[SOLVED] WiFi reinstall problems ?

[emcee2]

Once upon a time… I had working wifi, not so much anymore.

Quick background, then on to the problem. I live in a small log cabin near(ish) to the Canadian border. Which is relevant because that means I have a satellite connection to the internet. For several years that meant a thin trickle of data supplied from HughesNet’s satellite system. Then came Starlink to the rescue, and I love it. I get soooooo much more for less money. I got in on the beta and have been happy ever since, until my original dish (aka Dishy McFlatface) quit dishing. After I sent off a quick message to Starlink they said my dish was bad and they would sent me a refurbished model 2 dish as a replacement. It took awhile to arrive, but once it did, all was fine, except for my PC. Both Macs, all of the phones and tablets in the house and the Android TV all came back to life right away. Not so much for the PC. I’ve now made it worse by following a couple YouTube “experts” (files were deleted that I wish had not been) and now I’m here with hat in hand…

The wifi is not working. At this point, I’ve attempted to reinstall drivers but they do not show up. The device Manager does not list any WIFI devices, even after “Show hidden devices” and “Scan for hardware changes”. There is no WIFI under “Network Connections.” A ping to “ping 127.1.1.1” returns as excepted.

I’m still new to PCs and am clearly in over my head. I tried a reinstall of Win 10 today (with the keep data and apps setting) but no joy.

Looking for any help I can find.

System info below.
Thanks,

 

[helpstar]

Which wifi adapter are you using?
Is it USB or directly on the motherboard?

 

[emcee2]

WIFI directly on the motherboard.

 

[bill001g]

When it does not even appear in the device manager espeically after you reinstalled windows it tends to mean the device is failed but since you think you did it by changing setting maybe not.

I would first check if there are any bios options that might have disabled the wifi.

After that I would try a USB linux boot image. These run from the USB without changing your window install. They generally have drivers for the more common wifi chips. If linux sees it then you know it is some stupid setting in windows, if not then it is becoming more likely you had some hardware issue.

 

[emcee2]

Thanks. Could you point me toward a suitable (and simple) USB linux boot image? I know nothing about Linux (and very little about Windows).

 

[letmepicyou]

Thanks. Could you point me toward a suitable (and simple) USB linux boot image? I know nothing about Linux (and very little about Windows).

https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/create-a-usb-stick-on-ubuntu#1-overview

Sorry, that one is for if you're already running Ubuntu.

You want this instead:

https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/create-a-usb-stick-on-windows#1-overview

 

[randyh121]

Just get a USB Wifi dongle. Plug it it, boom you will have a working wifi adapter.
Amazon.com: TP-Link AC1300 USB WiFi Adapter(Archer T3U)- 2.4G/5G Dual Band Wireless Network Adapter for PC Desktop, MU-MIMO WiFi Dongle, USB 3.0, Supports Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, XP/Mac OS X 10.9-10.14 : Industrial & Scientific
I guarantee this will work for you. Worked at a computer shop for many years and when customers wifi stopped working we just plug those in and it works again using that as the wifi dongle
Thank me later

 

[letmepicyou]

Just get a USB Wifi dongle. Plug it it, boom you will have a working wifi adapter.
Amazon.com: TP-Link AC1300 USB WiFi Adapter(Archer T3U)- 2.4G/5G Dual Band Wireless Network Adapter for PC Desktop, MU-MIMO WiFi Dongle, USB 3.0, Supports Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, XP/Mac OS X 10.9-10.14 : Industrial & Scientific
I guarantee this will work for you. Worked at a computer shop for many years and when customers wifi stopped working we just plug those in and it works again using that as the wifi dongle
Thank me later

Or they could always abandon wifi altogether and run a CAT 6 cable from the router. Wired is the wtg, honestly.

 

[emcee2]

Or they could always abandon wifi altogether and run a CAT 6 cable from the router. Wired is the wtg, honestly.

Nope. Starlink V2 dish/router is wifi only.

 

[emcee2]

Just get a USB Wifi dongle. Plug it it, boom you will have a working wifi adapter.
Amazon.com: TP-Link AC1300 USB WiFi Adapter(Archer T3U)- 2.4G/5G Dual Band Wireless Network Adapter for PC Desktop, MU-MIMO WiFi Dongle, USB 3.0, Supports Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, XP/Mac OS X 10.9-10.14 : Industrial & Scientific
I guarantee this will work for you. Worked at a computer shop for many years and when customers wifi stopped working we just plug those in and it works again using that as the wifi dongle
Thank me later

This is plan B. But I do not think It is broken, just needs OS adjusting.

 

[emcee2]

https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/create-a-usb-stick-on-ubuntu#1-overview

Sorry, that one is for if you're already running Ubuntu.

