Low Signal on Atheros AR5005G Mini PCI Wireless Adapter

[!TIMMY!]

Hello All,

I bought a Atheros AR5005G Mini PCI Wireless adapter off the bay for my laptop, this was after I bent my USB adapter. I downloaded the Atheros Client Utility from the Acer website (for a different model laptop :S) and it installed fine. I then installed the latest driver (7.4.2.75) for XP and tired to connect it to my Orange Live Box. I had really problems with it and uninstalled the Atheros Client Utility.

I can now connect to my Live Box, but the signal is 'Low' when I am about one metre away from the box. My gf's laptop has an 'excellent' signal from the same range (can't remember what wifi adapter she has in hers, its internal though); as did my USB adapter. I can only go about two metres away from the box before the connection is lost. I have been on google most of last night and this morning, but can't seem to find anything that has helped.

Does anyone have any experience with this sort of thing? Any suggestions are welcome!

 

[Pseudonym]

Tried a complete uninstall/reinstall with the box then turn everything off and on again?

Or it could be a loose connection type thing. Check the wires are all done up nice and tight. Can you take the aerial off? It might not be screwed in properly?

 

[!TIMMY!]

Ye i have tried uninstalling and reinstalling and older drivers.

And tried resetting the box. I dont think that it is the box as my usb adapter and my gf's laptop are fine.

I didn't get the aerial with the card so that could be the reason. I thought the whole point of mini pci cards were so they were internal. Therefore if u have to have an aerial, you may as well have a usb adapter. Although 2 meter range is really poor.

 

[Hassan]

Have u connected the antenna on the Wifi Card (usually 2 wires)

 

[AdamR79]

I didn't get the aerial with the card so that could be the reason. I thought the whole point of mini pci cards were so they were internal. Therefore if u have to have an aerial, you may as well have a usb adapter. Although 2 meter range is really poor.

So you have just the card? if so there's your problem. You've basicaly got something which is trying to recieve a signal, amongst the mobo, hdd, ram, battery etc, it doesnt stand a chance. You normally get two small wires that screw to the card, that you would route through the chassis. Even then my experience of internal cards is they arent the best. Best solution ive foudn for practicality and signal strength are pcmcia/cardbus adapters with a proper aerial out of them. USB are ok, but as you experienced they are easy to break and imo are a pita for mobile computing, unless you're on a desk.

 

[!TIMMY!]

Im, well I might have to go and buy the wires and route them around the laptop. I only need it to connect from about 10m away.

 

[Pseudonym]

Indeed. Mine came with it, but the people who put my laptop together aren't the brightest buttons in the box. They mess up so often that they include instructions on how to take apart and check everything is actually screwed together.

So yeah, get some aerial wire and route it about the laptop. You could include a port for an external aerial in the back if you feel like some light modding.

 

[RollerCam540]

I cannot state this as fact but I believe there's scientific validity to it: a USB adapter uses more system resources than its PCI/ISA/PCI-Express counterpart. Therefore, using an internal card should generally make the system faster by freeing up processor time that it would have dedicated to the operation of the USB device.

Obviously, a USB adapter is easily transferable from one computer to another, the USB adapter doesn't require any "advanced" knowledge to install, and most USB components require nominal system resources, so anyone of these reasons may be valid selling points.

 

[!TIMMY!]

Ye, the prob with a USB adapter is that I not the most careful person with my laptop, so I kept bending it I have ordered some aerial wires off the bay and will fit them as soon as they come. Im sure that it will be able to connect as the max range ill be away from my router is about 10m. Thanks for the help, im such a n00b wen it comes to laptops. Even managed to install the ram wrong on my gf's (didn't push it in hard enough). I will report back once its installed.

 

[!TIMMY!]

Ok so I broke the USB adapter while I was waiting for my wires, I knew it would happen sooner rather than later.

I didnt want to route the wires behind the LCD as Acer normally do, because I don't know how. So I just routed them around the ram slots, the harddrive and the mini pci slot and it works Granted the signal strength is not the greatest but it only cost me a tenner to get it working and its fine for what I need.

Thanks for the help!

 

[mackz]

Help

Hey i also own a AR5005G in my Aspire 3000. I have low signal so i want to buy one of those wire things to plug into it..however i dont know what to search on ebay...what am i looking for? !TIMMY! where did you buy yours?

thanks in advance

 

[!TIMMY!]

Yo mackz,

I got this and it works fine, although it will depend how well you route it around your laptop. I read that Acer route theirs around the back of the LCD, but I put mine around the mobo, HD and ram.

 

[mackz]

thanks...just bought one... thanks for your help