Improve wifi performance - Atrix 4G General

This is the lamest "mod" ever.
If you are experiencing dropped wifi because you are just barely within signal (like I am at work), holding the phone in landscape orientation with the backlit hardware keys on the right will increase your wifi signal by two bars. Im assuming the chip is on the right side of the phone.
Cheers
Sent from my Atrix using XDA App

I definitely got to try this on Monday....my wifi signal sucks @ work:-(

Mine does the opposite.
Never live in the past but always learn from it.

Lol it works and I'm sat next to the router! How bizarre.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA Premium App

Tennis11 said:
Mine does the opposite.
Never live in the past but always learn from it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe it depends on router location. Both orientations should be tried. This saved me because holding the phone upright drops signal every few minutes, but landscape is a solid 2
Sent from my Atrix using XDA App

makes sense that the wifi antenna is on the right since if it is plugged into a dock (left side down, where the hdmi/usb are), the wifi would be able to get the best signal....dont know this for a fact but makes sense

Room7 said:
makes sense that the wifi antenna is on the right since if it is plugged into a dock (left side down, where the hdmi/usb are), the wifi would be able to get the best signal....dont know this for a fact but makes sense
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point
Sent from my Atrix using XDA App

from my understanding,
the way antennas work is that they have a null/hole perpendicular to how they're pointed.
in other words, if the transmitting antenna is pointing straight up and down, then the receiving antenna should be pointing straight up and down for the best reception. otoh, for the WORST reception, the receiving antenna should then be pointing sideways (if the transmitting is pointing straight up and down.)
therefore, in a perfect world, if you wanted the best coverage...on a router with two antennas, you'd point one straight up and down, and another sideways. that way you have everything covered...the straight up and down, and the sideways...and everything inbetween.
but we don't live in a perfect world...and there are walls, reflections and cancellations...and so came the rise of the "rabbit ear" tv antenna position..two antennas pointed 45degrees off center...which is a compromise. each antenna is now more likely to pick up "something" vs "nothing". you may not get the best reception, but you won't get the worst...and you shouldn't get "holes".
and so with the atrix, it'd depend how the wifi antennas are situated vs how your router antennas are situated vs the wifi reflections off the walls, etc.
also, if you think about it, if the antennas are on the side...then in portrait mode your hands are covering the antennas, whereas in landscape mode you're not.

The atrix has N draft wireless and i have been less than impressed with the signal strength seeing as my iphone back in the day could get much better signal in identical situations. However this does not by any means diminish the awesomeness of android over iOS

Khoops66 said:
The atrix has N draft wireless and i have been less than impressed with the signal strength seeing as my iphone back in the day could get much better signal in identical situations. However this does not by any means diminish the awesomeness of android over iOS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's because of the location of the wifi chip on the phone. I get better signal with my Atrix lanscape, hardware keys to the right, than I could get with my iphone 4 in ANY orientation.
Sent from my Atrix using XDA App

Khoops66 said:
The atrix has N draft wireless and i have been less than impressed with the signal strength seeing as my iphone back in the day could get much better signal in identical situations. However this does not by any means diminish the awesomeness of android over iOS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im holding a new atrix an a new iphone4. Not only is the atrix reception better it can see 6 wifi networks, the iphone only 2.
On data 2g when in devon i was downloading apps and checking emails while the iphone couldnt get any reception on the same mobile supplier.
Jonnym
i like both phones and there os's but the atrix is far better connected

Jonnym said:
Im holding a new atrix an a new iphone4. Not only is the atrix reception better it can see 6 wifi networks, the iphone only 2.
On data 2g when in devon i was downloading apps and checking emails while the iphone couldnt get any reception on the same mobile supplier.
Jonnym
i like both phones and there os's but the atrix is far better connected
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This has not been my experience at all. My Atrix gets worse wifi connection under all circumstances compared to my iphone 4.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App

Damn that does work..
Sent from my MB860 using XDA Premium App

Jonnym said:
Im holding a new atrix an a new iphone4. Not only is the atrix reception better it can see 6 wifi networks, the iphone only 2.
On data 2g when in devon i was downloading apps and checking emails while the iphone couldnt get any reception on the same mobile supplier.
Jonnym
i like both phones and there os's but the atrix is far better connected
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm in Devon and just waiting on my Atrix to be delivered so I can move my IP4 back to 2nd / spare phone. where I work is right on the fringe area of 3g signal and i find the Iphone will hold onto 3g and end up dropping calls, when it should let it go and drop to 2g like most phones do when they are in the same place.
Its good to know in your experience the Atrix has better signal and hopefully in a couple hours I'll be able to post the same confirmation. I also have a wifi network close by our office that lappies can see but normally phones dont so will be interesting to see if the Atrix lists it.
Kevin

