I've been experiencing a sudden and severe drop in my PC's internet connection. My speeds are fluctuating wildly between 0.5 to 4 Mbps, with frequent complete outages lasting about 10 minutes. I use a TP-Link Archer TX20U Nano network adapter, which had been performing well for around a month until this issue started. Restarting my PC seems to give a temporary boost to the speed, but it's still unstable, with download times fluctuating way too much (like 1-4 hours one moment and 249 days the next).
I noticed that this problem began six days ago, likely right after a driver update for the TP-Link adapter, which makes me think that could be the culprit. I haven't turned on any non-essential Windows updates, and the update history shows no recent updates apart from security ones. Both of my housemates are having no issues with their internet, and my phone connectivity is fine, so I doubt it's a router issue. I also tested the TP-Link on another device, and it performed excellently there. So I'm leaning toward it being a software or settings issue rather than hardware.
Here's what I've tried so far:
1. Updated my BIOS.
2. Uninstalled and rolled back the network adapter driver to two previous versions.
3. Moved the TP-Link to a non-USB 3.0 port.
4. Disabled QoS settings.
5. Performed a full scan with Microsoft Defender along with an offline scan.
I'm wondering if perhaps some other settings were altered during the driver update that I'm not aware of.
2 Answers
Since you've already tested the TP-Link on another device with no issues, it seems like the adapter is likely fine. Have you considered the physical location of your PC? Sometimes walls or large metal objects can mess with signals, so if there's something new, like your housemates' kitchen table, it might be worth checking. Even if the wall was there when it was working before, any new placement of large appliances could interfere. Just a thought!
You might want to dive into the network settings on your PC. Sometimes after a driver update, certain settings can get adjusted automatically. Double-check things like your DNS settings or any advanced options in the adapter properties. Additionally, consider running a network diagnostic tool to see if it can pinpoint any specific issues. It's frustrating, but there could be an unseen conflict that a tool could help with.
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