Spontaneous WiFi disconnects

[Rob Q]

The one laptop in the living room keeps dropping out and I have no idea why.
Device 1: "Living room" is my one Roku
Device 2: "Laptop-xxxxxxxxx" is the laptop that keeps disconnecting.
Am I looking at a signal issue? It does bounce around between -63 dBm and -69 dBm. I haven't caught it at the point when it disconnects.

May 14 16:03:51 syslog: WLCEVENTD wlceventd_proc_event(401): eth2: Disassoc (laptop MAC ID), status: 0, reason: Disassociated because sending station is leaving (or has left) BSS (8)
May 14 16:03:51 syslog: WLCEVENTD wlceventd_proc_event(386): eth2: Deauth_ind (laptop MAC ID) status: 0, reason: Deauthenticated because sending station is leaving (or has left) IBSS or ESS (3)
May 14 16:03:55 syslog: WLCEVENTD wlceventd_proc_event(420): eth2: Auth (laptop MAC ID), status: 0, reason: d11 RC reserved (0)
May 14 16:03:55 syslog: WLCEVENTD wlceventd_proc_event(449): eth2: Assoc (laptop MAC ID), status: 0, reason: d11 RC reserved (0)

 

[OzarkEdge]

The one laptop in the living room keeps dropping out and I have no idea why.
Device 1: "Living room" is my one Roku
Device 2: "Laptop-xxxxxxxxx" is the laptop that keeps disconnecting.
Am I looking at a signal issue? It does bounce around between -63 dBm and -69 dBm. I haven't caught it at the point when it disconnects.

View attachment 23477
May 14 16:03:51 syslog: WLCEVENTD wlceventd_proc_event(401): eth2: Disassoc (laptop MAC ID), status: 0, reason: Disassociated because sending station is leaving (or has left) BSS (8)
May 14 16:03:51 syslog: WLCEVENTD wlceventd_proc_event(386): eth2: Deauth_ind (laptop MAC ID) status: 0, reason: Deauthenticated because sending station is leaving (or has left) IBSS or ESS (3)
May 14 16:03:55 syslog: WLCEVENTD wlceventd_proc_event(420): eth2: Auth (laptop MAC ID), status: 0, reason: d11 RC reserved (0)
May 14 16:03:55 syslog: WLCEVENTD wlceventd_proc_event(449): eth2: Assoc (laptop MAC ID), status: 0, reason: d11 RC reserved (0)

Try a different fixed channel. Don't use same channel as Roku's Remote WiFi Direct AP. Use a WiFi Analyzer app to see what WiFi signals are around you.

Upgrade laptop WiFi adaper OEM driver.

Check/reseat laptop WiFi card/antenna connections (be gentle). Replace card, if suspect.

OE

 

[Rob Q]

Could it be one of these settings?
As for the Roku AP channel, it seems to use the channel that I am using. Currently, it's on ch. 153 because that is what the router is using. If I change the router's channel to 157, I'm pretty sure the Roku will follow.

 

[K-2SO]

Could it be one of these settings?

Yes. Roaming Aggressiveness.
Do you have Roaming Assistant enabled on the router?

 

[Rob Q]

Yes. Roaming Aggressiveness.
Do you have Roaming Assistant enabled on the router?

Roaming Assistant is disabled and for Roaming Aggressiveness the options are low, medium and high. Currently it's set to medium.

 

[K-2SO]

low, medium and high. Currently it's set to medium.

Try with Low. More info:
https://www.intel.ca/content/www/ca...5546/network-and-i-o/wireless-networking.html
It's for Intel cards, but the meaning is the same.

 

[OzarkEdge]

Where's it going to roam to?

OE

 

[OzarkEdge]

As for the Roku AP channel, it seems to use the channel that I am using. Currently, it's on ch. 153 because that is what the router is using. If I change the router's channel to 157, I'm pretty sure the Roku will follow.

Is it an old Roku... the one that follows your WiFi signal around, increases its own AP signal power, and interferes with your wireless clients? If it's that, I'd replace it with a newer Roku. My Roku Ultra WiFi Direct AP sits on ch 36.

Unplug your Roku to see if your laptop connection improves... it should be doing better than 263 Mbps on 5.0 AC.

OE

 

[Rob Q]

Is it an old Roku... the one that follows your WiFi signal around, increases its own AP signal power, and interferes with your wireless clients? If it's that, I'd replace it with a newer Roku. My Roku Ultra WiFi Direct AP sits on ch 36.

Unplug your Roku to see if your laptop connection improves... it should be doing better than 263 Mbps on 5.0 AC.

OE

The Roku is the 2016 model.

 

[Rob Q]

Where's it going to roam to?

OE

I haven't read that article yet but is that why Windows 10 isn't seeing my 2.4 GHz network even though the WiFi radio is turned on?

Also, the neighbors 2.4 and 5 Ghz networks are very strong. They are on a different operating channel though. Maybe the laptop is trying to roam to there?

 

[L&LD]

It can't roam there unless you have previously connected to those networks.

If you have, 'forget' the networks and reboot.

 

[CaptainSTX]

If you are using even a newer Roku its remote uses the same channel as the Roku unit is connected to.

If you are using an ASUS router with the WiFi Radar option you will see the remotes with a network name \x00\x00..... 20 Mhz bandwidth with the same control channel as the WiFi radio that your Roku is connecting with. Signal strength will probably be lower than the router's signal strength.

I have two Rokus both connected on the 5 Ghz with the remotes using the same channel and this has never caused a problems or at least a problem I have noticed.

The only way you can get the Roku to use a different channel in your case is to connect your Roku using the 2.4 Ghz radio while leaving your laptop on the 5 Ghz radio. You should have more than enough bandwidth on 2.4Ghz for even 4K streaming. If you are in a very congested WiFi environment using 2.4 Ghz may not work well since 2.4 Ghz signal's range is greater than 5 Ghz but you can try and see what happens. Before trying this you might want to just unplug the Roku and see if anything improves as other posters have suggested.

 

[OzarkEdge]

If you are using even a newer Roku its remote uses the same channel as the Roku unit is connected to.

Ah, my Roku is wired... maybe that keeps its Remote AP fixed to channel 36 here.

OE

 

[OzarkEdge]

The Roku is the 2016 model.

Unplug it to see if it helps.

OE

 

[K-2SO]

Where's it going to roam to?

In theory, without other APs present, the connection must hold. In practice, some just disconnect.

 

[Rob Q]

Okay, I changed the roam setting to the lowest. I moved the antennas around and cleared the shelf unit the router was on and the connection seems to be more stable.

 

[Rob Q]

Unplug it to see if it helps.

OE

I did think of replacing it with a newer model but it still works great. I doubt unplugging it will help since the WiFi signal on that one side of the house is poor.

 

[OzarkEdge]

I doubt unplugging it will help

Then you risk being ignored! How hard is it to unplug the Roku for a few hours!

OE

 

[Rob Q]

Then you risk being ignored! How hard is it to unplug the Roku for a few hours!

OE

Forgot to mention that I'll do it anyway for process of elimination!

 

[Rob Q]

The Roku draws it's power from the TV's USB port, so whenever the TV turns on, the Roku starts up. The USB port is only powered when the TV is on. But yeah, will keep an eye on it for sure. The TV. Roku and laptop are all powered up and connected to the router so we'll see what happens.