Toshiba a75-s209 Laptop Wireless

[Paul]

Good morning, Paul.

I am really getting confused on this.

Returning to basics -
First, this Toshiba (?Satellite?) A75-S209 functions fine except for
the fact that the wireless has no range. It works fine as long as the
laptop sits within a few feet of my router.

Second, I would suspect the range of the router (Verizon), except for
the fact that my daughter uses her laptop wirelessly here when she
visits, and she uses it on the other side of my house. So the lack of
range must be a problem with this Toshiba.

Third, the pictures you have posted clearly show a second card plugged
in on the left side of the compartment and such card is missing from
this Toshiba. Therefore I figure that the missing card may be related
to my lack of range. So - what is that card? The appearance and
dimension of the slots etc in my compartment suggest to me that the
missing card is a Mini-PCI express card. Can you post for me any
labeling on your second card?

Fourth, This Toshiba has a label on the compartment cover over the
card in the compartment that says PA3373U-1MPC. I think I understand
that this card is a wireless card. Must be, because wireless at least
works, if not with any range at all. So, why would there be two
wireless cards?

Fifth, I have the same black and white wires you have. They even go
to the mobo similarly. My wires lay disconnected and bare on the ends
whereas yours are connected it looks like to the missing card above.



Maybe so.


I agree.


I didn't mean to say that the bare wires shorted out the power to the
laptop. What happened was that the Toshiba locked up, and I had to
re-power up.


I am familiar with the effect of a bad or missing CMOS battery.
I am experiencing none of those problems, so I don't think that is a
problem.

Thanks again

Duke

With respect to range, make sure you've seated the antenna cables
properly on the two connectors. I've read that those connectors
can get damaged, if you're rough with them. That is about all I
can suggest with respect to range improvement. If the coax was
damaged (cable severely pinched, antenna element on the end
ripped off), that would affect your range.

If someone has taken the laptop all apart at some point,
they may have put the coax cables back in the wrong position.
The antenna on the end of the coax, has to sit in an "aperture"
in the case, so the RF can escape. If the antenna was placed
next to something that blocks the signal, you'd lose some
range that way.

You'd have to use Google, and find some reviews for that
particular Wifi module, to see if range problems
exist on all of them or not. In Wifi modules in the
$25 range, there can be a wide variation in output
power level, from one chip to the next. The best
designs, will use a separate RF chip. You can't always
tell what you're getting, because of the shield over
the RF emitting section. The shield is there, to
prevent the Wifi module from crashing the
digital logic next to it (susceptibility).
The only place signal should be emitted, is
up near the antenna end.

*******

As far as I know, the opening in the bottom of your computer,
has one RAM slot and one Wifi slot. The Wifi card should have
two coax connectors. A RAM SODIMM, would have a number of
identical chips on it. It could be, you're using
just the memory soldered to the motherboard, and no
optional SODIMM was plugged into the RAM socket.

mobo_RAM + SODIMM_RAM = total_RAM

Some laptop motherboards have only a soldered bank of RAM chips.
Some have one SODIMM slot and no mobo RAM. Or you can have
soldered RAM plus one slot. Or you can have two SODIMM slots.
So that's at least four different ways they can do the RAM.
And in the case of two SODIMM slots, some motherboards
are single channel, and some support dual channel. The
advantage of a single channel design, for the manufacturer,
is the design saves a bit of power. And power means everything
when it comes to battery life. I think my laptop is single
channel. I get no bandwidth boost, from using two SODIMMs,
I just get the extra memory.

HTH,
Paul

 

[jw]

As far as I know, the opening in the bottom of your computer,
has one RAM slot and one Wifi slot. The Wifi card should have
two coax connectors. A RAM SODIMM, would have a number of
identical chips on it. It could be, you're using
just the memory soldered to the motherboard, and no
optional SODIMM was plugged into the RAM socket.

mobo_RAM + SODIMM_RAM = total_RAM

Some laptop motherboards have only a soldered bank of RAM chips.
Some have one SODIMM slot and no mobo RAM. Or you can have
soldered RAM plus one slot. Or you can have two SODIMM slots.
So that's at least four different ways they can do the RAM.
And in the case of two SODIMM slots, some motherboards
are single channel, and some support dual channel. The
advantage of a single channel design, for the manufacturer,
is the design saves a bit of power. And power means everything
when it comes to battery life. I think my laptop is single
channel. I get no bandwidth boost, from using two SODIMMs,
I just get the extra memory.

HTH,
Paul

Hmmm...
You had sent this jpeg
http://www.irisvista.com/tech/laptops/ToshibaA75/disassembly/big/Toshiba_A75_02.jpg
which shows two cards in the compartment. Neither looks like a RAM to
me. The open area in my compartment is much larger than needed for a
RAM card (of which I have one loose from another laptop).

Duke

 

[jw]

Hmmm...
You had sent this jpeg
http://www.irisvista.com/tech/laptops/ToshibaA75/disassembly/big/Toshiba_A75_02.jpg
which shows two cards in the compartment. Neither looks like a RAM to
me. The open area in my compartment is much larger than needed for a
RAM card (of which I have one loose from another laptop).

Duke

I do have to admit though, the diagram I have from a manual repro I
have shows the back compartment as 'memory and optional wireless
cover'. So clearly there must be a provision in the compartment for
RAM.

Duke

 

[Paul]

I do have to admit though, the diagram I have from a manual repro I
have shows the back compartment as 'memory and optional wireless
cover'. So clearly there must be a provision in the compartment for
RAM.

Duke

If there is a socket for RAM, count the pins or contacts on it.

There is some documentation here, for SODIMMs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SODIMM

Paul

 

[jw]

If there is a socket for RAM, count the pins or contacts on it.

There is some documentation here, for SODIMMs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SODIMM

Paul

Well you know - While I was waiting four your comment, since the cover
in the diagram indicated that memory was thereunder, I tried forcing a
RAM card into the slots. Guess what? My RAM capacity increased by
the 512 of the card. So I apologize for not seeing the match of slot
to RAM before. Still begs the question though - why does the picture
show what looks to not be RAM where I now have a RAM card?
And I still have the two loose wires, which might have the use you
described earlier.

Now if I could only use the laptop more than a few feet from the
router.

Thanks again

Duke