Database Users

A cross-country trip, the Froyo Radio and what it might mean to you!

So I just recently took a trip from northern California to Tennessee and had some interesting results with the Froyo radio. For reference I own the ATT-version Nexus One and have data roaming enabled.
When I used the phone before Froyo radio I had many problems with the 3G switching to Edge and back when needed which caused random data dropouts. Even turning the phone off and back wouldn't force the phone to switch connections to Edge when needed which would make me very frustrated in times of need.
On my trip I found something very interesting, not only did 3G and Edge switch almost perfectly, but Edge performed MUCH faster than before. While it isn't as important now in a world of 3G coverage, when I was on the "edge" of civilization I still got surfing speeds that were not far behind that of 3G speeds. My browsing, and most importantly Google Maps usage rarely suffered a performance hit despite where I was or what type of connection was available to my phone.
There was a difference between performance; 3G would act like Comcast and Edge would be a little behind, but in terms of actually surfing the Internet the extra 2-5 seconds it took to load up a desktop webpage didn't make a difference.
Technically the bandwidth speeds were much different. 3G performed from 1 to a max of 2 megabits down and .3-1 megabits up, while Edge showed speeds of 300-500 kbps down and 100-200 up.
One thing I did notice throughout the trip is the Nexus One's signal meter did not report correctly, there were times where it showed no signal and I had super fast connection, and also times when it would show full or near-full bars and there was no connection.
Hope someone finds this info useful!!! I'm very happy with the coverage my Nexus One gets with the Froyo radio now!

I have always found that my nexus holds calls and has fast data showing zero bars. One reason I've always loved the nexus

Just a point of clarification, EDGE has a maximum theoretical bandwidth of 473.6 kbits/s for 8 timeslots.
In real world conditions EDGE should have throughput of 236.8kbit/s with 4 timeslots(which is what most carriers employ).
Dan

Wonder if there's and app/mod to replace the signal bar with the actual signal #s?

Hey Sellitus, what else did you find working/not working on that trip?
I am considering a longer drive (SF to NY) and want to know about battery life, apps that were really handy, and which weren't.

SiNJiN76 said:
Wonder if there's and app/mod to replace the signal bar with the actual signal #s?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hey that would be nice. just like how cyanogen puts the battery percentage, it would be nice to have the dBm level of signal overtop of the signal meter.

RogerPodacter said:
hey that would be nice. just like how cyanogen puts the battery percentage, it would be nice to have the dBm level of signal overtop of the signal meter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The dBm and signal bar IMO opinion are rather pointless in regards to data. Having a very poor 3G signal will always be faster than a full GPRS signal.

Also, a signal meter in terms of DB would jump around quite a bit...

sprinkles said:
Hey Sellitus, what else did you find working/not working on that trip?
I am considering a longer drive (SF to NY) and want to know about battery life, apps that were really handy, and which weren't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well for ATT I hit data roaming quite a few times, and although it worked on edge pretty quickly during those times it would randomly drop when the R was showing randomly. I think what happened a lot on the trip is when I was out in the middle of nowhere bouncing between towers would cause random dropouts, but they were usually no more than a few seconds.
I don't remember which apps specifically though a few also did not like the trip, but most would hang and resume in a few seconds after data was reconnected even if the signal strength showed it was connected the entire time with signal. Sometimes Google Maps hung, though it was rare and I noticed it more because I used it near constantly on the trip.
If I were to give advice to anyone looking at a cross country trip, buy a map or get offline GPS maps to help. We bought a map and it proved valuable at times, though we rarely needed it.

I wonder if the "enable data while roaming" setting had anything to do with that. Maybe an internal bug.

torchedlh said:
Also, a signal meter in terms of DB would jump around quite a bit...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know how a number jumping around would be any different than a graphical signal meter jumping around. The iPhone has had this hack for a long time where you can replace the signal meter with the dBm reading. Though I've never owned the iPhone, but seen it on friend's iPhone before.
I know I'm often going into the android settings to look at my dBm reading, didn't jump around too much for me to see.

