Hey guys,
as we have so many open questions on Wifi perfomance I decided to do some personal research about it.
I am using the following devices:
ASUS Transformer Prime:
German model, 32GB, gray
Updated to .33 firmware
HTC Desire HD
German one, did not have any Wifi issues to date
Running a custom Sense 3.5 ROM from the based on HTC Sensation XL
I tested the Wifi performance all the time with an app called Speedtest.net
Additonally I used an app called Wifi analyzer to measure the strength of the signal.
My internet connection is a ADSL 32/1 line, this means I can get download speed of 32Mbit/s and upload speeds of 1Mbit/s.
To have a good range of values different distances to the router were tested.
Here are the results:
Directly beneath the router:
TF Prime:
Ping: 15-25
Download: 20-30Mbit/s
Strength: [-40] - [-52] (shows full reception)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Desire HD:
Ping: ~30
Download: 10-15Mbit/s
Strength: [-40] - [-50] (shows full reception)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One room away, wifi needs to travel through walls:
TF Prime:
Ping: 15-25
Download: 14-24Mbit/s
Strength: [-58] - [-70] (shows 3/4 reception)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Desire HD:
Ping: ~30
Download: 8-12Mbit/s
Strength: [-60] - [-70] (shows full reception)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Two rooms away, wifi needs to travel through walls:
TF Prime:
Ping: 15-25
Download: 8-24Mbit/s
Strength: [-65] - [-80] (shows 1/2 reception)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Desire HD:
Ping: ~30
Download: 6-12Mbit/s
Strength: [-70] - [-80] (shows 3/4 reception)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thoughts on the data
One thing I did notice was the rather large fluctuation of the Prime's signal. The signal quality changed a lot even when holding the device still.
This happened to the DHD too, but not as extreme.
Another thing is that the signal quality of the Prime is highly influenced by the direction you hold the device. AnandTech said the same in their review and it seems it's true. Again, my DHD doesn't show this behaviour.
You do have to note, that the Wifi on the Prime was always faster compared to the my phone, so I don't see an issue with the speed.
I could not make a real range test yet, but with the .29 firmware my DHD outperformed the Prime on the Wifi range. The DHD connected to networks which weren't seen by the Prime at all.
I am going to test the range with the new .33 update (which seemed to improve Wifi for me) in the next days.
Another quite heavy point is the not about the Wifi speed in general but more about the usage itself.
Coming from a 1 Ghz singlecore phone, everything is way faster on the Prime, especially the market.
Working with the Android market on the Prime is super painless. Everything opens instantly, no long loading times (almost none at all).
On my phone everything takes ages to load (even things only related to Wifi, like the thumbnails)
So compared to my phone "internet" is way faster on the Prime.
Conclusion
In my opinion the Prime's Wifi is perfectly fine. It may suffer a bit under the metal backplate, but ASUS solved this problem with the second Wifi antenna quite good.
The only thing which we should be concerned about is the range. But I do have to say that Wifi range can be easily tweaked via software (yes this is true)
So maybe we can tweak the range after having custom kernels.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask
Nice post. My results weren't nearly as good as yours. My Prime was somewhat on par with my Galaxy Nexus (still a little slower, though), but got killed by my iPad 1. I'm starting to wonder whether the iPad 1 simply has a beast of a WiFi radio and outperforms other mobile devices. I'll try to post detailed test results when I get a chance.
thanks, good test you ran also. I was gonna say the same thing that even though the signal strength went down as you moved further away, it didn't directly affect the speed of it at all. in fact Prime consistently held faster speed rates. I've noticed the very sensitive fluctuations in wifi signal strength in prime also depending on how you hold it. Regardless this has still never affected the experience or speeds seen going into the Prime. I did a similar test against my ipad1 and yielded similar results. no matter the range or if prime showed a lil weaker signal strength, it didn't affect the download and upload speeds. in fact. even with prime having the weaker signal strength, it still pulled the faster speeds.
glad to hear we will be able to tweak the range through software. also having the dual antennaes could give us a major advantage over the other devices in the end as far as range goes. I did try your one simple test before you mentioned on the wifi switching antennaes things. as I covered both up signal dropped. then covered only one and then the other and so on. so the switching of wifi antennaes does seem to work pretty well. Custom kernels could use all of this to the advantage of Prime.
