Chromebook crashing WiFi once connected

[britechguy]

Got a call this morning from a potential client who states, and in a way that I believe her, that her WiFi is just fine (and Comcast was even out to replace the modem-router) but as soon as she connects her Chromebook to the WiFi network it freezes up then anything connected to WiFi suddenly loses its connection too - smart TV, smartphones, etc.

This, too, is another new one on me, and particularly since a Chromebook is involved and appears to be the trigger.

Any theories as to cause and/or fix?

 

[seashore]

Chromebook downloading a big update?

 

[britechguy]

Chromebook downloading a big update?

Why would that literally crash a cable modem WiFi system. It's not a matter of things becoming slow, at least not according to the description, but that WiFi is just gone for everything that had been connected to it. I will verify that a reboot of the modem-router is required, but don't have that information yet.

But nothing about what I do know sounds like "sluggish WiFi" nor should any ChromeOS download cripple the throughput on a cable modem-router.

Addendum: (Text message from potential client) When my Wi-Fi crashes and the TVs are not tetting a signal and everything else I'll turn the Wi-Fi off on the Chromebook and it usually comes right back and when it doesn't I just reset my modem.

 

[Philippe]

Check or change WiFi channel / frequency ?

 

[britechguy]

@Philippe

Thanks, and I will check that, but I still don't see why that would cause a sudden and catastrophic crash of WiFi only when a specific device connects to the network. That's the really weird part. It's just bringing things completely to its knees.

 

[Philippe]

Bad firmware.
In the past, I found out some WiFi cards respond strangely on some channels & work OK with others.

 

[timeshifter]

When Comcast replaced her equipment did they put in the same make and model equipment? I think the stuff the cable company puts in these days is decent, but it wasn’t too long ago it was mostly garbage.

 

[britechguy]

@timeshifter,

I don't know. This call just came in today. But I've been working with Comcast supplied equipment around these parts for well over a decade now and have never had any issues, and certainly not something quite this bizarre.

I wanted to do a bit of preliminary legwork here, presuming someone might have had something like this occur for them before. I certainly have not.

 

[GTP]

To rule out the Chromebook have you tried setting up a tablet or phone as a hotspot using the wifi?
Connect the Chromebook to the hotspot and see what happens.

 

[britechguy]

@GTP

An excellent diagnostic suggestion. Duly noted.

 

[John Kennedy]

Sounds like the Chromebook is putting out a ton of bad data on the network or is infected in some way. Wipe/rebuild might be in order as well. Fairly simple to do. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/...i/pocpnlppkickgojjlmhdmidojbmbodfm?authuser=0

 

[nlinecomputers]

Sounds like the Chromebook is putting out a ton of bad data on the network or is infected in some way. Wipe/rebuild might be in order as well. Fairly simple to do. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/...i/pocpnlppkickgojjlmhdmidojbmbodfm?authuser=0

I've never heard of a Chromebook being infected. But anything is possible and as all the data lives in the cloud there is no reason not to try this..

The other possibility is that it has a bad network card and it is sending out damaged packets, causing some kind of packet storm.

Running Wireshark on another laptop on the same network may let you see what is going on when you flip on the bad Chromebook.

The exact make and model of this device might help. At least to see if there are service manuals or teardown videos on Youtube for it. (on the assumption that you'll need to replace the wifi card.)

 

[britechguy]

@nlinecomputers & @John Kennedy

Thanks to you both.

Given the low prices of most Chromebooks, if this thing were to have a bad network card I'd be way more inclined to get a nano-sized USB WiFi adapter or (if the device is several years old) to advise looking at a new one.

I believe that there is a PC on this network, so Wireshark would be a definite option as far as monitoring traffic goes.

I would like to thank each and every contributor to this little brainstorming session. I texted the client saying I have some options to try if she wants to set up an appointment, so it's up to her now.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Not sure that the Chromebook will have a driver for a USB adapter. It would have to download drivers and you need a working net connection to do so. If it has an ethernet port you can do that but many CBs don't have one.