You want this instead:

https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/create-a-usb-stick-on-windows#1-overview

Just found your second note. I was starting the tut from the first link and ran into the part where Ubuntu needed to be running. I'll try the second link and let you know what happens. I have thought about trying a Linux install in the past (to run Blender) but did not feel comfortable experimenting with it, this may be my chance to see how it works for me.

 

[letmepicyou]

Just found your second note. I was starting the tut from the first link and ran into the part where Ubuntu needed to be running. I'll try the second link and let you know what happens. I have thought about trying a Linux install in the past (to run Blender) but did not feel comfortable experimenting with it, this may be my chance to see how it works for me.

If I wasn't a gamer, I would use Linux exclusively.

 

[letmepicyou]

Nope. Starlink V2 dish/router is wifi only.

Really? Ewww.

 

[emcee2]

The 2nd link wanted windows to download some files so that was a no go. However, that page had a link to get Ubuntu set up from MacOS. I've now plugged the USB into my PC and its booting into Linus as I type. Ouch. Color's are out of wack!!!! But on to looking for wifi, I'll deal with colors later...

Firefox can not find an internet connection.

I've stumbled around and found "settings" and Network. No sign of WiFi. Clicking on the Bluetooth tab. Says "No Bluetooth Found". My Windows network problem was with both Bluetooth and Wifi, so this does not bode well.

I found Utilities>Advanced Network Configuration but don't know how to set it up.

Should it be able to find my local network on its own?

I figured how to set the monitor's color and resolution, much easier to look at now. But I can't set my 2 display's at different scales. My front monitor is 4k and needs to be set at 200% or else all of the type is too small. My side monitor is 2k and needs to be at 100% but when I change one, it changes the other. This would be a deal killer for graphics work. I just don't know how to set it correctly.

Back to the problem at hand, Wifi.... Still no joy.

Is there a device manager that can tell me if Ubuntu sees the wifi hardware?

Thanks,

 

[emcee2]

Really? Ewww.

I was surprised when the V2 unit showed up with no ethernet port. And the cable that connects to the dish was shorter, so I had to move my dish into a less optimal location. However, even with all of that, it is sooooooo much better then HughesNet was that its a joke. No idea how HughesNet is still in business.

 

[emcee2]

If I wasn't a gamer, I would use Linux exclusively.

Now that I've got a Linux install disk plugged into my PC, it seams silly not to give it a go. 🆒 Once I came connect to the internet from that machine, I'll install it and grab some open source tools like Blender and see if its a good fit. To be truthful, most of what I do these days is Blender (still learning). Being able to boot into both OSes might be the ticket. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Can't do much until the PC is back on line.

 

[letmepicyou]

Back to the problem at hand, Wifi.... Still no joy.

Is there a device manager that can tell me if Ubuntu sees the wifi hardware?

Thanks,

Open a terminal (as in "command prompt" in windows) by right clicking anywhere on the desktop and choosing "Open In Terminal"
That'll bring up a command line terminal box
type in lsusb and lspci

In linux, ls is short for list.
So that'll tell Linux to list your usb devices and list your pci devices.

 

[emcee2]

I don't see any wifi or Bluetooth. They are built into the motherboard and not PCI cards per say. (Holding out hope) Should they still show up on one of these lists?