---------- Post added at 09:55 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:50 AM ----------
nyijedi said:
Nice post. My results weren't nearly as good as yours. My Prime was somewhat on par with my Galaxy Nexus (still a little slower, though), but got killed by my iPad 1. I'm starting to wonder whether the iPad 1 simply has a beast of a WiFi radio and outperforms other mobile devices. I'll try to post detailed test results when I get a chance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it may of been you I told of how my ipad1 test comparison was the opposite. that the Prime showed dramatic increase in wifi speeds and was on par with the range, for the most part. what I can say is that Ipad signal strength seemed more stable while Prime was sensitive and fluctuated. regardless though even with a slightly lower signal strength the prime wasn't affected in terms of speed. it still in fact pulled substantial faster speeds than my ipad1 regardless of signal strength. strange but true. you would think with lower signal strength it would affect speeds but it didn't with the Prime.
demandarin said:
thanks, good test you ran also. I was gonna say the same thing that even though the signal strength went down as you moved further away, it didn't directly affect the speed of it at all. in fact Prime consistently held faster speed rates. I've noticed the very sensitive fluctuations in wifi signal strength in prime also depending on how you hold it. Regardless this has still never affected the experience or speeds seen going into the Prime. I did a similar test against my ipad1 and yielded similar results. no matter the range or if prime showed a lil weaker signal strength, it didn't affect the download and upload speeds. in fact. even with prime having the weaker signal strength, it still pulled the faster speeds.
glad to hear we will be able to tweak the range through software. also having the dual antennaes could give us a major advantage over the other devices in the end as far as range goes. I did try your one simple test before you mentioned on the wifi switching antennaes things. as I covered both up signal dropped. then covered only one and then the other and so on. so the switching of wifi antennaes does seem to work pretty well. Custom kernels could use all of this to the advantage of Prime.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, I did that too, works wonderfully.
In kernel sources you can adjust up to what reception levels Wifis are still displayed as connectable. We had that problem with a Desire HD update were HTC screwed something so it connected only to way stronger Wifi than before.
Kernel devs fixed this
Issues
I did hear about while reading an article that the prime had issues with its productions models.
one reviewer had 2 before his 3rd finally worked. However im looking forward to testing this beast out come the 12th!
Thanks for making my decision easier
I've done the same test, however with my prime
I get about 20 mbps in the same room as the router
5 mbps one room over
and 2 - 3 mbps max three rooms over, I also often get disconnects in this room.
I can deal with slightly less range, but the speed dropoff was killing me.
Now that I know my unit is obviously defective, I can exchange it for a new unit
If I can get a good unit with results like that I will be satisfied.
When I did some tests on mine, router in living room, Prime on second floor at the furthest point, so probably like 50 feet goign through the floor and a bunch of walls, I was transferring data TO the Prime via FTP at about 2.7MB/sec (Megabytes) That was on .29
movielover76 said:
I've done the same test, however with my prime
I get about 20 mbps in the same room as the router
5 mbps one room over
and 2 - 3 mbps max three rooms over, I also often get disconnects in this room.
I can deal with slightly less range, but the speed dropoff was killing me.
Now that I know my unit is obviously defective, I can exchange it for a new unit
If I can get a good unit with results like that I will be satisfied.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm having the exact same experience as you. However, I'm not so sure that the Prime is "obviously defective" if you have these types of issues. The last thing I want to do is return my brand new device and wait to find a new one, or RMA it and wait to receive a new one, and then still have the same problem.