I've been having some reception issue lately with AT&T around my hometown (usually its quite good),so I did some googling, and found plenty of info on radio signal, and how to interpret -dBm, but I'm still baffled by the ASU. I really couldn't find much, just some random post on a random forum that left me with some questions:
In a 3G network your cell phone tries to open three channels to three radios so they can locate you and hand you off properly.
Those three channels make up you ACTIVE SET.
ASU is ACTIVE SET UPDATES or the rate at which your phone is able to update its location to the towers/radios.
This rate is affected by signal strength, load, and probably a lot of other factors that I haven't puzzled out yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can anyone shed some more light on this? Usually at home I have 2 bars of HSDPA, somehwere in the -90s dBm, and anywhere from 4-8 asu.

cell phone repeater

anyone recommend a good cell phone repeater (affordable) to use at house? I have t-mobile usa and get horrible reception in and out of my house. Usually 1 to 0 bars inside and 1 or 2 outside. Phone constantly loses signal completely. Nothing wrong with phone though, just my location.

I don't know what's your price range, but just looking at Amazon there's a few that doesn't seem to have bad reviews, check it out:
http://www.amazon.com/Spotwave-z190...6?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1280364508&sr=8-6 (Most affordable)
http://www.amazon.com/Wilson-Electr..._13?ie=UTF8&s=wireless&qid=1280364508&sr=8-13
http://www.amazon.com/zBoost-YX-510..._1_1?ie=UTF8&s=wireless&qid=1280364508&sr=8-1
You could always check other ones yourself and see if they work with T-Mobile.
Hope it helps.

I looked at quite a few on Amazon and elsewhere. I may get this:
http://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Extenders-YX-500-Booster-Coverage/dp/B000A3OLZC
Was hoping some people in here might recommend or not recommend something before I made a decision.
Budget: under $200.00

none of those work with AWS 3G though.

That shouldn't matter if he has WiFi at home. I assume all he needs is the GSM signal to make phone calls.
Something to look forward to: T-Mobile is testing an Android based UMA software which will allow you to make and receive calls using your T-Mobile number over WiFi so that should really solve your problem. I would hold off on the repeater purchase if possible because the UMA is supposed to go live in Q3 and I don't want you to lay out all that cash unnecessarily.

ebay. You can grab them for 50-100

They are also illegal as the frequencies you are retransmitting are licensed. Chances are that they will never find you, but if you cause a degradation in the cell sites in the area and they do find it. You will be told to turn it off or face a $10K fine from the FCC. Just an FYI.

You know your can call tmobile and they well send a tech to your area. I had to call them and 3 weeks later I had 5 bars.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

First of all you should Know your operator, the friequence that is comportable to each booster is different, after you should know the coverage you want your booster to cover whether it is a big parking zone, office or room. Only according to these principles I'll be able to buy the amplifier

