Windows 10: Random Wi-fi dropouts on Windows 10 PC

Hello

I have been experiencing continual wireless network drop-outs on a Windows 10 PC. I've read quite a few threads on similar issues but they all seem to be slightly different in the details and none of the solutions offered there or on the Microsoft help pages have yet worked for me.


The details are as follows:

• The computer connects to the wifi network via a TP-Link Archer T2UH USB wifi adapter.
• The computer is running Windows 10 and all updates are installed
• Signal strength is good in the location of the antenna
• The wifi adapter fairly regularly (approximately every 1 day) just stops working.
• When this happens, no wifi network are visible in the list of available connections in the Windows taskbar.
• No error is displayed, and when navigating to the adapter in the device manager, it is listed as working properly. The green light on the adapter itself remains on.
• After unplugging the adapter from the computer’s USB port and re-plugging, it immediately finds the connection again.
• I have tried the following already:
  • Ensured that the computer does not go to sleep
  • Navigated through the device manager to the adapter settings to ensure that the option for “allow Windows to turn off this device to save power” is disabled
  • Set the Windows wifi auto configuration service (WLAN AutoConfig) to automatic and ensured it is always running, and will automatically restart if the computer reboots. I've also ensured the dependencies of this service are also on auto start.
  • Installed driver from the CD that came with the adapter
  • Later tried updating the adapter driver to the latest version, downloaded from the manufacturer's website (Published Date: 2017-12-14).

After all this, it still regularly drops off the wifi network and requires manual intervention to reconnect. Manual intervention is not a workable solution for us because the computer is an unattended remote access terminal and to function as intended it must be connected constantly. Every time it drops out, we need to send someone to the site to unplug and re-plug it.


I’ve run the Windows command to generate the WLAN report (netsh wlan show wlanreport) and the results show a lot of connects and disconnects happening very often (it's rare for a connected session to last even an hour).

• The disconnects are always logged with Event ID 8003, and give the reason as "The network is disconnected by the driver".
• The disconnects are always preceded by Event 4042: Capability change on {563d716f-7cea-4272-b8dd-0b83c1294e7a} (0x47008004000000 Family: V4 Capability: Internet ChangeReason: ActiveHttpProbeSucceeded.
• They are often, but not always, preceded by one or another of these events as well:
  • Event 4042: Capability change on {563d716f-7cea-4272-b8dd-0b83c1294e7a} (0x47008004000000 Family: V4 Capability: None ChangeReason: CapabilityReset
  • Event 4042: Capability change on {563d716f-7cea-4272-b8dd-0b83c1294e7a} (0x47008004000000 Family: V4 Capability: None ChangeReason: NoAddress)

I realize the report describes the reason as driver related, however I suspect there is something else going on here. The driver is the latest one available, and the history of the computer itself makes me suspect something in Windows 10. The computer originally ran Windows 7 and used a different USB wifi adapter. It then had a hard drive fail and when it was replaced we upgraded to Windows 10. Immediately after this, the original USB to wifi adapter started to experience dropouts which it had not done for the previous 2 years of stable operation under Windows 7. We therefore thought that maybe the old USB wifi adapter had failed or did not have good compatibility with Windows 10, so we got a newer one (the TP-Link Archer T2UH), but the problem persists.


So, given that the old Windows 7 installation ran for 2 years with no issues while the Windows 10 installation cannot stay connected despite trying two different adapters and different drivers, I suspect it's something in Windows 10 that is responsible. However I am now out of ideas as to where else to look or what to try further. Can you offer any advice on how we can get the computer to stay connected to the network?

Thanks,

Adam

:)

 

Windows 10 stop automatically connecting to random new wi-fi networks

Hi,

I have searched a lot, but all the tutorials I found only explained how to not connect automatically to a known wi-fi network or how to disable wi-fi sense... but this is not what I am looking for...

PROBLEM:

• When my laptop (Windows 10 Pro X64) is not connected to a network and the wireless adapter is on, it will automatically connect to any random new unsecured wi-fi network... The only way I have now to avoid this is to disable my wi-fi adapter.

UNUSEFUL TUTORIALS I FOUND ON THE INTERNET:

• How to manually uncheck the option for a particular wi-fi network not to connect automatically in Network Properties. This is not what I am looking for. This would suggest that everytime I power my computer. I would have to manually go through all the available wi-fi networks and unclick them all...
• How to disable Wi-Fi Sense. This is not useful, because I don't even have a Wi-Fi sense option in my computer where the tutorials say it should be.

EXPECTED BEHAVIOR:

• I am looking for an option to tell my computer to stop connecting randomly to unknown wi-fi networks like an hyperactive, reckless idiot.

PERSONAL COMMENT:

• Honestly, why would any respectable company think that it could be somewhat wise or secure to do this... Anyone's computer could just randomly connect to any hacker's wi-fi network without the user even knowing it...

Any solutions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

Windows 10 and no wi-fi

Hi Joachim,

Thank you for posting your query in Microsoft Community. Appreciate your interest in using Windows 10.

I would suggest you to follow the methods below:

Method 1: Run the Hardware and Device troubleshooter by following the steps below:

• Click on the Start button, and type “Troubleshooting” on the search bar.
• Click on troubleshooting, then click on “Hardware and sound”.
• Under Hardware and sound, click on “hardware and devices”.
• A pop-up will appear, click on the “Next” button and your hardware troubleshooting will start.

Method 2: The issue may occur if the drivers for Wi-fi are not installed or updated. I suggest you to install/update the latest version for Wi-fi drivers by following the steps below.

• Press ‘windows key + R’ and type ‘devmgmt.msc’ and press Enter.
• Expand ‘Network adapter’ and right click on Wi-fi driver and select update.

Hope the information is helpful. Feel free to
write to us for any other assistance with Windows, we’ll be glad to assist you.

 

Windows 10 stop automatically connecting to random new wi-fi networks

Hi, which build of Windows are you using? (Windows key + R, winver).

Note that Wi-fi sense has been withdrawn... so I wonder if you're using an older build?
Microsoft Quietly Kills Controversial Wi-Fi Sense Feature | The first stop for security news | Threatpost





Do you have 'Connect to suggested open hotspots' off?
That said, 'Learn more' gives this somewhat confusing page which seems relevant:
Windows 10 open Wi-Fi hotspots – Microsoft privacy