I would like to also confirm holding it sideways as mentioned really does seem to work! mad.
Jonnym

Tinyk said:
I'm in Devon and just waiting on my Atrix to be delivered so I can move my IP4 back to 2nd / spare phone. where I work is right on the fringe area of 3g signal and i find the Iphone will hold onto 3g and end up dropping calls, when it should let it go and drop to 2g like most phones do when they are in the same place.
Its good to know in your experience the Atrix has better signal and hopefully in a couple hours I'll be able to post the same confirmation. I also have a wifi network close by our office that lappies can see but normally phones dont so will be interesting to see if the Atrix lists it.
Kevin
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't take my experience as a all encompassing rule. Where we were there is no 3g at all. My laptop is about the same on seeing the other networks as my Atrix but better at staying connected to them.
Any one had any luck using BTopenzone?

Related

Nexus One 3G issues is real on all N1s..

Parden if this is posted somewhere else. But this needs some serious attention. As of current, I realize the 3G issues is a design flaw. So this means all N1s have this problem. You can test it for your self. The easy way to fix this would be to have stronger 3G coverage but thats not the case. Let me quote whats been said at droidstory.com and the nexus forums..
I’ve been saying all along that this is a RF issue. I noticed this right away when I got my phone and even posted this video on Jan 9 to show how the N1 drops 3G as soon as you hold it in your hand.
The problem occurs only when you are in an area with a weak 3G signal, anything less than -80dBm. (Higher negative numbers mean weaker signal.)
Basically, if you have -90dBM or less signal strength with the phone sitting on your desk, holding it in your hand will push it down to -100dBm or less. At that point all bets are off. Before the update it would switch to Edge around -100dBm, now it seems to hold on until about -105dBm.
The “dBm” (dB-milliwatt) is a logarithmic measurement of signal strength, and dBm values can be easily converted to and from mW values. So a decrease of roughly 3dBm yields a change of roughly HALF in the mW value.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After watching that video you can decide who to blame.
Google if the device's rx sensitivity is so poor when held in hand it needs a recall. Is it a hardware issue?
After google & HTC watche the video and get to test in an area with <-84dBm signal strength reading, I'd love to hear the response from their respective tech teams soon.
The signal reading being low low doesn't mean low signal. Compare with other devices/instruments.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
.. read more here and here
The question. What is Google waiting on to say something? to do something?? its enough that we also have serious touch screen problems to deal with but come on Google..Are we really beta testers? you think its EASY to give you 500+ for a phone?
share your thoughts..
at first i thought it was just me, but now is my phone as well as my wifes phone.
and to send it back with in the 14day period they keep $45 o yours when the phone is running like a pos. Great one Google i expected way better from yall
Not sure what my take is...
1. All phones drop signals a bit when held by both hands.
2. This bouncing between edge/3g doesnt happen to me in strong 3g areas. In the area where it sometimes happens I cant replicate the issue stated it seems random. But to be fair my G1 was always bouncing back and forth there , heck even with Sprint I had mediocre EVDO steadiness.
It may be a slight hardware problem made worse by a network with very spotty 3g coverage in most areas.
j23a45m said:
at first i thought it was just me, but now is my phone as well as my wifes phone.
and to send it back with in the 14day period they keep $45 o yours when the phone is running like a pos. Great one Google i expected way better from yall
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its getting really annoying and the silence Google is practicing is getting defending..
If I cup the bottom of the phone in my hand, my signal strength does drop a bar or 2. I never lose 3G completely though. Luckily I have a strong signal where I live. I could see this becoming a real problem if I travel away from home though. It's rather annoying that Google didn't catch this before releasing the phone
I just tried the same thing (holding in both hands, covering back etc..) on my HTC Pure on at&t and my 3g connection dropped down to 2 bars from 5 bars. Seems to be normal behaviour with all phones with internal antenna.
I think the only problem seems to be that N1 is too picky about signal trength and switches to edge as soon as signal strength drops down slightly.
I do not think this is an hardware issue.
EDIT: See attached screenshot from my old Nokia 6682 user manual. They specifically warn against this.
Maybe you think it's "real on all N1s" because of anecdotic evidence and postings on the internet, but that doesn't mean proof.
Now it might have trouble with US 3g frequecies or it might just be a software "problem" where it switches to edge before the signal gets too bad.
I can safely say I've had no problems at all, the signal doesn't switch back and forth, signal doesn't change when I cup it with both hands etc.
Granted I have -75dBm signal where I live, but it's not like I sit around playing with my phone indoors all the time either
All cellular phones lose signal when you cover the antenna with your hand. ALL of them. I've had over 20 cell phones in the past 10 years, and every single one had this issue. Why this is a standout issue on the N1, I don't know.
The previous two Nokia phones I used all lose signal when holding the antenna area.
Well, again it happened to all phones with internal antenna...and not just Nexus One especially on a week 3G coverage.
ram130 said:
Parden if this is posted somewhere else. But this needs some serious attention. As of current, I realize the 3G issues is a design flaw. So this means all N1s have this problem. You can test it for your self. The easy way to fix this would be to have stronger 3G coverage but thats not the case. Let me quote whats been said at droidstory.com and the nexus forums..
