Samsung 9 Series laptop (ZX310 / 900X3A) unveiled

And again I might state, if we are buying what is supposed to be the best laptop on the market, we should not have to ever concern ourselves as to why "wifi range is clearly below average" and buying an external Alfa USB as a backup.

I have travelled the world for years using my Dell M1330 and my Acer Timeline without even thinking about the possibility of signal loss. Why would I want to with a system that I am paying so much money for.

I am the first... VERY FIRST...to want this issue fixed. When it is, I will once again be the first to purchase and I will once again publish an article read by many waiting for just that.

The unfortunate part is there has yet to be a single case of anyone who has a good system that has posted here...including yourself through your own statements.

Why would anyone 'settle' for something that shouldn't be when demanding the best. Samsung has yet to institute a final resolve for this. There is no fix in place. Each system is still of the same manufacture schematic, give or take a different wifi half card.

In the end, I am sorry but stating that wifi range is below average and further that you are buying a backup external wifi does not equate to stating that you have 0 issues. Sorry.

 

Can anyone help me locate a driver so I can use the FN keys? Can someone extract the driver from their device manager and share it? Thanks!

 

EVERY SINGLE laptop has "issues". There is no such thing as a perfect one. I will say again, I depend on wifi for my livelihood, and I have NEVER needed to use a wifi dongle, my signal has been consistently acceptable everywhere I have used the laptop. As I already stated, I bought an external based specifically on information I read here but never used nor needed it.

So you are saying I should be unhappy with the laptop and switch to another with better wifi but worse in virtually every other way, simply because in some theoretical situation (of which I have experienced NONE in over three months) there MAY be a scenario where I could experience wifi difficulties?

Ridiculous.

So I will repeat: I have had ZERO issues in real world scenarios in a wide variety of situations

Should Samsung do something to improve the wifi? Of course, but many people including me would likely never notice the difference in day-to-day usage.

The laptop didn't meet your needs, fine, but DO NOT tell me it doesn't meet mine and would not meet those of many others. Maybe you make your decisions based on "principle", but I make mine based on real world performance, and in that regard it has met my needs with zero exceptions in over 3+ months.

 

Do you have split personalities? You also wrote this just a few weeks back.

Another one bites the dust.

Previously on this thread, I have been relatively forgiving of the wifi capabilities of the S9, believing they were perhaps below-average but usable under most circumstances; however, now I have also given up on the idea that the wifi is acceptable in any way.

Today I decided to retest vs two old HP's I have, and it was no contest, the 3-yr-old and 2-yr-old HP's had far superior wifi in my office, which is about 50 feet from the router. The S9 had slow speed or unusable connection depending on which corner of the office, while both HP's had excellent, or at worst fair speed in the most remote location.

If this were the only problem, I might be willing to forgive it and carry a wifi dongle, but since mine has already been to the shop twice for an unrelated issue (DC connector), plus other irritating nits such as fingerprints/smudges, I have pretty much decided to ship it back to Costco (from Singapore) next week. Based on information to date, I am skeptical that a meaningful wifi fix will be in place anytime soon.

So, my current plan is to get by with my old HP and a Macbook Air for the next month or so, then order the new Vaio Z that is expected to be announced on Tuesday and available in late July.

I wish the best for all those still struggling with the S9 issues (especially wifi), overall it will be a great laptop if these problems can ultimately be rectified....

I dont really understand how you go from one side to the other. Is it dependent on the view of the person responding to you?

TO MAKE SURE WE ARE CLEAR.....

You said this today -

"I can state unequivocally that I have had ZERO issues with wifi"

And you said this here -

"Now I have also given up on the idea that the wifi is acceptable in any way."

Hello!?!?!?!?!?

Oh...just in case you forgot...here is where you hated the S9 one month ago to the day...

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sam...op-zx310-900x3a-unveiled-168.html#post7635291

EDIT.... And as for your last line, I didnt have to tell you that it didn't meet your needs because you have done that all by yourself. What you are doing presently, however, is confusing the whole community by one day hating the machine and spouting that you are taking it back and then the next selling snake oil to those asking about wifi. Are you trying to convince others to buy so they suffer as you state you have? Your wifi has never been acceptable and I can quote any number of your posts.

