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A6210 operating @ High Speed (USB 2.0)
I've installed A6210 using the standalone Windows 7 driver, and on every boot I receive the W7 message informing me that the device will perform faster when using a SuperSpeed (USB 3.0) port.
It is attached to a USB 3.0 port, but on running USBTreeView, I found it to be registered under one of the EHCI hubs and running at USB 2.0 speed.
I have two other USB 3.0 capable devices, a flash drive and a drive dock, both of which, when attached, are registered to the USB 3.0 hub and run at SuperSpeed (&, naturally, no W7 message telling me they can perform better etc.)
I've tried all three devices in all USB 3.0 ports, both front panel and rear m/b ports, and the A6210 is the only device not running at SuperSpeed.
o/s: Windows 7 Pro SP1 x64 auto-updated
m/b: GA-Z87-HD3 (Gigabyte)
bios: AMI F6 (last to address USB issues)
usb: Intel XHCI & Root Hub
On another PC, with an Asus board & NEC/Renesas drivers, the A6210 runs @ SuperSpeed.
Any ideas would be appreciated.
Hi JamesGL,
I guess this will not help ltj, he most likely doesn't have a problem with A6210 and Windows 10.
His problem - and that of many other customers including me - more likely is the following:
The A6210 works. But only at USB 2.0 speed. Even at USB 3.0 ports.
I will repeat this, just to make the problem clear, once and forever :smileywink:
When using the Netgear driver and plugging the A6210 into USB 3.0 ports
... the A6210 does not connect and work at USB 3.0 SuperSpeed
... it only connects and works at USB 2.0 High-Speed
We purchased an USB 3.0 device. It is advertised as "faster access with USB 3.0". We install the driver. We plug this piece of hardware into an USB 3.0 port. It only works as an USB 2.0 device. The free Tool "USB Device Tree Viewer" confirms this. USB 2.0 speed only. The achieved transfer rates are way too low. As an USB 3.0 device, the A6210 should do much better.
That's the topic of this thread: USB 2.0 speed at USB 3.0 ports.
Luckily, this seems not to be a fundamental hardware problem, but a software / driver problem.
Solution: (that at least worked for me)
- install the standalone version of the Netgear A6210 driver
- stop and disable the Windows service "NetgearSwitchUSB", which is installed and started by the installer
- unplug the A6210
- wait a moment
- reconnect the A6210 to the same USB port.
The A6210 should now be recognized correctly as an USB 3.0 device and will work at SuperSpeed. Hurray!
The service "NetgearSwitchUSB" somehow switches the A6210 via software from USB 3.0 to USB 2.0. If the service is active and you look at the "USB Device Tree Viewer" while plugging the A6210 in, you can see the A6210 shortly and correctly as an USB 3.0 device. But after a second, it disappears and comes back as an USB 2.0 device. Disabling the service prevents this.
How to disable the service (Windows 7):
- Open the Control Panel, click on "System and Security", then "Administrative Tools", then "Services".
- In the list, locate "NetgearSwitchUSB", right click on it, select "Properties"
- Click on the "Stop" button and wait a few seconds
- Click on the drop down menu next to "Startup type" and select "Disabled"
- Click on the "Apply" button
- Click "OK"
- done
I use the A6210 for many month now at USB 3.0 speed without that service active, so it seems not to be mandantory for proper functionality.
Hope that helps.
Bye,
a guy from Germany.
42 Replies
- I'm sure they will RMA the product, but a new device will produce the same results. What is needed here is a proper firmware and or driver package for the device. Like I stated before, a quick remote session with engineering would be the best course of action. Then they can confirm for themselves the issue everyone is having. I work for a midsized document solutions company that handles tech support better than this. 30% of our service calls are handled remotely and resolved. I find it very frustrating that with todays technology, a company as big as Netgear is unable to provide quick and reasonable support and solutions.
- One thing I am curious about. All my computers are Intel based computers. Is this issue only related to Intel chipset/motherboards? Can anyone confirm that this is also happening with AMD chipset/motherboards?