.. read more here and here
The question. What is Google waiting on to say something? to do something?? its enough that we also have serious touch screen problems to deal with but come on Google..Are we really beta testers? you think its EASY to give you 500+ for a phone?
share your thoughts..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My thoughts are as follows:
The antenna is in the bottom of the phone - this isn't a design "flaw" it's how the phone was designed to fit the necessary components into a small fixed space. This isn't the first phone designed this way and it won't be the last. It was likely designed that way due to space constraints with the speaker, mic and camera up top. Again, the "issue" is only prevalent in areas of weaker 3G coverage.
The iPhone 3G is designed the same way and people see the same issues with 3G dropping when you cover it with your hand - you can find the same youtube videos on it.
Google was aware of this before it shipped and in the manual states not to cover the back of the phone and to hold it in the preferred position. I don't think Google has anything to say that isn't in the manual already...
Now, you can argue that the N1 may get poorer 3G reception compared to other phones, but to argue that covering the antenna with your hand causes a degradation of signal is a "design flaw" is asinine. This happens with all phones and all antennas. There's likely few ways they could have placed the antenna in the top of the phone with the size of the current phone and the hardware that's already up there.
I wouldn't hold your breath for Google to "do something" as people seem to want as there's nothing they can "do" other than say, "Read your manual and quit covering the antenna with your hand".
Omg really..when is this topic going to end? Those of us with common sense know that it's nothing to do with the Nexus one or Android specifically. All phones do the same thing. I just did it with a friends iPhone. I can go around my building (AT&T) and cover anybodies phone with my hand and drop a bar, sometimes two. It's common networking knowledge. You cover the antenna, you lose some signal strength.
If you have 2 bars of 3G and you cover it up and lose 2 bars....What do you think happens? You go to Edge. Everybody thinks they know this issue like they invented the damn thing. There is no specific problem with the Nexus One. Give it up already.
Ironically common sense isn't so common these days...
I am sitting at my desk, I have a rooted N1 customized to the max. I am using the ERE36B Radio, (not the one in the OTA) I have 4 bars of 3G/HSPDA If I cover the bottom of the phone with both hands, I dont loose a single bar.
I fully believe this is a software issue. The leaked radio is working great for me, I almost never lose 3G now.
Yes covering the antena will cause you to lose signal, why wouldnt it?
Blah, I have a N1 and G1 on tmobile on different lines and they always have the same service same speed tests. Maybe my phone is the phenomenon, but I doubt it.
krohnjw said:
Google was aware of this before it shipped and in the manual states not to cover the back of the phone and to hold it in the preferred position. I don't think Google has anything to say that isn't in the manual already...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whats the preferred position?
Any comfortable way caused you to block the radio.
I get the same signal strength my G1 did in all the same places. Using both the OTA radio and the 36B radio. If I'm in a place with weak 3G I force it to 2G. Why would Google give a **** about T-Mobile's 3G coverage?
JoshHart said:
Blah, I have a N1 and G1 on tmobile on different lines and they always have the same service same speed tests. Maybe my phone is the phenomenon, but I doubt it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
uberingram said:
I get the same signal strength my G1 did in all the same places. Using both the OTA radio and the 36B radio. If I'm in a place with weak 3G I force it to 2G. Why would Google give a **** about T-Mobile's 3G coverage?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is what I have been saying. I have a MyTouch, N1, and G1 and they all have the same signal strength at all times. I sold the G1 already but my wife still has the Mytouch.
Everybody who complains has nothing to compare it to. How can you say something is worse because you "remember" another phone? You can't. It's T-mobiles coverage. It has nothing to do with Google, Android or HTC.
People just need to get over it already and stop complaining.
dumbestcrayon said:
This is what I have been saying. I have a MyTouch, N1, and G1 and they all have the same signal strength at all times. I sold the G1 already but my wife still has the Mytouch.
Everybody who complains has nothing to compare it to. How can you say something is worse because you "remember" another phone? You can't. It's T-mobiles coverage. It has nothing to do with Google, Android or HTC.
People just need to get over it already and stop complaining.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, since you have access to multiple Android phones...
Can you try the TRUE test?
Open up Settings -> About Phone -> Network on both phones sitting side by side.
Can you compare the *exact* signal strength on both phones? (dBm vs dBm when side by side)
And yes I have absolutely HORRID service in my place. I'm lucky to get better than -95.
In times of change the learners will inherit the earth, while the knowers will find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.
Good job, you apparently know it all. . . BTW, thanks for the earth
From the experience gained using mine is evident that all problems are not hardware but FULLY firmware related.
Since everytime I make a call the phone SHOWS a better coverage than staying only surfing the web. Also when tethering, if I make the phone call suddenly the HSDPA speeds tend to increase at about 20%, I presume that when you are calling, the firmware might be settled to somehow strength the radio signal. Compare this on-call speeds to my "normal" ones:
Anyway, right now the only temporal solution for the indiscriminated switch backs to GPRS when navigating is making sure of accesing the radio config (*#*#4636#*#*) and select WDMCA ONLY...