Background: I've always had negligible reception in my basement here in Arvada (near Denver, CO). With AT&T (GSM), I generally had 0 to 1 bar, sometimes getting calls, sometimes not. With Sprint, I rarely got a signal and soon returned the handset. Now on T-mobile (GSM again), I get about the same reception as AT&T though the Vibrant holds onto it better very rarely dropping entirely. I most often connect to an Edge 2G tower, but occasionally can hold a 3G connection here.
I've been curious about boosters for some time though wasn't ready to pay several hundred dollars. A few weeks ago, I came across the YX-300 zBoost zPersonal for $50 that seems to normally sell for $120. Admittedly, its pretty basic; it's antenna is meant to be within a few feet of the handset. It just arrived and I'll be testing it using Cell Mapper 2 and Tasker.
Another option you all may want to explore are external antennas which physically connect to the phone. I've confirmed that this (like most) phones has a plug hidden under a little rubber cover next to the SIM card.
I'll share what results I can in hope it helps those considering boosters...
2010.08.21 5am Initial test
After testing for about 30 minutes, I haven't seen much difference having the booster powered on or off. Wish I had something more significant to report. I'll keep watching and see if I ever fully lose signal (w/blue circle, crossed out icon) while using the booster. If not, I'll consider it worthwhile.
2010.08.21 6am Same test, later
Actually, now I'm seeing a very notable difference in 2G signal with the booster powered on. Specifically, it shows 4/4 bars consistently for over 10 minutes and then instantly drops to 0/4 bars when unplugged. Once plugged back in, back to 4/4. I'm not expecting any 3G improvement given the bands this booster enhances but this round seems promising. No idea what could be different from my earlier test. All I did was pop out to setup Tasker to record outages. ::shrug::
One thing is for certain with this particular booster. The phone must be VERY close to the desk antenna to benefit. Now that I'm getting results, moving the phone mere inches further away makes a significant difference. A foot away and the signal's gone. I expect I'll be hacking together a DIY desk dock built around this antenna.
2010.08.27 9am After about a week of testing
As advertised, the $50 zBoost zPersonal seems to consistently give me a full signal where I normally barely have one with calls and SMS both working great. But as mentioned, this particular booster has a very limited rebroadcast range of just a foot or so (at the desk). Beyond that, I've lost signal a few times while elsewhere in the same room. I'd be curious how the larger, more expensive boosters work many suggesting the improved signal extends throughout several rooms.

others have reported that socket next to the sim card as a socket for an optional GPS antenna - as a FYI

I would definitely recommend the SpotWave unit. I have one for ATT that was use in a large office complex for a few years and worked wonders. From what I understand, they actually work directly with the various carriers to make sure their repeaters don't interfere with the cell towers.

larryccf said:
others have reported that socket next to the sim card as a socket for an optional GPS antenna - as a FYI
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've heard people suggest that. I've never seen it formally documented on these phones nor tested it myself. However, I do know that every phone I've owned, dating back to my first (a Nokia 6190 from 1998), discreetly included this same jack. None of these earlier phones had any kind of GPS built-in. Beyond this, I do know that jack is wired into the main GSM antenna (found under the bump) as seen in these teardown photos. This suggests the external antenna definitely extends GSM cell reception in our phones. It could potentially extend GPS as well, but only if GPS used the same antenna (as opposed to one located along the top). Either way, it would help with phone calls and SMS.

G2 signal attenuation - any better?

I briefly had a G2 and quickly returned it to T-Mo and stayed with Verizon due to the signal attenuation issues I had. Additionally, I saw numerous posts about this on AF, XDA, T-Mo Forums and a few other places I cannot remember. My question is, have the software updates that have been pushed through helped this problem any? I really liked this phone, aside from the signal problems and now with it being free through the 20th at T-Mo, I would like to give it another shot, but not if I am going to have more problems.
For those who are wondering what I am talking about, the G2 issues I (and many others) had were similar to the problems iPhone 4 users had where the signal dropped down to very low or nothing by simply holding the phone. I could sit at my desk and watch it go from an H with full bars, then drop to E, to no service, then it would gradually return when I placed it back on my desk.
Additionally, the reason I made a post about this is that the forum topics about this seem to just have stopped, nobody really seems to be screaming "it's fixed!!!" So just trying to get some input as to whether it really is fixed.
Thanks for your input!

ive noticed this as well. It usually happens when I surf the web. No idea? It is annoying but it won't cause me to send it back. I love it too much compared to all the others i've gone through. I'm sure they will isolate the problem and it will get better. (here's hoping)

Never had any places on the phone that I touch where signal will just drop, though out here in the middle of practically nowhere my signal will randomly drop sometimes regardless of what I'm doing with the phone.

