VERY interesting article regarding WiFi and Lynksys Routers - Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime

I asked Skygunner why he though that 9 separate Primes had WiFI issues and if he thought that the common link MIGHT be his E4200 Cisco/Linksys Router.
Since he had already abandoned the Prime, selling his FREE Prime and Keyboard that Asus sent him, I guess we will never know, but his last comment to me was "There is NO WAY that this is about the E4200. ALL my other devices work with it perfectly. Okay. Fair enough, but 9 Primes, ALL failing to get decent WiFi indicates otherwise. There is just no way that those numbers make any sense whatsoever.
Here is something that may explain it. Interesting, in any case. This article came out on Decrypted Tech's Site, here are two key paragraphs. Link follows:
"Although we are not 100% certain of the issue it does seem to be more about compatibility than an actual hardware or software problem. We took a look at the issue and it seems that the largest percentage of problems appear to be with Linksys wireless routers. This is not to say that there is an issue with Linksys, but it is more of a compatibility issue with the wireless controller and the way they implement their wireless handshake. We tested our TF101 with TRENDNet, D-LINK and also with a TP-Link Access point without any issues at all.
Unfortunately Linksys is a much more common brand due to pricing (and the Cisco logo) than the other three in the US so you are more likely to see this and have it reported. Most owners will also not think that their router (that works with everything else) could be the potential source (or part) of the problem."
Link:
http://www.decryptedtech.com/index....they-are-not-replacing-the-tegra-3&Itemid=138

I too have an E4200 v1, but haven't had any real Wi-Fi issues with either my wife's 32gb or my 64gb. I have an Asus n66u on order so will see if that makes a difference.

Very interesting to say the least. Good find. Will check out the link soon also

Ive used 3 different Primes on multiple different routers (Dlink, Linksys, Netgear all different model #s) the only consistant in everything is that every single Prime hits its WiFi deadspot range sooner then any other WiFi device I own (Laptops (2), cell phone, and a Galaxy 10.1 tablet) this all leads me to with 99% certainty that the biggest problem with the Primes WiFi is simply the aluminum backing not a magic handshake.......Basically the range on the Prime would not work outside in the McDonalds parking lot but if I moved 10 ft closer just outside it would for example we are talking 5-15 maybe 20ft difference in range difference with the Prime in most scenarios.

Lol, can't be a problem with an E4200.
I actually bought one of those (a V1 model) to fix my Prime's weak wifi as it has the best 2.5ghz support you can buy. It boosted my speeds in all areas but it didn't increase the range.

Linksys routers are fine, it's their firmware that stinks. Flash the DD-WRT firmware.

Timberline said:
Linksys routers are fine, it's their firmware that stinks. Flash the DD-WRT firmware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You've got that right. For something with the Cisco name on it, their software and support sucks far worse than another company that we know and love.

jdbaker82 said:
Ive used 3 different Primes on multiple different routers (Dlink, Linksys, Netgear all different model #s) the only consistant in everything is that every single Prime hits its WiFi deadspot range sooner then any other WiFi device I own (Laptops (2), cell phone, and a Galaxy 10.1 tablet) this all leads me to with 99% certainty that the biggest problem with the Primes WiFi is simply the aluminum backing not a magic handshake.......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then how come my Prime with the exact same aluminum backing has perfectly fine wifi performance? Can't be the backing.

wifesabitch said:
Then how come my Prime with the exact same aluminum backing has perfectly fine wifi performance? Can't be the backing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because you dont know how to test the wifi deadspot range or you didnt bother to test it. The WiFi in most scenarios will work just fine for most people doesnt mean the range doesnt fall off before other WiFi devices.

poofyhairguy said:
Lol, can't be a problem with an E4200.
I actually bought one of those (a V1 model) to fix my Prime's weak wifi as it has the best 2.5ghz support you can buy. It boosted my speeds in all areas but it didn't increase the range.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wrong. The N66U and the 4200v2 blow the V1 away.

jdbaker82 said:
Because you dont know how to test the wifi deadspot range or you didnt bother to test it. The WiFi in most scenarios will work just fine for most people doesnt mean the range doesnt fall off before other WiFi devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
haha, nice try.
I tested it fine. Nothing wrong with the aluminium backing.

I've got a Linksys Access Point WAP610N in the doorway between my office and bedroom because reception of the extender often falls away, the extender is one wooden floor down and two foot thick walls away from my rooms.
My notebook and Blackberry have no problem connecting to the AP, my internet radio has problems connecting but once it's connected it's good, my Kindle refuses to connect and my first Prime (waiting for the replacement) rather connected to the extender than the AP, occasionally it did connect but mostly it connected to the far away extender without any problems.
The most annoying thing is that with the latest firmware the AP keeps resetting itself to channel 11 (the busiest channel) every couple of days I have to change it back to channel 4 which is the one with the least interference/other networks on it. I'm now trying to find out what a good replacement AP is but that's harder than I thought.

I've got a Linksys WRT610N router under my desk at work - having just bought my new Prime into work for the first time, it refuses to see it at all.
Disabling 'mixed mode' (802.11B/G/N) for 2.4GHz and setting it down to just B/G and now the prime sees the network and has full strength. Looks like the Prime has issues with Linksys and mixed mode networks - it works fine at home on my mixed mode airport extreme.

wifesabitch said:
Then how come my Prime with the exact same aluminum backing has perfectly fine wifi performance? Can't be the backing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apparently, you have one of the magic one out of one-hundred primes, that performs as advertised, with the exception of GPS, of course !

I asked Skygunner why he though that 9 separate Primes had WiFI issues and if he thought that the common link MIGHT be his E4200 Cisco/Linksys Router.
Since he had already abandoned the Prime, selling his FREE Prime and Keyboard that Asus sent him
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do I get Asus to send me a FREE Prime and Keyboard that I can sell?

