Issues with WiFi catcher and WEI...

Hello,

I have two questions:

First question:
I've asked for a replacement for my laptop because the screen was grainy and the wireless catcher did not work. Now I got the replacement and the screen is beautiful. However, the wifi catcher still does not work. It does exactly like what it did before. It should blink multiple times according the the wireless strength when you flip the wireless switch, it doesn't do that. Before I go and complain again to CS, does anyone else have the same issue? Replacing the current laptop would be my VERY LAST resort since I love my current screen.

Second question:
According the WEI (windows experience index) my previous laptop (with the grainy screen) scored 5.9 on Memory, which makes sense since my I have 4GB or RAM. However, the current one, the beautiful screen, it scores 4.8 although I still have 4 GB of ram. Why is that? I know WEI is not perfect, but is it that bad?

Sorry for the long massage. Any help is appreciated!

Thank you

 

What model of laptop do you have?
I have 2x1GB in my Vostro 1400 and I have a WEI of 5.8 for memory. While others with similar config got only 4.8. I guess this may be related some settings rather than hardware. One of my 1GB stick is not even PC2-5300 but PC2-4200.
Regarding the WiFi catcher problem, I had problem with it initially. It did not work at all until I found it only worked after shutting down from the administrator account. I've tried turning off UAC in user account setting but did not solve the problem. After 1 month behaving like that, all of sudden it is now working after any user account shut down. I am not sure if that is because of the re-installation of the Notebook System Software, chipset driver, and media card reader drivers. Or it was solved after an NIS update. Anyway, the WiFi catcher problem may be a software issue.

 

I wouldn't worry about the WEI score; it is a useless benchmark that isn't very accurate, and you can find plenty of posts in which users further bash WEI.

I've seen laptops with a 1/2 the power of the nc8430's X1600 get a higher score for gaming, despite the fact those cards were integrated or low end. Accurate? I think not.

 

billcsho, interesting..... Since there is only one account in this computer, I logged off. I've tried the wifi catcher on windows user menu, it didn't work. I shut down the computer and tried it, it blinked twice! what ever that means. It doesn't do that same while the computer is in sleep mode or even hibernation.

and btw, I have a dell 1520 and my specs below in my seg.

 

That would be new to me. Are you sure its suppose to do that? Mine has never and my wireless works fine

 

Same here mines works fine and It never blinks multiple times

 

In the documentation, it says the following:

It also says:

btw, my wireless also works fine, it just doesn't seem to detect any wireless through the wireless catcher

 

Did you turn the WiFi catcher on in BIOS and in Quickset. Your hardware should be very similar to my Vostro 1400.
In my case, I had problem even with it was turned on in both places. For that month, it only worked when it was shut down or hibernated from administrator account but not a user account (even with administrator right). Contacted Dell several times and re-installed driver and Quickset numerous times and still worked the same way. It was last week that I found it is finally working in the way it supposed to be. The only things I remember before that was the NIS update and re-installing chipset driver, Notebook System Software and the media card reader drivers as I was having problem with certain SD and thumb drives.

 

ive only seen the wifi catcher on my 1210 work when laptop was off.

isnt that the whole point? if the laptop is on, why not just check vista wifi screen...

 

Wifi catcher does not blink multiple times to indicate signal strength. I don't know where the OP got that from, but it can't have been from the manual (his post #7 quotes correctly from the manual).

On the other hand the documentation is misleading. While the catcher works whether the laptop is on or off, it works differently when the laptop is on...it does not show any lights, instead it pops up a status window on the screen (only if Quickset is active)

 

That's right. It should not blink multiple times. Mine would blink once (perhaps twice sometimes) before it settle in the final steady state in yellow or green.

 

I'm not really sure why the wi-fi catcher is useful.

I don't need to know if there is any old wi-fi signal; I need to know if it is a signal I can use (unsecured, or a commercial service I am subscribed to). I have to start Windows in order to see that, and at that point the catcher button doesn't do anything I can't do another way.

What am I missing here?

 

you're not missing anything I think... :S that wifi catcher really needs a small LCD screen..

 

In Windows it shows the list of networks a ton fastr than Windows so it is useful there

 

Yes, I do have it enabled from the bios.

it only blinks twice only if the computer is shut down, other than that, nothing happens. I don't see any green/yellow or any other light after the blink...

What can i do? should I install any updates?

 

attempt resetting it in the bios [[guess]]

 

How??!!

// ignore this line. I had to write something because the system wouldn't let me post if its shorter then 10 char.

 

Try a few things:

1. Disable the WiFi catcher, reboot, and then enable again.
2. Re-install the WiFi driver.
3. Re-install Notebook System Software and Quickset.

If all these failed, try turning on the administrator account to see you got the same problem as mine. When mine was not working, it blinked only once or twice with the fan noise for half a second or so without doing anything.

 

there's like some option in the BIOS to set the wi-fi catcher back to defaults....

i don't have mine next to me...in school

>>maybe u have to reflash the bios with the next revision