Wireless and battery life

[dangerwit]

Here's a question for you folks who know better. :)

At work, my users often state that when their batteries get low, like, less than 50% charged, then the 802.11b wireless connection becomes difficult for the device to maintain.

I don't buy this for a second, but perhaps someone else here knows this to be a fact?

*Phil

[Nikhil]

I don't find that to be true...I've used my iPAQ 2215 with WiFi all the way down to 5% and the connection has been nothing but solid the whole time.

[jimski]

I have found no performance difference or connection problems using my 5450 connected at the office or at home. I don't typically run down to 5%, but get down to around 15% regularly.

[petvas]

Pocket-pc performance remains the same independent of the Battery status...

[Anthony Caruana]

my experience with my Socket Low power card is that no connection issues occur as battery life diminishes.

[Mark_Venture]

Until this past weekend I would have answered saying there is no difference with low battery.

When i use my iPAQ and wi-fi, I usuall start with a full (or at least above 90% charge) battery and run it continuously until it hits about 10% left. I notice no problems with the wi-fi signal.

However this weekend while using it, I was interrupted, and the iPAQ went to sleep a few times. I would turn it back on to start using it again, and when the battery was below 40% it took longer to lock onto a wi-fi signal. Below about 30% it wouldn't connect, even when I was within 5 feet of the AP. Charge the battery, and it connected again without problems. (charger and AP are in different rooms with about 20 feet and clothes closet between them, and with iPAQ on charger, when battery reached abovev50% it could connect again from there.)

Was this a fluke or is this normal? I'll have to play with it some more like this to be sure.