Nexus One Experience with Rogers in Western Canada.

Hello Folks,
I am posting this thread after a very long time on XDA as I was not using any HTC device.I was using Iphone since it was launched in USA.Now I bought 3 nexus one for me and my family with very high hopes but after iserting my simcard into it since last week I am very much disappoined.beside other samll issues like less responsive touch screen the problem I am having is a cellular signal. I am using this phone in the same area where I was using my 3gs phone and it was giving me full bars.And with nexus one I am having a really hard time to get signals some time even no signal and my calls are being missed/droped.I believe due to this problem battey life of the device is not impressive. And that was the main reason of quitting Iphone as I wanted multitasking device with better bettery life.I spoke to nexus one support line for few times their response was good but I it did not help me as I am having same problem although they offered me to replace device.but the thing is I already have 3 devices and if they are giving me same problem.
All I am hopping is a new upgrade to fix this issuse and I have no idea if this gona be fixed with the software upgrade?.
Idea of this thread is to get feedback from other folks using ATT/Rogers version of Nexus one specially in Canada/Western Canada.And any advise /help form my experts folks in this respect.
Your taking time in reading this is much appreciated.
May Almighty Bless you all.
Thanks.
Unfortunately what they're saying is:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/22/google-no-longer-investigating-fix-for-nexus-one-3g-issues-ad/
I'm in Manitoba, Canada, this is my first 3G phone so I don't have much to compare to. I've had maybe a couple calls dropped, but doesn't seem that bad...
However, I did try using the app called Antennas and everywhere in my city it always says "3g support is very limited"
I'm in western Canada using the Nexus One as well, and I too switched from an iPhone 3G. My initial impression was similar to your's where I felt like the touch screen wasn't as responsive and signal not as strong. As time passed I quickly forgot about all that and with the exception of the awkward response area of the bottom buttons, I'm starting to think that the N1's touchscreen is actually better for some stuff. I still wish Android had inertial scrolling with the snap-back effect like the iPhone though.
When Opera Mini came out for the iPhone I put my sim card back into it so that I could try it out, and after the end of the day I couldn't wait to get back to the N1. I don't know about your usage, but when I have push Gmail setup on the iPhone I can't make it through a day without on a single charge, so I think the N1 battery is much better.
Signal strength felt poor at first, but I think that's just because of how it's reported by each phone. The iPhone seems much more generous and will show more bars for the same signal strength as the N1. The only thing that still bugs me now is how much effect my hand has when holding the phone near the bottom. Never did I have to think about hand placement with the iPhone, but I've adapted to that now.
Im from western canada too, medicine hat to be exact. I, as you all, came from an iphone. I had a 16gb 3gs. Where i work the receiption is horrible. With the iphone i would have to have the phone placed on a certain corner of my desk to make sure i got signal.
With the nexus, its slightly better. I get minimum signal but its constant thoughout my office.
Compaired to a iphone, this phone is the cats meow. I love the nexus and will never be returning to an iphone again. It has a better screen, more responsive touch, is fully customizable and i get ~28 hours of battery. Thats right, 28 hours. Not 6 if im lucky like the iphone.
I have the AT&T N1 which also supports Rogers and I am on Fido in Vancouver,
(it also uses Roger's network) ,
Mine experience with the signal is awesome in my case, 95% of the time i am getting H, and 5% of the time it drops to 3G (mostly when I am doing nothing) but will quickly switch back to H when I start to use it again. I have not seen it with E yet.
I have tried it with WCDMA perfered, WCDMA only, now I am on GSM Auto(PRL) and it doesn't make any differences on internet speed according to my speedtest app, it's usually around 1Mb ~1.4Mb....occasionaly it drops to 600kb for one test.
The only problem I have is I am unable to achieve the 1% / hour battery drop rate some people are claiming even with the help with juicedefender and UV/AVS kernels......
Hi Folks ,
I really appreciate all of you for your feedback and advise.I hope that more peoples will share their experience here.One thing I would also like to share is that I am using home rom and did not go for bootloader unlocking and on my phone problem I have is with the cellular signal.my data signal is always on 3g as I am in city of Calgary.My son got his nexus one bootloader unlocked and installed ceynogen 5.06 rom installed I used his phone aslo for a day and only difference I noticed is that it shows "H" when u do browsing on data and otherwise is stay 3g.but with home it always show " 3G " sign and never to to "H" .but when you check details of connection it tell you that it is connected HSDPA.
If anyone else noticed the same? or anyone else getting H sign with home rom?
your views/experience regarding Home vs Ceynogen rom are also appreciated.
I am still looking for the actual benifit of having ceynogen rom over home?as I did not see any difference.
Thanks once again.
My Bell service sucks, but it's Bell so it normally sucks anyways.
tariq said:
If anyone else noticed the same? or anyone else getting H sign with home rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, that's been discussed a lot. The stock rom never shows an H. And the custom roms only show an H when actually downloading data. Otherwise it always idles on 3G.
On your stock it does the same, idles on 3G, and switches to H for download. But there is no icon for it.
Why are you posting the same thing it two different forums?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=676479
Anyway, on the stock ROM the 3G icon doesn't change to H like it does on cyanogen and others. It still connects at the same speeds though.
yeh, I am posting in two different forums, as I was not sure where to go.Thanks for your feedback.Its helping me a lot.
Thanks once again.
Only other phones I have to compare to are my Curve 8900 and my HTC Magic. With ANY phone in my apartment there are areas with shoddy reception due to having concrete walls in an older building. To be honest with you my N1 has been the same, if not better than any of my other phones in this building. In the hall, it's inevitable that it will cut off. In my apartment I can get reception anywhere, which is more than I can say for my girlfriend's Samsung and some other friend's phones in the building. We all use Rogers, by the way. And I'm in Toronto.
Not that there was a whole lot of differences, if any, in manufacturing as time went on (aside from the whole dust under the screen issues), but.. when did you get your N1's?
Jim