Yeah lets blame it.on everything except the real problem....
Shotty design and poor quality control. Myself and 3 of.my friends all bought primes around Xmas. Wifi sucked on EVERY single one no matter what make, model of access.point was used. Tested.on netgear, dd-wrt firmware routers, REAL Cisco WAPs, trend net ,zyxel, Linksys, and others.
Sent via smoke signal

rdalev said:
Apparently, you have one of the magic one out of one-hundred primes, that performs as advertised, with the exception of GPS, of course !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, most Primes don't work, need to be lucky to have the magic ones.

Putting it in laymans terms that everyone can understand.....THATS 100% BULL****!
I have an E4200 V1 and it works just fine. My prime works with it, my TF101 worked with it, all other wireless devices work with it. I do know it went through a firmware update but thats about it. I can connect to it with anything but the prime out in the street and get 450Mbps on my N devices.
Bottom line is the prime wifi is flawed regardless of what the reason is. Whether the aluminium back is all of it is anyones guess but its not rocket science that aluminum WILLL attenuate RF signals. My prime works fine at home where I have the E4200 and it pretty much saturates all 3500sqft. It did not work period at a hotel I recently stayed at where my laptop and crackberry had about half signal the prime didnt detect it at all.

=jon= said:
I've got a Linksys WRT610N router under my desk at work - having just bought my new Prime into work for the first time, it refuses to see it at all.
Disabling 'mixed mode' (802.11B/G/N) for 2.4GHz and setting it down to just B/G and now the prime sees the network and has full strength. Looks like the Prime has issues with Linksys and mixed mode networks - it works fine at home on my mixed mode airport extreme.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How strange. I use the same family of routers in my house and my brother's house, on Mixed (DD-WRT firmware though) and have no issues what-so-ever. After several tests, I actually found that Mixed gives me the most reliable distance and through-put as well, so long as I keep the channels low.
I use a WRT620N (with some D-Link as the Primary, required by our alarm set-up) at my house and WRT610N + WRT150N at my brother's.

buxtahuda said:
How strange. I use the same family of routers in my house and my brother's house, on Mixed (DD-WRT firmware though) and have no issues what-so-ever. After several tests, I actually found that Mixed gives me the most reliable distance and through-put as well, so long as I keep the channels low.
I use a WRT620N (with some D-Link as the Primary, required by our alarm set-up) at my house and WRT610N + WRT150N at my brother's.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is running the stock linksys firmware - technically it's the company's router so I've not got around to installing DD-WRT on it yet...

