[ale] Ubuntu 10.10 on HP Netbooks

[Ron Frazier]

Hi Rich,

This is not a direct answer to your question, but...

I've been using Ubuntu 10.04 on two different notebooks, with built in 
wireless, and one desktop with a USB antenna.  I should be able to get 
20+ Mbps when testing internet speed with speedtest.net.  The two 
notebooks would routinely do that.  And the desktop was routinely 
flaky.  Its USB antenna was sitting approximately 1 floor above the 
router (in the basement) and almost right on top of it.  I moved the USB 
antenna about 4 feet away by using a USB extender cable and placed it on 
the floor rather than on the piano bench it had been sitting on.  I now 
get consistent 20+ Mbps out of all three computers.  That is to say that 
location can have a radical effect, even though you might think it 
wouldn't.  Now, thinking back, it might have been the box full of 
dinnerware (forks and knives) that the USB antenna was originally on 
that was screwing it up.  You can get USB extender cables at Fry's for 
about $3 to move an antenna around.  If the NIC is built into the 
notebook, try moving the machine around to different positions.

Sincerely,

Ron

On 9/6/2011 12:07 PM, Rich Faulkner wrote:
> Thanks for the confirmation guys.  I had a feeling it may be something
> like that.  Will test more once I have the unit in hand...
>
> RinL
>
>
> On Tue, 2011-09-06 at 11:17 -0400, David Tomaschik wrote:
>    
>> Most likely it's Broadcom b43-series hardware.  If so:
>>
>> 1) They're pretty mediocre chips to begin with.
>> 2) Finding newer firmware with b43-fwcutter may help.
>> 3) Might also be the antenna connector has popped loose.  (I have seen
>> this before, particularly on machines that are cheaply built.)
>>
>> David
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Sep 6, 2011 at 10:43 AM, Rich Faulkner<rfaulkner at 34thprs.org>  wrote:
>>      
>>> Anyone have experience/issue with WLAN connectivity for 10.10 on HP
>>> netbooks?  I have a user reporting spotty connections but does better
>>> with USB attached NIC.  Will have more specifics later...but thought I'd
>>> see if anyone here might have something to share.
>>>
>>> Thanks.....Rich in Lilburn
>>>        
>>

-- 

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Ron Frazier

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