Wifi performance any better from 2 months ago?

So now that this phone has been released in multiple countries and there are over 6 million of them sold, can anyone confirm that the Wifi performance on the newer models has improved? Or has Samsung released any firmware updates for it?
I was following this phone about 2 months ago and almost everyone was reporting that Wifi performance was really bad compared to their other phones. I am very much reliant on Wifi so I chose to stop following the progress on this phone.
Has this changed though?
Please don't reply with "my Wifi is fine" because that will not help anyone and most likely the people who say that have no idea what they are talking about. If your Wifi seems to be comparable to your other smart phones, please let us know.
If not can you do some tests and tell us how fast the signal quality degrades and at how many feet from the router? Also don't go off the stock android Wifi meter please, use a real Wifi app if you're going to take the time to do some testing.
**I've just realized that my wording is very misleading. When I say Wifi performance I do not mean speed, I mean signal strength and quality of signal at marginal distances.**
Thanks for reading.
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA App
I was going to tell you about my experience, until I read that I have no idea what I'm talking about.
My wifi is fine.
Exidrion said:
I was going to tell you about my experience, until I read that I have no idea what I'm talking about.
My wifi is fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, bet tons of replies will be like this. My wi-fi is fine too, stock android meter with TP-Link n class router. Full strength in my router room, 3 lines in the most distant room with 3 walls between, something like 25 metres aways from the router (we do not use feet in Europe, we use metric units ). Please ignore my post if i don't know what i'm talking about
seh6183 said:
Please don't reply with "my Wifi is fine" because that will not help anyone and most likely the people who say that have no idea what they are talking about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Way to make a general assumption there buddy...
I, for one, will tell you that my Wi-Fi has been just fine, and even better on my SGS2 than on my SGS.
And yes, I have done some testing comparing signal strength on both phones.
However, I do realize that quite a few people have reported wi-fi issues on their SGS2. I don't know if it was a software issue or hardware though.
Personally I would considere those as defective units, because there are people with Wi-Fi working just fine, and contrary to what you believe, they do know what they are talking about.
Do you think I came in here and made this up off the top of my head?
Hey way to go! Come on in and say your Wifi is just fine and AS I SAID, do nothing to prove it.
Good job guys, thumbs up!
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA App
forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1067473
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA App
seh6183 said:
Do you think I came in here and made this up off the top of my head?
Hey way to go! Come on in and say your Wifi is just fine and AS I SAID, do nothing to prove it.
Good job guys, thumbs up!
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really, don't you want people to film themselves while they move with the phone x meters away from the router just to prove you it works fine and upload it on youtube ?
Sp1tfire said:
Really, don't you want people to film themselves while they move with the phone x meters away from the router just to prove you it works fine and upload it on youtube ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's exactly what I was hoping for. Boy you sgs users are sharp!
Or there's -db....
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA App
Well, I did do some tests, even took some screenshots whilst using wifi analyser, but having read your posts again....
I think this should suffice: My wifi is fine.But then, I don't know anything, which is ironic seeing as I'm in networking......
Edit:screenshots coming
1m away from router and the second is 5m away, through one partition wall.
Bear in mind, this (Linksys by Cisco WAG320N) is my router, and its set to 5ghz.
seh6183 said:
That's exactly what I was hoping for. Boy you sgs users are sharp!
Or there's -db....
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.samsung.com/us/aboutsamsung/ir/corporategovernance/boardofdirectors/IR_GeeSungChoi.html
The person above you'll gladly share his detailed wi-fi experience with you.
My only gripe is that the wifi range on the S2 is really low, my netbook severely out ranges it.
stoney73 said:
Well, I did do some tests, even took some screenshots whilst using wifi analyser, but having read your posts again....