I think I suffer from this as well. It constantly drops my data, especially at my house. If I set it on my desk with mobile hotspot it works great, and I'm not touching it so I may have issues with that

I've yet to have this happen. Constant h in my status bar and signal is strong.
Probably a defect phone?
Sent from my Pear phone.

It happens. It happens with every phone, including the G2. It just depends on where the antenna is and how it's held. You can play around with attenuation by enabling dBm signal strength in CM.
To enable it, go to Settings > CyanogenMod Settings > User interface > Status bar > Check Show dBm.
dBm is measured in negative numbers. A higher (less negative) number indicates higher signal strength.
-80dBm is stronger than -100dBm for example.

This is actually a non-issue.
Explanation:
The phone actually picks up signal BETTER than other phones... especially when the signal is weak. The effect that you are seeing is actually the reception returning to a *normal* level when you happen to be holding it in some particular way.
I have two phones; an HTC DREAM and an HTC VISION. Sitting on my desk at work, the DREAM will show 0-1 bars, but connected, the VISION will show 2-3 bars. Holding both in my hand, the DREAM will continue to show 0-1 bars, the VISION will drop to 0-1 bars and both will read the same dBm. Same signal when held, the VISION is just more sensitive (i.e. sensitive in terms of able to hang on to a weaker signal, not sensitive in terms of flakiness).
In contrast to apple junk, the apple junk actually has the antenna wrapped around the outside of the phone. When you hold it in your hand and the signal drops, it isn't suffering from attenuation, its being GROUNDED OUT.

dhkr123 said:
This is actually a non-issue.
Explanation:
The phone actually picks up signal BETTER than other phones... especially when the signal is weak. The effect that you are seeing is actually the reception returning to a *normal* level when you happen to be holding it in some particular way.
I have two phones; an HTC DREAM and an HTC VISION. Sitting on my desk at work, the DREAM will show 0-1 bars, but connected, the VISION will show 2-3 bars. Holding both in my hand, the DREAM will continue to show 0-1 bars, the VISION will drop to 0-1 bars and both will read the same dBm. Same signal when held, the VISION is just more sensitive (i.e. sensitive in terms of able to hang on to a weaker signal, not sensitive in terms of flakiness).
In contrast to apple junk, the apple junk actually has the antenna wrapped around the outside of the phone. When you hold it in your hand and the signal drops, it isn't suffering from attenuation, its being GROUNDED OUT.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whatever the cause is, the phone was unusable when I held it in my hand normally. The only semi-fix was to hold the phone at the top near the earpiece, which was uncomfortable...or never touch it.

miller7796 said:
Whatever the cause is, the phone was unusable when I held it in my hand normally. The only semi-fix was to hold the phone at the top near the earpiece, which was uncomfortable...or never touch it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems like you just have a poor signal or faulty phone to begin with. I don't have that issue at all. In fact this phone seems to hold a data connection in weak areas better than my previous android phone did. If yours was that bad then there was something horribly wrong that warrants replacement.
You may also try CM7, it seems to keep a signal even better than my current ROM does. Not sure why, maybe it's just a placebo effect.

Humm, no issues with Wifi, H or G3 dropping, Bell network though, BUT when I switch from H/ G3 to wifi, if I am on bluetooth, it gets all garbled and I have to hangup call. I would think a location issue or some form of interference you guys are having.

KCRic said:
Seems like you just have a poor signal or faulty phone to begin with. I don't have that issue at all. In fact this phone seems to hold a data connection in weak areas better than my previous android phone did. If yours was that bad then there was something horribly wrong that warrants replacement.
You may also try CM7, it seems to keep a signal even better than my current ROM does. Not sure why, maybe it's just a placebo effect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nah, I'm positive that the sentiment is that the radio hardware does suck and there are definite attenuation challenges. I've now verified this through a myriad of different Desire Z's here.
At my work desk I get HSPA and HSPA+ speeds at times. However holding it drops it down so there are 0 bars and it stays on HSPA, drops to 3G with no bars, back up to HSPA, etc... lots of unnecessary band switching whereas other handsets will not do this. They'll get a lower signal/dB all together though. And their attenuation is a lot less.
If you hold the phone upright the reception is much better. Drop it down and hold it in landscape mode and there is an immediate drop and sometimes it begins switching bands depending on the service area you're in. It can be quite annoying being right on the cusp because that's a huge battery killer.
I really wish there was at least some modest software fixes to accommodate for this flaw. I know that much can't be done hardware wise at this point but I think some improvements should be attainable through updates and optimizations. Hears to hoping because I love my Desire Z!!