 

^
Obviously that post was made after a TESTING scenario, where I calculated the wifi range in the far corners of my office in comparison to my other laptops.

I have stated over and over that I have never has problems in day-to-day usage. Since I don't use my laptop in the most remote corners of my office, it is a non-issue on a real world basis.

I had intended to return the laptop after that testing (and get a Z2), but in the end I found no issues whatsoever in daily use, including my office,
so I decided to keep the S9.

Plus, as I stated in that post, the bigger issue for me was the poor connector quality, not wifi.

Why are you so insistent that that everyone must have severe problems with the wifi? Apparantly I only imagined it has had acceptable wifi over 3 months?

I am not telling you whether you have a "problem" with your wifi, so please don't tell me. After three months of use in a wide variety of scenarios I should have been able to figure that out for myself.

 

Enjoy... I have never been insistent that everyone have severe problems and only reiterated what you yourself said. You, yourself, said that the wifi was unacceptable. You, yourself, said the S9 had slow speed or unusable connection in your own office. My question presently remains as to why you now change your own words completely when a new reader enters the picture. Should everyone learn. in the end, as you have?

We OWE potential buyers and new readers the honesty of our own views. Yours are highlighted in red.

 

Who do you think you are questioning my honesty?

You apparently have a severe reading comprehension issue, so I will repeat this one last time. The only issue I EVER had with the S9 wifi was in a TESTING scenario, which I clearly explained when I made previous posts.

My initial views, before I did testing in remote locations, was that there were no issues. I then did testing in remote locations of my office that I never work in, and revised my view, stating that wifi is unacceptable based on these tests. Did you see the word "TESTING" in what I wrote??

Subsequent to those TESTS, I have continued to use the laptop in various scenarios with ZERO issues from a practical perspective.

Everything I wrote was 100% consistent, and I certainly have the right to change my opinion based on REAL WORLD USE.

I have NEVER stated I had any problem whatsoever working at home, at a coffee shop, with mifi/phone hotspots, hotels or any other scenario.

Why is this so difficult to understand? Sorry if this doesn't align me with your crusade, but those are the facts, and there are obviously many perfectly satisfied owners of the S9.

Kindly keep your comments to your own experience with the laptop rather than wild accusations about my personal integrity.

 

Eppsing,

I have done nothing whatsoever but reprint your words to ask clarification for your reversal of thought. If you are happy with your system, all the power to you. I have no crusade and, as such, find no reason to try and explain previous comments as you seem to be doing. I will concede that I find it very odd that you speak from both sides of the spectrum and did nothing more but to bring to light your previous words to enable the reader to understand BOTH of your opinions.

Enjoy your system and hey, at least we are happy that someone is satisfied with their S9.

 

S9 Guy,
Have not been posting much lately but still monitoring this forum and trying to figure out whether to return my current A05 model and then wait for Samsung to bring out new models with WiFi that is as least as good as other models/brands.

Eppsing,
I do not want to get into a whole back and forth discussion with you but you made this particular post yesterday. You've just supported the weak WiFi point again (apart from your other posts that S9 Guy highlighted in red).
I bought the (current) top-of-the-line S9 (the A05) and I am NOT happy or prepared to just accept that the "wifi range is clearly below average" in these models. Samsung SHOULD do something about this now.

 

Did you try installing Easy Display Manager?

As for the WiFi issue, IMO this is a drawback of having a metal case - it's going to get in the way of the signal. However, how much this impacts on users depends on usage. For myself, for example, a speed of 10MB/s would be as fast as my internet connection.

So can those with strong views on this subject accept (i) that for some users the existing WiFi performance is OK and (ii) there is scope for improvement for those who need better performance?

John

 

I really can not accept that. I might just as well recommend to users a car that does not drive well, but looks good and I really have bought it to keep it in a glass box.. Is it a good car per se? No. Is it a good object of art? Perhaps. Those who like their cars in boxes (or laptops in controlled or perfect wifi environments) should not venture their opinions on the product quality. Would you buy an expensive car that can achieve only 50km/h (although ADVERTISED to be superfast), knowing, that for the same money you can get a car just as luxurious and cool but topping 200km/h? I would not. And I would like to say that meeting the standards stated in product documentation should not be called "scope for improvement" - I am now working on this laptop with a USB stick sticking out of it, that so clearly conflicts with just about every single document or advertisement about Samsung Series 9, WiFi N class and Intel WiFi adapter quality!