I think this should suffice: My wifi is fine.But then, I don't know anything, which is ironic seeing as I'm in networking......
Edit:screenshots coming
1m away from router and the second is 5m away, through one partition wall.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How does this compare to any other smart phones you have tested under similar circumstances?
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA App
EarlZ said:
My only gripe is that the wifi range on the S2 is really low, my netbook severely out ranges it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now this is more in line with what I've been hearing. Again, without testing and comparison, there is no way to know that his s2 really does have less range or maybe that his netbook doesn't have excellent range, or that both of his readings are false because of OS discrepancies.
See the point of my first post yet?
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA App
seh6183 said:
How does this compare to any other smart phones you have tested under similar circumstances?
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bearing in mind my previous phones were using the 2.4ghz signal, I would say that that the S2 has better range....but that is a little subjective seeing as I never tested thorughly on the previous phones. I do think that the S2's reception has improved with the advent of newer firmware/modems. I currently run villainrom 2.1, with the kg3 modem.
I can get signal in my garden, about 15 meters away,1-2 bars with the s2.My streak would barely make a connection, it would be intermittent. My Galaxy 7" tab will hold a 1 bar signal. I never tested the hero(I was just so happy someone swapped it for my n97).
stoney73 said:
Bearing in mind my previous phones were using the 2.4ghz signal, I would say that that the S2 has better range....but that is a little subjective seeing as I never tested thorughly on the previous phones. I do think that the S2's reception has improved with the advent of newer firmware/modems. I currently run villainrom 2.1, with the kg3 modem.
I can get signal in my garden, about 15 meters away,1-2 bars with the s2.My streak would barely make a connection, it would be intermittent. My Galaxy 7" tab will hold a 1 bar signal. I never tested the hero(I was just so happy someone swapped it for my n97).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok great now this is what I like hearing. if one device can perform as well as this then im assuming most of them are as well. With 6 million+ units sold, im starting to think that ones complaining actually have defective units. Its just strange that they all seemed to be on xda lol
What country are you from? Is your phone possibly from the original batch of s2's released?
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA App
Made an effort to download wi-fi analyzer specially for you Here are the screenshots, in the rooter room and 25 meters away from the router through 3 walls not made of concrete. Don't have any other wi-fi device to compare right now. Experience may very depending on the router brand, class, etc...
It's best to use a wifi channel that other routers in your area aren't using, to avoid interference. My sgs2 actually has a few meters more strength than my sgs and g2x.
Sp1tfire said:
Made an effort to download wi-fi analyzer specially for you Here are the screenshots, in the rooter room and 25 meters away from the router through 3 walls not made of concrete. Don't have any other wi-fi device to compare right now. Experience may very depending on the router brand, class, etc...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems decent from your explanation but it would be great to compare against a known good-functioning android device.
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA App
seh6183 said:
Seems decent from your explanation but it would be great to compare against a known good-functioning android device.
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only got a WM HTC Touch HD here, can't compare to any other android. Maybe others have more android devices, but like i said router brands/classes and phones' firmware vary too much to get an accurate comparison.
Sp1tfire said:
Only got a WM HTC Touch HD here, can't compare to any other android. Maybe others have more android devices, but like i said router brands/classes and phones' firmware vary too much to get an accurate comparison.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which is why we take a phone that is known to have strong Wifi performance, such as an iPhone 4 or an Inspire, and compare in the same house under the same circumstances with the same router using Wifi analyzer.
Trust me if the sgs2 was in the states I would have already done it 15 times.
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA App

