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The Graveyard - Products No Longer Supported => Network and WIreless Adapters => DWA-556 => Topic started by: j0lly on January 16, 2009, 01:13:18 AM

Title: Windows7 7000 Build, Low signal
Post by: j0lly on January 16, 2009, 01:13:18 AM: The drivers that came with windows7 work. The latest vista driver also works.
Just tried the atheros_ar5xxx_7.6.1.162-vista driver. Same thing.
But the signal is low, and the connection drops out.
The signal is actually very strong, and is working perfectly in xp sp3.

Can you look into this please? There must be something wrong with the drivers...
Title: Re: Windows7 7000 Build, Low signal
Post by: skesler on February 02, 2009, 07:04:51 PM: I'm experiencing similar problems:

On Windows 7, I am getting low signal, slow and paused connection (54Mbps).
On Vista 32, I get clean, relaible, highspeed connection (130Mbps)

Connecting to a DIR-655 (through several walls) with a DWA-556 in a Dell XPS200.
Title: Re: Windows7 7000 Build, Low signal
Post by: arod on February 03, 2009, 08:39:54 AM: How are your wireless settings configured? Please reference the following link to achieve 300Mbps.

http://support.dlink.com/faq/view.asp?prod_id=3061&question=300+mbps
Title: Re: Windows7 7000 Build, Low signal
Post by: skesler on February 07, 2009, 05:39:39 AM: Quote from: Ru-Fi-Oh on February 03, 2009, 08:39:54 AM
How are your wireless settings configured? Please reference the following link to achieve 300Mbps.

The router is the same setup regardless for Win 7 or Vista.
In win 7 I am using AES (WPA2 personal).
I am using the standard driver included with Win 7 (Microsoft 1.0.0.7 - 11/7/08). I don't belevie this driver is allowing a 802.11n connection and it is only using "g".
Title: Re: Windows7 7000 Build, Low signal
Post by: chris431 on February 15, 2009, 06:29:25 PM: I'm experiencing the same issue with the DWA-556 and Windows 7 x64 - this card only connects at 54mbps despite having an excellent signal and connecting at 300mbps under Vista x64 without exception (using the 1/2009 Atheros driver available via Windows Update). The router being used is the DIR-825 and no other factor has changed.

I also suspect that it's the driver limiting the card to "g" (this was also an issue for some time under Vista x64 due to inadequate driver support). Attempts to install the newer Vista x64 driver have all failed and I'm forced to revert to the Win7 driver.

Has anyone successfully connected at 300mbps with this card under Window 7 x64?

Windows 7 would also reboot when I tried to shut it down. Only by disabling PME Event Wake-up was I able to resolve the issue but this prevents my waking the PC up via an IR Receiver/Remote.
Title: Re: Windows7 7000 Build, Low signal
Post by: santoniuk on March 04, 2009, 02:46:16 AM: I can confirm the two points form this thread

1) Windows 7 causes 54 Mbps speeds
2) Windows 7 will reboot if the bios is set with PME event wake up enabled.

Also, as systems move forward I see more an more 64 bit installs. Is there a way to beta test 64 bit windows 7 drivers to fix these issues?
Title: Re: Windows7 7000 Build, Low signal
Post by: santoniuk on March 04, 2009, 02:57:38 PM: Installed the vista 64 driver and am now getting 300 Mb

The Windows 7 driver is wrong it seems
Title: Re: Windows7 7000 Build, Low signal
Post by: chris431 on March 07, 2009, 08:42:34 PM: Could you direct me to the vista64 driver you used (or revision)? I tried multiple versions of the vista64 driver (including the most recent downloaded from MSFT's update catalog) and each of them caused a BSOD during installation of the driver (& would not complete the installation). Thanks.

Quote from: santoniuk on March 04, 2009, 02:57:38 PM
Installed the vista 64 driver and am now getting 300 Mb

The Windows 7 driver is wrong it seems
Title: Re: Windows7 7000 Build, Low signal
Post by: arod on March 09, 2009, 08:54:18 AM: You can still use the Vista driver posted on our support site, If you're a 64bit machine download the 64bit driver version for vista.

http://support.dlink.com/products/view.asp?productid=DWA%2D556
Title: Re: Windows7 7000 Build, Low signal
Post by: santoniuk on March 09, 2009, 05:00:45 PM: Oh and DO NOT run the setup. Instead extract the file and let device menager update the driver by browsing for files.