I'm running a Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3 mobo with AMD and Via chip sets and have the same problem. Everything that I plug into a USB3 port works at USB3 speed except for my A6210. I've tried everything that support has suggested without any luck. My drivers are up to date as best as I can determine and Usbtreeview reports that the A6210 is only USB2. A lot of money for no improvement over my old adapter.
omnescient wrote: On another PC, with an Asus board & NEC/Renesas drivers, the A6210 runs @ SuperSpeed.
I'm wondering....is that other PC running Windows 8 or 8.1?Hi guys I always had that message concerning that i need to connect to a usb 3.0 to make it go faster.. I've tried all the suggestions in this forum and none of them worked except one.. I went to mediatek downloaded the driver from there
Steps I did
1) controll panel -> Programs -> Programs and Feature
2) Uninstalled Netgear driver/programs
3) Downloaded from mediatek Part Number: USB (RT2870/ RT2770/ RT307X/ RT2070 RT357X/ RT3370/ RT8070/ RT5X7X/ MT7610/ MT7601/MT7612U)
4) Installed the Mediatek driver
5) inserted Netgear USB A6210
6) right-click My computer -> Device Manager -> Network Adapters
7) right-click Unknow Device -> update Driver ->Browse My computer for driver software
8) Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer
9) under manufacture look for Mediatek, Inc. -> Under Network Adapter look for 802.11n Usb Wireless Lan Card
After that it will update and no more message! I restarted my computer still no message! I used USBTreeview and it says its at superspeed!
Hope this helps other people if they have this problem!
- Eric
Hi again everyone. I haven't been around for several months, but I'm back and going to try Eric's suggestion. It looks promising, but so did several other suggestions that just didn't seem to work for me and I've been running in USB2 mode. I must say that I spent a lot of time working with customer support and even with the engineers in China and they were all great, but the USB 3.0 problem remains. My A6210 doesn't crash anymore and it boots up without problem, but... Anyway, I'll give this a shot this weekend or next week and hopefully report back that it worked.
Just got an A6210, installed the drivers from the DVD and I'm getting the same problem even though I know for a fact it's plugged into the USB 3.1 port on my brand new Gigabyte Gaming 3 board. Tried setting the max USB speed but to no avail. If the Mediatek driver installation works, and chance Netgear might issue a driver update that would likewise solve the problem?
I thought I'd found the solution to the problem of having my Netgear a6210 not run at USB 3.0 speed, despite being plugged into a USB 3.0 driver. (Just as a side note. I am running Windows 7 and have an Intel Core i7 processor)
1. I downloaded the latest Netgear driver for the A6210 from this Netgear page: http://downloadcenter.netgear.com/en/product/A6210#searchResults
(the latest driver at this time, which I downloaded, is "Software Version 1.0.0.34 (Supports Win10)."
2. I used 7zip file Manager to 'unzip' the download file from Netgear (you can use Winzip or any other unzipping program), I then dragged the downloaded .exe file for the driver to my desktop. (There are actually two .exe files you can choose from once the Netgear download is unzipped. The one with 'SA' at the end means 'stand alone,' meaning no Netgear software is included with it, and it just uses Windows to connect to the USB driver.
3. Unplugged my Netgear adapter from the USB port.
4. Went into my control panel and uninstalled the Netgear software that had already been installed on my computer.
5. Restarted my PC.
6. Double clicked on the Netgear .exe file I'd dragged onto my desktop. Followed the steps on the screen.
7. After the driver installed, it prompted me when to plug in the Netgear adapter, which I did.
8. Then I re-entered my network password.
Voila! Or so I thought. It said Netgeard USB 3.0 adapter installed. I tested my speeds, and they were great. However, I shut down my PC, turned it back on, and the problem came right back. The only way I can get it to go to USB 3.0 speeds is to unplug the adapter from my USB port and then plug it back in (after the computer has finished booting up). Needless to say, this is a pain to have to keep doing every time I turn my PC on.