I wish Asus would say something if they did in fact make a Wifi change since their earliest models. If they'd confirm this, I'd be more than happy to exchange my Prime for another one, but I can't see going through the whole exchange process with no guarantee that I'll see any type of improvement.
EDIT: It appears that those of us noticing issues with the WiFi range don't have defective units. Check out this review, which discussed the speed comparison between a confirmed defective unit and a non-defective one:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5178/an-update-on-transformer-prime-battery-life-wifi-issues
Basically, the defective unit wouldn't pull more than 2 Mbps anywhere. It wasn't strictly a range issue - the thing just was capped at about 2 Mbps. The non-defective unit fixed this cap of 2 Mbps, but still had issues where the device downloaded slower than other devices at a further distance from the router (the example the reviewer used was that his original Transformer would get 34-37 Mbps, while the non-defective Prime would get 10-16 Mbps in the same location).
So for those of you considering exchanging your Prime because of poor WiFi range, I think you'll be disappointed to have the same issue with your replacement.
nyijedi said:
I'm having the exact same experience as you. However, I'm not so sure that the Prime is "obviously defective" if you have these types of issues. The last thing I want to do is return my brand new device and wait to find a new one, or RMA it and wait to receive a new one, and then still have the same problem.
I wish Asus would say something if they did in fact make a Wifi change since their earliest models. If they'd confirm this, I'd be more than happy to exchange my Prime for another one, but I can't see going through the whole exchange process with no guarantee that I'll see any type of improvement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While I agree that I can't prove it beyond reasonable doubt, the reality is I live in a fairly small apartment, it can't be more than 30 feet, admittedly through a few walls from my router to my bedroom, every other wireless-n device I get still gets near 20mbps in my bedroom, and other people are reporting much better results and I can't imagine they are in a house or apartment meaningfully smaller than mine.
So the performance is not acceptable when I paid for a premium android tablet, I'll exchange it and hope it gets better, if it doesn't I'll just return it.
A tablet is useless without wifi, I'm willing to accept a little bit of range problems, but Wireless-N speeds at 30 feet max like I'm getting is just not acceptable.
In that article he never mentions still experiencing the sharp drop offs I'm experiencing, and theirs nothing saying that everyone who has wifi issues has exactly the same issue, his first unit was probably preproduction, which would likely have different issues than the production models
Maybe it will fix it maybe it won't but it won't hurt trying. I'd rather take a chance and try to get a better unit.
Diamondback2010 said:
Conclusion
In my opinion the Prime's Wifi is perfectly fine. It may suffer a bit under the metal backplate, but ASUS solved this problem with the second Wifi antenna quite good.
The only thing which we should be concerned about is the range. But I do have to say that Wifi range can be easily tweaked via software (yes this is true)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great review Diamondback! This is almost identical to the results I posted about my Prime WiFi. I had an "early model" in the beginning of December that I traded in for the first shipment at Gamestop and most of the WiFi issues seem fixed. Signal strength fluctuates quite a bit more than my Kindle Fire or iPad. Speeds are about the same or better 90% of the time.
With all the complaints out there about WiFi, I don't know if we were just lucky to get good units or if the complaints are a bit overblown.
movielover76 said:
While I agree that I can't prove it beyond reasonable doubt, the reality is I live in a fairly small apartment, it can't be more than 30 feet, admittedly through a few walls from my router to my bedroom, every other wireless-n device I get still gets near 20mbps in my bedroom, and other people are reporting much better results and I can't imagine they are in a house or apartment meaningfully smaller than mine.
So the performance is not acceptable when I paid for a premium android tablet, I'll exchange it and hope it gets better, if it doesn't I'll just return it.
A tablet is useless without wifi, I'm willing to accept a little bit of range problems, but Wireless-N speeds at 30 feet max like I'm getting is just not acceptable.
