Wow. This is enlightening. I've been facing the same issues as many posters with A6200 - needing to reinstall drivers. I don't haven't I'll have to try the pulling and reinserting the adapter but the couple of times I tried that earlier I had no success. My initial problems stemmed from trying to set it up with a Linksys EA6500. I won't bore you with details but suffice to say that after 3 days of losing internet connectivity along with frequently losing just wireless connection caused me to replace the EA6500 with an ASUS RT-AC66U which solved the loss of internet drops. While waiting for the replacement, I had the A6200 linked with a Linksys WRT54G router and had no wireless/internet losses for 4-days. Now that I'm back to ~250-300 Mbps speeds the wireless losses reappear.
I suspect drivers and think perhaps the stand-alone 1.0.0.26 is a tad more stable than the version with Genie nut still I have wireless drops. I may give the 1.0.0.23 a try next time it drops. In the long haul, I may just search for a good "n" adapter and wait for the "ac" adapters to get a life.
In summary, if anything is encouraging with this adapter/firmware/support issue, it is the voices being raised about the sad state of it. That may prompt a quicker solution. However, as in the case of my router return/replacement one can take just so much frustration before jumping ship for another product.
An update ~8 hours later:
Just as I was preparing for finally hitting the pillow my 'puter beeped and I noticed I'd lost wireless again. In no mind to try to sleep, I deleted the 1.0.0.26 driver and installed the 1.0.0.23 (with Genie). It looked OK for the time it took to try out the WEB and scan a stream or 2 on line at somewhere after midnight so I wrapped it up.
Today 5:30 AM EST: First thing I did was check the desktop icon and sure enough wless was disconnected. When I had installed the 1.0.0.23 drivers I had plugged the adapter in a usb port on the front of the PC thinking the clutter on my desk (wless printer, smart phone, PC monitor) in close proximity might have some bearing on the problem. Since it dropped even in the PC port I grabbed a USB extender cord and placed the A6200 in the provided dock, running the longer cord up to an uncluttered position on my bookshelf. I only had to plug the adapter in the port and wireless came back at 300 Mbps and is still there at 7:40 AM after a few WEB excursions, searches, downloads ,email, etc which is encouraging.
I'm going to let it stew for a (hopefully) few days and if I still have not dropped I will attempt 1.0.0.26 again with the adapter now located on the bookshelf and update here.
I only had to plug the adapter in the port and wireless came back at 300 Mbps and is still there at 7:40 AM after a few WEB excursions, searches, downloads ,email, etc which is encouraging.
I'm going to let it stew for a (hopefully) few days and if I still have not dropped I will attempt 1.0.0.26 again with the adapter now located on the bookshelf and update here.
For some reason, even though my card is registered, I have a username and provided a password, I can not login when requested, when attempting to contact support through email. Even after resetting password 3 times. I get a "Your password was invalid, please re-enter your details or click 'Forgot your password" error each time.
Anyway, I sent to chat for support, which I avoid if possible since I have 10 thumbs when it comes to typing. I was able to get a rep quickly explained the dropping issue I was having. BTW, since my last post, I had 2 drops one after 1lmost 12 hours of continuous service and a second after about 1n hour.
During chat, the tech had me install 1.0.0.26 drivers, go into >device manager >system >Network adapters >double click on a6200 >select Advanced >scroll down and select Maximum Power consumption and change it from the (default) Enabled to Disabled >click OK and close. Once back on line I was asked to monitor it for 12/24 hours. It has now been 2.5 and I'm still connected.
Hopefully, all my issues were configuration related and that simple toggle takes care of things. Will update progress in coming days.
Thank you, jmizoguchi, for pointer and thanks to "Cathy Lyn" at chat support for quick response and hopefully a solution......
During chat, the tech had me install 1.0.0.26 drivers, go into >device manager >system >Network adapters >double click on a6200 >select Advanced >scroll down and select Maximum Power consumption and change it from the (default) Enabled to Disabled >click OK and close. Once back on line I was asked to monitor it for 12/24 hours. It has now been 2.5 and I'm still connected.
Hopefully, all my issues were configuration related and that simple toggle takes care of things. Will update progress in coming days.
Thank you, jmizoguchi, for pointer and thanks to "Cathy Lyn" at chat support for quick response and hopefully a solution......
I connected to the 5 GHz band 24 hours ago and have not had a drop. (It had been 12 hours prior to that on 2.4 Ghz without a drop.) The frequent resets and drops have been absent.
I had been on and off the system for those 36 hours and expect to be randomly using as such until about 36 Hrs from now (now being 8/30 Friday at 8:10 PM EST)
Sunday (9/1 and over the Labor day holiday til Tuesday morning it will get significant use - web searching, streaming, etc. - so if I can make through that without a glitch I'l consider it "burned in".... I hope.....
