TP Link AX1800 Archer TX20U Plus Settings to Fix Frequent Disconnect of Wifi Hotspot (Xfinity)

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How to Fix Frequent Disconnects of the TP Link AX1800 Archer TX20U Plus

If you are experiencing frequent disconnects when using a TP Link AX1800 Archer TX20U Plus Wifi Adapter, especially when connecting to an Xfinity Wifi Hotspot, it may be due to the Roaming Sensitivity Level. The following settings can fix this issue.

Quick Start

1. In Windows, click Start.
2. Search for Device Manager.
3. Navigate to Network Adapters.
4. Right-click on TP-Link Wireless USB Adapter and select Properties.
5. Click on the Advanced tab.
6. Select the option Roaming Sensitivity Level and set the value to Disable.
7. If your Mobile Hotspot disconnects frequently, rollback your TP-Link driver to Archer TX20U Plus(US)_V1_5001.15.129.0_Win10_Win11.
8. If your xfinitywifi speed is very low (< 6 Mbps), select the option Preferred Band and set the value to 2. 2.4G first.

About Roaming Sensitivity Level

A WiFi adapter's roaming sensitivity level (or Roaming Aggressiveness) is the rate that the adapter will switch available Wifi access points (i.e., Xfinity wifi hotspot signals). This is based on signal strength and quality, not distance to the WiFi adapter.

Levels

• Very High: Triggers roaming scan when signal strength is still good, continuously tracking the Wifi quality and switching.
• High: Triggers roaming scan when signal strength is good.
• Middle: Triggers roaming scan when signal strength is medium.
• Low: Triggers roaming scan when signal strength is low.
• Very Low: Triggers roaming scan when signal strength is very low, keeping the same Wifi hotspot unless the connection is very poor.
• Disable: Disables the roaming scan completely, preventing the hotspot from dropping the connection to find alternatives.

If your wifi adapter is frequently disconnecting, if may be due to the Roaming Sensitivity Level triggering a wifi hotspot search too often. This is especially problematic if your Xfinity wifi mobile hotspot signal fluctuates between poor/medium quality. In this case, it may be better to disable the roaming sensitivity complete to prevent the connection from dropping.

Expected Internet Speed for Xfinity Hotspots

When using a Wifi adapter to pickup an Xfinity wifi hotspot to relay through your PC within your house, you can expect an Internet speed of around 30 Mbps.

Anywhere between 20-35 Mbps is considered expected speed. If your speed is lower, try adjusting the position of the wifi adapter, placing it in a window (between the screen and glass, so that it's facing outside), or moving it higher in the house.

Best Position for a TP Link AX1800 Wifi Adapter

I've found the best position is in a window, between the screen and glass, with the front of the wifi adapter (with the blue light) facing outwards towards the hotspot (i.e., facing towards the street).

Listing Available Networks

Open a command prompt and use the following command to see details about available xfinitywifi signals in your area.

netsh wlan show networks mode=bssid

Example output

Interface name : Wi-Fi
There are 1 networks currently visible.

SSID 1 : xfinitywifi
    Network type            : Infrastructure
    Authentication          : Open
    Encryption              : None
    BSSID 1                 : aa:1c:12:d5:b4:f1
         Signal             : 55%
         Radio type         : 802.11ax
         Band               : 5 GHz
         Channel            : 157
         Bss Load:
             Connected Stations:         1
             Channel Utilization:        59 (23 %)
             Medium Available Capacity:  0 (0 us/s)
         Basic rates (Mbps) : 6 12 24
         Other rates (Mbps) : 9 18 36 48 54

Note the Signal value, Band and Available Capacity.

Selecting a Specific Network

You can connect to a specific xfinitywifi hotspot by exporting your config and entering a preferred MAC address. Use the command netsh wlan show networks mode=bssid to find a high signal and low congestion network. Then select the preferred network with the following commands.

Export your current profile for xfinitywifi

netsh wlan export profile name="xfinitywifi" folder="C:\users\YOUR_USERNAME\desktop" key=clear

Edit the XML file

See xfinitywifi.xml example.

Load the new connection

netsh wlan delete profile name="xfinitywifi"
netsh wlan add profile filename="Wi-Fi-xfinitywifi.xml"

Additional Notes

The TP Link TX20U Plus is intended for client connections, rather than serving as a wifi hotspot (via Windows 10/11). The connection for client wifi devices trying to connect to the hotspot will likely be spotty and poor Mbps (< 15Mbps).

A better option is the TP-Link T4U Plus, an older wifi adapter with better compatibility for a stable wifi hotspot.

For true stability, use a cheap travel router (GL.iNet Mango/Slate, TP-Link WR902AC). Let it handle connecting to xfinitywifi and rebroadcasting inside the house without the Windows hotspot overhead.

xfiitywifi.xml

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<WLANProfile xmlns="http://www.microsoft.com/networking/WLAN/profile/v1">
  <name>xfinitywifi</name>
  <SSIDConfig>
    <SSID>
      <hex>1234596ABCDE7977987654</hex>
      <name>xfinitywifi</name>
    </SSID>
  </SSIDConfig>
  <connectionType>ESS</connectionType>
  <connectionMode>auto</connectionMode>
  <MSM>
    <security>
      <authEncryption>
        <authentication>open</authentication>
        <encryption>none</encryption>
        <useOneX>false</useOneX>
      </authEncryption>
    </security>
    <MacAddressBlacklist xmlns="http://www.microsoft.com/networking/WLAN/profile/v3">
      <!-- These are BSSIDs you do NOT want to use -->
    </MacAddressBlacklist>
    <MacAddressWhitelist xmlns="http://www.microsoft.com/networking/WLAN/profile/v3">
      <!-- Put allowed BSSIDs here -->
      <!--<macAddress>a0:23:01:6e:f1:44</macAddress>-->
    </MacAddressWhitelist>
  </MSM>
  <MacRandomization xmlns="http://www.microsoft.com/networking/WLAN/profile/v3">
    <enableRandomization>false</enableRandomization>
    <randomizationSeed>1234598765</randomizationSeed>
  </MacRandomization>
</WLANProfile>