ubuntu@ubuntu:~/Desktop$ lsusb
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 004 Device 002: ID 0bc2:2344 Seagate RSS LLC Portable
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 003 Device 003: ID 05e3:0608 Genesys Logic, Inc. Hub
Bus 003 Device 002: ID 1462:7c84 Micro Star International MYSTIC LIGHT
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 003: ID 05e3:0626 Genesys Logic, Inc. USB3.1 Hub
Bus 002 Device 004: ID 0bda:0411 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. Hub
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 0bda:0411 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. Hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 010: ID 090c:1000 Silicon Motion, Inc. - Taiwan (formerly Feiya Technology Corp.) Flash Drive
Bus 001 Device 007: ID 0bda:2171 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. BillBoard Device
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 05e3:0610 Genesys Logic, Inc. Hub
Bus 001 Device 013: ID 258a:003a SINO WEALTH Gaming KB
Bus 001 Device 008: ID 0b33:0030 Contour Design, Inc. ShuttlePro v2
Bus 001 Device 014: ID 258a:1007 SINOWEALTH Game Mouse
Bus 001 Device 009: ID 256c:006d 
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 0bda:5411 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTS5411 Hub
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 0bda:5411 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTS5411 Hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
ubuntu@ubuntu:~/Desktop$ lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse Root Complex
00:00.2 IOMMU: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse IOMMU
00:01.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Host Bridge
00:01.1 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse GPP Bridge
00:01.2 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse GPP Bridge
00:02.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Host Bridge
00:03.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Host Bridge
00:03.1 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse GPP Bridge
00:04.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Host Bridge
00:05.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Host Bridge
00:07.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Host Bridge
00:07.1 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse Internal PCIe GPP Bridge 0 to bus[E:B]
00:08.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Host Bridge
00:08.1 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse Internal PCIe GPP Bridge 0 to bus[E:B]
00:14.0 SMBus: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH SMBus Controller (rev 61)
00:14.3 ISA bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH LPC Bridge (rev 51)
00:18.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse/Vermeer Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 0
00:18.1 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse/Vermeer Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 1
00:18.2 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse/Vermeer Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 2
00:18.3 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse/Vermeer Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 3
00:18.4 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse/Vermeer Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 4
00:18.5 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse/Vermeer Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 5
00:18.6 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse/Vermeer Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 6
00:18.7 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse/Vermeer Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 7
01:00.0 Non-Volatile memory controller: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd NVMe SSD Controller 980
20:00.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse Switch Upstream
21:01.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse PCIe GPP Bridge
21:04.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse PCIe GPP Bridge
21:08.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse PCIe GPP Bridge
21:09.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse PCIe GPP Bridge
21:0a.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse PCIe GPP Bridge
23:00.0 Non-Volatile memory controller: Sandisk Corp WD Blue SN550 NVMe SSD (rev 01)
26:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8125 2.5GbE Controller (rev 04)
2a:00.0 Non-Essential Instrumentation [1300]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse Reserved SPP
2a:00.1 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse USB 3.0 Host Controller
2a:00.3 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse USB 3.0 Host Controller
2b:00.0 SATA controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH SATA Controller [AHCI mode] (rev 51)
2c:00.0 SATA controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH SATA Controller [AHCI mode] (rev 51)
2d:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GA102 [GeForce RTX 3080 12GB] (rev a1)
2d:00.1 Audio device: NVIDIA Corporation GA102 High Definition Audio Controller (rev a1)
2e:00.0 Non-Essential Instrumentation [1300]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Function
2f:00.0 Non-Essential Instrumentation [1300]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse Reserved SPP
2f:00.1 Encryption controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse Cryptographic Coprocessor PSPCPP
2f:00.3 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse USB 3.0 Host Controller
2f:00.4 Audio device: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse HD Audio Controller

 

[letmepicyou]

I don't see any wifi or Bluetooth. They are built into the motherboard and not PCI cards per say. (Holding out hope) Should they still show up on one of these lists?

ubuntu@ubuntu:~/Desktop$ lsusb
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 004 Device 002: ID 0bc2:2344 Seagate RSS LLC Portable
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 003 Device 003: ID 05e3:0608 Genesys Logic, Inc. Hub
Bus 003 Device 002: ID 1462:7c84 Micro Star International MYSTIC LIGHT
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 003: ID 05e3:0626 Genesys Logic, Inc. USB3.1 Hub
Bus 002 Device 004: ID 0bda:0411 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. Hub
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 0bda:0411 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. Hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 010: ID 090c:1000 Silicon Motion, Inc. - Taiwan (formerly Feiya Technology Corp.) Flash Drive
Bus 001 Device 007: ID 0bda:2171 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. BillBoard Device
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 05e3:0610 Genesys Logic, Inc. Hub
Bus 001 Device 013: ID 258a:003a SINO WEALTH Gaming KB
Bus 001 Device 008: ID 0b33:0030 Contour Design, Inc. ShuttlePro v2
Bus 001 Device 014: ID 258a:1007 SINOWEALTH Game Mouse
Bus 001 Device 009: ID 256c:006d
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 0bda:5411 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTS5411 Hub
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 0bda:5411 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTS5411 Hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
ubuntu@ubuntu:~/Desktop$ lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse Root Complex
00:00.2 IOMMU: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse IOMMU
00:01.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Host Bridge
00:01.1 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse GPP Bridge
00:01.2 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse GPP Bridge
00:02.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Host Bridge
00:03.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Host Bridge
00:03.1 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse GPP Bridge
00:04.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Host Bridge
00:05.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Host Bridge
00:07.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Host Bridge
00:07.1 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse Internal PCIe GPP Bridge 0 to bus[E:B]
00:08.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Host Bridge
00:08.1 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse Internal PCIe GPP Bridge 0 to bus[E:B]
00:14.0 SMBus: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH SMBus Controller (rev 61)
00:14.3 ISA bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH LPC Bridge (rev 51)
00:18.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse/Vermeer Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 0
00:18.1 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse/Vermeer Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 1
00:18.2 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse/Vermeer Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 2
00:18.3 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse/Vermeer Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 3
00:18.4 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse/Vermeer Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 4
00:18.5 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse/Vermeer Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 5
00:18.6 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse/Vermeer Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 6
00:18.7 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse/Vermeer Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 7
01:00.0 Non-Volatile memory controller: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd NVMe SSD Controller 980
20:00.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse Switch Upstream
21:01.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse PCIe GPP Bridge
21:04.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse PCIe GPP Bridge
21:08.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse PCIe GPP Bridge
21:09.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse PCIe GPP Bridge
21:0a.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse PCIe GPP Bridge
23:00.0 Non-Volatile memory controller: Sandisk Corp WD Blue SN550 NVMe SSD (rev 01)
26:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8125 2.5GbE Controller (rev 04)
2a:00.0 Non-Essential Instrumentation [1300]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse Reserved SPP
2a:00.1 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse USB 3.0 Host Controller
2a:00.3 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse USB 3.0 Host Controller
2b:00.0 SATA controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH SATA Controller [AHCI mode] (rev 51)
2c:00.0 SATA controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH SATA Controller [AHCI mode] (rev 51)
2d:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GA102 [GeForce RTX 3080 12GB] (rev a1)
2d:00.1 Audio device: NVIDIA Corporation GA102 High Definition Audio Controller (rev a1)
2e:00.0 Non-Essential Instrumentation [1300]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Function
2f:00.0 Non-Essential Instrumentation [1300]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse Reserved SPP
2f:00.1 Encryption controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse Cryptographic Coprocessor PSPCPP
2f:00.3 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse USB 3.0 Host Controller
2f:00.4 Audio device: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse HD Audio Controller

