"Connect to a more preferred network if available" Not Working

[Twisted4000]

So I have a couple of problems... just recently we switched out our internet from CenturyLink to XFinity. Ever since, I've been having some bizarre problems: first off, once every couple of hours or so, my Wi-Fi will randomly disconnect from my our 5G network. But even then, I will see the network available in my connections. When I attempt to connect to it, I get an error, and when I troubleshoot it, Windows tells me "Cannot connect to the hidden network". After a few minutes, I'll try again, and it will work just fine for the next hour or so.

My temporary workaround for this was to have my WiFi card automatically also connect to our 2.4G network, and with that one, I have "Connect to more preferred network if available" turned on. Of course, I have this network below the 5G network in priority.

So here's what happens now. When the 5G network mysteriously disconnects from my computer, like as I intended to, the computer will connect to the 2.4G as sort of a quick-fix. But, once the 5G network is working and available again, my computer won't connect to it and just remain on the 2.4G, until I manually connect.

Any ideas? Am I doing something wrong?

I tried:
Resetting the computer
Resetting the WiFi card
Re-installing the WiFi card's driver
Resetting the router (multiple times)

But nothing. My brother has a USB WiFi and he hasn't had an issue like this. Thanks.

Specs:

OS - Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
Motherboard - Asus Maximus VI Hero
Processor - Intel i7 4771 @ 3.5GHz
Memory - 32GB DDR3 @ 1600MHz
Video - NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690
Storage - 1x OCZ 128GB SSD (OS Installed)
1x WD SATA 500GB SSD
2x Seagate SATA 1TB HDD @ 7,200rpm
Power Supply - Corsair CX Series CX750M 750w
Realtek 8812AE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC

 

[don256us]

Couple of clarification questions:

Do you really need the speed of the 5GHz connection? 5GHz is a lot more susceptible to interference and has a shorter range than the 2.4 GHz. 2.4GHz has plenty of speed for gaming and streaming and does really well for anything less demanding.

Did anything else change? Is your wireless in a new location from the old setup? Are there more walls/floors in the line of sight path? What equipment did you switch from and too?

Do you only disconnect when you are at the fringe of the 5 GHz range?

 

[Twisted4000]

I got this new WiFi card (my old one was 2.4G only) a few days after we got our new modem. I'm about 25 feet away from it, on the same floor. I don't necessarily "need" the 5G speed as the 2.4G is adequate enough, but it would be nice to make the most out of the internet I have. Uploading a 1GB video in less than 15 minutes without interfering with anyone else's connection is a huge plus.

After even resetting the router through the XFinity website, at this point I'm convinced I got a defective WiFi card. Its behavior with the 5G network is so bizarre and unpredictable, but most of the time it simply does not connect to the network and returns some error, although it can see it. I'm returning it and bought a new one from a different brand. I will update how it behaves once I have it installed.

 

[don256us]

Why not use a 25' ethernet patch cable? Gigabit speed! Faster than 5 GHz wireless and less lag.

 

[Twisted4000]

Why not use a 25' ethernet patch cable? Gigabit speed! Faster than 5 GHz wireless and less lag.

That's certainly a faster option than WiFi, but due to my current situation, my family members don't want a wire running across the floor. All I want is to be able to get this WiFi card to be functioning properly first.

 

[trents]

5G has undergone some revisions and improvements since first released. Do you know if both your router and your wifi card support "beam forming" which came out subsequent to the initial release of the 5g standard? If both devices are 5g "AC" then you are using beam forming technology.

What is the make and model of your wifi card and what is the model number of your xfinity router?

Also, you say you are 25' from the router. But how many walls are between you and the router? In addition to a shorter range than 2.4G, 5G also doesn't penetrate structural barriers as well.

By the way, a good USB Wifi adapter is a smart way to go. There is no particular disadvantage to USB compared to a PCI-e wifi card and they are usually less expensive.

 

[Twisted4000]

5G has undergone some revisions and improvements since first released. Do you know if both your router and your wifi card support "beam forming" which came out subsequent to the initial release of the 5g standard. If both devices are 5g "AC" then you are using beam forming technology.

What is the make and model of your wifi card and what is the model number of your xfinity router?

Also, you say you are 25' from the router. But how many walls are between you and the router? In addition to a shorter range than 2.4G, 5G also doesn't penetrate structural barriers as well.

I should have mentioned this, but a few days ago I just returned my old wi-fi card and got a new one. Currently I haven't had any issues with it, which leads me to believe that either the old hardware I had was flawed, or at least the driver I had for it was (it was some cheap off-brand company and they didn't make it very clear where to get the driver; I ended up getting one based on its Hardware ID).

There are quite a few walls in the way of the router and my wi-fi card, maybe about 4? There's a closet and a bathroom next to each other in between my room and where the router is. I usually get about a 4 bar connection, but my internet has been okay. The card's model is an EDUP Intel 9260ac 1200Mbps.

Do you know of any after-market antennas I could possibly attach to this card that might help its connection? I used to have some TP-Link extra large antennas I used, but they only worked with 2.4G.

 

[trents]

https://www.amazon.com/Antenna-Omni...n+5h+wifi+antenna&qid=1572908436&sr=8-2-fkmr1

https://www.amazon.com/Eightwood-An...n+5h+wifi+antenna&qid=1572908638&sr=8-1-fkmr4

Can't guarantee either of these will help much. Physical barriers are probably the most significant issue in this case scenario.

Four bars isn't bad as long as your connection is reliable. Use Speedtest by ookla to measure download/upload transfer speed using 5g vs. 2.4g and go with whichever gives the highest numbers.

 

[Twisted4000]

https://www.amazon.com/Antenna-Omni...n+5h+wifi+antenna&qid=1572908436&sr=8-2-fkmr1

https://www.amazon.com/Eightwood-An...n+5h+wifi+antenna&qid=1572908638&sr=8-1-fkmr4

Can't guarantee either of these will help much. Physical barriers are probably the most significant issue in this case scenario.

Four bars isn't bad as long as your connection is reliable. Use Speedtest by ookla to measure download/upload transfer speed using 5g vs. 2.4g and go with whichever gives the highest numbers.

I finally got a couple of those antennas, but there hasn't been an improvement in speed test as far as I can see.

 

[don256us]

What speeds are you getting? 4 bars is really good so I'd guess that you have a bottle neck elsewhere.

 

[Twisted4000]

What speeds are you getting? 4 bars is really good so I'd guess that you have a bottle neck elsewhere.

I still get 3-4 bars normally. The internet speed is not an issue most of the time. When I run the internet speed test, I get 29.5 Mbps download, 5.72 Mbps upload. My brother on the other hand is in the room next to me with a USB WiFi adapter and he gets over 80 Mbps when he runs the speed tests. Granted, there's a few less walls in the way to his room, but I find that extremely polarizing.

 

[don256us]

I still get 3-4 bars normally. The internet speed is not an issue most of the time. When I run the internet speed test, I get 29.5 Mbps download, 5.72 Mbps upload. My brother on the other hand is in the room next to me with a USB WiFi adapter and he gets over 80 Mbps when he runs the speed tests. Granted, there's a few less walls in the way to his room, but I find that extremely polarizing.

What are your walls made of? Block, concrete, steel studs/drywall? Use an app on your phone to see what other wireless may be overlapping from neighbors too.

 

[trents]

Walls can really make a difference. Ask your brother if you can borrow his USB Wifi adapter just to test the transfer speed where your machine is.