Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Question

WAN Miniports

Aug 23, 2017 7:14AM PDT

Hi! So my friend's computer came back from repair (a dude we know), formatted, but the laptop lacked of drivers. So I installed them from Exper's site, but the Internet connection is still very much weak. When I compare his device manager to mine, this lacks of "WAN Miniports". I don't know much about computers, and it's an old one. Soooooo yeah. Any suggestions?

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Answer
Xpers site?
Aug 23, 2017 7:52AM PDT

What is that?

It best to get the drivers from the laptop maker's site.

Start with the chip set drivers and work your way up.

- Collapse -
Reply
Aug 23, 2017 7:57AM PDT

Exper, laptop company? That's what I did. It's not enough, as it seems.

- Collapse -
(NT) Post a link to this xper site.
Aug 23, 2017 8:12AM PDT
- Collapse -
Drivers
Aug 23, 2017 10:13AM PDT
- Collapse -
Drivers
Aug 23, 2017 7:43PM PDT

Is that the brand name that's written on the laptop?
Is this laptop running w7?
What was wrong with the laptop before it went in for service?
What was the fix?
Did this laptop have good wifi before going in for service?

See below about posting a speccy, that might give a clue.

- Collapse -
Answer
Re: miniports
Aug 23, 2017 8:55AM PDT

I don't think it has anything to do with the signal strength it reports.

- Collapse -
Answer
Simply no.
Aug 23, 2017 10:00AM PDT

You may not compare this and arrive at any sensible answer or conclusion. I suggest you put this aside and work the issues you need to rather than pop the hood and compare a Ford and a Tesla.

- Collapse -
Then
Aug 23, 2017 10:11AM PDT

Okay, like I said, I don't know much about computers. I'd like to know what would cause the problem. That's WHY I asked what could be the problem is, not to recieve sass.

- Collapse -
Didn't sass you.
Aug 23, 2017 10:18AM PDT

"Internet connection is still very much weak."

This is rarely a driver issue and may be the old problem that you are comparing a good at WiFi laptop to a not as good model. If you had supplied both make and models I would have checked out if reviews noted this.

The fix is not adding WAN miniports and I hope this isn't taken as sass but part of the answer. There are folk that get upset when dealing with technical problems. They usually get it and move on when the answer is not what they wanted to read.

So what would I do? I'd be sure the antennae leads are in place. I never unplug them but give them a little rotation left and right to be sure they are in place and to scrub the connection. It doesn't always help but did a few times and it costs nothing. I like paying nothing.

- Collapse -
I see that driver site.
Aug 23, 2017 10:21AM PDT

Interesting. Now try the laptop maker's site. Also if you can identify the WiFi card make and model you can share that and see if folk here can find a driver.

-> I do not expect a driver to improve number of bars or weak WiFi. But hey, it's free to try.

-> POST A SPECCY. It sometimes lists the machine detail and leads us to the intended drivers.
Read how at https://www.piriform.com/docs/speccy/using-speccy/publishing-a-speccy-profile-to-the-web