The wireless LAN connection fails or the speed is limited to 54 Mbps

You may experience connection issues, the selected data rate may be incorrect, or the transfer rate may not exceed 54 or 35 Mbps when connecting to a Wireless-N 802.11n router. These issues may occur for several reasons, including using the Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) or Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) encryption protocols.

NOTE: Here is some technical information if you are interested. The draft IEEE 802.11n protocol prohibits using High Throughput with WEP or TKIP as the unicast cipher. Also, the Intel® WiMAX/WiFi Link 5350, WiMAX/WiFi Link 5150, WiFi Link 5300, WiFi Link 5100 and Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN client drivers will connect using the legacy 802.11g protocol instead of failing to connect entirely, which complies with the 802.11n draft. The 802.11g protocol supports a maximum speed of 54 Mbps.

Use the following steps to resolve the issue:

IMPORTANT:

• Because each of these steps represents a possible solution to this issue, check the connection speed after completing each step.
• Use the manual provided with the wireless router or access point or contact the manufacturer directly for instructions about configuring the router.

1. Verify the computer supports the Wireless-N 802.11n protocol.

   NOTE:

2. Download and install the latest wireless LAN adapter driver update. Downloads are posted on your model support page.
3. Verify the wireless LAN adapter is configured to support the Wireless-N protocol.
4. Update the firmware version of the wireless router.
5. Disable packet bursting or similar features on the wireless router.
6. Use a wireless router that supports the High Throughput feature.
7. Change the channel width setting to auto on the wireless LAN adapter.
8. Change the radio band setting to auto on the wireless router.
9. Use one of the following encryption protocols instead of WEP or TKIP.
   • WPA2 encryption with AES
   • WPA2 encryption with TKIP

     NOTE: You may also disable encryption on the wireless router, but this is not recommended because of security issues.