Driver Support/ knowledgebase/ A6210 Wi-Fi Adapter and Windows 10 Problems

A6210 Wi-Fi Adapter and Windows 10 Problems

The Netgear A6210 Wi-Fi adapter is a popular device for wireless connectivity in cases where onboard network radios aren’t available on your PC.

Netgear implemented improvements with its latest drivers and the device supports Beamforming+ connectivity, although it’s only available if you’re also using a Netgear router that supports this technology.

A6210 WiFi Adapter and Windows 10 Problems

However, if your internet connection keeps dropping, it can be very frustrating for users. The A6210 Wi-Fi adapter and Windows 10 problems already started appearing in Windows 8.1, while in Windows 7 these problems didn’t exist.

Since Windows 7’s support will end in 2019, this article will show you how to fix Netgear A6210 on Windows 10.

Network Interrupted
Network Interrupted

Netgear Genie Software Issues

Netgear provides two different setup applications, one with Genie software included and another standalone version of the software.

Since the release of the latest versions, some users have noted that actually, both versions contain Genie, although the standalone package does a silent install in the background.

The Genie software does not work well with Windows 10, so you’ll need to revert to using an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) driver.

Using the MediaTek Driver Instead of Netgear Genie Software

Netgear Genie bundles different product drivers into the installer. For many users, this creates an issue where the internet connection will drop intermittently.

For the best results with Windows 10, the MediaTek Wireless LAN driver eliminates the issues with these disconnects.

Removing Netgear A6210 Genie Software

  1. First, you’ll need to uninstall Genie from your computer. Open the Control Panel by hitting the Windows Key and typing “Control Panel” into the search bar. From the search results, you need to click on the Control Panel icon to open the application.
Open Control Panel
Open Control Panel
  1. If your Control Panel uses Category View, change it to Small Icons to locate the Programs and Features application. If you are already using Small Icon View, skip this step.

Note Programs and Features is the standard application for adding or removing applications from your computer. If you’ve downloaded and installed either version of Genie, you will need to remove the program, even if you’ve opted to use the standalone installer.

Change Category View
Change Category View
  1. Locate the Programs and Features application from the list of available software and click on the icon to start the program.
Start Programs and Features Application
Start Programs and Features Application
  1. From the list of applications in the Programs view, scroll down and locate the Netgear A6210 Genie software.
Locate Netgear A6210 Genie Software
Locate Netgear A6210 Genie Software
  1. Open the context menu by clicking on the Netgear A6210 Genie icon with the Right Hand Mouse Button (RHMB).
RHMB on Genie Software
RHMB on Genie Software
  1. From the Context Menu, select Uninstall to start the software removal process.
Start Uninstall Process
Start Uninstall Process
  1. Wait for the InstallShield Wizard to load. Once the window appears, choose the Remove option from the Dialogue and click Next to continue.
Uninstall Netgear Genie
Uninstall Netgear Genie
  1. You’ll receive a prompt to confirm you want to remove Netgear Genie from your PC. Click Yes to continue uninstalling the software.
Confirm Uninstall
Confirm Uninstall
  1. A progress bar will show you the uninstall process’s progress. Wait for the uninstaller to complete before proceeding.
  2. Once the Netgear Genie software uninstalls, you’ll see a success notification page. You should click Next to proceed with the process.
Complete Uninstall Process
Complete Uninstall Process
  1. Finally, you’ll receive a prompt to remove the wireless USB 3.0 adapter from your computer. Physically disconnect the Netgear A6210 wireless dongle from your USB port before clicking OK.
Remove Wireless Adapter and Click OK
Remove Wireless Adapter and Click OK
  1. Although you won’t receive a prompt to restart your computer, you should do so anyway to ensure Windows removes all Netgear Genie components and registry entries. You can close the Programs and Features and Control Panel applications (along with any other applications currently open) and restart the PC. Remember to save any files before closing and restarting the computer.
  2. After the PC restarts, you can now update the adapter driver by following the steps below.

Updating the Netgear Adapter Driver with the MediaTek Equivalent

The following steps are complex, so you’ll need to pay close attention to each step before executing the process on your PC.

You will initiate the Genie software and connect the adapter, but you’ll need to prevent the Genie software from completely installing.

If at any point you make a mistake, you will have to restart this process from the start and once again uninstall Genie before returning to this section. If you need to download the software, you can access the download from this page.

  1. Start the Genie Standalone installer package by locating it in your download folder and double-clicking on the file.
Start Genie Standalone Installer
Start Genie Standalone Installer
  1. Wait for the InstallShield Wizard to unpack the contents before accepting the license agreement when prompted by clicking on “I agree”.
Accept Genie License Agreement
Accept Genie License Agreement
  1. Once you click Next, the Genie software will reinstall and you’ll see a progress bar to track the installation process.
Installation Progress Bar
Installation Progress Bar
  1. During the install process, Netgear Genie will prompt you to connect the wireless adapter and click “Yes” to continue. It’s very important that you do not click on “Yes”. Connect the adapter and leave the prompt open before following the next steps.
Do Not Click Yes
Do Not Click Yes
  1. At this point, once you’ve connected the adapter, Windows will install a generic driver in the background. After connecting your Netgear A6210 Wi-Fi adapter, open the Device Manager by hitting the Windows Key and typing Device Manager in the Search Box. You can then select the top result to start Device Manager.
Open Device Manager
Open Device Manager
  1. In Device Manager, locate the Network Adapters section and expand the list to see the Microsoft WLAN USB Wireless LAN Stick device. Note it may have another name depending on your Windows version.
Locate WLAN USB Stick
Locate WLAN USB Stick
  1. Click on the device with the RHMB to open the Context Menu, and select Update Driver from the options.
Select Update Driver
Select Update Driver
  1. On the Update Driver screen, do not let Windows automatically search and install a driver. Instead, choose the option to “Browse my computer for driver software”.
Select Browse My PC
Select Browse My PC
  1. On the next window, select the “Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer” option.
Select from Available Drivers
Select from Available Drivers
  1. On the next window, untick the “Show compatible hardware” option and then scroll down to locate the MediaTek Inc. manufacturer from the list.
Locate MediaTek Drivers
Locate MediaTek Drivers
  1. Select the 802.11ac Wireless LAN Card Version 5.9.57.0 driver from the list on the left and click Next to install the driver.
Select MediaTek Wireless Drivers Version
Select MediaTek Wireless Drivers Version
  1. You may receive a warning from Windows about installing this software. Click Yes to install the drivers.
Proceed with Driver Install
Proceed with Driver Install
  1. Let Windows install the drivers.
Installing MediaTek Driver
Installing MediaTek Driver
  1. Once the installation completes, the adapter will now change in the Device Manager and you’ll see it listed as 802.11ac Wireless LAN Card. Use the RHMB to access the Context Menu and select Properties. Go to advanced settings and change the Selective Suspend setting to Disabled.
Disable Selective Suspend Setting
Disable Selective Suspend Setting
  1. Click OK to apply the new setting. You can now close the Device Manager and click Yes on the Genie Installer. You’ll receive a prompt that Netgear updated the device drivers. Your A6210 Wi-Fi adapter and Windows 10 problems should now no longer be an issue as you’re using the OEM driver provided by MediaTek.

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