bongd said:
Nah, I'm positive that the sentiment is that the radio hardware does suck and there are definite attenuation challenges. I've now verified this through a myriad of different Desire Z's here.
At my work desk I get HSPA and HSPA+ speeds at times. However holding it drops it down so there are 0 bars and it stays on HSPA, drops to 3G with no bars, back up to HSPA, etc... lots of unnecessary band switching whereas other handsets will not do this. They'll get a lower signal/dB all together though. And their attenuation is a lot less.
If you hold the phone upright the reception is much better. Drop it down and hold it in landscape mode and there is an immediate drop and sometimes it begins switching bands depending on the service area you're in. It can be quite annoying being right on the cusp because that's a huge battery killer.
I really wish there was at least some modest software fixes to accommodate for this flaw. I know that much can't be done hardware wise at this point but I think some improvements should be attainable through updates and optimizations. Hears to hoping because I love my Desire Z!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. I experience this the most when I browse the web since I usually browse with the keyboard open.

There is a SIGNIFICANT amount of drop in Wi-Fi signal strenght whem the keyboard is open and your hand is covering the left side (top for portrait). However when the keyboard is closed and you cover the TOP again the signal drop is maybe by 1 bar....
As far as 3G/4G to EDGR drops are concerned.... that can be taken care of... if you go into radio diagnostics (*#*4636#*#* > Phone information) and selecting WCDMA ONLY...... this will prevent phone going into EDGE if minor fluctuations occur in the cell signal. Mind you, this option is only useful if you are in a GOOD 3G/HSPA+ coverage area....
Cheers

funkadesi said:
There is a SIGNIFICANT amount of drop in Wi-Fi signal strenght whem the keyboard is open and your hand is covering the left side (top for portrait). However when the keyboard is closed and you cover the TOP again the signal drop is maybe by 1 bar....
As far as 3G/4G to EDGR drops are concerned.... that can be taken care of... if you go into radio diagnostics (*#*4636#*#* > Phone information) and selecting WCDMA ONLY...... this will prevent phone going into EDGE if minor fluctuations occur in the cell signal. Mind you, this option is only useful if you are in a GOOD 3G/HSPA+ coverage area....
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just remember to change it back to allowing Edge if you are going to travel outside the 3G/HSPA area.

I have noticed this since day one. It was very obvious at weak signal locations such as were I work. Inside a steel building with 20 machines running on 480 volts. I have enabled 180 degree rotation in CM settings and have used it this way so much that I have no doubt that the signal is reduced when the phone is held the "normal" way, in either hand. If I hold it upside down, trackpade at top, then it is fine.... also if the H signal is strong, more than 2 bars.. then it doesn't matter how you hold it.
I have compared this to my G1, that I still own. And the problem is that the G2 seems to have trouble switching from weak H to weak E and I can replicate a loss of signal everytime. I mean that an"x" Is displayed over the signal strength meter. And I can not make calls. This never happened on the G1. I have even disabled the ability to use H and it solved the problem. So then I took the htclib_ril.so from the G1 and used it in the G2. This didn't seem to change much.... So I believe that it IS a problem with the radio, or a problem in the librilswitch.so that does not get referenced in the G1 build.prop. But is in the G2...
If anyone knows how to make adjustments to when the phone switches from H to 3G to G to E I would really like to know. I think it could be the solution we need....
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App

When I check my phone it always say HSPA and never HSPA+ whats up when will I know if I'm on 4G I'm in a 4G market Philly!!

