Small community here I know but maybe someone has experienced this.
I recently jumped back into Linux desktop gaming and built a new machine and while most things work pretty well out of the box, I noticed that the wifi constantly drops out when under constant use, like downloading a game from steam. I’m thinking that it’s a driver issue (Realtek RTL8922AE chipset) since none of the other machines are experiencing anything like this.
Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?
Have you tried it with Windows? I hate to offer that as a testing point, but maybe a spare hard drive with a Win install can help you determine if it’s hardware or software related. Or maybe you can test the card in a different Windows machine.
I mention this, because your description reminds me of when my Wi-Fi card was in the process of dying. Would connect sometimes, drop out at others, cycling would sometimes fix the issue and sometimes not. If your card is dropping out randomly, you need to see if it’s a wonky driver in Linux or dying hardware. If it works perfectly in Windows (stress test it), suspect a driver issue.
You said you recently built this machine, but is the card new as well?
The chip is part of the new motherboard, I doubt it’s a hardware issue but your right it could be defective and yeah the thought did cross my mind to install Windows 10 and the updated drives but damn that’s a large task when with these new boards have the m.2 slots are all behind the GPU.
Sigh, the perils of gaming on Linux I suppose.
I think it’s just the perils of owning a computer 😉
I was able to figure my bad Wi-Fi card issue out by doing it in reverse (Windows to Linux), and seeing the issue persist. Replaced the card and everything works again.
Another thing you might try is reseating the Wi-Fi card. It’s probably some sort of m.2 E-key deal if it came with the board, though it may be surrounded by a housing or the VRM heatsink (usually removable, but still a hassle).
Another thing I gotta ask is: you’re using antennas, right? I’ve seen posts from people before who build a new computer but don’t know that you have to use external antennas for desktop PCs. I don’t mean to impugn your intelligence, but it’s one of those things that unfortunately doesn’t go without saying.
If you do find out that the Wi-Fi card is the culprit, RMA that sucker. You should get non-broken hardware if it’s brand new!