In that article he never mentions still experiencing the sharp drop offs I'm experiencing, and theirs nothing saying that everyone who has wifi issues has exactly the same issue, his first unit was probably preproduction, which would likely have different issues than the production models
Maybe it will fix it maybe it won't but it won't hurt trying. I'd rather take a chance and try to get a better unit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hear you. Please keep us posted on how the replacement fairs in comparison to your current Prime. I'm sure many of us, including myself, would love to know.
movielover76 said:
I've done the same test, however with my prime
I get about 20 mbps in the same room as the router
5 mbps one room over
and 2 - 3 mbps max three rooms over, I also often get disconnects in this room.
I can deal with slightly less range, but the speed dropoff was killing me.
Now that I know my unit is obviously defective, I can exchange it for a new unit
If I can get a good unit with results like that I will be satisfied.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Keep in mind there are more variables in your tests than simply signal strength and distance. Have you looked at the channel your router is using? These days - especially in apartments - there is a LOT of traffic on the wireless spectrum. WiFi Analyzer can help you narrow the list of channels to use and through trial and error I was able to pick a channel that improved my performance at a distance by quite a bit. But I live in a high-rise condo so you may not have the same types of issues.
denverbuckeye said:
Keep in mind there are more variables in your tests than simply signal strength and distance. Have you looked at the channel your router is using? These days - especially in apartments - there is a LOT of traffic on the wireless spectrum. WiFi Analyzer can help you narrow the list of channels to use and through trial and error I was able to pick a channel that improved my performance at a distance by quite a bit. But I live in a high-rise condo so you may not have the same types of issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a good point, as I also live in an apartment complex with a decent amount of wireless traffic.
However, if you have 4 different devices at the same location, and 3 of them pull comparable speeds while one of them (e.g., the Prime) pulls much lesser speeds, doesn't that suggest the problem is more with the Prime than with your network settings?
Also, when traveling, one doesn't have the ability to tweak network settings, so the Prime's weak WiFi is more problematic in this type of situation.
Sorry if I come off as *****ing here. I love my Prime and I'll be keeping it despite its WiFi shortcomings, but it obviously does irk me a little bit.
A little tip for all of you with issues. What about trying another Wifi channel?
"Wifi Analyzer" has a great feature where it shows you which channels are crowded and which are mostly free.
This way you can find a channel with the least interferecens by other Wifis.
Have a look here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1420886&highlight=wifi&page=3
Also take into consideration, that you compare the brand new device and first of a new kind of devices, with others that already had 10-15 updates.
Also make sure you are testing in an "clean" or at least not changing environment. So if on of your neighbours is doing a large file transfer on an neighboring channel during your tests you will see a massive impact on your tansfer-rates.
So far i can say the general WIFI is stable and fast, only the coverage seems to be a bit low compared to other devices. But hey it is an 11n capable device that could in theory be fine tuned to very good reception depending on what features are already used and what not. But i was not able to get any info on what antennas are inside, where they are, what chip is used etc. Any infos on that?
this is all good and dandy now go test this again with Bluetooth enabled and a headset or bt headphone paired.
the_game_master said:
this is all good and dandy now go test this again with Bluetooth enabled and a headset or bt headphone paired.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just now realized this is probably why my speedtest significantly improved because I turned off Bluetooth sure enough that is why.....
OP. Load up some songs in Google Music, play them over bluetooth while you do these tests and post those results.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1423180
nyijedi said:
This is a good point, as I also live in an apartment complex with a decent amount of wireless traffic.
However, if you have 4 different devices at the same location, and 3 of them pull comparable speeds while one of them (e.g., the Prime) pulls much lesser speeds, doesn't that suggest the problem is more with the Prime than with your network settings?
Also, when traveling, one doesn't have the ability to tweak network settings, so the Prime's weak WiFi is more problematic in this type of situation.
