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sonicj · Apr 22, 2005, 11:37 PM

i just got my new 15" powerbook to replace my 6 month old ibook. both are new machines with factory installed airport extreme cards. my ibook got probably twice the range that my new powerbook got on my 802.11b linksys router... anyone else notice this when switching from an ibook to a powerbook? think its the metal chassis that makes the difference in the range? think the antenna cable might be seated loose cause the signal strength is waaay intermittent. anywho, thought i'd ask here before calling! cheers!

MrForgetable · Apr 23, 2005, 03:41 PM

yep, powerbook's airport range is a lot less than the ibooks.

masmas · Apr 23, 2005, 04:49 PM

ye cos of the alu casing

amazing · Apr 23, 2005, 05:38 PM

Originally Posted by sonicj

anywho, thought i'd ask here before calling! cheers!

Actually, I've heard a couple of stories where Apple took new 15"s back in to fix the poor airport reception. Are you near an Apple Store? That's where you're likely to find out whether you're in the normal range or not, because at the genius bar they can compare your reception to their models. Over the phone, they have no way of telling whether it's normal reception or not.

I think it's particularly bad design that in the new 15" and 17" models you can no longer open the battery door to verify whether the antenna is plugged in tightly or whether it has jolted loose during shipping.

hanxu · Apr 23, 2005, 05:51 PM

Ye, mine powerbook's airport reception is a lot weaker than my bf's centrino

mdc · Apr 23, 2005, 06:50 PM

friend of mine bought a new 12" ibook. she brought it round so i could set it up for her and when i set it to join my airport it found 2 other networks in my area that i had no idea existed.

my powerbook can't find them. oh well, i can find mine, that's all that counts.

fisherKing · Apr 23, 2005, 07:58 PM

same thing here.
i see about 6 networks with my alubook.
had a friends ibook here, and she was picking up the coffeebar network from across the street..! (and 8 other networks).

but, agreed, as long as you see your own network, it's all good...

drprat · 06:43 PM

for wat it's worth, tiger appears to have increased my airport reception strength (12" rev. c)... i haven't tested it extensively, but the signal level is at full strength on my home network (which would typically have shown 3/4 strength with 10.3)... overall, tiger is an amazing upgrade for pbs in terms of performance and more...

sonicj · Apr 24, 2005, 06:14 PM

def something wrong! im dropping signal in the same room as the router, but only on this machine and not on others. sux you can't access the airport without taking the thing half apart... anywho, im taking it to a apple service center tommorrow for a professional colonoscopy!

amazing · Apr 25, 2005, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by sonicj

def something wrong! im dropping signal in the same room as the router, but only on this machine and not on others. sux you can't access the airport without taking the thing half apart... anywho, im taking it to a apple service center tommorrow for a professional colonoscopy!

Please report back, everybody will want to know what the verdict is! If you've got time, get some numbers from an exact location using iStumbler, and then compare them once you get the PB fixed!

amazing · Apr 25, 2005, 12:05 PM

Originally Posted by drprat

for wat it's worth, tiger appears to have increased my airport reception strength (12" rev. c)... i haven't tested it extensively, but the signal level is at full strength on my home network (which would typically have shown 3/4 strength with 10.3)... overall, tiger is an amazing upgrade for pbs in terms of performance and more...

Tiger, by itself, can't improve airport range. Tiger can simply adjust the "bars of reception" to be full when you're right next to the router. In other words, with some changes in software, Apple can change the little "reception gauge" in the menu bar to show as being more full.

However, Tiger has to also show reception strength on the iBooks. In effect, the iBooks set the bar for excellent reception (more bars of reception in Internet Connect) and the PBs will inevitably show less reception than the iBooks.

What I'm trying to say is that I'm wondering if Tiger simply didn't just artificially move the scale slightly upward?

When I get Tiger, I'm going to use iStumbler to measure reception in 10.3.9 and then measure again from the exact same spot with Tiger.

GSixZero · Apr 25, 2005, 12:21 PM

While you may certainly be right about Apple just adjusting the meter up or down, software would definitely be able to increase range and performance. Tweaking the algorithms that separate the signal from the noise could improve things for sure.

drprat · Apr 25, 2005, 01:24 PM

well i know that the "bars" don't mean much, but the performance has also increased as well... i don't know what they call it on the mac, but on pcs there are two parts to wireless performance.... link strength and link quality (refers to speed).... the strength can be strong, but if the quality isn't then there's a noticeable difference in speed (some drivers will actually show you the maximum attainable speed).... so comparatively, the strength as well as the "quality" of my airport reception appears to be much better on tiger... i don't know if any of the above makes sense, but not being a wireless guru myself (i only use it at home and on campus) i don't know how else to describe it...

Chuckit · Apr 25, 2005, 03:00 PM

Do y'all really find the PowerBook's Airport reception that much worse? I haven't yet had any trouble picking up a signal when my iBook- and PC-using friends could.

GSixZero · Apr 25, 2005, 03:27 PM

Yes, the powerbook's conductive casings make airport reception not as good. iBooks are much better.

http://www.boltlightningprotection.c...raday_Cage.htm

holsteinson · Apr 27, 2005, 05:14 PM

yes this is regretfully true my ibook 14" 1.33 works where my PB 17 doesnt even get signal

Originally Posted by GSixZero

Yes, the powerbook's conductive casings make airport reception not as good. iBooks are much better.

http://www.boltlightningprotection.c...raday_Cage.htm

sonicj · Apr 27, 2005, 06:08 PM

PB is in the shop as of monday... maybe i'll see it by the end of the week =/

gametime10 · Apr 28, 2005, 09:31 AM

I just got a 15" Powerbook rev. c and the airport signal strength is 1-2 bars weaker in my office than the signal I get with my 15" Titanium. This sucks. Is there anything that can be done to improve it? With the Titanium, I read an article where you can remove the battery and gently "massage" the antenna to improve reception and it worked. Anything like that for the aluminum?

amazing · Apr 28, 2005, 10:59 AM

In the current rev C 15" ALPB, Apple took away the user-serviceable access to the AE card via the battery compartment. In all likelihood, the antenna cable came slightly loose during shipping. Unfortunately, you'll have to take it to an Apple store to have the genius bar look at it. It definitely shouldn't have worse reception than a Ti.

Personally, if I'd just received a new PB, I'd make 'em give me a brand-new 15" rather than accept their sending it off to have applecare look at it. Defective upon arrival...'course if you custom configured it, that's not an option.

sonicj · Apr 28, 2005, 05:37 PM

yea, im not exactly stoked... if it comes back with a single scratch, rounded off screw, etc. im going to have words w/cust service cause then its really no differnt than a refurb.

FriendOfDaves · May 2, 2005, 12:05 PM

I live literally on campus of my university, surrounded by buildings all with the university's free wireless. Anyway, our house's walls are really thick; like 2ft concrete brick, but for some reason, my two flatmates can pick up the neighbouring wireless networks on their laptops.

The thing is, I can't on my iBook (1 month old). I've tried moving around and I get nothing; as soon as I step out the door or hold my iBook out the window, I find like 3 APs. Anyway, in my short experience, the iBook wireless reception seems great for normal indoor conditions, but for non-ideal conditions like this, it seems to suck compared to some newer PCs. Also, I might add that before I had a crap Sony VAIO with a D-Link wireless card that didn't pick up any signals in my house either.

So I have to pay the university $30/month for access to the network jack in my room, rather than get free wireless.