 

Fair enough, I have stated multiple times that people appear to be having legitimate issues and that I believe Samsung should fix the problem. I never suggested anyone else should just live with the issue if it negatively impacts their productivity.

I also stated consistenly that on a daily basis, the wifi has never proven to a problem for me personally in actual work situations -- I have always been able to get an acceptable connections. I don't understand why this simple fact can't be accepted.

You haven't done so, but I just don't appreciate being attacked as a liar and snake oil salesman given that everything I have stated has been 100% consistent and accurate for my personal experience. The crusade to discredit anyone that says they can function with the laptop on a real-world basis is completely uncalled for.

 

I just did, and this fixes my FN key issue. Thanks a bunch!

 

Don't be outraged - "I can state unequivocally that I have had ZERO issues with wifi" is not consistent with "Now I have also given up on the idea that the wifi is acceptable in any way." I think you were trying to (perhaps a tad inarticulately) say "I was happy enough not to encounter problem situations during my work"? In that case I am happy for you, truly. I am not however happy for all those individuals who will take your remark at face value and run into problems at their workstations, like I have. Granted, WiFi is not a priority of our IT department and new access points would probably help, but it is unacceptable to upgrade to a new laptop of this class and experience problems where previously there were none!

 

^
Apparently there are several here that have major reading comprehension issues. To recap one last time, I posted numerous times that I had no wifi issues whatsoever on a practical (real use) basis.

I posted exactly ONCE, that wifi was unacceptable based on a TEST scenario in corner locations of my office that I never actually use wifi. That post also happened shortly after having sent the unit twice for repair for an unrelated issue, so obviously I was feeling negative about the laptop at that time and indicated I would return it. I decided to keep the laptop, and subsequent to that time, I experienced no wifi difficulites in daily use.

So, I have posted probably 10 times that I had NO wifi issues from a practical perspective (including the following from July 2).

I made exactly one negative post, based on the test and unrelated frustrations, never real world problems.

Despite this, people latch onto that one post and call me a liar? How many others here posted different views at different times? Were they also liars?

It is obvious that a couple of people here have an agenda (as well as no life) and don't want anyone interfering with it, thus they will slander anyone that dares to say wifi has proven acceptable to some users. Truly pathetic.

 

Why don't you chill out? There are several here that have WiFi issues and think that your practical basis is in fact safe-environment scenario. The same several believe that this laptop was not sold to them as safe-environment machines but as versatile business machines, capable of the same WiFi parameters as their old versatile business machines.

Please calm down and try to understand the reactions - we are frustrated with the situation. Take my example - the machine is useless at my workspace without a USB dongle, my old (5 years old!) laptop worked perfectly. I have twice been brushed off by Samsung with exactly your line - no problem under the rooter. That is bull. From what you write I understand that your opinion is - there might be people that will not be affected by this WiFi issue. My point is - you will run into a situation when you will need a dongle and you will not have one on you, just like it happened to me in a major meeting. Now, in this situation I would never think of recommending this laptop to my friends and associates on the basis that the computer works fine in my garage, in a Starbucks under a concealed rooter or in an airport, where directional antennas are employed. This machine was not priced to be acceptable, it was priced to beat the competition! Or at least to be on the same level.

 

I can have my cable box hdmi port output tv onto my laptop? I click on the Fn+F4 and it will only allow me to choose LCD.

I did watch movies via HDMI on my Telly via my Sammy and it worked great in 1080P the only problem I had with it, that once in a while there was a vertical line that was off via the output, I will try to use another telly.

 

I have it now plugged into a new television via hdmi port and it wont let me switch it outside of LCD I guess there is a problem with it.

 

Video drivers are sometimes finicky, so you can try a few things that may fix the problem:

1) reboot the laptop, leaving the hdmi cable in so the new video source is recognized

2) consider switching to a different hdmi connector on the TV

3) go directly to control panel display settings and change the video output options there.