11,907 views.. Is there a time frame or critical mass that this device's owners have to reach before we can even be informed of what is going on?
Here is my story:
Constant disconnects (this is the third review I wrote -the first 2 were lost when I got disconnected mid session; this time I wrote it in word first and copied and pasted!).
Steps I've taken:
1 - Installed it on a fresh Windows 8 install along with a new WNDR4300. Used the latest driver available 1.0.0.26.
2 - Uninstalled and re-installed the driver several times, both the stand-alone and the one with Genie.
3 - Called tech support who had me uninstall and re-install everything the same way I had already done, multiple times. They denied anyone else with Windows 8 was having issues.
4 - I did not like Windows 8, so went back to Windows 7 and it worked perfectly for the last 3 months.
5 - Wiped system and installed Windows 8.1 x64. Same problems as before. Called Netgear to ask for a time frame for the next driver. They AGAIN denied anyone else was having issues.
6 - Went looking around the internet for solutions and other people with the same problem. There are many, so I did the following -all without any improvement to the constant, random disconnects-:
- -6.1: Set device manager option "Minimum Power Consumption" to "Disabled". - -6.2: Disabled the "Netgear A6200" service. - -6.3: Tried both available drivers on Netgear's website: 1.0.0.23 and 1.0.0.18 - -6.4: Disabled all sleep/hibernation options on my system.
7 - I still have constant disconnects and they are random. Sometimes it will be in the middle of browsing Reddit, checking email, or leaving the PC alone, doing nothing. I come back to it and it is disconnected. Sometimes I catch the windows sound event of a device disconnecting, then connecting again.
8 - It seems that I am luckier than other users I have seen because but pulling and re-inserting the device from its cable craddle gets me back immediately. This is no relief when I am composing a review, writing an email, transferring files, checking bank accounts, VPN sessions to my work network, etc.
Other Thoughts: Netgear, please do not ask me to email you and work out the issue.
Please tell your tech support to stop telling people that "I" am the first one to call about that problem. A simple Google search or a look at this forum and you lose a ton of credibility.
It is obvious that you need to improve on the driver ASAP. For me, you have another 10 days before my return deadline expires. If there is no working driver available I will be returning both the router and USB adapter for something that works with Windows 8.
It is obvious that you need to improve on the driver ASAP. For me, you have another 10 days before my return deadline expires. If there is no working driver available I will be returning both the router and USB adapter for something that works with Windows 8.
Been forum still an user to user your chances are slim that you will hear from support here in forum.
Driver is released quarterly base but what will be release is unknown to anyone.
Despite the issues and looking a solution in 10days also may put in you a halt. I would consider looking at different avenue while you can return the item for exchange.
Been forum still an user to user your chances are slim that you will hear from support here in forum.
Driver is released quarterly base but what will be release is unknown to anyone.
Despite the issues and looking a solution in 10days also may put in you a halt. I would consider looking at different avenue while you can return the item for exchange.
LOL!
Netgear won't talk to its customers on its own forums, but they show themselves in reseller's forums such as Newegg (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833122490). Sales are a higher priority than happy customers and working devices. But I wonder if the lack of credibility, good will, and the cost of all these returns is really worth it.
@Jmizoguchi: I am happily connected with CISCO products now.
Same thing for the similar architecture - Server 2012
It was working ok for a bit then died off. I upgraded the driver to a newer one for windows 8 and now it cannot find the drivers on reboot.
SUCH a pain, especially as officially, no wireless is supported officially by hardware vendors on servers. Daft when 2003 server on wireless worked as per any xp installation.
My next step is to try a fresh rebuild and install the driver from the disk and leave it.. .then see how it goes.
The issue is a kernel conflict with the driver partially it is due to installation. I did receive a important order of operations notice packaged with the adapter.
This method works, Since no other solution is working for folks. 1)Install the adapter and Genie software suite.
2)Now download the Windows 8 signed-Driver this is a compressed file for manual installation.
3)Unplug the Adapter *
4) Open Windows System32 and copy the whole windows-8 signed driver which will replace only 2 files or just identify the 2 and copy. (the reason I say whole cause its universal 32bit - 64bit)
Conclusion (Adapter wont work until restart.) This is what the driver suite lacks it does not enter the kernel properly as an active service doesn't set right with the kernel to not restart prior to initialization. Directly patching the files with the adapter unplugged requires a restart the software suite dropped the ball.
This method works, Since no other solution is working for folks. 1)Install the adapter and Genie software suite.
2)Now download the Windows 8 signed-Driver this is a compressed file for manual installation.
3)Unplug the Adapter *
4) Open Windows System32 and copy the whole windows-8 signed driver which will replace only 2 files or just identify the 2 and copy. (the reason I say whole cause its universal 32bit - 64bit)
Hi Akmo where can i find the file "Now download the Windows 8 signed-Driver" to download? Can u send-us a link?