Sorry if I come off as *****ing here. I love my Prime and I'll be keeping it despite its WiFi shortcomings, but it obviously does irk me a little bit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I always use wifi analyzer when setting up my network and it's configured for the clearest channel available, I know that part of my situation isn't ideal, I can see 7 aps from my laptop right now, but most are on channel one, two on channel 6 (one that's the apartment right underneath me) and I'm on channel 11 which only has one other ap and it's very weak.
Like you said I think the fact that other devices gets better speeds points clearly to the problem being with the primes Wifi, maybe it doesn't handle interference as well as other wifi devices and others have less interference in their tests, which could explain the higher speeds they get.
<B>Update:</B>
Well I took a $14 gamble ( the cost of shipment back to newegg ) for a RMA replacement, hopefully the next unit will work better, I'll put up an update when I get it back, assuming they can get a replacement and don't just refund my money.
At least if I get it back and get the same performance I'll know for sure it's a limitation of the device and not my particular device being defective, I'm a little OCD so that would drive me nuts not knowing as it has the past week lol.
I think another thing everyone should be testing is wifi stability, not just raw speed at a given moment. open wifi analyzer on the prime and another device, go to the signal meter, and compare how long each device can hold onto the signal. In a few videos I've seen where people do this the other device is very stable, but several times a minute the prime's needle goes momentarily to 0, even though they started at similar levels.
I'm using WiFi Analyzer to check my WiFi signal. When I'm on the same floor as my Netgear WGR614 router, the signal is at -40 dBm. If I go up to my bedroom, which is 2 floors above the router, I'm around -70 to -80 dBm. Would this be considered poor like people are complaining about?
No it isn't bad. The closer the number is to 0, the stronger the wifi connection. There could be a number of reasons why your wifi signal isn't stronger when you are closer to the router (old firmware, old router, too many interfering signals). Other than that, you are good.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda premium
It's also not purely connected to the WiFi issues people have. For example I maintain a similar dbm at work but WiFi speed regularly drops so low that I see > 80% packet loss before going back up to 5MBit/s
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
Spidey01 said:
It's also not purely connected to the WiFi issues people have. For example I maintain a similar dbm at work but WiFi speed regularly drops so low that I see > 80% packet loss before going back up to 5MBit/s
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. This wifi distance issue is quite annoying actually. I am getting mixed results depending on where I am. I got one more test to run before unfortunately taking the prime back for an exchange but I have no clue on how much I'll have to wait for a replacement.
To be honest, when close to the router (at work or home) the results are pretty amazing since it matches my laptop. But beyond 20ft it gets messy. Not only the signal but more importantly the speed :s. Anyone having samesies around?
Recent lurker and noob poster to forum... I got the prime, now I'm trying to address WiFi. I have a theory on what may be a key factor based on what everyone knows already.
The antenna/case design may be affecting TX signal so data link negotiates to lower speed. The Prime's RX signal can be excellent, but depending on the environment, a link speed may drop to 1-2 or 5mbps in very adverse conditions.
I work with Cisco 1230 and 1240 series APs in a micro-cell design at lowest or 2nd lowest power settings. Autonomously micro-managed in a corporate environment. All APs must be approved by me, so we minimize rogue APs. Tethering is not permitted in the facilities.
I consistently get at least 18mbps negotiated link with a fair signal(-75dB). I use an intranet perfSONAR Network Diagnostic Tool site for our school to test network throughput and have gig & 10g links for our facility to the hosted NDT. Testing results are consistent and reproducible. No other AP signals adversely affecting our wireless system.
In my office, AP RX shows Prime with -75dBm(22 dB s/n) linked at 36mbps.
iPhone 4 with -62dBm(36 dB s/n) linked at 54mbps.
'show dot11 associations all-client' command
At home, I used a E3000 and now (4) E4200 in AP(bridge) mode. Channel spaced using 1,6,11 on 2.4(20 or 40 bandwidth) and similarly spread out at 5GHz for N only. I tested BG and mixed N on 2.4 with similar results. I use my local ISPs hosted OOKLA test site. I may try iPerf running on my gaming PC, but suspect it will be a waste of time.
