Wifi keeps dropping out in evening [Solved]

[linexer2016]

I am not very technical and don't know what to look for.

Will this work?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-LINK-TL-WN7 ... 631&sr=8-4

Personally, I don't like USB wifi cards because they introduce the USB bus as a potential point of failure in the future. Since your husband has a desktop, I think that you should look in your local market for an internal wifi card like this:
https://www.canadacomputers.com/product ... _id=243157

Mileage does vary however, I can only attest that in years of using usb wifi dongles apart from what I've suggested with Realtek drivers being sometimes problematic to get working in some distros including MX, I've had nothing but success with them once successfully installed - especially when my router is some distance from the computer needing wifi. Indeed, external wifi dongles of the type I've described have for me been the only way to get a strong and consistent signal across many feet from the router. Again Spider, check out https://www.amazon.com/BrosTrend-1200Mb ... hdGY&psc=1

[Charlie Brown]

It's obvious that there's something that affects the signal etc. since it happens only at/after a certain time.

Yes, then the question: Then why doesn't it affect the other? Realteks are already problematic. You can try this, no harm:

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echo 'options rtl8192ce swenc=1' | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/rtl8192ce.conf

Reboot.

(It'll create a configuration file and you can remove any time you like, to revert back: sudo rm /etc/modprobe.d/rtl8192ce.conf )


If still not, try this (will overwrite the previous one) :

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echo 'options rtl8192ce ips=0 fwlps=0 swenc=1 debug=2' | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/rtl8192ce.conf

Reboot.


... But if you can:

Change router security to WPA2 only (from wpa/wpa2 etc..)
Change router channel from automatic to either 1 or 11 (preferably 1 )
Change 802.11 from b/g/n to b/g or g only (shortly: disable the n )

[linexer2016]

Charlie, you may be on the right track suggesting interference but such interference may also be reduced by a better wifi interface. Internal cards whilst neat and fine in some situations are less so when faced with conditions as Spider has described. Also, as we are not sure of her location although it may be the UK from her linked search of the small dongle she found, as far as I know, different countries have different wifi channel numbering.

[Charlie Brown]

... as far as I know, different countries have different wifi channel numbering.

For 2.4 GHz it's the same, just the last 3 (12, 13, 14 ) are not let / used in some countries:

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Ch.	Range:

12	2456–2478
13	2461–2483
14	2473–2495

[j2mcgreg]

Charlie, you may be on the right track suggesting interference but such interference may also be reduced by a better wifi interface. Internal cards whilst neat and fine in some situations are less so when faced with conditions as Spider has described. Also, as we are not sure of her location although it may be the UK from her linked search of the small dongle she found, as far as I know, different countries have different wifi channel numbering.

I think that interference can be discounted as the source due to the proximity of the desktop to the router. An interference source local to the desktop would also affect the router as well which would mean that they would both be offline.

I noticed this in her QSI:

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Memory: 3.31 GiB used: 2.94 GiB (88.8%)

If her husband does something like streaming video or playing a game at 9:00 pm his ram could be getting maxxed out causing the WiFi card to crash.
The specs for his motherboard:
https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/GA ... v-30/sp#sp
show that it can support up to 64 GB of DDR 3 ram. Since DDR3 ram is still widely available, he should add in at least another 4 GB (although I would add another 12 GB).

[SpidermansLegs]

I'm in London in the UK.

I didn't even know that streaming video could max out the ram, causing the wifi card to crash!

Would that explain why he can still, after this has happened, use his mobile as a hotspot and the wifi from this works perfectly fine?

[CharlesV]

If the computer is restarted when this happens, does the problem remain?

[Charlie Brown]

...
Would that explain why he can still, after this has happened, use his mobile as a hotspot and the wifi from this works perfectly fine?..

Then, just the opposite: not the card but something with the router.

[j2mcgreg]

...
Would that explain why he can still, after this has happened, use his mobile as a hotspot and the wifi from this works perfectly fine?..

Then, just the opposite: not the card but something with the router.

If that was the case, then it should affect her too --> right?

@SpidermansLegs

Please post your QSI. A comparison of the two might help us figure this out.

[timkb4cq]

I try to avoid usb wifi adapters with Realtek chips, which the one you asked about uses. The Linux kernel doesn't support most of them natively and manufacturers keep changing which chipsets they use with no notice so it's hard to tell if the third party realtek drivers MX does ship with will work. For example the 8811au, 8812au, 8812bu, 8821au, 8821cu, & 8821ce all use different drivers and there are some others with no working Linux drivers.
Something like this one with an Atheros chipset https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hacbop-802-11N ... 04&sr=8-11 is natively supported, as are most Mediatek & Intel wifi chipsets.