Differences in Connectivity Between Aspire Ones

I have had my One for a while now. During the day I spend a lot of time in a storage locker where there are very thick walls all over. Anyhow I met someone else there today who also has a One,but his is the 6 cell version,and mines a 3 cell. He is getting the internet,but I have never been able to connect there. We put our Ones side by side and checked the networks available and were surprised to see they were both quite different. Mine showed several secured networks his didnt have. However he had one(linksys) on his which was a very strong signal,and this is the one he uses to connect.I have linksys on my display but the signal is showing only one bar,and is too weak to connect me. Can someone explain this one? I would certianly appreciate it,thanks

 

Do both Ones have the same BIOS versions ? I read in 3304 release notes some changes to wireless - is it possible this has changed sensitivity ?

Is it possible the bigger battery is shielding the wifi card more/less ?

I guess the sensitivity of wifi cards must vary could just be that ?

 

I found that by using 6 cell battery, my wireless signal strength was better and less of the dropouts I was getting with the 3 cell.

 

"I found that by using 6 cell battery, my wireless signal strength was better and less of the dropouts I was getting with the 3 cell"

Thanks for the insight. I only wish I knew this before I bought my 3 cell,since I also bought an Ovation connect card (which I lost couple weeks ago),and signed up for a 3 year contract with Rogers wireless. It looks like I could have avoided these expenses if had of gotten the 6 cell instead.

 

"Do both Ones have the same BIOS versions"
I will check the next time I see this person,unless anybody else can tell us before that

 

that's something you can only tell by being on the machine. Check inside the BIOS setup (first page) for the bios version.

That's just what I noticed, not necessarily concrete evidence that the 6 cell is what helped.
I have since changed to Intel 3945 and it seems to find more AP's than the Atheros did.

 

Thanks,but where do I find the Bios setup? Ive looked in the system properties and control panel

 

and the answer to my question is:

Time Required: Finding the BIOS version in the Windows Registry usually takes less than 10 minutes
Here's How:
Click on Start and then Run.

In the text box in the Run window, type regedit and click OK. This will open the Registry Editor program.

Note: Do not make any changes to any entry anywhere in Registry Editor to avoid causing serious system issues. These steps only direct you to view a registry entry, not to make changes.

Locate the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE folder under My Computer and click on the (+) sign next the folder name to expand the folder.

In the resulting folders, locate and click on the (+) sign next to HARDWARE to expand this folder.

In the resulting folders, locate and click on the (+) sign next to DESCRIPTION to expand this folder.

In the resulting folders, locate and click on the System folder.

In the results that appear in the window on the right, locate the SystemBiosVersion and SystemBiosDate entries.

The data in the SystemBiosVersion field contains the BIOS version for your motherboard. This field may also contain additional information such as the chipset manufacturer and BIOS manufacturer.

The data in the SystemBiosDate field contains the calendar date associated with the current BIOS version on your motherboard. The BIOS date can be useful in determining the current BIOS version from a motherboard manufacturer's website if the version is not clear in the SystemBiosVersion field.

Close Registry Editor without making any changes.

Tips:
If you're not comfortable working in the registry there is another option. You can also find the current BIOS version from the Microsoft System Information program. If the registry makes you nervous, this is a great alternative solution to finding the BIOS version running on your motherboard.

More PC Support How To's

 

INTEL - 1
InsydeH2O Version v0.3114
ZG5 v0.3114

This is what I am using on my 3 cell. Now if somone with a 6 cell could tell me what theirs is ,maybe we can figure this out,thanks

 

Next time you'll meet the owner of the other AAO, ask him to swap the batteries, and see if with the 6cells your connectivity gets better and his worse.
Do not forget to return then the 6cells pack

 

That a good idea callmeishmael. Right now I only know that having mine hooked up to AC at the storage locker doesnt seem to help so its not a power issue. I am having another unrelated issue with trackpad settings,so customer service told me to send in for repairs but I dont know if I want to loose it for maybe 2 weeks,since this is just a nuisance,and I can otherwise still use it ok . I just hope this thing isnt going on the blink already though.

 

Well today I tried connecting at the storage locker just outside the front office where the linksys modem is. I was getting 5 bars on the display today and I was connected. That is odd because this is where I tried it the other day,and was only getting one bar and no connection. I dont know if being Saturday has anything to do with it since there are less wireless signals around with most of the offices and businesses closed. I am now using it inside the locker facility itself and am obviously still connected but I am only getting one bar on the display. When I tried going into my lockers , one being down the hall,the other on the second floor I lost the connection completely,and linksys wasnt even showing on the display. I still dont know if a bigger battery would help,since |I havent gotten around to trying that yet. If anyone else could suggest something I would appreciate it,so I wouldnt have to buy a battery just for this problem,which may not solve it anyhow.How about those simple wifi boosters which you can learn how to make on youtube? I tried making one several weeks ago ,but maybe I didnt do it right.

 

just to update,I plan to try a wifi repeater as described at http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-11334_7-62 ... tx;wp_body

this was recommended to me by another member here on another thread,but it is very relevant to this one which I started,and others may find it very useful if they have any need or desire to improve their wireless range or signal strength.

 

Update your Bios to 3304, if you are on XP run Windows Update, use the "Custom" option and make sure that the latest hardware updates are applied and installed. Also go into Device Manager (XP) Atheros Wireless Network Adapter, Advanced and set the "Power Save Mode" to "Normal" or "Off"

My Aspire One has excellent range, and never drops out

Bios 3305 is out, however not yet on the Acer sites, and is only a minor update to battery calibration; read more here http://macles.blogspot.com/ at the source direct

Q-6

 

ok thanks, I will deal with the BIOS later,although I have been told by a few that a bigger battery would likely help more. I am using a 3 cell,which one do you use? Anyhow when I went to do the atheros adapter settings my choices available were 802.1 1lb preamble,map registers,MFP,network address,6 differnt power save options,radio on/off,and scan valid interval. I chose MFP . Before it was set on 802.1 preamble. Was this a poor setting ,and do I now have the best one? many thanks

 

I am using the 3 cell, I also have a Promate universal external battery, which is rated at 6600mAh, it is more versatile than a dedicated 2nd battery as it will power most notebooks & independently charge USB devices. The Aspire will run for up to 8 hour on the combination of internal & external batteries, I generally only use the external battery if I know mains supply is not available for some time.

personally I don`t see any gain in network connectivity in relation to power, unless the battery is extremely low, I can find the same AP`s on or off mains supply & with or without the external battery.

My settings for my Atheros WiFi card are as follows
802.1 1lb preamble = Long & Short
map registers = 256
MFP = disable
network address = Not Present
Power Save Legacy algorithm = PS non Poll
Power Save Mode = Normal (have also used off)
Power Save Policy (Background) = Legacy Power Save
Power Save Policy (Best Effort) = Legacy Power Save
Power Save Policy (Video) = Legacy Power Save
Power Save Policy (Voice) = Legacy Power Save
Radio On/Off = On
Scan Valid Interval = 60

My driver version is 7.6.0.260 (updated from Microsoft Update & works for me)

The updated Bios 3304 will correct drop-out issues from what I read & see, there are guides here on how to specifically update the Aspire`s Bios, generally it is an easy process, however if you have not flashed a device before it can be daunting. In the event of a catastrophic failure the Aspire does have a "crisis" recovery routine so it can be revived if it suddenly becomes an expensive paperweight. If you know how to flash go for it, if not seek advice or find someone reputable who can complete the process for you.

Q-6