I was pretty hesitant to try this one, but I also read that they were some of the fastest and most reliable if you're one of the lucky few who don't encounter issues. Unfortunately, I wasn't one of the lucky ones.

 

[lantis3]

Found that the adapter is based on Mediatek MT7921

See if generic MT7921 driver works.
https://drivers.softpedia.com/downloadTag/MediaTek MT7921 Wireless LAN Card Driver

 

[dragonborn123]

Found that the adapter is based on Mediatek MT7921

See if generic MT7921 driver works.
https://drivers.softpedia.com/downloadTag/MediaTek MT7921 Wireless LAN Card Driver

Wow, how did you go about finding out something like this? I've been diving into this problem for almost a week and this is the first I've seen this. I'll definitely give it a try though, thanks so much for the suggestion.

 

[lantis3]

Used Google search https://www.google.com/search?q=netgear+A8000+usb+chipset

First search result

Netgear A8000 Reiew: A Solid Wi-Fi 6E Upgrade | Dong Knows Tech

Looking for a quick way to upgrade your Windows computer to Wi-Fi 6 or 6E? This Netgear A8000 AX3000 USB adapter is worth its hefty $100 price tag.

dongknows.com

and someone mentioned mt7921