WiFi range on hx4700 limited??

[rberry88]

I had a HP5455 up until a month ago and the wifi range on it would allow me to use my 5455 in my garage and on my back deck, now with my hx4700 I can barely step out the door before I'm out of range.

It's the same setup as when I had the 5455 but it seems the range is smaller (or however you measure range).

I have a Linksys WRT54GS router (Comcast cable modem) and don't have problems anywhere in the house. I can take my laptop (PowerBook) anywhere outside and it still has a wireless connection. Yesterday I got an Apple Airport Base Station that I set up in my basement (read: rec room) that I use as an extender/repeater that gives me a stronger signal in the basement, unfortunately that didn't increase the range for WiFi on my hx4700 though.

Anyone else notice shorter range with WiFi on their 4700 or have any tips to share that I could try to increase my range with my 4700??

rberry88

[Menneisyys]

I had a HP5455 up until a month ago and the wifi range on it would allow me to use my 5455 in my garage and on my back deck, now with my hx4700 I can barely step out the door before I'm out of range.

It's the same setup as when I had the 5455 but it seems the range is smaller (or however you measure range).

I have a Linksys WRT54GS router (Comcast cable modem) and don't have problems anywhere in the house. I can take my laptop (PowerBook) anywhere outside and it still has a wireless connection. Yesterday I got an Apple Airport Base Station that I set up in my basement (read: rec room) that I use as an extender/repeater that gives me a stronger signal in the basement, unfortunately that didn't increase the range for WiFi on my hx4700 though.

Anyone else notice shorter range with WiFi on their 4700 or have any tips to share that I could try to increase my range with my 4700??

rberry88

You're not the only one that, coming from the 5450/5550, expect the same WI-Fi range on the new "flagship" model (I'd expect the same too - shame on HP of their downgrading the excellent Wi-Fi unit of their 5xxx series in their later flagship models!). Several other users have reported exactly the same. Indeed, the hx4700 seem to contain exactly the same Wi-Fi unit as the 4150, which is also reportedly weaker than that of the 5450/5550.

I don't think the range can be extended without using a manual hack. This is already existing for the iPAQ 4150. It's not the cleanest / pretties solution (it includes putting an external aerial socket on your PDA), though, and it certainly means that your warranty would be gone. There're some tutorials on the Web how the external aerial socket can be built into the 4150. The same/something similar may be applied to the 4700 as well.

[rberry88]

Its not limiting enough to do something that drastic, imho. I can live with it the way it is, I just thought with a new model and newer technology that it would be the same or better. The 4700 fills all the needs I need a Pocket PC for so I'm not too concerned, it would be nice to have the better range but nothing I can't live with.

[Darius Wey]

You can always keep your eye on this (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=36358) if you ever need to boost the performance of the Wi-Fi. It's still new so I'd expect more details to appear in the future.