One or a combination of these three typically solve the problem any time I have had difficulty outputting video through HDMI

 

AFAIK, you can't! Micro-HDMI on S9 is an output, not an input. By pushing Fn+F4 you are selecting an OUTPUT for S9's picture - laptop's LCD or/and an external display. You can't send a signal TO your laptop through Micro-HDMI port though.

 

I've answered earlier. Please find below direct links:

HDFURY2 - HDMI TO VGA/ComponentCONVERTER *BLUE EDITION* (STANDARD EDITION) - Miscellaneous - GrabCart Compare and Buy Electronics

hdmi to component video converter

 

Search is useless on this forum. Even tried the "site:http: //forum.notebookreview. com/samsung/yourword" and I didn't get any hits back.

I was going to send my S9 back to Samsung after complaining about the WiFi but it seems that its only "solution" is to install the 6230, which seems to not yield the desired results.

So i'm thinking about installing the 6300, which I know requires another antenna. I know Phil1980 had said that it works much better with another antenna and I was wondering where exactly should it be located? Also, should the two antennas that are already placed be relocated as well?

Thanks in advance, apologies if this has been mentioned countless times.

 

If you want to find a word, for example - "located", in this thread, try to use Google with this string:
site:http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/545538-samsung-9-series-laptop-zx310-900x3a-unveiled located

Works like a charm.

It gives an advantage in the so called "controlled environment": in my case, with a 3x3 MIMO (450Mbit/s) supporting router Cisco e4200 at my home. At other hotels/hotspots/friends places it is still significantly weaker than my 2 other laptops and iPhone 4.

If you're still interested in installing 6300, try to Google the thread with the word "3rd" - you'll find all of the posts on that matter. To make a long story short: I didn't relocate 2 antennas and placed a 3rd one next to a RAM slots (the one that I ordered was short without a square orange sticky pad - only a rubber coating at the end).

 

OMG this is one of the most useful ()tips in this thread! big thanks!

 

do you guys think that maybe some people do not have problems and therefore have never found this thread to post there good experiences?

 

Realistically, I would say "no". There is a not a single person who has ever said, after doing reasonable testing, that the Series 9 WiFi capabilities are even equal to, let alone better than, than ANY other WiFi-enabled device!

As stated before, I have spent hours/days/weeks testing the WiFi on the A03 and then the A05 models that I have had. There is zero doubt in my mind that the duralumin case is the problem. Putting a 3rd antenna inside the case (using the 6300) makes a little difference BUT WiFi is still worse than other laptops.

I haven't had a problem in the last 10 days or so because my S9 has only been inside a family member's house and a hotel room that I am staying in.

 

I don't think anyone has 'normal' wifi, but I'm sure many people don't do testing and don't prowl these forums - in which case, they probably notice that it's weak, but then just decide whether it's good enough for them, given the notebook's other good qualities.

If you can't do what you want, it's obviously extremely frustrating. But if you can, then it's more of an irritation. And if it weren't otherwise a great notebook, no one would be frustrated by the wifi issue, they'd just move on to something else.

 

Yeah I was just using some wishful thinking. I want this laptop for college but I know that there wont be good signal all over campus which will pretty much make the laptop useless.

 

I know wifi problem is a turn off for potential buyers. I just placed an order on buy.com for Samsung Series 9 900X3A-B02. I will post my experience soon. I have several other computers at home and office and I am getting 9 series for occasional coffee shop/ travel browsing. I need wifi to be just consistent (not super fast) as I won't be downloading any movies in public places with weak wifi.

I just love the way 9 series look. I will give it a try! I hope Buy.com honors 45 day returns without restocking fee.

Peter

 

Knowing that there is a $40 dollar simple and light dongle for this job prevents me from buying a $300 clunky adapter... Sorry.

I will wait for a few more days for the Samsung adapter to show up in stock, otherwise I will give the HP adapter a try...

 

Not to get into the middle of the wifi issue, but I wanted to report that I am using an S9 (A05) at a university, and have not experienced problems mentioned so far. I was worried because of the reports here, but so far no problems in several places on campus...

 

I don't think you should buy this laptop for use on a college campus - you won't be happy if someone right next to you can connect and you can't ...

 

Careful, anyone reporting no problems in actually daily use is subject to attack here, so best be prepared.

 

Could you do speedtests with the s9 and then maybe another laptop and see how it tests out?