Wifi performance.

I used to own an Atrix and got rid of it because of the Wifi performance and a couple of other minor things. I'm wondering though, if I loaded a custom rom, could it literally improve the Wifi performance?
On my Inspire, the Wifi strength got better when I loaded cm7. Has anyone that's loaded cm7 on their Atrix noticed an improvement in Wifi performance?
I would literally have to hold the Atrix in landscape orientation to pick up signal at work where my iPhone 4 and Inspire can pick it up regularly.
Sent from my microwave
I'd have to say that your particular phone had a problem. Mine has awesome wifi strength. Way better than my Tilt2 or iPhone 3GS....and way faster since it's "n".
Maybe I should use the term range not performance.
I had 3 different Atrix's and they had the same range and were all dead in the same spots.
Sent from my microwave
Haven't noticed a difference in roms and wifi performance....
My 3gs hasvway better range then ny ATRIX ... so sad.
Still ... its not an issue since I have pretty good 3g coverage in my area.
Sent from my alien
Yes, unfortunately the atrix wifi range isn't that good. I have trouble picking up signal where others do so easily.
I wonder if the antenna is too small... would it be possible to "embed" a wire inside the back cover and connect it to the regular antenna to create a makeshift range extender?
Edit: iI think the phone's radio has influence over wifi reception, but it can only go so far. Might not be 'improveable' as much as we'd like to.
s1mpd1ddy said:
Haven't noticed a difference in roms and wifi performance....
My 3gs hasvway better range then ny ATRIX ... so sad.
Still ... its not an issue since I have pretty good 3g coverage in my area.
Sent from my alien
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very sad yes. I work in a lead lined building and have no service whatsoever, I completely rely on Wifi.
Sent from my microwave
That'd be your particular device's problem. Atrix got best wifi performance IMHO. Very fast and responsive. SpeedTest.net results shows that with the wifi at my home, my XT720 returns a speed of 7~8 Mbps where Atrix always returns 12~16 Mbps of speed.
I'd say the reduction in range is due to the improvement in speed.
My Atrix get's my wifi signal about 20m through 4-5 concrete walls, occasionally I've also noticed it get's it through 3 levels in my apartment building, though I don't have anything else to compare it too.
seh6183 said:
Maybe I should use the term range not performance.
I had 3 different Atrix's and they had the same range and were all dead in the same spots.
Sent from my microwave
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I doubt a ROM will significantly improve the wifi range on the Atrix, more of hardware thing IMO.
Same behavior for me at work too. My old BB 8900 can hold onto the weak wifi signal (around 80-90dbm) better than my Atrix. If I run too much data on wifi on the Atrix, the wifi will throw too many errors and disconnect. I ran logcat to see all of the fun stuff going on to figure this out.
Fortunately work is upgrading the wireless network soon .
There has been several radio firmware packages released since you got rid of yours I think. The latest AT&T one (1.77.30P) definitelly made things better all around for me.
Sent from my MB860 using xda premium
beatphreek said:
There has been several radio firmware packages released since you got rid of yours I think. The latest AT&T one (1.77.30P) definitelly made things better all around for me.
Sent from my MB860 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wish there was a way to test this without going out and buying a phone.
Sent from my microwave
seh6183 said:
I wish there was a way to test this without going out and buying a phone.
Sent from my microwave
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The new radio helps the range a little vs the radio in 2.2.2 for me. The wifi disconnects less frequently, but it still disconnects from time to time. If you rely solely on wifi it's not worth it IMO.
My wifi is awesome and all I have are access to g routers. Speed and distance.
I voided my warranty and your mum.
gnahc79 said:
The new radio helps the range a little vs the radio in 2.2.2 for me. The wifi disconnects less frequently, but it still disconnects from time to time. If you rely solely on wifi it's not worth it IMO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. Thank you for the info.
Sent from my microwave

[Q] Anyone one else think the radio on the Nexus 4 is sub par?

