UL30a Wireless Issues Poll

This is FANTASTIC news! Thank you, thank you, thank you for actually trying something.

Considering that it's only the drive bay that has been removed your warranty will still be perfectly in tact (unless removing the drive bay is somehow prohibited, which I seriously doubt). Of course it would be nicer to be working out of the box, but the problem is so easy to solve that it's worth the minor inconvenience for me.

Now, to continue waiting for the UL30VT!

}:^)~

 

Those specs show
Lan10/100/1000 Mbits
BluetoothBluetooth 2.1

Definitely a different model, the North American models do not come with Bluetooth or a gigabit LAN. Sweet!

When you get it could you peek into the drive bay and see if it has one antenna or two? You don't even have to pull the HD to see, you should be able to see the edge of the wireless card and the antenna wire(s) just by opening the access panel.

 

Good work danstah

 

Hi, a week ago I posted a comment on Amazon in response to a review:
http://www.amazon.com/review/R3THMP...e=UTF8&ASIN=B002P3KMNU&nodeID=#wasThisHelpful

I bought the X5 at the end October and have been experiencing the same network problems that everyone on this thread has been talking about. The thing is that you all seem to have a greater understanding of both hardware and software than I do so I'm looking for some help. I moved to Costa Rica a week ago and do not have a way to call Asus Tech Support or Amazon Customer Service. Initially I thought my network issues were due to a lack of bandwidth here... but day by day I became more suspicious.

Sorry this is so long but basically I'm having these symptoms: 1) frequent dropped connections, 2) slow download speeds or constant need to refresh pages, and 3) weak signals. I can tell by reading all of your posts that I'm not as savvy as most of you on this topic so please help me understand because I'm a bit confused. -It seems logical that one antenna can cause #3 but can it also cause #1 and #2?? -And it would seem that a poorly made or defective wireless card can cause #1 but can it also cause #2 and #3?? (I assume it's a defective batch since some ppl are having this problem and some aren't) -Lastly, could an ineffective driver cause #1, #2, and #3?? Thanks so much for your help in advance. I'm really glad someone started (and I found) this thread. I'm just trying to get to the bottom of this because I'm truly cut off from the world without dependable internet access. Pura Vida.

 

I should mention that my connection cuts off (when on skype) or I have to refresh page (when on net) even when I am showing full bars. So I can understand the concern about only having one antenna to capture a signal or finding a network but my issue seems to be more with maintaining one. Thanks!

 

I think installing the antenna would be the solution to 90% of your woes.

You're going to have to roll up your sleeves and open the bottom of your laptop, but as long as you're both gentle and patient, you should not have a problem. Besides, it'll be a great learning experience.

If I had a UL30 I'd give you a step-by-step, but I don't, so you'll have to ask around. Good luck!

}:^)~

 

He doesnt have to open the case if he does what danstah recommends, the first option. Just the HDD and then put the antenna in, HDD back in and done.

or am i wrong?

 

Yup thats exactly right. Its ridiculously simple. It will literally take you 30 seconds to do

 

That's actually what I meant by 'opening the bottom'

I'm assuming the HDD bay is under some sort of cover on the bottom of the lappie?

};^)~

 

By the way, how's the performance of the laptop's Wireless now that you've had a few days to use it with the installed antenna?

}:^)~

 

Still good but i have not been up to the university. No drops or anything.

 

I appreciate everyone's assistance and time! A few more questions... I wish I could add something instead of take but then again hopefully I can pass on your information to someone else who needs help in the future.

1) Did you find out if doing this voids the warranty?
2) If this fixes the problem why do you think others have not had the same problem? (keep in mind that when using at home I have the same problems of dropped and slow connections with full bars that I have when "roaming"; note: I'm not denying that I'm picking up lower/fewer signals than my other computers when I'm roaming though)
3) ***I'm pretty close to my router at home and show 5 bars - can you help me understand how another antenna will help since I'm already showing a full signal?***

Thanks guys!! I have no qualms about adding another antenna on my own according to danstah's instructions but just want to grasp the concept first.

 

I know , but I'm a "little bit" paranoic so I don't trust too much the specs, will see.

Of course

 

I can also verify that a second antenna does improve signal and reduce drops.

I have a Hitachi 30cm antenna attached to the Atheros. Tucking the antenna inside the HDD bay greatly reduced its effectiveness, so I used an inelegant solution of routing the antenna outside:







It may be an inconvenience, but having the antenna on the outside allows it to pick up a few more networks. I can see 6 networks versus one that I would get if I tuck the antenna inside the HDD bay. Also, no signal drops if the antenna is outside. With the antenna inside the HDD bay, I did experience signal drops, but not as bad as with only one antenna.

The Hitachi antenna that I bought is best suited for the LCD bezel, not at the bottom of the laptop. The Apple antenna that danstah has is probably better, so I might replace the Hitachi with the Apple. With that said, the setup I have now is a temporary solution to a problem that Asus should fix. I am going to contact Asus warranty service and try to convince them to install a 2nd antenna into the LCD bezel that should have been there in the first place.

 

sweet, thanks alot for the pics !