In my adverse home environment using only a E3000, I need to be next to the AP to consistently link at anything higher than 5mpbs, even with excellent signal strength. I may initially negotiate 54mbps or higher, but as traffic increases under usage, the device re-negotiate link speed down to as low as 1-2 mpbs. If I maintain close proximity to the AP with excellent RX signal, negotiated link doesn't taper off as much.
As an experiement, I bought (1), then (3) more E4200v2 and spaced them out in my 2-story house. Now, I consistently get 18mbps and higher within 3 walls of the nearest E4200 AP. Prior, I drop down to 1-2 or 5mpbs with the E3000 or single E4200 when any distance(1 wall or greater) away from the AP. Consumer based APs are quite limited in diagnostic features so cannot determine AP RX level from device.
My house is surrounded by APs in a planned community so wifi environment is cluttered and quite hostile. I had no problems with my other devices negotiating and maintainng good link speed using 2.4(BG) with my E3000.
They include:
iPhone 3GS, 4, and 4S
iPad 2
Macbook 13"(2006) bootcamp XP Pro(Etherpeek)
Macbook Pro 13 (2010) bootcamp Win 7 Pro
Macbook Pro 15"(2006) bootcamp XP Pro(Omnipeek)
Mac Mini (2010) bootcamp Win 7 Pro
Asus Eee Book 3015PN Win 7 Pro
We'll be migrating from Cisco to Aruba 135s using an M3 controller and A.R.M. and I'll see what happens with this new infrastructure. I mentioned my testing methodology to Asus tier 1 support and they advised me to send in the unit for testing. I bought this for an overseas trip and will need to live with the issues until I return. After I get back, I'll be sending my unit in and hope they modify "something" to improve signal.
Overall, I like the Prime, but we'll see how it holds up in wifi hotspots on my trip. With my (4) APs, I can reliably stream HD to my Prime throughout the house and ouside in the yard with minimal breakup.
Anyone else see similar results to back up this theory?
Great info....thanks for the insight with your experience to back it up. Very interesting info. I have a netgear router issued by Comcast for high speed wireless. No PC hooked up to it to adjust settings or anything. PRIME works great with it and I have no problems connecting or maintaining high speeds. Even as i go further away from router. It simply just works plus prime has no problem connecting to other peoples networks or my ad hoc wifi tether from my Atrix4g.
There's wifi all over the island, there's a service but I'm sure where ever your staying there will be WIFI
>Anyone else see similar results to back up this theory?
What theory, that your speed drop is tied to excessive downgrade in negotiated link speed? Have you tried using DD-WRT on one of the routers, go into Adv Wireless, and lock the speed to a fixed rate? Have you tried using just one 4200v2 as replacement for the old 3000 or 4200(v1)?
You have multiple variables in your setup change-over, and should test to isolate cause of improvement.
>I mentioned my testing methodology to Asus tier 1 support and they advised me to send in the unit for testing.
Seriously, do you expect frontline CS grunts to actually know anything about RF testing? If they did, they wouldn't be in CS. Of course they'll tell you to send it in.
David522d said:
There's wifi all over the island, there's a service but I'm sure where ever your staying there will be WIFI
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tether to my iPhone in my home State. I'll be traveling to Spain next month. Found minimal wifi hotspots in Greece and Italy last year. Glad AT&T re-packaged their international data block plans. Last year, it outrageous. Plans are exponentially better, but not great.
Was disappointed when I could not reliable stream HD video to my Prime at home when my iPhone, Wife's iPad, and my netbook worked fine.
e.mote;23048838
What theory said:
I believe the antenna design is negatively affecting the TX signal output. When you introduce this design into an environment with at least 8-10 APs in the surrounding area, RFI affects the Prime's ability to maintain a stable negotiated high speed link, thus forcing it to auto-negotiate down to lower speeds, even when RX signal is good(-50 to -60).
