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AX211 Network Card Issues - Random PC Reboots and Inconsistant Wifi Speed
XPS 15 9520
Hello,
I am having some serious issues with my AX211 card, and am looking for some advice on how to resolve it. I'll break down the issues, my PC specs, and the steps I have taken thus far to try and fix it. (Including Crash Report / Mini Dump Files)
OVERVIEW: I am having issues with a fairly new computer, that keeps causing sudden reboots (no BSOD) every few weeks and randomly has wifi slow speeds. After working with a microsoft agent on their support page, we have determined (via their review of my crash report files) that the NIC (network Card) device driver is causing the shutdowns.
TLDR: AX211 is causing random shutdowns and wildly inconsistent speeds. Crash Reports seem to show it as a driver issue.
CRASH REPORT LINKS:
Several Months of Crash Reports (5 total via Dropbox)
COMPUTER SPECS:
Lap Dell XPS 15 9520
Ram: 32 GB
CPU: 12 Gen Intel i9
GPU: Nvidia RTX 3050ti
USB Hub: Dell d3100 Hub
WIFI: Intel Wifi AX211 160Mhz (Driver Ver: 23.30.0.6)
Dell 0F6K9V Motherboard for Dell XPS 9520, Version A00 with Bios update 1.20.0
WIN 11
**These are the specs for a pre-built stock laptop, nothing was modified on the main system**
ISSUE SPECIFICS:
Regarding the shutdowns - PC will shutdown randomly once every few weeks. Sometimes after hours of being under moderate load / usage (say 6+ hours of graphic design work), sometimes literally after opening an internet browser for a few seconds after a fresh boot. The only consistent trend is the browser is always open with a small handful of tabs. No symptoms of overheating, no memory errors, no corruption errors. (All tested) Just suddenly freezes for 2 seconds, and reboots immediately. After reboot, it boots up normally, with the odd occasion of once or twice it said "It looks like windows didn't load correctly - repair or reboot". Reboot fixes that error and it boots with no issue.
Regarding Slow Speeds - After booting into windows, and opening a browser, I will have a 50% chance of getting exceptional wifi speeds or little to no speed at all. At all times the wifi signal shows strong and connected, and other tested nearby devices show nothing is wrong with the router. Normally I get 300-400mb download, but when it's having issues it will either get sub 2mb or get something wildly fluctuating from 50 to 100 mb. (Tested on speedtest.net) A full reboot fixes the issue immediately, until the next time it happens.
ATTEMPTED FIXES (All failures so far):
**Note, that the AX211 issues happened from a completely fresh / wiped stock PC. Updated everything did not resolve the issues, but I also don't believe rolling them all back would help...as the issue was present from the start**
**The below fixes were performed and tested over the span of 2-3 months, performing a few at a time before testing more after they failed**
- Updated BIOS via Dell Support / Driver install
- Updated Intel Drivers / Network Card driver directly from Intel Driver install / troubleshoot site
- Updated all Windows specific Wifi Drivers, Etc
- Windows OS (Win 11) itself is updated fully
- "Received Window Auto-Tuning Level" is set to normal
- Unable to disable Power Saving Mode in Device Manager (Setting no longer exists under pref tab)
ALL of the above still did NOT fix the issue (based on recommendations of others with AX211 issues and microsoft support), so I had to start doing some additional deep-dive experiments. See below for those,
- Turned off IPV6 (in an attempt to resolve connection issues)
- Killer Intelligence Center Application is disabled from start up, and it's services are disabled
After the last-ditch efforts didn't work either...I decided to bypass the card entirely, and install an external USB wifi card. (Netgear 6E USB Wifi Adapter) I disabled the AX211 and Dell Gigabit Ethernet network adapters in Device manager, and installed the drivers for the Netgear External Adapter.
The netgear has fixed the inconsistent wifi speeds 100%. I get fast speeds each time, and every time. However, it has NOT resolved my reboot issue. I got yet another random reboot a few hours into work. (Had photoshop open, and firefox with 3 tabs). **Do I also need to uninstall the AX211 as well, instead of just disabling it?**
CLOSING INFO: I am honestly not sure where to go from here....I have updated everything I can possibly think of, and am still getting reboots at random - all seemingly caused by a misbehaving network driver. This is extremely frustrating to have a fairly new $2,000+ dollar laptop that is simply NOT dependable at all for basic internet and/or web meetings I need for my career.