No offence Dlink but you and ever other hardware manufacturer must use the same lousy auto update tools to write the little programs that seem to crash Windows so much (HP, I am looking at you!)
Title: Re: Windows7 7000 Build, Low signal
Post by: chris431 on March 12, 2009, 04:28:43 PM: Going through the normal update option results in Windows refusing to install the driver ("the best driver software for your device is already installed. Windows has determined the driver software for your devices is up to date."). However, going through the alternative install (have disk, etc.), I was able to install the older driver. That being said, it still crashed the PC but upon forced shutdown/reboot, it installed the older driver and it now indicates 300mbps.

A few issues to note:
(1) D-Link lists 2 drivers when you click Vista64. Version 1.3 which states that it "supports Windows 2000....Vista64" and is dated 8/7/2008 and version 7.3.1.42 that states it is a "driver for Vista 64" and is dated 12/17/2007. Driver Version 1.3 does not work for Windows 7 x64 despite stating it supports "Vista64." It makes little sense to list both drivers unless the listing is incorrect (or D-Link just likes to provide old drivers....er, like all of their drivers). From my testing, 1.3 does NOT support x64, despite the description to the contrary.
(2) The (working) Vista64 driver that D-Link directly provides (7.3.1.42) is long outdated. This would be irrelevant if the older drivers (including 7.3.1.42) weren't so flawed (see #3).
(3) The Vista64 drivers (including 7.3.1.42) are significantly flawed:
(a) Transfer Speeds - The older drivers will indicate a 300mbps connection but the actual transfer speeds are akin to 54mbps. In fact, the 64-bit drivers failed to deliver 300mbps speeds until the 12/08 (or 1/2009) drivers (note: 1.5MB/s transfers w/old drivers vs. 6-8MB/s with new drivers). The difference is everything (& the entire purpose of spending more on the purportedly faster product).
(b) New drivers are still significantly flawed - They fail to inter-operate with PME Wake Up Events resulting in sleep/wake-up/power-down issues. This applies to Vista (which will not properly sleep/wake-up b/c of this card) and Windows 7 (which will not even shut down properly unless you disable PME Wake Up Events in the bios and also suffers the same inability to properly sleep/wake-up).

In short, this card can't be recommended for 64-bit users unless they want to sacrifice other functions of their PCs and experience sub-par driver support. There is no excuse for these problems on a mature product that has been available for (nearly?) 2 years and carries a premium price.
Title: Re: Windows7 7000 Build, Low signal
Post by: j0lly on May 03, 2009, 04:05:17 PM: Ru-Fi-Oh:
Can you confirm this problem? Or preferably that it is sorted out?
Its not long before it hits the shelves, you must surely have tested your cards in win7 now?
Just to clarify. The problem has nothing to do with 300mbit. Im running 54 mbit in win7 32 bit.
The main problem is that the connection keeps dropping. And it shows as a low signal, but I don't care about that, I just want a stable connection. There is nothing wrong with the network, I have a perfectly stable connection in XP, with almost a 100% signal reading.
I don't know if the latest 7100 release candidate has updated (working) drivers?
Title: Re: Windows7 7000 Build, Low signal
Post by: arod on May 06, 2009, 10:11:33 AM: I don't have a board that support PCIe. I have tested the DWA-552 and that is pretty much the same thing and works.

I just received a copy of build 7100 of win 7 and will give it a try.
Title: Re: Windows7 7000 Build, Low signal
Post by: alkolkin on May 16, 2009, 08:10:21 PM: Quote from: Ru-Fi-Oh on May 06, 2009, 10:11:33 AM
I don't have a board that support PCIe. I have tested the DWA-552 and that is pretty much the same thing and works.

I just received a copy of build 7100 of win 7 and will give it a try.

This was posted on May 6. Today is May 16. Any luck on a newer driver?? I am running windows 7 Build 7100.

Al
Title: Windows7 7000 Build Low signal
Post by: EklerMenen on June 20, 2009, 05:15:56 AM: Ive installed windows 7 build 6.0.0.7022
And i have got a problem .. :S
When i put the internet cable into my computer it gets the bluescreen of death .. :S??
When i dont put the internet cable into my computer it works fine.. But i have no internet??

