Wifi/Bluetooth in Windows10 on MacBook Pro 2017

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Level 1

12 points

Wifi/Bluetooth in Windows10 on MacBook Pro 2017

Hey guys,

I recently purchased my first Mac, a MacBook Pro 15" 2017. I absolutely LOVE it. However, I have worked out all the little glitches except one, and it is driving me mad.

In Windows if I connect to my home wifi, it is constant laggy, disconnecting and reconnecting, etc. In MacOS, it works perfectly. I've taken it to friend's houses as well as Internet Cafes, same thing. The wifi has no problem in MacOS but is constantly disconnecting and reconnecting/lagging in Windows. In what seems to be a connected issue, I cannot pair my Bluetooth mouse (Razer Orochi) to Windows either. It lags and constantly disconnects the same as the wifi, which makes me believe the two are connected.

I have been searching both here and elsewhere on the net exhaustively and although many people have posted with the same issue in the last year or two, I haven't been able to find a single post that explained how/if they solved it. Everyone seems to zone in to the Broadcom 801.11ac Network Adapter driver. I have tried both the current .73 and rolling it back to the previous .68 and neither solve the issue.

As far as I know I have done everything correctly, I fully updated the Mac, saved a copy of the Bootcamp software to a thumb drive, did the Windows 10 install through Bootcamp and installed the Bootcamp software.

I would be delighted to hear any suggestions or provide any further information that might help uncover the issue.

Thanks!

MacBook Pro TouchBar and Touch ID, Windows 10, null

Posted on Jun 17, 2018 11:17 PM

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Answer 1

gchildX Author

Level 1

12 points

Jun 18, 2018 12:20 PM in response to Loner T

I'd love to be able to do that, but being on disability and in school, there's no money for a retail copy of Windows. I only have a copy of Windows at all because I get it free from the school. I'm not sure why that would affect anything though, as it seems people with all sorts of versions have been having this same issue. It all seems to come down to the version of the Broadcom wifi driver that I have. Everyone I've read about had either the same version as I have, or the previous one I rolled back to. I'd love to get an earlier one to try but I don't how to go about that.

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Answer 2

Loner T

Level 9

59,513 points

Jun 18, 2018 3:00 PM in response to gchildX

The ISO for the retail version is freely available at Download Windows 10 Disc Image (ISO File). It requires a valid license after 30 days, only if you plan to keep it. As a test, you can install it and check the BT/WiFi. If that works, you can install the Education version with a valid license on top of the Retail version and then activate the Education version.

The .68 and .73 are not valid for 2017 Macs, because it has a different chipset. There is also a dependency on the Mac hardware model, and your is much newer than the models which had issues with the two versions you mention.

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Answer 3

gchildX Author

Level 1

12 points

Jun 18, 2018 8:13 PM in response to Loner T

The drivers not being valid for my MacBook is bizarre, cuz I didn't pick them, they're the ones the Bootcamp Software installed. Crazy. Anyways, I am installing the retail version as you suggested, will update you shortly.

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Answer 4

Loner T

Level 9

59,513 points

Jun 19, 2018 3:45 AM in response to gchildX

gchildX wrote:

The drivers not being valid for my MacBook is bizarre, cuz I didn't pick them, they're the ones the Bootcamp Software installed.

In About This Mac -> System Report -> Wireless (WiFi), can you post the details of the WiFi/BT card?

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Answer 5

gchildX Author

Level 1

12 points

Jun 19, 2018 2:24 PM in response to Loner T

Absolutely, see below. Also, installing with the fresh Windows10 ISO didn't change anything, Boot Camp still installed the same drivers it had before and the wifi is still behaving the same way.

Software Versions:

CoreWLAN: 13.0 (1350.1)

CoreWLANKit: 13.0 (1350.1)

Menu Extra: 13.0 (1361.7)

System Information: 12.0 (1300.1)

IO80211 Family: 12.0 (1200.12.2)

Diagnostics: 1.0 (805)

AirPort Utility: 6.3.8 (638.9)

Interfaces:

en0:

Card Type: AirPort Extreme (0x14E4, 0x173)

Firmware Version: Broadcom BCM43xx 1.0 (7.77.37.31.1a9)

Locale: FCC

Country Code: CA

Supported PHY Modes: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac

Supported Channels: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 100, 104, 108, 112, 116, 120, 124, 128, 132, 136, 140, 144, 149, 153, 157, 161, 165

Wake On Wireless: Supported

AirDrop: Supported

AirDrop Channel: 149

Auto Unlock: Supported

Status: Connected

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Answer 6

Loner T

Level 9

59,513 points

Jun 19, 2018 2:50 PM in response to gchildX

On the Windows side, what is the current WiFi driver version?

We should also check properties of your home wifi. .68 prefers 802.11ac, while .73 prefers 802.11n. Channel width greater than 40 mHz also causes issues. Does the current driver properly anywhere that you have tried to use it?

Also, power management of the wifi card should be disabled.

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Answer 7

gchildX Author

Level 1

12 points

Jun 19, 2018 3:23 PM in response to Loner T

Current Windows Driver info:

Broadcom 802.11ac Network Adapter

Driver Provider: Broadcom

Driver Date: 2016-11-21

Driver Version: 7.35.118.68

Digital Signer: Microsoft Windows Hardware Compatibility Publisher

I originally had the .73 but I tried the Roll Back and ended up with these which have the exact same problem.

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Answer 8

Jun 28, 2018 2:24 AM in response to gchildX

Hi gchildX,

I did not have the Wifi issues but I did have issues connecting my BT mouse in W10 under Bootcamp and fixed this with the following changes in my settings:

1. Make sure that the Bluetooth mouse is disconnected in the mac partition. You cannot link the same mouse in both mac and W10 partition for some reason...

2. In the Device Manager Uncheck the setting "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" in the following locations:

- Bluetooth > Bluetooth Radio > Settings > Power Management

- Human interface devices > Bluetooth Low ENergy GAT compliant HIID device > Settings > Power Management

(the latter was only required after the April-18 update)

3. in the device manager go to:

Broadcom 802.11ac > Settings > Advanced > Bluetooth Collaboration and disable this.

This got my BT mouse working properly but point 3 might impact the Wifi as mentioned earlier.

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Answer 9

Loner T

Level 9

59,513 points

Jun 18, 2018 12:57 AM in response to gchildX

Which specific release of W10 are you using?

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Answer 10

gchildX Author

Level 1

12 points

Jun 18, 2018 7:16 AM in response to Loner T

I'm a student, so using the student copy available to me. Windows 10 Education, ver 1803, build 17134.112.

64-bit version of course.

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Answer 11

Loner T

Level 9

59,513 points

Jun 18, 2018 7:51 AM in response to gchildX

As a test, can install the Retail W10 1803 and check if WiFi/BT work better?

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Answer 12

Loner T

Level 9

59,513 points

Jun 19, 2018 5:43 PM in response to gchildX

On the macOS side, if you Alt+Click on the WiFi icon, you will see details of the connection. Can you post a screen shot showing this information? Do you have a second Mac?

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Answer 13

Loner T

Level 9

59,513 points

Jun 19, 2018 5:54 PM in response to gchildX

You should enable BT/WiFi Collaboration in the settings for WiFi Adapter.

Also, Disable “Allow the computer to turn off the device to save power” for all WiFi adapters to prevent issues.

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Wifi/Bluetooth in Windows10 on MacBook Pro 2017

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