U think , http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350271677454&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&afsrc=1

might actually be better than the hitachi antenna you are using? even though it is just inside the computer ?

btw, can someone tell me where to place the antenna, im a noob

 

Wow, what a good looking laptop!

Thanks for the additional confirmation of the second antenna benefits. Hopefully the mini apple antenna works better, as it can be installed in the HD bay without hassle. I would rather not have to open the case to install along the LCD.

}:^)~

 

The discussion on this board is miles ahead of the discussion on the Amazon thread in the been there, already tried that department.
http://www.amazon.com/Poor-Wifi-Qua...m_cd_ef_tft_tp?_encoding=UTF8&asin=B002P3KMVC

I can't post a link to this page on Amazon, but I posted a link to this page on the ASUS support forum in an attempt to get them to acknowledge the problem. They don't even have to do the research, they just need to apply the solution.

 

I seriously hope that ASUS is paying attention. They have one of the hottest products on the market. With a little refinement, and maybe a more luxurious line (eg. ULX30) they could provide some serious competition with apple.

What would you have in a more luxurious ULX30, if it existed?

Me, I'd have everything the UL30 had (including battery life). Thickness would stay the same, battery, processor, all the same. But:

- Backlit keyboard
- Bluetooth stock
- Brushed aluminum on inside
- Slight tweaks to make the laptop more elegant looking
- Better quality LCD with dynamic contrast LED backlight
- 0.95" overall without miniscule battery bulge.
- Perfectly functional wireless

One can dream.

Just killing time, and wishing the UL30VT was out already!

}:^)~

 

Haha sounds like you're quoting the 13" Macbook Pro!

 

- all in magnesium or alluminium
- weight <= 1.4 Kg (3.09 pounds)
- non-glare LCD!
- SSD drive from intel (X25-M)
- 1 MP webcam
- coffee-proof keyboard ?

Maybe I'm missing something

 

so if the ul30a's are out of the question which under 900$ 13 inch laptop would you guys recommend?

 

The thing is, each laptop in its class has its down sides. For the UL30, it happens to be wireless issues (for some), some body flexing here and there, and a terrible webcam and mic. The HP dm3 is a close competitor, but runs hotter than the UL30 and has less battery life. I'd still say the UL30 is the better of the two.

 

but wouldn't the wireless issue make the ul30a practically unusable? (all my internet access in wireless...)

 

what about the Toshiba Satellite T135?

 

Well it seems that not all have the wireless issue (may depend on the model and region it was bought). Also some have shown that adding another antenna has helped solve the problem.

 

http://gizmodo.com/5387914/win-7-laptop-battlemodo-thin-and-lights-for-under-800

Toshiba is junk.

 

ok... So what about the X5's from amazon, were there reported wireless problems with those is as well?

update: just saw on the asus forum a poor wifi complaint for an x-5 owner... bummer!

 

Hahaha.. I didn't even realize it, but you're so right! That's almost pound-for-pound the MBP, minus the insane battery life of course

}:^)~

 

Good specs! I'd take the magnesium/aluminum as well. To be honest, I'd take dark stainless steel (that would look COOL, but may ad a bit of weight, unless it was just a very thin layer for looks).

Also, props on the non-glare LCD. Seriously, I've had it with super shiny LCD panels. They look good until you start to use them!

Coffee proof keyboard is also a good one. I've never spilled coffee on mine (knock on wood), but it's nice to have. My GF once spilled coffee 'beside' her macbook, and the thing shorted out. It was sitting in a thin layer of water (not even a puddle) and it wouldn't start up again. Needlesss to say, those little rubber pads on the bottom of all other laptops are a tremendously functional bit of equipment.

I'd also add dim LED lights. My dell has the brightest LEDs on the planet and it really is quite annoying!

{:^)~

 

I agree that the wireless issue sucks for non-tinkerers, as the fix should be DEAD SIMPLE.

Does anyone know if ASUS is repairing this yet? Perhaps it would be a good time to post in every forum possible, on every blog possible of this wireless issue. I bet that would get the attention of ASUS. After all it would deter users from the entire line of computers.

}:^(~

 

question is does the extra antenna not reduce battery life, hence taking away one of the ul30's strongest advantages over its competition?

 

My UL30A arrived ( UL30A-QX048E, I'm in Italy), I've opened it in the shop and there is just one antenna.
The Wi-Fi card is Atheros, but I'm not installed the OS yet (Ubuntu GNU/Linux) and I don't know if it's weak or strong, I will report something when I know more .

PS: It's so cooooool!!!!

 

No, the extra antenna wouldn't reduce battery life. The Atheros card is a very low power consumption part. It uses at peak a maximum of 20mW (I think, based on the testimony of someone in this forum that is far wiser than myself!)..

}:^)~

 

Couldn't agree more. That's why I keep bringing up the discussion on the Amazon board - it has a huge consumer reader base and probably the most effective place to keep pushing this issue to the forefront. The current chatter on Amazon keeps suggesting this is a driver issue. A link to page 11 and 12 showing the antenna fixes would say a lot.