Yeah, they should show up. Mine certainly do. Think you got a failed part.

 

[emcee2]

Looks like it is time to throw some money at the problem (I hate this part).

I'm looking at these as replacements for Wifi and Bluetooth... I'm open to suggestions. (The computer share a desk with the router, so antennas are probably not too important). Any thoughts?

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Nano-Archer-T3U-Wireless-dp-B09KTDXPY3/dp/B09KTDXPY3

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Bluetooth-Receiver-UB500-Controllers/dp/B09DMP6T22

 

[letmepicyou]

Looks like it is time to throw some money at the problem (I hate this part).

I'm looking at these as replacements for Wifi and Bluetooth... I'm open to suggestions. (The computer share a desk with the router, so antennas are probably not too important). Any thoughts?

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Nano-Archer-T3U-Wireless-dp-B09KTDXPY3/dp/B09KTDXPY3

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Bluetooth-Receiver-UB500-Controllers/dp/B09DMP6T22

Or you could go with the TP-LINK AC1200; it's a PCI card that has both wireless and bluetooth in one unit for $40.

 

[bill001g]

Those are pretty much your worst options....well I guess you could have linked the unknown brands from china that sell for $5.

Those devices are sold to be used where the small portable size and low battery consumption are more important than performance. They have tiny antenna and tend to have low power transmitters.

Best is going to be a PCI card that has antenna extension that let you place the antenna on top of the case. Next would be a pci card even with the antenna close to the case are still large antenna. PCIE cards almost always transmit at full power.

For USB it is a bit harder since a lot of them are still designed for portable use where saving power is important. The ones that tend to be your best bet are unit that come with a USB extension cable and the ability to mount the unit away from the machine. They tend to be physically larger but still small compared to say the antennas you see on a pcie card.

 

[letmepicyou]

Looks like it is time to throw some money at the problem (I hate this part).

I'm looking at these as replacements for Wifi and Bluetooth... I'm open to suggestions. (The computer share a desk with the router, so antennas are probably not too important). Any thoughts?

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Nano-Archer-T3U-Wireless-dp-B09KTDXPY3/dp/B09KTDXPY3

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Bluetooth-Receiver-UB500-Controllers/dp/B09DMP6T22

I did note that Newegg has the Wavelink AX3000 on sale for $38, which has uber-fast WiFI and Bluetooth both.

 

[bill001g]

I did note that Newegg has the Wavelink AX3000 on sale for $38, which has uber-fast WiFI and Bluetooth both.

That is not a bad price for a wifi6 device. What is very strange is on their web site they say wifi6e but when you read the specs it only runs on 2.4 and 5 which means it can't be wifi6e. Not sure if they are just idiots or are intentionally trying to be deceptive

 

[letmepicyou]

That is not a bad price for a wifi6 device. What is very strange is on their web site they say wifi6e but when you read the specs it only runs on 2.4 and 5 which means it can't be wifi6e. Not sure if they are just idiots or are intentionally trying to be deceptive

You know how marketing is. If they can get away with it, they will. If you've never been to one of those "car stereo and electronics shows" at a convention center or fairground, you've seen those "under dash graphic equalizers" with "1000 WATTS!!!!" right on the box, for $20, you think, gee, why did I just pay $800 for my 500 watt SoundStream when I could have got this for $20??? People in marketing get away with some SERIOUS BS. Don't matter if it's in computer stuff or any other market.