Windows 8.1 wifi limited dropping slow frustrating

Thanks for your help, I have been into the USB section all are upto date and un ticked windows power saver.

Will try for a while and see how it goes.

What was the USB make and model?

What you may have an issue with is actually the USB driver. press windows key + x > device manager > expand The USB section on the bottom > right click each one and choose update driver and if there is a power management tab click that and uncheck allow windows to turn this device off to save power.

What might happen is the USB thinks it isn't being used and it is putting it self to sleep and when it wakes up it messes with the connection. IF that doesn't help you may try and look on the manufactures web site for chipset and USB drivers to see if they have any updates. After you update make sure that check box is unchecked.

To answer your question this is a little long. There is a section you can use when you talk to device makers who hand off blame. What they are doing is like me buying a Honda and saying it doesn't work then they say you are going to need to talk to Ford.

A lot of companies say their devices are compatible with 8.1 because Windows can run most programs in compatibility mode all the way back to Windows 95. However, USB dongles go a little further then just a program. They are doing something that isn't a USB port is intended for. IT could be that the driver for the dongle is doing things with an older method that is no longer supported in 8.1.

Here is where you can check compatibility http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/compatibility/CompatCenter/Home this is different then a Windows 8.1 certified certificate from Microsoft which means they tested and approved it. That is the only way you can guarantee it is really going to work.

Windows defender won't cause an issue. The advantage there, as you pointed out, is it is made by Microsoft so when they update security or something having to do with network connectivity in windows their windows defender also gets updated before the updates are released.

If any company tells you it is a problem with Windows then tell them that Windows doesn't make drivers for your hardware and you are the ones selling it and making the money so you need to fix it. Tell them that windows provides you with a development platform called WDF https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/ff557565(v=vs.85).aspx

Tell them that according to Microsoft "A KMDF [kernel mode driver] or UMDF [user mode driver] driver is the software installed on the computer that communicates with the hardware to make the device function" which means windows makes the OS and the framework for the manufacture to make the driver only. They do not make the device function or provide any support to make sure the driver works when there are updates. If there is a bug in windows that effects the device the manufacture is supposed to contact Microsoft to enter a bug report. Then Microsoft will update WDF or Windows directly to fix it.

There are literally million of drivers. There is no way Microsoft could rewrite all of them or write Windows while worrying if a change in the OS will break some driver. Windows would be slow and it would take up 100GB of disk space and, as a programmer I know this first hand, it would take them years to fix a bug and test it against a million devices and a billion different combinations. It would be nice but it would be like making every car work with every part ever made for that car dating back 20 years.

I use a HP that has a graphics card made for video and image editing and a sony with a Linksys router. The HP was bought in 2007, the card 2008 the sony 2008 and the router was made in 2003. Out of all of those the only one that is actively supported is the graphics card which is good because I was having some issues with it about a year ago. Luckily they owned up and have released updates every month and it has been working better then ever. Windows 8.1 works well with older stuff if the older stuff was made correctly.

Hi thanks DanzIZme,

I will try and answer both posts.

Well it looks like you are saying it is differently software error or compatibility issues.

I  was running Win 7 Ult, then I decided to move over to Win 8.1 so I decided to have a clean install of Win 8.1 and the latest Office putting all this on a larger HD and taking the old Win 7 out.

The computer was upgraded by an IT company with all drivers installed and updated by them at the time of clean install.

Anti virus program I am using Windows Defender as it comes with the Windows and I would like to think that Windows as it is their own program should work well.

I have also contacted my server to find out about the ISP issues and they say there is nothing wrong with anything after being on the Telephone with them for an hour while they checked my line.

Looks like SherriSharp below as many others are having the same issues, I can understand that this all has only happened since installing Win 8.1 as Win 7 was running find and therefore I can understand that drivers etc need to be updated to be compatible to run on the new program from MS, but why does it take soooooooooooooooo long to get the updates out??

And WHY do they tell you that they are compatible (your going to say to sell the product)! If I contact one company they say it is the other.

The only way is to buy the latest Dongle or Router to keep up with the times, if they do not get the updates out fast enough, which is just another money making thing on their side!!

I will try something else.

I have even go so far as to wipe the hard drive clean and re install the windows 8.1  installed all the updates for windows and all the devices  am only running windows defender now and it works for about 6 hours like I said before then it just cuts out. I do know about computers as  I have a few techs in my family and they all say the same as most of the other techs I have spoken to it is a known issues with windows 8.1 I have windows 7 on my old laptop and no issues there at all and yes I was running the same anti-virus on that laptop and still have it on that one and still no issues. Everything worked fine until I switched to 8.1.