D-Link DWA-182 Wireless adapter 2ghz & 5 ghz problem drop out

Are you having 5ghz signal drop or other issues with this adapter?  Then the following may help.

After checking prices and the sellers specs online, I choose the DWA-182C1 adapter.  I bought mine from Ebay on June 22, 2019 as part as an major computer and system upgrade.  I switched from Windows 7 (since it was so old now and unsupported) to Windows 10 Pro (circa 2019), more memory, new graphics card, and new SSD storage.  But let's get to the point of this posting.

I started to notice about a day later using the adapter that the 5ghz signal would drop to less than .05 upload speed, then later return only to yo-yo like this all day.  The 2ghz signal was mostly stable.  In response, I tried many solutions:

• Reoriented the adapter
• Checked signal strength
• Check Windows 10 for updated driver
• Reinstalled drive
• Tried the supplied manufacturer disk driver
• Changed wireless channels
• Used the supplied extension cable - moving adapter to "higher" ground
• Reset all access points
• You get the picture . . .

But despite my best efforts, my internet connection was still unstable.  So I decided to go "old school" and dig deeper.  I say this as my son and I have different approaches to computers.  I learned the old way.  Check settings, check directly with the manufacturer for DWA-182 driver updates, ask around, expect the unexpected and make sure you didn't screw-it-up yourself.  My sons approach is to trust Windows and the plug and play system, if that fails then check forums, then check other items in general.

We both operated under the same impression, the adapter was new and supported Windows 10 and supported the ac wireless standard providing and receiving both 2 and 5 ghz signals. 

In short, all the above was true . . . so to speak.  In Device Manager, I checked the adapter properties (Events tab) on my computer and noticed that the oem24.inf file (installation) had the date of the manufacturer disk driver, not the current Windows supplied driver (Driver tab).  I also noticed that several old (2015) internet posts mentioned some different properties items in the Advanced tab.

Something was beginning to smell fishy.  In going back to D-Link's website, I searched for THEIR driver updates and found what seems to be the answer.

Sample label

The adapter I was shipped was either NOS (new old stock), a forgery, or defective.  D-link made the DWA-182 from the early days of the ac standard (starting in windows 7).  Version A1 shipped with a usb cradle.  My adapter has a label with what D-link refers to as Hardware version (H/W Ver.) C1.

This version adapter was for Windows 7-8.  Windows 10 saw the correct adapter "title", but I think failed to see the hardware version, thinking I had a more recent adapter which might have been Windows 10 compatible.  Yes, the adapter works with the ac protocol, but this unit used the (draft) version as it had just came out.

Last, the unit is a usb 3.0 adapter, however, the usb cradle (remote extension) is a 2.0 cable.  Another bottle neck and may point to a mislabeled A1 version adapter.

Hope this helps.  NOTE:  I see that this adapter is also being sold on Amazon for a low price.  Most likely this the same NOS adapter.  Check the hardware version before buying.  In short, its outdated and not a true Windows 10 adapter according to the D-links specs page, stay away.