Windows 8.1: WiFi dropping and/or "Limited"

Thanks, Radster

1I had the same problem with my Toshiba Satellite after upgrading from Win 8 to 8.1 and installing the Windows 8.1 update and the other Windows updates this week.

This is what worked for me (so far- 6 hours without a problem):

1. open Control Panel> Device Manager
2. click on Network Adapters
3. select the adapter (wireless, ethernet, etc) that is giving you the problems
4. Right-click and select Properties
5. click the Driver tab and select Update Driver
6. Choose the option to let you select the driver manually. DO NOT choose to let Windows automatically select the driver.
7. If another screen comes up offering to let you Pick From a List of Drivers on your computer, choose that.
8. Choose an older version of the driver from the manufacturer of your adapter. It is likely to be showing the manufacturer name rather than Microsoft; the newest version probably shows Microsoft. For me, it had to be a driver dated prior to October 2013. (You won't see the date until after you select a new driver and then look at the Properties tab again)

This has solved my problem at least for now. At some point I plan to go the manufacturer's website to look for new, 8.1 compatible adapter. But I'm leaving well enough alone for the moment since things are working OK.

Credit to H. Scott Leviant for suggesting this procedure:

http://goo.gl/vRbekV

For those still having the problem. The symptoms are after a Windows 8.1 update are that:

1. Waiting for... appears
2. Diagnostics say it is a gateway issue.
3. Other computers updated do not have the problem.
4. All TCP IP changes and DNS hard coding does not work.
5. Other local computers cannot be seen on the network.
6. Connection speed showing 77.2 instead of 150 for speed.
7. Dropped packets.
8. Periodic security failures.
9. Frequent disconnects reconnects.

I have a Toshiba Satellite S55d with an Athernos adapter and the problem started right after the April 8th 2014 update.

The solution:

Upgrade the firmware on my Netgear Nighthawk Router. The latest version turned off some layer of security for WPA2-PSK for "standards compliance"....

The Toshiba appeared instantly after the reboot of the new firmware and ie is now instantaneous.

Not sure why some have this problem but mine struck 1 out of 4 wndows 8.1 machines.

Note the Nighthawk is a new SOA router and I had been keeping the bios updated.

Good luck to all. It is not a hardware issue.

Radster

Guys, if you are having troubles with Wifi that just suddenly appeared recently and no changes in your settings, it could be some F*D up Windows Update. 

Since we don't know which one is responsible, you can just do a mass rollback to some previous date and see if that helps.

Otherwise, you're going to have to reinstall Windows from scratch and take care NOT to apply any updates. 

It seems like someone needs to go postal at MSFT for this issue to be even acknowledged, much less fixed.

my is the same way my will work great for days sometime then it drops every 30-40 mins an it so annoying

It starting to happen to me to and it **** me off