Related

Reason for WiFi Disparity Between Different Users

I don't have a solution, but I think I know what a pretty big contributing factor is towards some people saying WiFi is on par with other devices, and others saying it is not.
I've seen this mentioned in another WiFi thread by another user, but hasn't really gotten much attention, so I figured it deserved its own thread so people see it.
It appears that for some reason, the Prime does not like wireless N networks unless it is extremely close to the router. For example, when using wireless N, my Prime will pull over 30 Mbps when within 5 feet of my router. However, as soon as I start walking away, the Prime drops in speed at an embarrassingly bad rate. It goes from about 30 Mbps down to 3 Mbps down at about 20 feet away from my router. My other devices (Galaxy Nexus, iPad1, laptop) do not exhibit this behavior.
However, if you're using a wireless G network instead, the dropoff isn't nearly as significant. For example, when using wireless G, I'll pull about 19 Mbps when directly near the router, and still get about 9-13 Mbps when 20 feet away from the router, which is somewhat on par with my other devices.
My conclusions:
1) The Prime does not work well with wireless N networks
2) People who see speeds consistent with their other devices when not near their routers likely do not have a wireless N router (or have wireless N disabled).
Does anyone have any opinion on whether this may be software related?
Im finding exactly that rubbish WiFi on the Prime as soon as I walk away from my N-series router.
There definitely is something wrong with the Primes WiFi with mine, could be firmware related.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
ToneyEricsson said:
Im finding exactly that rubbish WiFi on the Prime as soon as I walk away from my N-series router.
There definitely is something wrong with the Primes WiFi with mine, could be firmware related.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried switching to G only mode to see if the Prime performs better? I know it may not be a permanent or acceptable solution, but that's what I'm doing for the time being, as I live in a relatively small apartment and don't need the increased range of wireless N.
The fact that the Prime can pull decent speeds at a decent range while on wireless G only has me hopeful that it is not hardware related, and can indeed be fixed (e.g., improved) with firmware.
nyijedi said:
Have you tried switching to G only mode to see if the Prime performs better? I know it may not be a permanent or acceptable solution, but that's what I'm doing for the time being, as I live in a relatively small apartment and don't need the increased range of wireless N.
The fact that the Prime can pull decent speeds at a decent range while on wireless G only has me hopeful that it is not hardware related, and can indeed be fixed (e.g., improved) with firmware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I only have N here, all other devices work good apart from the Prime.
I tried using WiFi Analyzer to see which channel was best being 11 as my router was set to auto but that made no difference on the Prime.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
ToneyEricsson said:
I only have N here, all other devices work good apart from the Prime.
I tried using WiFi Analyzer to see which channel was best being 11 as my router was set to auto but that made no difference on the Prime.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want to try it out, most, if not all N routers allow you to disable N and only transmit on a, b, or g. That's what I did on my N router. I changed transmission from 802.11a/b/g/n to 802.11g only.
I concur that all other devices work great on N except for the Prime, which is annoying.
I have AT&T Uverse and there wireless router is b/g only. I get download speeds of 12mbps in my plan. I was getting 11.3 to 11.5 on my OG IPad and my TFP oh and my motorola Atrix at any place in my house or my decks. Same ranges. My router is in the middle of my home so I'm probably no more than 50-75 feet from it.
So, I feel there could be credibility to what the OP says based on my setup.
Thanks a lot for this post. My router is only G and B but I decided to test this myself so I changed my router from Mixed to G-only and it increased my speeds by over 3MB/s (5MB/s to 8.1MB/s) when downstairs in my living room. I thought my previous tests were strange when it would sometimes spike up to 8MB/s but finish on 5MB/s everytime.
Anyway, very useful post which could help many on here. Maybe this could be fixed in a firmware update or do you reckon the Wi-Fi recievers in the Prime are designed that way?
My Wirless N router works fine with the Prime at both short and long distances.
SamB12 said:
My Wirless N router works fine with the Prime at both short and long distances.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree mine work fine also, i have a cape cod style house and my N router is in my basement I get 2 bars of strength in the "attic" part of my house, running about 12-13mps. Even when i run Wifi Analyzer on both my Galaxy Nexus and my Prime they are both very much the same DB.
I've got to say I think the Wi-Fi issues are software, not hardware. Using Wi-Fi analyzer, with my thunderbolt and prime in same location they have the same signal strength, but the thunderbolt is much faster downloading. I don't think the back is the problem with the prime WiFi, and they should be able to fix it with a firmware update.
Someone else also suggested that you can get better/higher wifi speeds with a lower channel. People have tried switching to channels 1 and 3. Maybe while trying ONLY 802.11g, try also using N at lower channels.
Lower channels = lower frequency = higher energy, which may be better able to get through the aluminum back and improve speeds?
nyijedi said:
I don't have a solution, but I think I know what a pretty big contributing factor is towards some people saying WiFi is on par with other devices, and others saying it is not.
I've seen this mentioned in another WiFi thread by another user, but hasn't really gotten much attention, so I figured it deserved its own thread so people see it.
It appears that for some reason, the Prime does not like wireless N networks unless it is extremely close to the router. For example, when using wireless N, my Prime will pull over 30 Mbps when within 5 feet of my router. However, as soon as I start walking away, the Prime drops in speed at an embarrassingly bad rate. It goes from about 30 Mbps down to 3 Mbps down at about 20 feet away from my router. My other devices (Galaxy Nexus, iPad1, laptop) do not exhibit this behavior.
However, if you're using a wireless G network instead, the dropoff isn't nearly as significant. For example, when using wireless G, I'll pull about 19 Mbps when directly near the router, and still get about 9-13 Mbps when 20 feet away from the router, which is somewhat on par with my other devices.
My conclusions:
1) The Prime does not work well with wireless N networks
2) People who see speeds consistent with their other devices when not near their routers likely do not have a wireless N router (or have wireless N disabled).
Does anyone have any opinion on whether this may be software related?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. What channel are you using on the N band? Also, what router and firmware?
As for testing at this point I am pulling 36Mbps on N at 15 feet and 34Mbps on G (on a Netgear WNDR4500 or ASUS RT-N56U). We will look into this behavior shortly.
Many wifi problems stem from suboptimal router configuration. Mixed-mode use (as opposed to G-only or N-only) can also cause speed degradation.
Suggest some simple steps to troubleshoot slow wifi speed:
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wireless/wireless-basics/30664-5-ways-to-fix-slow-80211n-speed
Alternately, you can try a different router or access point, either as replacement or in tandem with the existing unit.