I could definitely use some further recommendations before I tear out more of my hair / spend more money trying to fix the issue.
RabbitFu
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June 2nd, 2024 18:51
Hey All,
I believe I finally resolved this issue and I wanted to check back in and provide my results. See below for specifics:
RECAP OF ORIGINAL ISSUE: Weekly random reboots of PC, seemingly not related at all to Ram issues, overheating, HDD corruption, etc. Early indications and crash report reviews all seemed to point towards network card issues (AX211) or related items. Issue primarily happened when using web browser and/or video web-meet software, regardless of the overall load put on the device. (I.E. anything that engaged a connection to the internet)
BIOS updates, disabling the AX211 card, using an external card, disabling Killer Int Center App, etc all did NOTHING to resolve the issue.
FINALLY A FIX: I tried many different blue-screen / crash report analyzing programs, but they all gave the generic and vague "network card" related issue, which kept pointing me in the wrong direction. So, I turned off auto-reboot and kept track of what consistently popped on my blue-screen crash. The culprit more often than not? NETIO.SYS becoming unresponsive and crashing.
It was network related, but had NOTHING to do with my AX211 network card. Rather it was something causing Netio.sys to go haywire and crash my system. (Netio is a system driver that handles system network and network driver interface related tasks)
After a bit of research I discovered that the usual culprit for Netio.sys crashes? ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE
I had been using ZoneAlarm Firewall and AntiVirus software on all my various devices for the last decade or more, with little to no issues. (Aside from it being a massive resource hog) However, when I was setting up this brand new Dell Laptop, I installed the fancy new version of the program. Their "Next Gen" Ai version, which dug it's greedy lil fingers into far more of my device than the usual firewall and antivirus. This newer version was a far different beast than anything prior, and did everything from scan all fill-boxes to prevent keyloggers / phishing, scanned all incoming download files, and monitored far more web activities than ever before. It was also the PRIMARY CAUSE of the last six plus months of my computer headache, and I didn't even know it.....
After uninstalling it, and then having to go in and remove individual pieces that sneakily remained....I have not had a single issue since. It has been two months, and not a single forced reboot. Prior to the fix I had constant issues connecting to web video interviews (Zoom / Teams / Etc), and then after connecting the computer would often force reboot shortly after. (Making Job Interview Videos an absolute stress-inducing nightmare..Would it Crash this time? Who knows.)
Since the fix, I have attended 20+ web meetings with no reboot and the connection issues have completely resolved. My expensive laptop is finally now more than a frustrating paper weight, and I can once again use it to job search, interview, and enjoy what the internet has to offer.
For now I am using Windows Defender Firewall and AntiVirus, combined with my usual collection of browser script blockers, etc. (uBlock Origin, Etc). I definitely canceled my auto renewal of ZoneAlarm, and will never again be using that specific software. For now I'll also continue to use my external wifi card, as it was faster than my internal card anyways (the one I disable in a prior attempt to fix all this).
I hope my long and rambley answer was of some assistance to you and future sufferers of this issue. Good Luck!
RabbitFu
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March 8th, 2024 17:53
Anyone happen to have any advice? (Either regarding additional options for the AX211 reboots OR what else I need to do for replacement external WIFI card)
Been a few days and just wanted to bump post so it does not get lost in the shuffle of new stuff.
stick of dead wood
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April 3rd, 2024 14:52
I have two customers I support that have Latitude 9440s (I know this is an XPS conversation but I just wanted to let you know you are not alone.) with the Intel AX211. They both have had random shutdowns. One I was able to get crash dumps specifically pointing to PPPOE drivers. I am hoping to try updated drivers on that one. The other one has been sent to the Dell Depot for them to look at it as we have done a completely fresh OSRI (no additional software added and this has been occurring since the unit was received brand new) with no change in the behavior. For the one that went to the Dell Depot it was having issues with powering off/hard shut downs while closed and docked after it is undocked. We even tried turning off all power options just leaving it on and it still had issues. All BIOS updates were done and drivers were updated as well.
You might be able to see if there is an option to turn OFF the Wifi in the BIOS. Or..depending on the system..open the computer and physically remove the wifi card and see if that makes a difference to remove it from the equation completely.
(edited)