I left out a lot of detail about my testing. No DD-WRT for E4200V2s. I tried one V2 replacing the E3000. Then, I setup a micro-cell using "bridge" mode with four V2s. I have it connected to my ASA5505 firewall through a gig switch at home.
Negotiated link speed does not vary using Cisco AP1230 and AP1240s. I can see a significat RX signal strength difference(13dB) between my iPhone4 and Prime on my desk(6" apart) with my door closed. Prime appears to have a more stable, higher negotiated link speed at lower signal strength in a controlled wireless environment.
I didn't want to force static link speed since errors, retransmit/retries cannot be monitored at home. You can manually browse to the advanced tab on E4200v2, but wanted to see how the prime negotiates link speed in different physical settings. If you used 8-conductor telephone wire for gig. Auto detect will negotiate gig with the presence of 8-wires, but split pairs and poor cabling will cause far/near-end crosstalk, frame errors, retransmits and snow ball when data is pushed. I cannot account for that with the tools on the Prime or the E4200v2.
The wireless protocol should negotiate a stable speed based on RX & TX. I could not see a stable link speed above 5mpbs at 2-3 walls distance. Many times, it would be at the "1-2" setting on the Prime. I would stream HD content from my NAS or slingbox and see breakup, video quality reduction. I just need to do one web-based OOKLA test and link speed drops down to 1-2 or 5 from 54 or above after initially turning on wifi. If I'm within 15' line of sight or 10'(w/1 wall), link speed was stable and network test/video worked fine. I typically would max out my RR ISP rate if I'm near the AP. If I moved further away, I would still see a good signal level, but link speed drops and performance slows.
I added (4) APs based on strategic locations and got my sitting areas to be ~20dBs higher than my neighbors AP, then my Prime's negotiated link speed would never drop below 18 mpbs.
During this testing, I'd be using inSSIDer and watching my link speed/performance on my laptop and comparing with Prime. I would change between balance and performance mode just in case power saving may reduce wifi performance. I had no wifi problems with my laptops in my home.
I should buy a compatible wireless NIC for Omnipeek, but may not need it since we're moving towards active radio management for the Aruba's. (4) APs was a little over-the-top for home, but cheaper than enterprise grade equipment. Just to get Prime a stable wireless signal... The 4 E4200V2 is still under 45-day return for Silver reward at best buy. I may just keep it since (4) APs help 5GHz performance. Sometimes I get lazy plugging into the house network.
I know what to expect from consumer based customer support. Especially tier1 and their supposed tier2. I am trying to do my due deligence and hopefully I encounter a helpful Asus rep that will help me out in some form or fashion, instead of brushing me off.
I'd like to know if anyone that experiences wifi problems has checked their link speed and is aware of the surrounding RF environment. Signal reduction is known, but the negotiated link speed may be not be obvious. You need to tap the wifi profile to see it or check the AP if it has viewable stats.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its been said many times but ill say it again. Prime hits deadspot on any router before other WiFi devices so regardless of what else is at play the aluminum backing has something to do with degrading the signal.
>I believe the antenna design is negatively affecting the TX signal output.
I don't follow. It's either a hardware or firmware problem. If it's antenna, it's HW. If it's faulty link rate negotiation, it's FW.
If HW, the Prime uses the same PIFA design as was in the TF101 and many other tablets/phones. One difference is that it has an aux ant, which reportedly was added after the fact to make up for the perf deficit. In lieu of contradicting data, per Occam's Razor you should opt for known evidence, which is interference from the metal back and/or marginal connection.
If FW, one way to ascertain is to try CM9 when that's available. You would need to obviate the manuf warranty to unlock bootloader, but that shouldn't be a problem as long as you're still within the retailer's return period.
