Have I got a problem with my Atheros wireless network adapter?

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by MacGuffin, Jan 12, 2015.

  1. MacGuffin

    MacGuffin Private E-2

    Can anyone give me some advice on what the problem with my wireless might be?

    I have an Atheros AR5B95 wireless network adapter installed on my laptop (an Acer Aspire 5733 running Windows 7). The device manager indicates that the network adapter is working fine. However, for the past few months, my wireless reception has consistently been slow and intermittent, even when very near the router. No one else in my household is having this problem with their laptops, and I am having the same problem elsewhere with other routers and signals. So, I am pretty certain the problem lies with my laptop.

    The problem started a few months ago, when a technician came to have a look at the power jack in my laptop. It may just be a coincidence, but immediately afterwards, the problem with the wireless capability of my laptop began. So, to make it clear: before the seemingly unrelated work, wireless was fine. Immediately after the work, wireless was terrible.
    I can’t understand how what the technician did could have affected the network adapter. It may just be a coincidence however.

    Can anyone give me some suggestion on what I could do? Could it be something that the technician did affected the network adapter?
     
  2. K@ABC

    K@ABC Private E-2

    One possibility is damage to the antenna wire. The adapter may be working fine, but without a good antenna the reception would be crappy.
     
  3. MacGuffin

    MacGuffin Private E-2

    Wireless adapters have antennae? Who knew???

    Perhaps the repairman disconnnected the antenna from the adapter accidentally when he was disassembling the laptop. Is that a possibility, do you think?

    Is there any way of checking this, short of disassembling the laptop to check to see if the wireless network adapter is detached from (or only loosely connected to) its antenna?
     
  4. the mekanic

    the mekanic Major Mekanical Geek

    It depends on the laptop, and where the card is situated. It's possible that when checking the adapter jack the tech accidentally disconnected an antenna from the card.

    Flip the laptop over, remove the battery, and you will need a small phillips screwdriver to remove any covers. Some pop out, some slide out, it just depends on your model. You may even need a "spoon" to gently pry the cover off at points where it clips in. If you bend the cover too much, you could snap the plastic tabs which clip the cover into place. I have been known to CAREFULLY use a butterknife in a pinch when I did not have a toolkit with me.

    And, note the antennas are marked "1" and "2" and are color coded. It's doubtful, but you may have a third antenna like the card in many ThinkPads.
     
  5. K@ABC

    K@ABC Private E-2

    Here a video link to where your wireless adapter is located. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bL5W1Fnr0ek

    This is a link to a driver update for the Atheros adapter with connectivity issues.
    http://acer--uk.custhelp.com/app/an...ss-connection-on-aspire-5250,-5333-or-5733(z)

    If you find the antenna cable is still properly attached to the card, but suspect a break may be elsewhere; you can test by simply carefully touching a piece of wire (a piece of coaxial or an old TV antenna are ideal) to the cards antenna lead and see if you get a spike in reception. Do the latter only if you feel comfortable, as it will require a little maneuvering to touch the card and see the screen at the same time.
     

MajorGeeks.Com Menu

Downloads All In One Tweaks \ Android \ Anti-Malware \ Anti-Virus \ Appearance \ Backup \ Browsers \ CD\DVD\Blu-Ray \ Covert Ops \ Drive Utilities \ Drivers \ Graphics \ Internet Tools \ Multimedia \ Networking \ Office Tools \ PC Games \ System Tools \ Mac/Apple/Ipad Downloads

Other News: Top Downloads \ News (Tech) \ Off Base (Other Websites News) \ Way Off Base (Offbeat Stories and Pics)

Social: Facebook \ YouTube \ Twitter \ Tumblr \ Pintrest \ RSS Feeds