Lenovo notebooks connect to 802.11g only instead of 802.11n

[bege]

I bought a used Thinkpad P52 with an Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 9560 WiFi card. Windows 11 Professional 64 bit 23H2 is installed. The latest Intel driver 23.30.0.6 from Lenovo support is installed for the card.
WiFi works via an LTE router Speedport LTE II 2.4GHz (300Mbps), with a Telekom SIM with max. 50Mbps download speed.
The WiFi settings on the router are 802.11a/g/n, 802.11n bandwidth 20/40MHz, WPA2-PSK, AES.

My old HP Pavilion notebook with a Realtek WiFi module and two Android cell phones connect with 802.11n mode and I always get 40-50Mbps download speed.
However, the P52 only connects with 802.11g (54Mbps) and struggles to reach 20Mbps, no matter how I configure the adapter settings. Removing the driver, restarting, reinstalling - nothing helped.

Before the P52 I bought a T570 with a AC 8265 Wifi card which had the same issue. Neither in the Intel nor in the Lenovo forum there was found a solution for this issue. I sent the T570 back to the seller because I thought there might be a hardware failure. Now the P52 from a different seller has the same issue so that I don't think it is a hardware failure but an issue with the Intel Wifi cards in Lenovo notebooks.

Attached is a network report created with the Intel System Support Utility. (Changing the setting IEEE11nMode:Wireless-Modus 802.11n/ac:"3. 802.11ac (2)" to 802.11n doesn't make a change.)

 

[degrub]

Have you tried removing the driver completely, rebooting, and installing the latest Lenovo driver, rebooting again ?
Disable the hardware first, then uninstall, etc.

 

[bege]

Have you tried removing the driver completely, rebooting, and installing the latest Lenovo driver, rebooting again ?
Disable the hardware first, then uninstall, etc.

Thank you for your answer. Yes, I did that also. (Added this to the OP.)

 

[degrub]

You can also see if that machine was allowed to run Linux on the Lenovo support site. Each family of machines has a tech sheet that lists all the variants including OS options. If it does, try running a "Live" version of Linux ( do not install) and see if it detects the wifi card correctly and connects as N instead of just G. Then you will know it is not a hardware issue. Even if one of the Linux distributions is not listed you can try Ubuntu or another live distro anyway.

Have you tried your router with a/g/n turned off and only N turned on ? Keep the router on 20/40 bands only. Only increase the width if that works. The wireless environment may not allow higher because of interference from nearby or interior reflections.
i would do that first.

Also, do you have direct line of sight on the AP/Router when testing wifi ? Preferably within 10-20 ft ?

It may be that the card is locking onto G because that is the most stable.

 

[glens]

I wouldn't even look or ask. Fetch a current linuxmint image, copy it raw to a thumb drive, hit F10 (or whatever gives the BIOS boot menu at power-on), and check things out. When you do and realize how much better it works, and /if/ you need assistance /installing/ mint (alongside windows or replacing it outright), just holler.

I've got a P52S for several years running linuxmint since first power-up.

For $20 or so an Intel AX200 module will work much better anyway.

 

[bege]

You can also see if that machine was allowed to run Linux on the Lenovo support site. Each family of machines has a tech sheet that lists all the variants including OS options. If it does, try running a "Live" version of Linux ( do not install) and see if it detects the wifi card correctly and connects as N instead of just G. Then you will know it is not a hardware issue. Even if one of the Linux distributions is not listed you can try Ubuntu or another live distro anyway.

Have you tried your router with a/g/n turned off and only N turned on ? Keep the router on 20/40 bands only. Only increase the width if that works. The wireless environment may not allow higher because of interference from nearby or interior reflections.
i would do that first.

Also, do you have direct line of sight on the AP/Router when testing wifi ? Preferably within 10-20 ft ?

It may be that the card is locking onto G because that is the most stable.

Thank you very much for the many ideas.

I tried 3 live systems, if they connected to WiFi at all they connected with g mode. The WiFi settings only offered b and g mode, any other propriety driver was not offered.

Back to Windows:

• If I turn off other modes than n in the driver settings the notebook does not connect to the router at all.
• The router only has 20 and 20/40 GHz bandwidth settings, so I have set it to 20/40.
• Even if the notebook is next to the router it remains the same.

I had the idea to connect the notebook to the hotspot of my smartphone which is connected to the LTE router with n mode as written above. There the notebook connects with n mode. Still slower than the phone itself but that may be related to the forwarded connection.
So the notebook seems to be able to connect with n mode but does not with my LTE router although all other devices do except the other Thinkpad with Intel WiFi card I had before.

Does anybody have another idea how I can get the notebook to connect to the router with n mode? Is this a Lenovo or Intel driver issue that cannot be solved?

 

[bege]

I wouldn't even look or ask. Fetch a current linuxmint image, copy it raw to a thumb drive, hit F10 (or whatever gives the BIOS boot menu at power-on), and check things out. When you do and realize how much better it works, and /if/ you need assistance /installing/ mint (alongside windows or replacing it outright), just holler.

I've got a P52S for several years running linuxmint since first power-up.

For $20 or so an Intel AX200 module will work much better anyway.

Thank you very much. Please, see my previous post. With that experience I am not sure whether any other Intel WiFi card will connect better. And as my LTE download speed it limited to 50 Mbps I actually don't need more than n mode.