I received my G2 yesterday, and it is a lot better at handling a signal when you hold it in your hand. There's still a slight drop in reception when you hold the phone, but more of what you should expect to happen rather than a complete drop down to the dreaded X. Still testing it out a for a few days before deciding to drop Verizon, but I sure do like that I can talk and use data at the same time on the G2.

I've had this problem with my new G2. With either the stock ROM or CM 6.1.1 when I hold it the signal drops. This is a non-issue in areas where there's good coverage, but at my house where the signal is quite weak this usually means the difference between signal and no signal. If I don't hold it the signal improves. My Cliq gets better signal here than my G2 does. Also, the Cliq doesn't suffer any noticeable signal issues when I'm holding it.
It's funny, as I go about my daily routine with my G2 instead of my Cliq, I notice these things. I get much weaker signal in certain areas with my G2 where I got acceptable signal with my Cliq.

trees247 said:
When I check my phone it always say HSPA and never HSPA+ whats up when will I know if I'm on 4G I'm in a 4G market Philly!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't believe there's an HSPA+ icon. Just H.
Try using the Speedtest.net app to check your speeds. There's no HSPA+ on my network but I still get decent speeds. I just wish coverage was better so I wouldn't switch bands and lose signal all the time. The radio hardware on the G2/DZ sucks!

dhilberg said:
I've had this problem with my new G2. With either the stock ROM or CM 6.1.1 when I hold it the signal drops. This is a non-issue in areas where there's good coverage, but at my house where the signal is quite weak this usually means the difference between signal and no signal. If I don't hold it the signal improves. My Cliq gets better signal here than my G2 does. Also, the Cliq doesn't suffer any noticeable signal issues when I'm holding it.
It's funny, as I go about my daily routine with my G2 instead of my Cliq, I notice these things. I get much weaker signal in certain areas with my G2 where I got acceptable signal with my Cliq.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only option I have found yet,(limited time to tinker) is to turn on 180 degree rotation and hold the phone "upside down" it seems to work every time.... So when I am in a place that has weak signal and I need to use data, I flip it around, and it works fine.... I know this is lame considering I paid so much for the phone but.... it does work.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App

wifi - very poor - one Bar only 5 meters away from router

not feeling wifi on this phone at all compared to my old hd2, not getting any bars at all showing and connection is poor, anyone else seeing this?

stoolzo said:
not feeling wifi on this phone at all compared to my old hd2, not getting any bars at all showing and connection is poor, anyone else seeing this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So far no. Full bar for me. Weird..

This is why I hate when new devices get released.
Using the phone outside my 2 story townhouse(router upstairs) with 3bars. Vibrant and hd2 was either 0-1 bars.

Yes, I'm finding it really weak as well, in fact it just dropped back to 3G as I typed this.

I noticed it shows as weak, yea....

Mine seems to have a weaker signal strength on my top floor compared with my desire. Also when running speed tests it struggles to hit 3Mbps downstream on a 38Mbps BT infinity line.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App

Stronger signal for me .
jje

definitely a weaker signal for me compared to my desire.
i'm getting 2 bars out of 4 despite being in the very next room to my router. it's 4 bars on my desire.
:-(

Might I suggest that the difference may be in the amount of interference your Wifi is experiencing? Try switching to a different "channel" on the router or even from 2.4 to 5GHz band (not sure if the phone supports this but worth a shot). I used to have a problem with this when i first got my SGS1 and when i swapped my wifi router to a new channel the problem disappeared.
Good luck

huh, to me the signal is the same if not better than the hd2.

the same here european version! 5 meters away it shows 1 bar only.

