Recommended Settings for 802.11ac Connectivity
Below are the default and recommended settings for Intel® Wireless Adapters supporting 802.11ac. Use this page as a reference to return your system settings to these defaults if they’ve been changed. See more detailed info and how to change these settings under the Advanced tab of the Windows* Device Manager properties.
| Note | Update your adapter and wireless router software. Use the Intel® Driver & Support Assistant to update your Intel® Drivers. |
Default/recommended settings
| Property | Value |
| Channel Width for 5GHz | Auto (Access Point determines width) |
| Roaming Aggressiveness | Medium |
| Throughput Booster | Disabled |
| Transmit Power | Highest |
| 802.11a/b/g Wireless Mode or Wireless Mode | Dual-band 802.11a/b/g or 802.11a/b/g |
| 802.11n/ac Wireless Mode or HT Mode | 802.11ac or VHT Mode |
| Note | The setting 802.11n/ac Wireless Mode or HT Mode determines the supported data rates, or Throughput mode, where:
|
Make sure your Access Point (AP) or Wi-Fi router supports the 5 GHz frequency band, and configured for 11ac mode.
If you aren't sure if the AP is configured for 11ac, contact your AP manufacturer.
Key settings related to 11ac
| Note | The actual name and feature of the setting may vary depending on the AP. Check the user manual or contact your AP manufacturer for details. |
- Channel
This setting controls the channel your AP uses to communicate with client devices on your Wi-Fi network.
Most APs should have this set to Auto by default. We don't recommend changing this setting unless you:
- Have a good understanding of Wi-Fi channels
- Know how to determine the least congested channel in your environment
- Channel Width
For optimal performance and compatibility, enable support for all channel widths. If configured for 40MHz only or 80MHz only, this setting prevents legacy devices that support only 20MHz from connecting to the AP.
- (Wireless) Mode
This setting controls the type of Wi-Fi devices (802.11a/b/g/n/ac) that can connect to the AP.
For optimal performance and compatibility, enable support for all wireless modes.
If configured for 11ac mode only, legacy devices that support only 11n or 11a/g aren't able to connect to the AP.