Great idea making this thread as I was going to make similar one but never got around to after fiasco in other thread..lmfao.
There was this guy that posted he was going to return his Prime because his wifi wasn't acting right and he was slow downloads speeds and big dropoffs n such. I told him the exact same things you posted here. Be came back n thanked me n said That did the trick. Now his wifi is working great and is on par with his other devices. So now he is keeping his Prime.
Ill bet you that majority of people experiencing wifi issues are because of the reasons stated in this post. A simple network settings change can can make a night n day difference in wireless performance.
This thread should be stickied also or merged with other one then stickied. This will help alot of people out having wifi issues. And its such a simple n fast fix also.
---------- Post added at 04:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:42 PM ----------
nhshah7 said:
Someone else also suggested that you can get better/higher wifi speeds with a lower channel. People have tried switching to channels 1 and 3. Maybe while trying ONLY 802.11g, try also using N at lower channels.
Lower channels = lower frequency = higher energy, which may be better able to get through the aluminum back and improve speeds?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this was said to be true also. I saw that thread that had same info in it.
Gary Key said:
1. What channel are you using on the N band? Also, what router and firmware?
As for testing at this point I am pulling 36Mbps on N at 15 feet and 34Mbps on G (on a Netgear WNDR4500 or ASUS RT-N56U). We will look into this behavior shortly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gary,
Thank you very much for looking into this. I ran some additional tests so I could supply you with some (hopefully) helpful information.
The following tests were performed all using channel 1 on my router. Note that I do see faster speeds on my Prime on channel 1 with both G and N transmissions. The router is a D-Link DIR-655 with firmware version 1.35NA.
The WiFi version of my Prime is V6.1.1.17.
To get accurate speed results, I transferred a large file locally from my PC to my Prime and my Galaxy Nexus. I let each transfer go for a few minutes and noted the highest speed. Below are my results:
Wireless N Mode Only
Directly Next to Router
Galaxy Nexus: 28.1 Mbps
Transformer Prime: 29.84 Mbps
25 Feet Away From Router, 2 Thin Walls In Between
Galaxy Nexus: 20.48 Mbps
Transformer Prime: 6.68 Mbps
Wireless G Mode Only
Directly Next to Router
Galaxy Nexus: 17.8 Mbps
Transformer Prime: 22.04 Mbps
25 Feet Away From Router, 2 Thin Walls In Between
Galaxy Nexus: 14.4 Mbps
Transformer Prime: 10.32 Mbps
Two important things I noticed from these tests:
1) The Prime actually downloads faster than my Galaxy Nexus when right next to the router, but consistently downloads slower when further from the router.
2) Although the Prime drops off more than my Nexus at a distance of 25 feet from the router, it is at least in the same ballpark when the router is set to G only. However, when the router is set to N only, as you can see from the results, it's not even close.
Again, thank you very much for looking into this for all of us.
I have a b and g router. changed it to g-only and tried changing the channel from 11 to 1 and 3. None of it helped. I use a Netgear WGT624 v3 router with firmware V2.0.10_1.0.1NA
I get a single strength reading between 3 and 4 bars mostly when sitting next to the router but when stepping away it drops to the 1 dot signal strength or none at all. I don't understand what happened in my case because up until yesterday I was getting excellent wi-fi performance no matter where I was in my house. I had my Prime for a week and it was working perfectly. Then yesterday the wi-fi strength just died out. I have requested a refund from Office Depot's website for it but I would love to be able to cancel the refund request and keep the Prime if I felt sure that this issue could get resolved. Office Depot will be picking my tablet up on the 19th. I'll keep an eye on the forums between now and then to see if anything changes or any other ideas pop up for things to try on my end.
Actually did some tests myself today, comparing between the TF101, TF201 and the SGS2... All tests are done with wifi-analyzer and speedtest.
Linksys E2000 router, wifi g-only at channel 1
Close to router (bout 2.5m):
SGS2: ~-45dBm, ~13.5mbps
TF101: ~-40dBm, ~13.5mbps
TF201: ~-45dBm, ~13.5mpbs
Farther away, same room still (bout 8.5m)
SGS2: ~-45dBm, ~13.5mbps
TF101: ~-45dBm, ~13.5mbps
TF201: ~-50dBm, ~13.5mpbs
Kitchen (bout 11, wall and closes in between)
SGS2: ~-70dBm, ~7.5mbps
TF101: ~-65dBm, ~10mbps
TF201: ~-67dBm, ~5mpbs
Other room (about 6m, 2 walls in between)
SGS2: ~-65dBm, ~6mbps
TF101: ~-65dBm, ~10mbps
TF201: ~-70dBm, ~7mpbs
The signal is not that different actually, but speeds can be... THe problem is that within a number of runs in speedtest the changes can be pretty huge. Ranging from 2mbps to 10 mbps... No clue if it's my connection itself (got a 20mbit connection) or the router.
Also have another wifi router so might give that one a try too later...
nyijedi said:
Gary,
Thank you very much for looking into this. I ran some additional tests so I could supply you with some (hopefully) helpful information.
The following tests were performed all using channel 1 on my router. Note that I do see faster speeds on my Prime on channel 1 with both G and N transmissions. The router is a D-Link DIR-655 with firmware version 1.35NA.
The WiFi version of my Prime is V6.1.1.17.
To get accurate speed results, I transferred a large file locally from my PC to my Prime and my Galaxy Nexus. I let each transfer go for a few minutes and noted the highest speed. Below are my results:
Wireless N Mode Only
Directly Next to Router
Galaxy Nexus: 28.1 Mbps
Transformer Prime: 29.84 Mbps
25 Feet Away From Router, 2 Thin Walls In Between
Galaxy Nexus: 20.48 Mbps
Transformer Prime: 6.68 Mbps
Wireless G Mode Only
Directly Next to Router
Galaxy Nexus: 17.8 Mbps
Transformer Prime: 22.04 Mbps
25 Feet Away From Router, 2 Thin Walls In Between
Galaxy Nexus: 14.4 Mbps
Transformer Prime: 10.32 Mbps
Two important things I noticed from these tests:
1) The Prime actually downloads faster than my Galaxy Nexus when right next to the router, but consistently downloads slower when further from the router.
2) Although the Prime drops off more than my Nexus at a distance of 25 feet from the router, it is at least in the same ballpark when the router is set to G only. However, when the router is set to N only, as you can see from the results, it's not even close.
Again, thank you very much for looking into this for all of us.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is almost exactly the behavior i see. In my case it is even a little more extreme, as i actually get occasional wifi crashes (the wifi icon on the prime disappears, then reappears and reconnects after a few seconds) with my router set to GN or N only. Sitting next to the router, speeds on N only are very erratic, ranging from 6-12 Mbps. On G-only, i get a solid 10-12 Mbps.
Overall i find the speeds to be extremely slow. my other devices (G only Droid X included) have no problem handily besting the download speeds at any range.
TF201 | XDA Premium
ToneyEricsson said:
Im finding exactly that rubbish WiFi on the Prime as soon as I walk away from my N-series router.
There definitely is something wrong with the Primes WiFi with mine, could be firmware related.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
part of the issue is, we don't know which chip the azurewave has for wifi.
Because the OS has drivers for both the 4330 and the 4329 installed in system.
check your etc for driver confs.
I one of the few userr who don't have any problems. wireless n does,'t work will on 2.4 even my laptop has pronlem trying to get n speeds they is why i went to 5 mhz to get full n speeds