 

Some people try to be helpful. Unfortunately, your post is not.

If anyone wants WiFi info based on extensive testing OR in daily use, they can of course read all the posts to see if people think there is a real problem or not.

Burying one's head in the sand will not help though.

 

I've done speedtests with the samsung 9 I returned and a sony Z11 sitting next to each other.

Sony Z got 20+ Mbps upload

samsung 9 got approximately 4mbps

It's quite pathetic and it is a serious issue. I really wanted to LOVE this computer and I still do, but until they fix it, I can not buy another one.

 

I cannot do a side by side testing now, but I used a Thinkpad at about the same locations and haven't seen a measurable difference between the two (from user experience point of view). I am not particularly into extensive experiments towards this issue, and used the speedtest web site just to see. Cannot remember the exact numbers, but the two laptops were close to each other. When I am home, I may be able to do a side-by-side test and report here. Hope this helps.

 

thanks. this helps a lot.

 

If my post wasn't helpful, then neither was your reply.

How helpful were the recent posts attacking me? I didn't see any forum police comments from you then. The reality is, any posts indicating acceptable real world performance are not welcome here.

End of topic

 

Eppsing,

Your tone on the thread is a direct reflection of your contradicting views of the S9. Regardless of how many people point out the fact that you seem to be trying to deceive the consumer with your change in opinion, you will jump up and say "but, but, but".

You stated that your S9 had terrible wifi and was being sent back to Costco. You complained of other problems and now you are trying to say, "But I haven't experienced wifi problems". Its rather foolish.

I always tell people not to bring a knife to a gun fight and here, you flat out got caught in what amounts to be a lie. Do the wise thing and stick your tail between your legs and simply jump in where you might be able to help.

I have absolutely no prob repeating your quotes each and every time you start on another.

BENEFIT THE THREAD OR DON'T RESPOND.

Oh and to clarify whether those who state that they arent having problems are not welcome here... Another fumble attempt.

We all would love to here good news but, unfortunately there has yet to be any. IN fact, if you go back to even your own situation, when someone states that they are having no issues, we simply ask for them to carry out a few basic tests to verify it. Unfortunately, this hasn't resulted in positive return at all.

The truth of the matter is that we ALL want to here positive so we can jump out and buy the system we wanted in the first place. Stating the "every system has its problems" and discussing buying an external USB wifi is exactly what we should not do...settle for a inferior system that we paid top dollar for.

 

^ Since your reading comprehension is still apparently at 3rd grade level, and since you like to selectively cut and paste comments out of context, I will repeat what I wrote. I have no problem repeating this every time you spread your lies.

Plus, I have restrained myself from commenting on the repeated nonsense you have spewed, including an imminent "fix" and your supposed "ins" with Samsung that turned out to be fabrications. Or the fact that your repeatedly changed the story on your S9 experience, saying it was great after you got a new router. Or the fact that you have returned, what half a dozen units by now and don't even own one, yet insist on spreading your FUD here?

My comments are 100% accurate and honest. Yours are trolling nonsense and you don't even own the laptop.

You are absolutely proving my point: anyone posting that the wifi is adequate for their needs will be subjected to ridicule.

 

And thats why I choose to stand up to your returns. That statement compared to these statements which you also made amount to a lie. You can try and focus on my statements all you want; I have no need to respond as you will not find inconsistency in any of my posts here. If you choose not to believe anything I say...thats your choice. Just stay along for the ride so you can, once again, try and retract what you stated previously. I absolutely cherish the permanency of threads.

Here is what you originally said that amounts to be a lie one way or another and, personally, I think you are very jaded and believe that by getting others to purchase and learn as you did, you can force Samsungs hand which is unfair to the consumer.

Here are your original statements that completely contradict what you quoted above:

"The S9 had slow speed or unusable connection depending on which corner of the office, while both HP's had excellent, or at worst fair speed in the most remote location."

"If this were the only problem, I might be willing to forgive it and carry a wifi dongle, but since mine has already been to the shop twice for an unrelated issue (DC connector), plus other irritating nits such as fingerprints/smudges, I have pretty much decided to ship it back to Costco (from Singapore) next week. "

Based on information to date, I am skeptical that a meaningful wifi fix will be in place anytime soon."