Is there any way to fix this problem ??
Title: Re: Windows7 7000 Build, Low signal
Post by: alkolkin on June 20, 2009, 07:05:13 AM: I have given up with Dlink on this issue. I have just rewired my house so that I can be wired wherever I am. Either Dlink does not read these forums, it does not know how to fix the problem, or Windows 7 is broken with regard to this. Somehow, I believe that it is Dlink's problem.
Title: Re: Windows7 7000 Build, Low signal
Post by: BOFslime on July 23, 2009, 09:12:24 AM: I actually had low signal issues in XP sp3, where I was trying just about everything I could think of; (, playing with antenna position, router position, locking to n only, g only, disabled 5ghz on my dir-825, current dlink drivers, newer atheos drivers, over and over). I was planning a fresh install anyways so I grabbed win7 to do it with. Installed build 7100 x64, and my signal strength nearly doubled (changing nothing else). I've done some additional changes and I'm now at good to excellent, where previous the best I could achieve was very poor to poor (and suffered from an fair amount of packet loss). It was so bad I was actually becoming quite disappointed with my purchase, but it seems win7 has sorted out all my problems, completely contrast to what this thread describes, so I just thought I'd share.

I would recommend that anyone having troubles should update their build, or wait for the RTM to be released to public (or if you have msdn get it there), and keep in mind that it is a beta os prior to this, so problems shouldn't be completely unexpected. I'm just glad it resolved my issues with xp drivers.
Title: Re: Windows7 7000 Build, Low signal
Post by: alkolkin on July 23, 2009, 10:36:18 AM: I had the problem with Windows 7 Build 7100, however, after calling D-Link, they resolved the problem. It turns out that the "Automatic" update of the firmware was not properly reflecting that I needed an update to the firmware. Once I updated the firmware to the latest version, all problems went away. So, in my view, the bug was in D-Link's automatic update function AND in that one-prior firmware that I had. It works wonderfully when it works wonderfully! LOL :D
Title: Re: Windows7 7000 Build, Low signal
Post by: BOFslime on July 23, 2009, 11:16:40 AM: firmware? I can find no info on the subject regarding the dwa-556. An automatic update apart of the driver install? and if so, how was it forced? I had idea's that something like this was what was causing my issues under XP, and that when the driver was installed (default included driver in win7) after installing win7, that the microcode was updated.
Title: Re: Windows7 7000 Build, Low signal
Post by: alkolkin on July 23, 2009, 11:21:00 AM: No, this was for the D-Link DIR-655 router connecting to the D-Link DWA 556 adapter. Sorry for the confusion that I caused. I thought initially that it was the adapter, but it was the router.
Title: Re: Windows7 7000 Build, Low signal
Post by: arod on July 23, 2009, 04:04:03 PM: As far as I know win7 is up to build 7201
Title: Re: Windows7 7000 Build, Low signal
Post by: alkolkin on July 23, 2009, 04:09:25 PM: Actually, Windows 7 has been Released to Manufacturing and the RTM Build number is 7600.16385, but very few of us have it. The latest build released to the public was 7100. RTM will be released to Technet on 8/8 and to the public on 10/22
Title: Re: Windows7 7000 Build, Low signal
Post by: nullsign on September 10, 2009, 04:01:58 PM: *** Confirmed Problem ***

I'm using 64 bit Windows 7 RTM Build (What will be retail in a few days). The only driver I have that kinda works, ignoring the low signal, constant drops out, and BSOD - is the;

Atheros Communications Inc - 2.0.0.74 (6/9/2009)

it reports that it connects at 300Mbps, but real speed is more like 15Mbps (at best), typically does 3Mbps. I have no issues with Wireless N on my other computers, the wifi hub is the D-Link DIR-855.
Title: Re: Windows7 7000 Build, Low signal
Post by: nullsign on September 11, 2009, 03:58:27 PM: bad driver.

Spoke with D-Link Support, official line is this card is not supported by Windows 7.
Title: Re: Windows7 7000 Build, Low signal
Post by: steveruthless on October 27, 2010, 05:53:19 AM: just bought dwa 556 today..bluescreen coming when finish install the driver that include in the cd..updated using the new atheros driver, the bluescreen fix, but the are no signal...3 antennas but no signal..so unsatisfied,using dwa usb adapter i can reach a good signal from the same location..why?