Wireless N-Only problem?

I was wondering if any prime owners tryed to connect on a N-Only wifi?? on the box it says a/b,g,n wireless but when i try to set my wifi to N-Only, i can see the network but theirs no way the prime is connecting to it. I have to switch it back to either Mixed or G/N Mixed, and then im able to connect with a max connectivity with router of 54mbps. This problem was present before and after ICS update, my router is a Asus RT-N12 (tryed with stock firmware, updated stock firmware and with DDWRT). I Would like to know if any of you guys tryed this out I feel i'v been kinda scammed
PS. (I checked out on Q&A for the prime and couldnt find any post related to this if you guys know there is already one, please just give me the link i'll continu posting on the other thread thanks)
I can't connect to my "N" router either. Mine doesn't even show up in my TF.
is it a TF prime or the first one?
N-5ghz is not supported, putting it in 2.4Ghz mode should work (at least, it does on mine... whether there's a difference or not is another thing)
I can connect my prime to my router with N only as long as its on 2.4GHZ and between channels 1-11. I wish I could pick up 12-14 because I live in an apartment complex with crowded wifi. Router is Cisco E2000 with DDWRT firmware...
The link speed showing on the network signal app only maxes at 54 mbps though. I can stream 1080p mp4s from my network drive though so its fast enough for me...
RT-N12 is operating on 2.4ghz and does not support 5ghz. Are you sure you are in "N-Only" mode or are you in "Mixed"??
This has been discussed in great detail in general section. Its known Prime can't connect to 5Ghz. set it to 2.5 or G only. G only seems tl yield best results. also check this article out..might help.
www.smallnetbuilder.com/wireless/wireless-basics/30664-5-ways-to-fix-slow-80211n-speed
Yes, it connects 2.5 N only but the performance is pathetic. Prior to ICS, I got curious changing my 2.5 GHz band to strictly G. Saw an immediate boost in performance + speeds.
Yes so far I am very disappointed. I just got the Prime today and it immediately updated to ICS. Once that was done I started checking out the wifi ability right away, because of all the bad reports all over the internet. Much to my surprise, mine doesn't see my wireless N either. I had the TF101 prior and it worked fine with my router. My Samsung E4GT phone sees it just fine, and what really hurts is my wife's iPad 2 sees it, connects to it and pulls just under 20mbps speeds.
To say this sucks is an understatement. I hate losing to Apple in any way, and here I am with the latest and greatest Android tablet, and being punked by a nearly year old IOS device.
Crap
I have no wifi issues with my N router... Performance can be a little better (speed wise) but no issues connecting at all, my router is cisco
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda premium
wherestheanykey said:
Yes so far I am very disappointed. I just got the Prime today and it immediately updated to ICS. Once that was done I started checking out the wifi ability right away, because of all the bad reports all over the internet. Much to my surprise, mine doesn't see my wireless N either. I had the TF101 prior and it worked fine with my router. My Samsung E4GT phone sees it just fine, and what really hurts is my wife's iPad 2 sees it, connects to it and pulls just under 20mbps speeds.
To say this sucks is an understatement. I hate losing to Apple in any way, and here I am with the latest and greatest Android tablet, and being punked by a nearly year old IOS device.
Crap
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you stream over 5ghz network to iPad? 1080p movies? It redundant...just turn down to 2.4 and everyone is happy.
Having a technically higher spec which does not improve on daily usage is redundant.
jedi5diah said:
What do you stream over 5ghz network to iPad? 1080p movies? It redundant...just turn down to 2.4 and everyone is happy.
Having a technically higher spec which does not improve on daily usage is redundant.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly, the prime doesn't support the 5Ghz frequency. Only supports 2.5ghz N or whatever. There's only a few tablets that do actually support 5ghz. All it takes is a simple change n it'll work. THE whole argument that it should work on any network is b.s. Especially if you have it set to something not supported. Doesn't take a genius to figure that out.
I've always used N-Only. I get a decent connection to my Transformer Prime with it too.
Mines is the cheap Belkin N150 router so I doubt it does that 5Ghz range as that seem like a setting for a higher priced N router.
Scott1620 said:
I can connect my prime to my router with N only as long as its on 2.4GHZ and between channels 1-11. I wish I could pick up 12-14 because I live in an apartment complex with crowded wifi. Router is Cisco E2000 with DDWRT firmware...
The link speed showing on the network signal app only maxes at 54 mbps though. I can stream 1080p mp4s from my network drive though so its fast enough for me...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Point 1: Your are in the US, so you are not allowed using anything except 1-11 by FCC regulations.
Point 2: N-Only often turns on channel bonding in soho equipment like yours, so it needs 8 full channels to use it properly. Each channel is 5 MHz apart from the other and a WiFi device uses channels in a/b/g that are 20 MHz wide, in 11n with channel bonding (which is an optional feature for the high data rates) they use channels of 40 MHz. So dividing the 40 Mhz by 5 Mhz makes using of channel 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7. If you would live in Japan, on only country that is allowed to use channel 14. So for US it would be channel 11-4. This explains why channel bonding in the 2.4 GHz band is a band ides unless you are living in a big ranch 500 feet away from the next WiFi router.
---------- Post added at 11:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:24 PM ----------
the_game_master said:
I've always used N-Only. I get a decent connection to my Transformer Prime with it too.
Mines is the cheap Belkin N150 router so I doubt it does that 5Ghz range as that seem like a setting for a higher priced N router.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool device, taken from the specs page of belkin.com:
Security: Wi-Fi Protected Setup, 256-bit WEP (64-128bit), WPA-PSK (TKIP), WPA2- PSK (AES) with WPS Push Button
Range of up to 1,000 ft.
Link Rate: Up to 150Mbps in 40MHz Channel Mode Bandwidth 20 MHz & 20/40 MHz auto
ISP Protocols Supported Dynamic, Static, PPPoE, PPTP, Telstra Bigpond, L2TP
Compliant Standard IEEE 802.11b, 802.11g
So no 11n support per specs, but the Overview page tells 150 MBits are supported, so it can run 75 Mbits without channel bonding and 150 with.
Try out the WiFi Widget it tells you the data rate to the WiFi router.
jedi5diah said:
What do you stream over 5ghz network to iPad? 1080p movies? It redundant...just turn down to 2.4 and everyone is happy.
Having a technically higher spec which does not improve on daily usage is redundant.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I spent the extra money to purchase a dual band router, so I could broadcast N and G as two separate signals. As I understand it, if you broadcast both on a single signal, and you have some older devices that require and connect to the G band, it will automatically cut the speed back, to whatever the slowest device connected is capable of. At least that is the way it was explained to me. So the N was on 5ghz and G was on 2.4ghz. It has always worked with any other wireless N device I have had, until I got this "latest and greatest" tablet. So yes now I have downgraded my wireless network to only 1 band, to accommodate the Prime.
wherestheanykey said:
I spent the extra money to purchase a dual band router, so I could broadcast N and G as two separate signals. As I understand it, if you broadcast both on a single signal, and you have some older devices that require and connect to the G band, it will automatically cut the speed back, to whatever the slowest device connected is capable of. At least that is the way it was explained to me. So the N was on 5ghz and G was on 2.4ghz. It has always worked with any other wireless N device I have had, until I got this "latest and greatest" tablet. So yes now I have downgraded my wireless network to only 1 band, to accommodate the Prime.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you have 2.4ghz g network, prime should be able to detect it. Check if your dual band is working properly...
Wireless n is impt only if you stream HD movies. I stream music on g with no problem at all.
I know you feel frustrated, and I know it sucks as prime is supposed to be PRIME. If you intend to stream HD movies to prime you may have to "down grade" to 2.4ghz if not wireless N is kind of overrated or "miss used" as I see no use of having to stream HD to non HD devices. If you are a home theater enthusiastic or business it then wireless n 5mhz is a must.
Hope you can move on to appreciate the quad core of prime than dwelling on this issue.
Cheers!
dagrim1 said:
N-5ghz is not supported, putting it in 2.4Ghz mode should work (at least, it does on mine... whether there's a difference or not is another thing)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dah!!
I just open a new thread for this very issue.... I'm sure I'm going to get ding for it.
any way...
Mine doesn't connect to the "N" wireless
My router hosts "N" and "a/b/g" modes cisco 3200
it only connects to the 2.4 Ghz a/b/g mode...
Desn't work even if I set the "N" mode to 2.4 Ghz channel and turn OFF the a/b/g mode.
PuroKaibil said:
Dah!!
I just open a new thread for this very issue.... I'm sure I'm going to get ding for it.
any way...
Mine doesn't connect to the "N" wireless
My router hosts "N" and "a/b/g" modes cisco 3200
it only connects to the 2.4 Ghz a/b/g mode...
Desn't work even if I set the "N" mode to 2.4 Ghz channel and turn OFF the a/b/g mode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You right about getting ringed..lmao. I just posted to your thread. 5Ghz N range is marketing b.s. its way overhyped n not as good as people think anyways. Read this tech article to get the real scoop on it and tips.
Www.smallnetbuilder.com/wireless/wireless-basics/30664-5-ways-to-fix-slow-80211n-speed
demandarin said:
You right about getting ringed..lmao. I just posted to your thread. 5Ghz N range is marketing b.s. its way overhyped n not as good as people think anyways. Read this tech article to get the real scoop on it and tips.
Www.smallnetbuilder.com/wireless/wireless-basics/30664-5-ways-to-fix-slow-80211n-speed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did read it and thank you at the other thread....
Great Read...
Thanks again.

