Slow Wireless on PowerBook fast on iBook

Okay, I've updated the Powerbook to Airport 4.2 and that seemed to coincide with the signal going up to 5 bars in the same room as the Netgear DG834G. However, in other rooms, that are about 3 or 4 paces outside the main room, the signal disappears almost completely with the Powerbook, while the iBook still goes perfectly strong.

Oddly, the Powerbook is still able to recognise someone's Belkin54g router somewhere in the building. I don't know whose it is - maybe downstairs? Either the Belkin is sending out a MUCH stronger signal, or the signal through floors is much less weak than the signal through walls...

:(
 
I'm not sure - will look it up when I get home.

However, would that affect signal strength in different locations? It looks to me now that my iBook simply has better reception than the Powerbook, what with that daft metal casing on the PB... Seriously, one room away, just through a wall, even with all doors open, the PB signal dies. iBook in same location, clear as a bell.
 
Right, I've moved the Netgear into a more central position in our flat - the front hall, from which all rooms are one door away. Now the PB gets a very intermittent signal in all rooms (as much off as it is on) as opposed to a strong signal in the front room where the netgear was initially based. The iBook, predictably, gets full signal everywhere.

I'm angry with Apple. My girlfriend paid £1,500 for a portable internet accessible computer that accesses the internet considerably less reliably than a 3 year old machine that cost me less than a quarter of that amount.

Has anyone considered calling Apple to complain? I'm going to.

Owen
 
Random thought... Did you have the airport card installed or did you do it yourself? It may be that the antena connection to the airport card is lose or not connected. It's not that hard to get to (under the battery, behind a little flip down door). See if reconnecting the antena will help...

See http://www.pbfixit.com/Guide/54.3.1.html for a guide to get to it.
 
A thought I pursued this evening to great lengths... But this PB doesn't have that flap - I popped the battery out and it's not there. The PB came with it installed so maybe that's why?
 
It *DOES* have the flap. It's never not there. Look again (with the battery out, it's a slot toward the screen from memory).
 
I swear to God it's not there. I took the battery out. Looking at the resulting rectangular hole, there is the battery pins and battery release studs on the left hand side, the spring-loaded battery connector on the right hand side, a label bearing the serial number etc on the long edge nearest me and the opposite long edge is totally featureless. No slot, flap, groove, clip, screw... Nothing. To confirm - I am looking at battey compartment for the latest revision of 15" G5 Powerbooks.

What's underneath the rectangluar panel in the centre of the underside, closed with 4 tiny screws?
 
I think I'm experiencing a similar problem ...

And on my 15" AlBook, there's no such airport card slot ...

^^ Under that little cover with the four screws is your RAM.
 
Thought so... Well I think they must have removed the slot on PBs that have the Airport card built in at purchase.

Thing is, at my previous address (a houseshare) we had an identical router, which was on an entirely different floor of the house (top floor) and her Powerbook got a signal even when we were on the ground floor (3 floors away). Now we live in a flat (apartment!) and it dies one room away, despite the iBook having no problems.

Maybe the Powerbook aerial got damaged in transit? Maybe the walls are made of something that dampens Powerbook signals but not iBook??? Maybe this router (it's same model, just different router) is running on a different channel that Powerbooks don't like? (Have switched it to channel 1).

If it wasn't for the iBook's continuous signal I'd be worried about the router.
 
Is there any way to extend/supplement the antenna itself (hardware), and increase sensitivity that way?

I'm interested in this also for my PB G3 (firewire)....
 
The latest is that (having now actually bought the same machine as my girlfriend has) I've updated to Airport 4.2, updated the router firmware and moved its position (very slightly) in the house and reception has improved marginally in one of the other rooms and not so much in another so I thought what the heck and ran an ethernet cable into that particular room...
 
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