I've done a bit more digging and have found the IPv6 dropping in the same way on a very old HP Netbook with a Qualcomm Atheros wireless card. I have passed all this on to Dell Support. Their reply is:

"Thank you for the email. Based on the information you provide it seems that the issue is with the software since it is also happening on the HP device. I would like to inform you that we only support basic software and we have different department for advance software team. You can contact them through the details below."

The details are a £48 no-fix no-fee consultation with a Dell certified expert.

My response is that it is a 5-month old machine supplied by Dell. It is not my problem that the Qualcomm kit does not seem to be working correctly. It is up to Dell as supplier to fix the machine so it works properly or replace it with one that does. I have asked how we escalate so more news to follow!

Have you tried disabling all power management options for the Qualcomm card in the laptop?

I also found this link https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/wi... not sure if that helps but seems to be the same problem.

In reply to a post by E300:

Have you tried disabling all power management options for the Qualcomm card in the laptop?

I also found this link https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/wi... not sure if that helps but seems to be the same problem.

Thanks for the response.

Before I raised the issue with Dell I spent a while trawling the internet with two outcomes. Firstly I have tried all of the remediation actions such as those suggested in your link; each time the IPv6 reconnects then drops again after a short while. Secondly there are now a small number of discussion topics where the specific IPv6 drop is being mentioned rather than general loss of connectivity so the problem is maybe only now being exposed as more people are becoming aware of IPv6. The IPv6 problem is reported as affecting a number of different makes of computer, the only common factor being the Qualcomm card and there are a couple of reports of Dell users taking out the Qualcomm card and using an Intel card instead. However if I am reading things correctly the Qualcomm chip is now built in to the Dell motherboard so it is no longer an easy lift and shift.

At the end of the day it is not a show stopper as I can always use the WiFi dongle if I must have IPv6 connectivity but I am aggravated with the attitude of a supplier who thinks they can supply kit that does not work as expected then walk away and leave you to it.

Keep on at Dell!

Additional evidence you can gather:

1. If the laptop has a built in wired ethernet nic, confirm that does not drop its IPv6 connection when wired to the router or a switch. That would be 2 NICs against the Q-A Wi-Fi nic on otherwise the same hardware with the same OS environment.

2. Open 2 terminals and run continuous pings, one to an IPv6 address in the same subnet on your LAN and another to an external IPv6 address - checks if you lose both together or only the traffic that needs to route through a gateway

3. If the Q-A nic is supported under open source environments,
Ubuntu Certification
Linux Hardware Project

temporarily boot from a USB stick or DVD to rule out Window's drivers for this nic.
Lubuntu 20.10 or KDE Neon should suffice for this.

Edited by prlzx (Sun 01-Nov-20 05:50:49)

Update on the situation.

After I asked the Dell Technical Support how to escalate the situation as I was not satisfied with their response there was silence. I gave it a couple of nudges then sent a polite e-mail to the CEO (details from https://www.ceoemail.com/) asking how we could take the matter forward. Within 24 hours I had an e-mail from their Advanced Resolution Services which led to me summarising the problem to their Consumer Resolution Manager. The upshot of the discussion was that a technician was despatched from their local service centre with an Intel Wireless NIC to replace the Qualcomm part. The technician was not tasked with carrying out any tests but just to accept the problem at face value and make the replacement. Intel card now in and working so we'll see what happens.

It is providential that he did not carry out any tests! In advance of the visit I took out the dongle and monitored the Qualcomm card which over the last 24 hours had one brief drop-out from IPv6 and re-connected by itself. The only difference in circumstances since I noticed the drop-out problem is that the next door holiday let has been unoccupied while we are in lockdown and their router has been powered down. It may be that the Qualcomm driver is not handling WiFi network conflict well but that is only a guess.

Edited by GonePostal (Tue 24-Nov-20 11:41:56)