Wireless Strength Issues - 15" Alum PowerBook G4

[Hack5190]

Since buying my 15" Alum PowerBook G4 the built in wireless has been weak. Some days I have full strength, other times 1/2 and sometimes so weak it can't connect. While this is going on all systems around the PowerBook work fine.

Turning the wireless adapter off & back on magically gives me full signal strength for awhile. I've been forced to use a USB adapter for reliable service.

I've opened the system and confirmed none of the antenna wires are pinched at the hinge area and that there are no ovious problems.

Looking for suggestions from others where to look or how to imrove coverage.

 

[eyoungren]

Since buying my 15" Alum PowerBook G4 the built in wireless has been weak. Some days I have full strength, other times 1/2 and sometimes so weak it can't connect. While this is going on all systems around the PowerBook work fine.

Turning the wireless adapter off & back on magically gives me full signal strength for awhile. I've been forced to use a USB adapter for reliable service.

I've opened the system and confirmed none of the antenna wires are pinched at the hinge area and that there are no ovious problems.

Looking for suggestions from others where to look or how to imrove coverage.

Titanium PowerBook or Aluminum PowerBook?

The TiBooks were notorius for bad reception.

 

[Hack5190]

Titanium PowerBook or Aluminum PowerBook?

The TiBooks were notorius for bad reception.

Aluminum

 

[eyoungren]

Aluminum

Ah. Maybe the Airport Extreme card is bad?

 

[MacCubed]

Mine does the same thing... How many networks do you have around you? In my house the issue is having too many networks on the same channel

 

[Hack5190]

Ah. Maybe the Airport Extreme card is bad?

Heres a sad story - after reading your post I checked the service manual and the wireless car look exactly like the one in my G5's. So I grabbed the air port card from my spare G5 and disassembled the PowerBook. Turns out the manual is the wrong one - mine is a much smaller card and sits under the hard drive.

Heres the good part - after reassembling the PowerBook the wirelss reception is great!

Go figure . . . . .
[doublepost=1457402230][/doublepost]

Mine does the same thing... How many networks do you have around you? In my house the issue is having too many networks on the same channel

iStumbler shows 2 other networks on the same channel - they belong to some neighbors with a very low signal strgenth. For now it's working so fingers-crossedit will last . . .

 

[eyoungren]

Heres a sad story - after reading your post I checked the service manual and the wireless car look exactly like the one in my G5's. So I grabbed the air port card from my spare G5 and disassembled the PowerBook. Turns out the manual is the wrong one - mine is a much smaller card and sits under the hard drive.

Heres the good part - after reassembling the PowerBook the wirelss reception is great!

Go figure . . . . .
[doublepost=1457402230][/doublepost]

iStumbler shows 2 other networks on the same channel - they belong to some neighbors with a very low signal strgenth. For now it's working so fingers-crossedit will last . . .

Ah, cool! Hopefully it was just a matter of needing to be reseated!

 

[Hack5190]

Ah, cool! Hopefully it was just a matter of needing to be reseated!

And now for the dumb part of this saga - went back and reviewed my service manual again. Turns out the card I reconnected was the modem. The Air Port card is the same as the G5's - it's under the PCMCIA slot.
So if it stops working again I'll try swapping it.

 

[MacCubed]

I'll describe what happens with my PBG4, let's say I am in my bedroom, the routers are in the living room, the "loft", and the laundry room. I connect to the one in the laundry room since it is the closest. When I connect to the network, whether that is when I am waking it from sleep, or inputting the password, it connects. After a few minutes of using the WiFi, out of nowhere, the signal goes from full to less than half. After this occurs, the WiFi just quits working. This same thing happens on both of my PMG5s, but only when they are in my bedroom (I ran one in there for a while after I got the quad). It makes me think this is more of an APExtreme issue, but it could be my WiFi. Changing the channel of one of my networks helped, but there is just too many networks in my house!