I've definitely noticed a decrease in service compared to my previous phones, especially the T-Mobile Galaxy SIII. I'm not sure if its poor Radio firmware, or the materials, but it's a noticeable drop. Using a signal booster in my house, I used to get full bars in my bathroom just two rooms away on the GSIII. The Nexus 4 barely gets 1.
Anyone else having issues, and does anyone know if newer radio firmware will be released soon?
feels the same for me, if not better than my galaxy nexus.
Yeah, my connection cuts out quite frequently. It's pretty annoying
jacklebott said:
Yeah, my connection cuts out quite frequently. It's pretty annoying
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't really compare how my reception is with my nexus since I am on a new provider, but I did notice something odd with how many bars I have. I assume there is some kind of battery saving function because when I am not really using data I will see 3G, as soon as I use data though it will switch to H. But what I noticed is when I am on 3G I will have like 2 bars service, but when the phone switches over to H I have full or close to it..
Maybe thats normal just thought it was odd?
ogrillion said:
I can't really compare how my reception is with my nexus since I am on a new provider, but I did notice something odd with how many bars I have. I assume there is some kind of battery saving function because when I am not really using data I will see 3G, as soon as I use data though it will switch to H. But what I noticed is when I am on 3G I will have like 2 bars service, but when the phone switches over to H I have full or close to it..
Maybe thats normal just thought it was odd?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Normal. Saves data. That's how T-mobile does it. Not sure about the bar part, unless it's switching towers for some reason? Ha.
Ordered my Nexus 4 on the 13th. Still waiting.
Yes it's noticeably worse than any other smartphone I've owned.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
In my case, it's the opposite. It's the best smartphone in terms of service quality. maybe because I'm in Belgium !
VoiD_Dweller said:
Yes it's noticeably worse than any other smartphone I've owned.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Weren't you the one that dropped yours in the toilet? If so I don't think you qualify anymore for bug reports
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
I seem to be having the same reception problem the iPhone 4 had, namely that when I hold the phone, I lose reception.
Flat on desk: -82dBm
Fingers on either side of phone, still flat on desk: -99dBm.
Is anyone else getting the same phenomenon or is it just me? I wanna do a replacement if it's just me, but if it's something that everyone is experiencing, then I'll live with it.
I notice 2 things, 1) in general the reception is lower (4bars with my sensation/hd2 = 3bars on my n4) but I haven't done any real testing so it could be the bars are incorrect 2) big death grip problem, as soon as I grab the phone the reception drops and can cause a call to drop
For the most part I get good reception but yeah in certain parts of the house the phone is unusable.
I wonder if a simple bumper fix will do
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
---------- Post added at 09:05 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:45 AM ----------
h.nocturna said:
I seem to be having the same reception problem the iPhone 4 had, namely that when I hold the phone, I lose reception.
Flat on desk: -82dBm
Fingers on either side of phone, still flat on desk: -99dBm.
Is anyone else getting the same phenomenon or is it just me? I wanna do a replacement if it's just me, but if it's something that everyone is experiencing, then I'll live with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same, going from -77 to -85dBm
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Keep in mind that bars mean nothing. Check the dBm / asu, the lower the better. Over ~110 things get dicey/unusable.
When I had my N4 on AT&T, it got better reception than my Capitvate and Atrix 2. I'm on T-Mobile now, and I'm still experimenting.
strobex said:
I wonder if a simple bumper fix will do
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a tpu case on mine and it hasn't made a difference, actually the thing that works for me is switching to 2G + wifi when I'm home and of course 3G when out and about, I just wish nfc task launcher or tasker could access that "toggle" on the stock rom.
Hi
Different phone different reception patterns. No two phones will be exactly the same in terms of their signal strength, you might find an improvement compared to a previous phone, you might find it is worse, most will see no difference and it's very dependant on environment. I've seen no difference personally. Given some time and feedback from various carriers can improve things with radio updates, such as the phone being more or less aggressive in switching between cells, or protocol fixes that help prevent drop outs during higher error rates when the signal is lower and cleaner/quicker hand-off to adjacent cells.
It should be noted the main antenna is at the bottom of the phone like most mobiles these days, so holding it at the bottom cupped in the palm of your hand will see the signal reduce and battery consumption increase as it tries to transmit through flesh. There are diversity antennas towards the top of the phone, but these are for reception only and do not transmit.
A bumper is unlikely to help unless it was extremely large to make the distance between a hand and the antenna several inches! The iPhone was a different issue, it was because the antennas were not insulated and were being de-tuned and shorted by being touched when the phone was held.
Regards
Phil

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