What is consider as "weak wifi"??

So what is consider as weak wifi?!.
I've recently got my prime and have been testing the wifi of the prime to my sg2 and vibrant...
Standing next to my router i get about -45dBm while my sg2 gets like -33dBm. The dl speed is also slightly faster on the sg2. Then when i compared the signal to my vibrant....my vibrant gets about -45 to -50dBm.
So just curious is that normal? Or weak? Or any other opinions...
Thanks
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App
Don't feed into all that weak wifi hype. If you even have to ask then that means your device is performing fine. OR YOU won't even notice anything unless someone tells you its bad n starts making you think that.
Base it off of performance, not what Tom, ****, n Jane tell you..lol
Try running the same test on the same devices but move farther away and test each result. the "common" problem is the rate at which the wifi looses strength is roughly around 20'. But this is all based on individual results i have read. Others claim there are no issues or problems. To each their own.
My question for you is, When and where was yours purchased from? Im curious if the newer purchases are as common to show issues.
For me it's pretty simple to prove.
From family rooms and bedrooms I can get 16Mbps.
From kitchen and dining room I get 2Mbps, while the iPad right beside pulls in 16Mbps still.
I used wifi analyzer to find what channel was best in G band than configured my router to it and my prime pulls the same or better numbers than my SGII, daughters iphone4s and wifes Kindle fire. All devices have better speedtest results since I switched to channel 1 on G band I wish I would have known this along time ago because places that I previously had weak or no wifi now have a strong signal.The configuring router thing has been posted hundreds of times on this forum
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Hab1 said:
For me it's pretty simple to prove.
From family rooms and bedrooms I can get 16Mbps.
From kitchen and dining room I get 2Mbps, while the iPad right beside pulls in 16Mbps still.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My experience is pretty similar. Near the router, all devices get a pretty fast download speed, above 11 Mbps using Speedtest. Farther away, at about 20-25 feet, Prime slows to 10% of that, while the other devices are still up near 11 Mbps.
Don't go looking for problems. If it is running fine for you and seems fast why try to get technical about whether it is weak or not.
I brought mines recently on the 21st of Jan.
For mines wifi seems okay when compare with other devices when there is no/few obstacles...ie i get the same speed but different signal strength when Im on the lobby of my neighbors(1 house away) while my router is on the 3rd floor.
But when Im in the lobby within my building my prime gets very weak signal and often disconnect while my sg2 remain connected with 2-3 bars and about 4-5mb dl
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App
Agreed. But Im just worry if it will work within campus since i only brought it for skool. And bb only gives 14 day return window...
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App
I havent noticed weak wifi with mine as well. To be honest, I'm actually seen the exact same performance with my Galaxy Nexus and Ipad 2.
atoy74 said:
I havent noticed weak wifi with mine as well. To be honest, I'm actually seen the exact same performance with my Galaxy Nexus and Ipad 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe you are checking WiFi close to the router? Most folks that report WiFi problems (including me) report that near the router is fine, but that 20 feet or more away, the Prime's download speed is WAY less than other devices. (my Prime is about 10% of other devices at distance.)
Yep, standing right beside the router I can get 30Mbps. This is in the basement. I live in a large bungalow. Standing right above the router on the first floor I can get about 18Mbps and then it drops from there and very quickly. In the dining room, which is main floor but about 30-40 linear ft distance from the router, the speed drops to 2Mbps.