"I wish the best for all those still struggling with the S9 issues (especially wifi), overall it will be a great laptop if these problems can ultimately be rectified."

To give exact words... in your above you state That you have never had a lost connection yet earlier, as shown, you state that you had unusable connection in your own office.

 

^Still no sign of intelligent life from you. Nothing you have said would happen with Samsung actually did, if that is not fabrication then what is?

I noticed you conveniently deleted the section above that indicated I was simply doing a TEST using speedtest, in the most remote corners, not actually working? Selective editing is a great huh?

Since you are still mentally challenged, you may want to look up the meaning of "test" and compare that to "daily use"...you might learn something.

As for adding value, how about this:

Currently using S9 at 25 feet from a Mifi device, very strong signal
Yesterday, worked with S9 at a coffee shop, very strong signal and stable.

Again, if you spread your lies I will respond

 

Yes but unfortunately I am not the only one calling calling you on your own statements. It seems there is a lineup here.

Great Thread!

 

Hi guys

I recently bought the 900x3A B03CH (Switzerland) after I have asked the online-shop if Samsung has already fixed the WLAN-issue. They have replied with yes. The B03CH has an i5 2467M, 4 GB RAM, 128 GB SSD, 3 years warranty and Windows 7 Home Premium.

Then I made some speed tests. I'm here on the 2nd floor in my house while the router sits on the ground floor, air distance is around 6 meters (~19,7 feet) and there are 2 thick walls between.
I compared the speed with my older Dell M4400.

Results in downloadspeed were:
4 Mps for the 900x3A
5,4 Mps for the M4400

It was much better than I expected. But the thing is, from time to time the signal got worser (I didn't changed anything) and is now sitting and 0,1 Mps for the 900x3a. I would be totally satisfied with 4Mps, but 0,1 Mps isn't working out for me.

I'll install a fresh Windows 7 Pro and try to get this fixed.

Edit: Built Juli 2011, cost 1440 CHF

 

That made me smile Selective testing is also great, huh?

In fact I envy your situation - you get to use the laptop in places were it works to its full potential and that is great. I am currently toying with an idea of presenting an N class WiFi access point to my IT department with a humble request to install it near my office. I do not care much if I have to use a USB dongle while traveling but it bugs me to use it at my office, especially in front of my MBA equipped colleagues.

 

Someone mentioned to me before that I can hook up my cable box to my laptop, is that true. So you can watch tv on your laptop via the cable box?

 

Every day, I hope that someone will be able to report that Samsung has resolved the weak WiFi problem. Unfortunately, the fluctuation in WLAN speeds is one of the two major problems that one sees -- the other is the inability to connect to distant routers while other laptops can easily connect (and do not have fluctuating test results).

 

I think a lot of people are in your situation, and I have never tried to represent that the wifi will meet everyone's needs. But it will meet SOME / MANY people's needs, since we all have different priorities. Many expect world class wifi for the (relatively) world class price, and understandably so.

However, I would rather carry an extremely lightweight, reasonably-powered laptop for my mobility needs, even if the wifi is below average. There is no way I would choose a heavier/bulkier machine for the improved wifi, but obviously many would. If I decide I need to work in the far corners of my office (in which I never use wifi because I have hard-line connection and multi-monitor set-up with dedicated GPU), then the S9 wouldn't meet my needs.

For those that don't need/want Win7, I would suggest the new MBA would likely be a better choice than the S9 for those that need first-rate wifi. I will personally be in the market for a Vaio Z21, which (including the dock) may be able to serve as my primary computer, not just my mobility laptop.

After the power adapter connection issues have been repaired, my major irritation with the S9 is not wifi, but the staining/fingerprints on the trackpad and keyboard. These areas can't be effectively cleaned, and after about 3.5 months of use, they appear to be showing age much more rapidly than my previous Viao and HP HDX, so I would imagine it will be much worse in a years time.

When it was first launched a few months ago, there were no real alternatives in the same weight and capabilities category of the S9, but fortunately that has already begun to change, so we will all benefit from more choices (new MBA, Viao Z21, Asus X21, etc.)

 

I don't believe this to be the case. I can do that with my HP HDX, but it has a built-in tuner and and a special connector for TV input. The S9 has neither.