Either way, the issue isn't really user-fixable. Your 4 APs may work for your home, but not elsewhere. CM9 for Prime AFAIK is still in alpha, and won't be fit for daily use until well after your return period.
>When you introduce this design into an environment with at least 8-10 APs in the surrounding area, RFI affects the Prime's ability to maintain a stable negotiated high speed link, thus forcing it to auto-negotiate down to lower speeds, even when RX signal is good
>I added (4) APs based on strategic locations and got my sitting areas to be ~20dBs higher than my neighbors AP, then my Prime's negotiated link speed would never drop below 18 mpbs.
I don't see how this is different than simply saying "Prime has weak wifi reception, and boosting signal from the router end makes it receive better." Even if partial fault lies with link negotiation as you imply, unless you can change the FW, it's not user-fixable.
Asus has been surprisingly open about this whole affair (to its detriment). If it says that the metal back is the main cause, plus some "manufacturing errors," I'd believe it.
>I didn't want to force static link speed since errors, retransmit/retries cannot be monitored at home.
Again, I don't follow. Why would you need to monitor the minutiae to lock the rate? The main concern is throughput. If you get good throughput with a fixed rate, then your theory is borne out. If not, then not.
BTW, spending $800 for 4 E4200v2's just to get better wifi for the Prime is a little extreme. Have you tried cranking up the E3000's power output, in lieu of the additional APs? Stock FW won't allow it, but E3000 can use DD-WRT/Tomato, which will. Another option is using CPE-grade high-gain omnis, one for each floor.
I wouldn't call support for a wifi problem, other than to get RMA. No matter how knowledgeable the tech, there is no way to troubleshoot wifi over the phone, given vagaries of layout and equipment.
IMO, "due diligence" would be to buy a product that fits your need. If the need is to use a tablet for traveling, then wifi performance should have highest priority. The Prime doesn't fill that need.
Most of the time Wi-Fi is at 1-2 bars along with LTE.
Noticed this problem in Hong Kong,China and Taiwan. Various dim cards and various Wi-Fi routers.
poor LTE speed
desiregeek said:
Most of the time Wi-Fi is at 1-2 bars along with LTE.
Noticed this problem in Hong Kong,China and Taiwan. Various dim cards and various Wi-Fi routers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i m facing the same problem i have note 4 that is quite well than s6 edge in 3g and 4g
This could be the cause of some people's battery drain as their phones keep switching from LTE down to 3g. If this phone was better tuned for LTE it would be more battery efficient.
Not sure a software fix can do much about this. Its probably the antenna design, but we can live in hope!
My Wifi is fine.
However, I've been having poor 4G since day 1. I keep having 1-2 bars of 4G consistently at my workplace where my G3 did 3 or more bars.
The thing is, it does stick to 4G pretty well and not loose that 1-2 bars easily to downshift to 3G, so I am not too concerned. Voice calls and data speeds are also not affected. It's just that vidual indicator...
my wifi and data signals are excellent. haven't been to a spot where there's good lte signal
Always use device status to read signal in dBm.
Many phones' "signal strength meters" are far from accurate often showing much higher perceived signal than reality.
My S5 was like that.
This may just be corrected now in as much one bar for -112dBm (instead of three) is more accurate, relatively speaking.
A device should only show five bars if the signal level is very strong, say -65dBm.
Problem is most of the time people would never see five bars. Carriers don't like that.
Perhaps we need to change to an advanced "tech" mode where the signal strength readout is in "S" units with 9 being the reference and stronger signals show in "dB over nine". Like HF transceivers and CB radios (anyone remember those? )
I would be happy with -dBm on the status bar instead of a series of bars. iOS allows for it and it's accurate. Can't believe it's not baked into Android being it's the choice OS for techies.
Compared my Wifi download speeds to my iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 was faster. These 2 pictures are wifi download screenshots from iPhone 6
Here is the same location using my Galaxy S6 Edge
Hello, compared to Note 4 S6 really hurt my Edge captures the mobile network.