 

[sfx2000]

WiFi works via an LTE router Speedport LTE II 2.4GHz (300Mbps), with a Telekom SIM with max. 50Mbps download speed.

Buy a new router - the device you have is ancient...

Huawei B593u-12 - TechInfoDepot

"B593RW2A VER.B RF" is on the back of the board.

techinfodepot.shoutwiki.com

Broadcom MIPS...

 

[bege]

the device you have is ancient

You are right. And it works perfect with a number different devices - except with Lenovo and Intel. And I think that 802.11n, 2.4GHz band, 20/40 MHz channels and WPA2/AES should be the same everywhere.

 

[degrub]

In early implementations there were issues across some vendors for wireless N or even "draft N" particularly. This sounds like one of them.
Have you tried connecting with 20 MHz channel on the router selected , not 20/40 ?

BTW, i had that laptop in a corporate environment. No issues at all. Connecting primarily to CISCO gear and whatever was available in hotels around the world, including Germany.

You might take it to a coffee shop and see how it does.

 

[glens]

How much would it cost for another SIM card effective on your plan? That (excellent, even if not current) laptop already has a mobile broadband adapter (or is it adaptor?) installed according to your report. That would give you "automatic" Internet wherever you go with it, home or otherwise; if not on the most-current broadband technology.

Your dilemma is puzzling indeed, but /two/ laptops exhibiting the same issue, well, what are the chances they /both/ had the same problem themselves (or is it themself?)? It's very most likely not a Lenovo issue based on my experience with that company. I've not heard (though wasn't particularly listening for) anything which would indicate they lock down things in their firmware. I've even noted they generally prefer on-chip fingerprint sensors for other-OS compatibility.

If all else fails I'd replace the wifi module. I've had one fail entirely so I suppose one could fail partially. <$20 for a current Intel unit last I got.

If the laptop has a spinning-platter hard drive, replace it with an (even a cheap one) SSD and that laptop should remain current-enough for some time to come.

 

[sfx2000]

In early implementations there were issues across some vendors for wireless N or even "draft N" particularly. This sounds like one of them.

yes, and intel is fairly strict - wireless PCAP and examining the association request/response handshake would clear things up...

Beacon suggests what the AP is capable of, and the client probe request says the client capabilities - the association outcome is what both agree to do for the connection.

in any case, the AP makes that decision, not the client...

 

[bege]

Have you tried connecting with 20 MHz channel on the router selected , not 20/40 ?

That doesn't help either.

You might take it to a coffee shop and see how it does.

I connected it to WiFi at a friends house and there it is the same as with the hotspot of my mobile phone: It connects with n mode. So the WiFi card generally can connect with n mode but not with my router. HP/Realtek, Samsung, Fairphone, Shiftphone do, but not Lenovo/Intel. I guess that with the previous Thinkpad T570 it was the same.

If all else fails I'd replace the wifi module.

I wouldn't want to buy a new LTE router. A WiFi card is cheaper, but how can I be sure that a different WiFi card will work with that router? It is a bit scary that this notebook is not compatible with any router.

How much would it cost for another SIM card effective on your plan?

I had that idea, also. For the LTE router I have a mobile data plan which is only working at home and there is no multiple SIM card option. Using the notebook as hotspot for all other devices is no option because then I'd have to keep the notebook running all the time. Additionally, the best place for reception quality is at the window.

If the laptop has a spinning-platter hard drive, replace it with an (even a cheap one) SSD and that laptop should remain current-enough for some time to come.

I think so, too, and it has an SSD already.

wireless PCAP and examining the association request/response handshake would clear things up...

After I know that the WiFi card can connect with n mode to other routers, will that help to change anything with my router? Or does it only give information why the devices are not compatible?

 

[glens]

If all else fails I'd replace the wifi module.

I wouldn't want to buy a new LTE router. A WiFi card is cheaper, but how can I be sure that a different WiFi card will work with that router? It is a bit scary that this notebook is not compatible with any router.

The above should all have another level of quote.

I was referring to the wifi module in the laptop, not a different router.

 

[degrub]

"I connected it to WiFi at a friends house and there it is the same as with the hotspot of my mobile phone: It connects with n mode. So the WiFi card generally can connect with n mode but not with my router."

This suggests there is a standards/spec/firmware issue between his existing router and the laptop wifi card/driver. Replacing either one may fix the issues.

 

[sfx2000]

After I know that the WiFi card can connect with n mode to other routers, will that help to change anything with my router? Or does it only give information why the devices are not compatible?

As I mentioned, it's the router...

The Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 9560 WiFi is about as close to a reference implementation as you will find, and one of the better choices for a WiFi5 adapter if the computer supports it.

 

[bege]

Because there are two Lenovo Thinkpads with two different Intel WiFi cards not connecting correctly I decided not to try a third Intel WiFi card, e.g. AX210, but another router. I bought a used and therefore cheap Huawei B535-232 an with this router the Thinkpad connects with ac-mode since the router offers this also.

So this issue is "solved" for my home configuration but the uncertainty remains that the Thinkpad/Intel WiFi card will connect to some other router somewhere in g mode only. And the disappointment remains that the Intel WiFi cards are so "special".