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I am using a Desktop computer with Ubuntu 22.04 on a motherboard Manufacturer: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. Product Name: ROG STRIX B350-F GAMING. Since the motherboard does not have WiFi incorporated, I have plugged an Asus PCE-AC56 PCIe card. However, the signal is not that great but only on certain days.

I also have a laptop with Ubuntu 22.04, but the WiFi connection is always good here.

What might be the reason for the inconstant bad behavior on the Desktop computer? The card is properly inserted in the slot, and the antenna is in place, yet sometimes the connection is very bad. It cannot be a provider problem since the connection is good on the laptop.

How can I check where the error is?

Thanks

Gigiux
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1 Answers1

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Compare Wi-Fi network results between your PC and the Android Wi-Fi Analyzer.

Procedure sugestion

  1. Install LinSSID: sudo apt-get install linssid
  2. Enable the Ubuntu WLAN interface, open the LinSSID application and click to Run button to start the wireless networks scanning.
  3. Watch the Quality and Signal columns and the values in the row concerning your network name (SSID).
  4. Use any Android smartphone (excluding Android version 9) and install some applications named Wi-Fi Analyzer, which are available in Google Play store.
  5. Go to the smartphone setting, enable Developer Mode and disable function named Wi-Fi scan throttling. This option is not present or not working in Android version 9. That is the reason why Android V9 is absolutely unsuitable for the Wi-Fi scanning. Its scanning interval is 30 s or more. You will spend a half of your life waiting for value refresh in your Android Analyzer App and your results still are not exact.
  6. Install Android application WiFi Signal Strength Meter (or eventually Pro version).
  7. Start the Wi-Fi Analyzer app, set the smallest scan time interval (e.g. 5 seconds).
  8. Watch the signal strength of your Wi-Fi network (your SSID).
  9. Do the same using the WiFi Signal Strength Meter.
  10. Compare the results between PC and Android analyzers.

Notes

Be patient during the measurement! It is necessary to wait tens of seconds to get new results, which are representative.

Use both wireless bands (2.4 and 5 GHz) and compare results. Find out which band is used by your Ubuntu PC and change it, if you get better results.

Observe the signal strength and stability. Compare results from Android and Ubuntu.

Linux Wi-Fi drivers are imperfect sometimes and then the connection is not stable and fast enough.

See if your network is in collision with another. Remember that in order for the nets not to interfere each other at all, there must be a distance of 5 channels between them in the 2.4 GHz band, e.g. 1 and 6 or 6 and 11 channels are OK.

Additional notes (edited)

The Wi-Fi signal is blocked by metal objects (desktop computer case, metal cabinet) or absorbed by objects containing the water (damp wall, rack with many books, big boxes full of paper, human body, trees...). Check the space between the WLAN NIC antenna on your desktop PC and your Wi-Fi access point. If antenna is on rear side of your PC, the PC case can be barrier for the radio waves. The situation can improve when you turn over the computer.

Remeber, that channel selection depends on the region. In the US (North America region) there are not allowed channels 12, 13 and 14. If you use device set for NA region, it cannot connect to channel 13 set in the AP in Europe. This is the explanation of the mystery of why some devices do not connect at all, when others with the same AP work normally.

netbat
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