Wireless N or Wireless G?

Ok guys I read somewhere in here that the Prime did not play nice with Wireless N so here is what I did using my D-link wireless router:
Changed wireless settings from N to G only and ran some tests here is what i got:
WiFi Analyzer - -50/-44 dbm
Speedtest.net- Ping 17ms 8275dn and 2125up Average ( I have a 8Mb connection)
GPS Test - it now can see 9 sats and lock to them but the signal is still very poor (between 10 /20 SNR) so the navigation dops the signal but IT CAN SEE THE SATS!
Changed wireless G to N and this is what I got:
WiFi Analyzer - -61/58 dbm ( the lower the number the better the signal)
Speedtest.net- Ping 72ms 6420dn and 1233up Average ( I have a 8Mb connection)
GPS Test - 0 sats
Changed the wireless N to N+G and this is what I got:
WiFi Analyzer - -55/50 dbm
Speedtest.net- Ping 24ms 8225dn and 1790up Average ( I have a 8Mb connection)
GPS Test - It can see 4 sats but wont lock
What does it all mean???? I have no idea, all i know is that im going to leave my router on G from now on.
Can anyone else confirm and post? Thanks
>What does it all mean???? I have no idea, all i know is that im going to leave my router on G from now on.
It shouldn't matter. N's main advance over G is its MIMO transmission, 5GHz inclusion, and doubled bandwidth (40MHz) mode (some turbo-G versions have channel bonding, but they were proprietary and not interoperable between brands). The Prime has a single xmit/2 rcv ant (nix MIMO), single-band (nix 5GHz), and only works with 20MHz bandwidth. You should not notice a difference between N and G wrt the Prime. In fact, as the majority of wifi in laptops and PCs are of the cheaper single-band variety, this applies to those as well.
Many early N routers are draft-N, and N mode can be problematic, especially in mixed mode use. That's probably why some people noticed an improvement when they switched to G. Many people also use TKIP in WPA/WPA2, which also leads to slowdowns.
To answer your question directly, sure, change the various settings and see if they make a difference. But if you get an improvement in G over N, it probably means you should upgrade to a newer router--or at least find an updated firmware if one is available. The improvement would apply to other devices and not just the Prime.
BTW, since wireless performance is highly variable, you would want to take a number of tests and take the avg, rather than rely on a single reading.
That was a helpful post E.mote, thank you.
e.mote said:
>What does it all mean???? I have no idea, all i know is that im going to leave my router on G from now on.
It shouldn't matter. N's main advance over G is its MIMO transmission, 5GHz inclusion, and doubled bandwidth (40MHz) mode (some turbo-G versions have channel bonding, but they were proprietary and not interoperable between brands). The Prime has a single xmit/2 rcv ant (nix MIMO), single-band (nix 5GHz), and only works with 20MHz bandwidth. You should not notice a difference between N and G wrt the Prime. In fact, as the majority of wifi in laptops and PCs are of the cheaper single-band variety, this applies to those as well.
Many early N routers are draft-N, and N mode can be problematic, especially in mixed mode use. That's probably why some people noticed an improvement when they switched to G. Many people also use TKIP in WPA/WPA2, which also leads to slowdowns.
To answer your question directly, sure, change the various settings and see if they make a difference. But if you get an improvement in G over N, it probably means you should upgrade to a newer router--or at least find an updated firmware if one is available. The improvement would apply to other devices and not just the Prime.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
or maybe is one more thing that the primes have wrong with them...don't get me wrong I love my prime and I DO NOT WANT TO GET RID OF IT i just wish there were some answers to all of our questions or maybe i should stay away from all the forums and pretend that there is nothing wrong with it and the $500 was money well spent. Thanks for your input
router is 2 weeks old and it has the latest firmware. (first thing i checked) the post does say Average.
Wireless N 5Ghz is so overhyped n overrated. It get less range than the 2 4Ghz band.
Read this tech article that shows how most people got scammed by 5Ghz band hype.
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wireless/wireless-basics/30664-5-ways-to-fix-slow-80211n-speed
demandarin said:
Wireless N 5Ghz is so overhyped n overrated. It get less range than the 2 4Ghz band.
Read this tech article that shows how most people got scammed by 5Ghz band hype.
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wireless/wireless-basics/30664-5-ways-to-fix-slow-80211n-speed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I work in IT field and deal with plenty of routers I will take G over N any day range is always much better which explains why Prime works so much better with G because of the aluminum backplate blocking some of the Wi-Fi signal the range isn't as good as your everyday Wi-Fi device dead spots about 10 ft difference.
Maybe this doesn't apply to some but with wireless g my speed tests are at about 15-20mbs and with N its the full 36-42 mbs. So if your internet is slower than 20mbs g is probally fine but I NEED n to work to get the most out of my connection.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
So ive got 20mb internet and have the virgin media hub, wireless connection is awful upstairs, do i go with n or g and is the prime not compatible at all with n
The Prime operates in the 2.4ghz band, forget the 5ghz, it will do nothing for your Prime, I also made tests to my network and disconnected the 5ghz band after getting results like the OP. ATM, my network operates G only and I'm getting great results.
Cheers
Spurs027 said:
So ive got 20mb internet and have the virgin media hub, wireless connection is awful upstairs, do i go with n or g and is the prime not compatible at all with n
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would definitely go with wireless N. If you have problems like very slow speeds switch back to G.
The prime seems to support wireless N speeds up 65 mbs.
Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk
>with wireless g my speed tests are at about 15-20mbs and with N its the full 36-42 mbs.
N has better throughput and range, assuming good antennas on both ends that allow for MIMO/dual-stream use. G is needed for legacy pre-N devices. I use both.
>wireless connection is awful upstairs
Options to boost wifi in your home:
. Try a different router. Routers can vary in performance.
. Repeater (old router retrofitted with DD-WRT firmware) to extend your router's range. Repeaters aren't common as consumer products nowaday, since they need some knowledge to set up.
. Powerline adapters (pair). These are convenient but relatively expensive. Advertised for ~200Mb/s, but more realistically 100-150. They're getting more common; most vendors have a line. Performance depends on house electrical wiring.
. MoCA adapters, assuming house is wired for cable-TV (RG-6 coax). These can also be expensive, but you can hunt around for older stuff on eBay for cheap. It's more reliable than powerline.
I dropped 802.11g long ago like it was hot like I did 802.11b before it.
802.11n is now, the Transformer prime supports all of them and changing wireless broadcast to anything lower than N is just to give you less of what's current and best.
the_game_master said:
I dropped 802.11g long ago like it was hot like I did 802.11b before it.
802.11n is now, the Transformer prime supports all of them and changing wireless broadcast to anything lower than N is just to give you less of what's current and best.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really if the devices you own don't "see" the 5ghz frequency, only but the newest electronics operate on that band, you Prime don't for example, and it's new.
Cheers
After reading this I was interested to see if this was having any effect. I tried several different settings:
G - only
N - 20MHz (single channel)
and N - 40Mhz (channel bonding)
I found that by far the best setting was single channel N. I've gone from having virtually no usable connection in parts of my house, to a usable throughput in all parts of the house. Also did some tests using WiFi analyser and speedtest.net and found consistently higher throughput and signal strength using this setting.
My conclusion, it seems to have a problem with wireless N channel bonding.
PrimeUser said:
Not really if the devices you own don't "see" the 5ghz frequency, only but the newest electronics operate on that band, you Prime don't for example, and it's new.
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have a dual band N router but if I did I wouldn't set it to operate in 5Ghz only mode, I would keep it functioning as a dual band mode so both 2.4 and 5 Ghz bands were active for complete 802.11n functionality.
That way all my N devices would see the N broadcast.
That's the point, I do have a dual band router, I tested the network with both frequencies on, and disconnected the 5ghz band after testing the 2.4ghz alone, the network signal is weaker with both on.
If you stream alot of video and have devices capable of taking advantage of the higher frequency, very well, if you don't or don't stream that much video anyway, having the 5ghz on, doesn't make any sense. In my case, weakens my signal, it works for me to shut it down, maybe for others this doesn't apply.
Signal strength depends of so many factors, the environment where a network is set, strongly dictates the outcome in performance and stability of it, no network behaves the same. My network is working in top condition for the environment around it, that's what it matters for me.
Cheers