Once again being from Canada I can't post on Amazon as I don't buy from there ... I have done what I can on the Asus site though

 

I took all the screws out on the bottom of my UL30A and couldn't figure out how to get it to open up. I have an Intel 5300 card that I'm trying to put it.

I'm not worried about voiding my warranty, but I am hoping that someone here can give me a some clear advice on how to take off the bottom case so that I can remove & replace the Atheros card with my Intel one.

Thank you!

 

See the pics near the bottom of the page.
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Asus-UL30A-QX050V-Notebook.22057.0.html

I'm with whoever if they want to spam all the internet about this wireless issue.

 

I think I'm gonna pass on the asus and pick up a refurbished lenovo x200s for just a little more money. what do you guys think?

 

I had an X200 and I really didn't like it. Had constant problems with it, and the screen was of low quality. It is, however, very portable. And the trackpoint is great.

 

The UL30Vt is now official!!!!

I'm so glad I waited!
http://www.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=57XDSj2LxRg41F0d

}:^)~

 

Do the product specs provide any clue about whether the 30A wireless problem applies to the 30VT? Here is what it says in the LAN section of the specs:

Intel® WiFi Link 1000
Integrated 802.11 b/g/n
Built-in Bluetooth™ V2.1+EDR (optional)
Atheros AR8132M 10/100Mb
Azureware NE785H (optional)

 

That doesn't help at all though since the picture only shows what you see once the hdd and memory door are removed. I need to be able to take off the whole bottom case to actually replace the card.

 

^ It looks like the Atheros card can be pulled out without taking the case apart. You are saying this cannot be done? I haven't tried it myself.

 

I have to admit I was saddened to see they did not update to provide for a gigabyte LAN connection. That is just so dumb. We also seem to be gaining some traction on the wireless issue. The ASUS rep on Amazon posted this:

"Regarding wireless LAN, we are aware of the fact that some folks are having issues with the UL30. We are in the process of testing and communicating with affected users, and will post any new findings here and elsewhere. I have heard back from one of our technical support folks that updating the driver to the latest version has worked. Version 8.0.0.238 of the Azurewave driver, found on support.asus.com (go to downloads; select Win7 64-bit when you get the OS question)."
http://www.amazon.com/UL30vt/forum/...?_encoding=UTF8&asin=B002Q8HK7K&cdSort=oldest

Has anyone tried this update yet? Does it make a difference? At least it appears we have some form of acknowledgement, although it would be nice to actually see them post something on the ASUS support site.

 

As the posters above mentioned, the ASUS rep said that s/he was looking into it, so that's very good news. An antenna addition should be a very easy change to implement.

I'm hopeful.

}:^)~

 

Is the GB lan issue a driver issue, or a hardware issue?

}:^)~

 

Hmmm. I have noticed an improvement in the signal lately - I think I upgraded my driver to this version so maybe that does help. It certainly didn't make things any worse - I'm not getting the "disconnect every 5 minutes" problem I had before, but I still have the occasional problem getting connected at first. This is at home - my router is upstairs and maybe 30ft away. I definitely think people who are having problems should try the newer driver and see if it helps them too.

To me the whole issue seems to be a signal strength problem - even though Windows reports high strength on the SSID you can get dropouts. But if I'm close to the router then no dropouts. I also saw this problem with Ubuntu (9.10) on the same machine, so it doesn't really smell like a problem that can be completely fixed with a driver update. I bought a second antenna as suggested upthread. It may be unrelated but I saw complaints of a similar problem with this Atheros chip under linux (I think the EEE 1005HA or similar) - frequent disconnects despite decent strength.

At home I can only see my SSID and one neighbour - my old laptop (IBM T40), wireless bridge and I think my iPod Touch could see a few more, although I haven't checked that lately. I'll report back when I get the antenna installed.

 

I just got this email back from ASUS:

i apologize for this inconvenience. We have acknowledge that people are experiencing the wifi issue on this unit and we are currently in process of finding root cause. Let me clarify some things for you.
1st- the ul30a ships with atheros card not intel.
2nd- it also only uses one antenna since its calibrated for single antenna so that should not be the issue. Do not try to modify your unit by adding second antenna as that might void your warranty.

I am very close to finding the root cause and I will contact you shortly once I verify that it works.

Best Regards,
ASUS SUPPORT​

Looks like they know there is a problem. Hopefully they will come up with a solution to it sometime soon.

 

For those having wireless issues, has anyone installed programs such as inSSIDer or Vistumbler to monitor signal strength and drop-offs?

Ekahau Heatmapper is another great app that allows you to visualize physically where the signal starts to drop off (if the problem is related to distance from the router and not driver instability).

 

Dear Valued Customers,

We apologize for this inconvenience. We have investigated the reported weak wireless signal on on the UL30 models. The problem is extremely limited in breadth and should only affect a handful of units from the UL30A-A2 and UL30A-X5 models, no other UL series models. If you are affected, call 510-739-3777 for instructions (unit will need to be shipped back to ASUS). ASUS tech support will probably walk you through some troubleshooting to make sure it is not a setup issue, wireless is turned "on", etc, so please be patient.


Best regards,
ASUS SUPPORT

 

this is strange, I sent them an email and they didnt agree that this was a problem at all....