Intermittent dropouts Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205

[chris.brunt]

We are having big problems just with this particular adapter in our environment. We are getting intermittent dropouts. The connection will freeze and stop responding to the point where you have to do a windows repair or restart the adapter to get it working again. You can be connected for a whole day with no issues or it could happen at random eg after 20 mins of being connected. Other devices in close proximity e.g. an intel 5100 and 5300 agn are working perfectly.

You get no indication that the connection has dropped and the adapter in the systray looks as if it is still transmitting packets but not recieving any. Cisco WCS troubleshoot indicates no problems. Events in the debug stop and dont start again until you do a repair on the machine.

Intel and Lenovo support have been really unhelpful (they basically don't want to know, apalling service), so now i am turning to Cisco just in case its a configuration issue, which i don't believe it is as we have no reported issues at all with other clients.

On the machine sides we have:

Lenovo x220 Tablet with Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 mini pci-e adapter.

Also happening with Fujitsu T730 tablets also with with Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 mini pci-e adapters

We have tried all intel driver versions from the latest 14.2.0.10 down to the OEM versions supplied.

they are running Windows XP SP3. We have also tried it with Windows 7 and get similar issues.

We are using Windows Wireless Zero Configuration, WPA2-AES with PEAP and machine (computer) authentication against Cisco ACS v5.2 talking to AD.

On the Wireless infrastructure side we have:

Cisco 1142N (-E-K9) APs connected to 3750G w/poe stacks

The controller is a 3750G-24-WS-50 model running version 7.0.116.0

managed by WCS.

The wireless has 20mhz channels on 1,6,11 on the 2.4ghz side (N is disabled) but we do have N enabled with 40mhz channels on the 5ghz with all UK country channels.

The machines connect at up to 300mb/s and signal quality is excellent. AP density is quite high in the room. DCA, TPC and Tx power control are enabled and set to automatic.

Can't think of more detail to include but I would appreciate any ideas anyone may have.

[chris.brunt]

Just to confirm our clients are now working with the workaround suggested by pcroak. When are Intel due to bring out the 15.1 driver version?

[naburleson]

Intel just released the 15.1 drivers, just updated my machine, will let you know if it fixes the issue. Thanks.

[naburleson]

Same issue at my company as well.  Hopefully this will be resolved soon.

[Chuck Dillon]

Would this problem described above also affect an Intel 6205 client not using WPA2?

I see the work around provided by Pat (-config wps mfp infrastructure disable) is for WPA2 clients.

We are seeing what I believe to be the same issue with a WPA/PSK clients.

Our clients are using the 14.0.1.2 driver. I noticed the latest and greatest is 14.3.1 for Win7 (released this month) which we will start testing.

15.1 seems to be quite a ways off.

thannks, Chuck

[naburleson]

I haven't tested it with WPA, but if your using mfp then you'll suffer from the same issue I would think.

[weterry]

This is an 11n blocking interopability issue triggerred by something like the client ignoring the block setup. As far as I know, if you are using WPA and not WPA2, you won't "trigger" this issue (since you wont be doing 11n).

[naburleson]

Good info, it makes sense that it's effecting 11n.  The release notes for the new driver state they fixed a issue with 11n.

[chris.brunt]

Hi I am also testing the 15.1 drivers but need proof of a fix before I can enable mfp again.

Sent from Cisco Technical Support iPhone App

[naburleson]

update:

15.1 drivers seems to have fixed the issue.

[ahaywood2]

The fix for me consisted of a few things:

1. uninstall intel pro/set software

2. in device manager uninstall wireless card 6205 and check the optional box for removing the drivers as well.

3. download the intel 6205 wireless 14.2.0.10 DRIVERS ONLY zip package

4. unzip drivers package and launch device manager again

4. in device manager right click your computer at the top of window and select scan for hardware changes and the 'network controller' with a yellow warning icon should appear. Right click 'network controller' and select update driver.

5. in driver window select  browse my pc for files and navigate to the location where you un-zipped the 14.2.0.10 DRIVERS ONLY files/folder.

This should install the driver for the card and will then re-appear: Overal point is that windows can be VERY picky when it comes to managemnt of the wireless card via OS or intel's HORRIBLE pro/set software. back in the day it was a known that one must open services and disable 'wireless zero config' service if you were going to run any other wireless network managemnt software. spposedly intel's software is smarter than that now and it automatically disables that servicem however I found that the service was still running...So yah give it a shot and let me know if this works for you..worked for me, and now my boss is happy he can use his computer again.

[datomes667]

I've tried this with success so far (a few weeks into the change). I have an Apple Airport Extreme router, with the intel 6205 in my Lenovo ThinkPad W530. I tried various changes to the Airport Extreme, without success (version changes as suggested here and other cisco posts).

I eventually found this post, and tried the driver versions suggested (14.2.0.10). Note that in my case I couldn't easily uninstall, download, and install, cause Windows 7 was right difficult to prevent auto-installation of drivers. There are links out there that tell you how to turn that function off, but even that is hit-or-miss.

So, in my case I would uninstall the driver, and when it would re-install automatically, it used the latest version that was left on my laptop, which was the last version. I.e. each time I uninstalled the driver, under the driver properties for the 6205, it would take me a driver version back. Eventually I got to 14.2.0.10, so I'm running that now, and so far haven't had a repeat of this constant, intermittent wifi drop.

[Leo Laohoo]

Don't limit yourself to that driver version.  Go to the Intel website and download whatever the latest ones they've got for your model of wireless NIC.

[datomes667]

I was already on the most recent, that didn't solve anything.

[George Stefanick]

hello,

we have a similar problem. we are working with intel directly on our 6205 drops. what we found is clients will send a deauth for no reason (from what i can tell) and disconnect. intel provided us a test driver last week for the 6205. i understand the final driver will be released in a few weeks. keep a look out for it ..

[jasonlow]

Hi George.  We've having a similar issue with the Intel 6205 disconnecting intermittently on three different model APs.  Forcing an 802.11a/n connection by disabling b/n on the AP doesn't help.  Upgrading to the latest Wireless_17.1.0_Ds64.exe driver didn't help either.  Were you able to resolve your issue and if so, what driver are you using?