Wifi connectivity issues

I constantly drop wifi in my house. Is this just my phone or is it an issue? Tried everything and won't stay connected. Network just disappears and then connects 10-15 second later.
I have some issues also. Just bad firmware on LG side
I'd check your wifi modem, I use my LG V10 on numerous different modems, and have no problems with it. It connects to my home, alone with a few places I go to, and even when tje signal is extremely weak. So I'm not seeing the same thing
Also have issues on Wi-Fi
2.4 seems to hold connection longer than 5ghz. Luckily I have unlimited data. I have almost never used WiFi on this device due to this. The problem is both on my Asus RT router and my brother's Netgear Nighthawk router. Both with latest firmware. I'd like to have the option of a stable WiFi connection though.
Mac address
frankiefumbles said:
2.4 seems to hold connection longer than 5ghz. Luckily I have unlimited data. I have almost never used WiFi on this device due to this. The problem is both on my Asus RT router and my brother's Netgear Nighthawk router. Both with latest firmware. I'd like to have the option of a stable WiFi connection though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've read a few posts that suggest being sure the MAC address of your phone is registered with your router. I've come from 2 galaxies and I do feel the LG is a little more sensitive to a low or fluctuating signal. I "feel" it, but everytime I actually compare, it doesn't seem to be the case
Thanks for the advice
mlg250 said:
I've read a few posts that suggest being sure the MAC address of your phone is registered with your router. I've come from 2 galaxies and I do feel the LG is a little more sensitive to a low or fluctuating signal. I "feel" it, but everytime I actually compare, it doesn't seem to be the case
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried the registering the Mac on both bands. Tried several device resets. Disconnected all other attached devices from the router. Had much hope for this. But no bueno. Still dropped connection after less the three minutes. Disabled 4G and the other nanny settings for WiFi on the V10. Just hoping for the much needed firmware update (s) for this sweet phone.
Again, thank you for the advice and your time.

Categories

Resources