I'm currently 20m away from my router and behind a couple of walls and I get 2/4 bars on the Wifi and on the Speedtest app I get
Ping: 25ms
Download: 5946kbps
Upload: 3882kbps
In my opinion that qualifies as decent signal strength and quite a bit better than what I got with my N1.
edit:
And just to clarify, if I'm in the same room as the router I get full bars on Wifi.

I'm having no problems with WiFi. I get full signal in my living room (the same room as the router), and in my kitchen (which is about 10m away and has 2 stud partition walls and one masonry wall between it and my living room) I get 2 bars. So its as good as I'd expect, however I haven't tried checking my connection just outside my flat, but I live in an old school house with 2ft external walls, so I'm guessing I wont get much of a signal.
My laptops' WiFi behaves the very same. If your WiFi is worse than your previous phone....something wrong!

Wifi is fine on mine. I'm 2 floors away from the router and can get a two bar signal no problem.

Low also although it seems to perform ok.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App

for me
2.4ghz band is stronger than my sgs 1
and 5ghz band is weaker than my sgs 2

I noticed on my s1, froyo showed more strength bars than when I installed gingerbread. Maybe it is just a display problem caused by gingerbread?

Wifi signal is more stable than in sgs1 or my HTC desire.
10m from router, 3 walls
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App

I get slightly higher signal strength with the SGS2 than I do with my Nexus One (dBm as viewed in Wifi Analyzer).
However, I do have definite throughput issues -- can't get over 2mbps downstream on my SGS2 vs 6-8mbps downstream on my Nexus One at home. However, on my work network it's a different matter - the SGS2 is slightly faster than the N1. To me this suggests that either there is a compatibility issue between the SGS2 and certain APs, or the SGS2 is more prone to interference than the N1...

Hi, you could try wifi analyzer app, it will show you the strongest signal on channels.

[XOOM 2] Xoom 2 wifi strength/performance ?

I'm considering the Xoom 2 3g version (i prefer it over Samsung Galaxy Tab).
As i will use it for traveling one very important thing for me is Wifi strength as usually hotels tend to have not-so-strong wifi signals.
Anyone can give me any feedback on how does Wifi perform on your Xoom2 compared to your laptops, phones, etc. ?
Thanks!

Performs very well, no complaints here at all! Sometimes it has trouble connecting automatically when the tablet comes out of sleep, but a simple toggle of the wifi on/ off brings it right back!
Sent from my Motorola Droid Xyboard 10.1 with Verizon 4G LTE

Expect signal strength closer to a phone than a laptop. Some hotels with a very weak signal have been borderline for me, though so far I have always between able to get a connection.
Sent from my Android phone

I haven't any problems here , very good wifi and great gps . Probably wifi is not as good as a wifi of a good laptop but better than a phone's wifi for sure .

Have just done a fairly unscientific test of signal strength in my hotel room this evening -- I get a pretty poor wireless signal in this room, so it should be considered a basic look at behaviour when quite a way from the access point:
Dell Latitude E6510: -65 dBm
Samsung Galaxy S2: -86 dBm
Motorola Xoom 2 ME: -83 dBm
All measurements were taken with the devices a few inches from one another, and are averaged out over a few measurements. On the Android devices, the values were measured using Wifi Analyzer; on the notebook I used the iwconfig command (Linux).
As I said, not very scientific, but should give a rough idea of what to expect. Unfortunately I don't have any other tablets here against which to compare.

gerasalus said:
I'm considering the Xoom 2 3g version (i prefer it over Samsung Galaxy Tab).
As i will use it for traveling one very important thing for me is Wifi strength as usually hotels tend to have not-so-strong wifi signals.
Anyone can give me any feedback on how does Wifi perform on your Xoom2 compared to your laptops, phones, etc. ?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Signal strength is the least of your concerns when using hotel wifi. You are going to be lucky to get 56k down at 90% of any hotel you stay at.
4g wifi tether through your phone, even Sprint 3g will be faster every time. That's coming from a road warrior.