N8 Antennae Issue

Anyone notice that if you put your hand around the cell phone, holding it, palm covering the back with fingers on top and side, you get serious signal degradation?
Youtube video demonstrating my problem.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVWO42f-Q14

LOL you must have lead in your hands.
I tried everything and if anything saw the bar increase one when wrapped in both hands
Its true that all phones have at least one spot where there is the possibility to interfere with reception (where the internal antenna is). But I must say I haven't been able to reproduce what you describe.
If you want to see signal degradation, have a play with an iPhone 4, now that has a real problem, much worse that the iPhone 3gs (one of the reasons I went away from the iPhone, as at the end the day, a phone that can't make calls isn't much use)

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IPhone 4G, anymore issues?

i am thinking of uprading 4 iPhone 3GS phones to the 4G. have the recent software updates solved or lessened the antennae issues? if anyone can provide any feedback so i dont make like a $1,200 mistake i would really appreciate it. thanks in advance....

Silencer,
You are being a little quick to read into the gnome's reply what you want to hear.
What ever antenna problems the iPhone 4 had prior to iOS 4.1 it still has. Nothing has been changed in regards to antenna issues except the change they made to the algorithm they use to display signal bars.
So if you are in an area that had signal lose before the update you will still have signal problems. Also the need for a case or bumper has not changed and in my area a case/bumper is absolutely required.
The antenna problem is a none issue if you use your phone in a good signal area and vice versa. But folks that that claim it is a problem are just as guilty as those that claim it is not a problem, because they never allow for the other persons usage area. It just depends on the location you use your phone the most and the relative signal strength in that area.
Some people with Prox Sensor issues have had the problem fixed with 4.1 and some still have the problem. There seems to be three P.S. conditions, ones that just worked from the get-go, ones that were marginal and souped up with software 4.1 and fixed and last and most disappointing to the owners is the P.S. that is just plain defective and 4.1 did not help those folks at all.
If I was going to mention anything else that seem to be posted a little more than I would have expected is over heating during charging/discharging. I don't personally have a good feel yet whether 4.1 helped that problem or not but I would doubt that it did. It just seem like Apple acquired more than their fair share of defective batteries and or chargers and software while a programmer might claim even that could be fixed with software (you know how they are) I don't think so.
Short story - is it is still a bit of a crap-shoot but knowing the longer you wait to buy in the better the units will be as they weed out all the headaches that slipped thru their QC departments.

US iPhone 4 in UK?

Hey there,
Firstly, I'm aware that I could potentially tread close to the line of what's acceptable to post here with this subject so I'll be careful.
My Brother is going over to the US in a couple months and I was thinking of asking him to pick me up an iPhone 4 while he's over there but I thought I'd ask some questions first in case it wouldn't actually work.
Ok firstly, I notice the US Apple Store says the iPhone 4 16GB is $199 and *with a contract is mentioned. Now, can you buy the iPhone 4 from the Apple Store and just take it home (where you would then start a contract over iTunes) or do you need to sign up there and then in the Apple Store?
For example, when I picked up the first gen iPhone here in the UK, you could go into the store and buy the iPhone on it's own, and then go home and activate a contract through iTunes, whereas now, the only way to walk out of a shop with an iPhone is to sign the contract in store, unless you go for a sim-free version. Is this still the way it works in the US. So would my Brother be able to go into the Apple Store, pick up an iPhone 4 for $199 and bring it home without signing any contracts.
I know there's the activation issue which I'll get to now,
So my second question is; is it possible to then use the US iPhone 4 here in the UK 'BEFORE' it has been activated in the US, i.e activate it using a UK o2 sim or by some other method so it is (and remains) fully usable on UK networks?
I'm not asking 'how' to do it, just whether it can or can't (legitimately or otherwise).
Thanks
Message was edited by: Creation22

Creation22 wrote:
Thanks Lawrence.
You're welcome
Just one quick question, with regards to the antennae issue, it's not a deal breaker as it stands for me since I've heard it's linked primarily to left-handed users, but has Apple said anything about a hardware update to fix the issue? I know they're offering the Bumpers right now, but I didn't know if they'd said anything about addressing the problem from a hardware point of view.
Apple hasn't said anything about a hardware fix; there has been some speculation based on nothing that a phone will be released in September that corrects the issue, but Apple has said nothing, and it is unlikely that they would.
It isn't a matter of being left or right handed; people of both persuasions hold the phone in either hand; indeed, a right handed user is more likely to hold it in their left hand so they can operate the screen with their right hand.
The specific issue is the fact that the phone has 2 antennas that are exposed, the WiFi/Bluetooth antenna and the cellular antenna. They almost meet near the bottom of the case on the left side. If any part of your body touches the gap between them it detunes the antennas, reducing received signal strength by a fairly sizable amount (despite with Steve Jobs says, it is reduced more than other phones that may be held tightly).
This reduction has two effects; first, if the signal was already weak it can cause problems with a call or data transfer, and second, it forces the phone to increase its output power and thus can affect battery life. If you are in a strong or moderate signal area you won't have a problem; if your signal was already weak it can cause dropped calls.
There are easy workarounds, however; if you don't touch the gap you won't have a problem. If you put something over the gap like a bumper or case you won't have a problem. Even a small piece of clear tape will solve it.
From my point of view, as an electronics engineer and former RF antenna designer (I hold antenna design patents), it is a design flaw. I anticipated the problem when the phone was first demo'd by Steve Jobs. However, it has such easy workarounds that it wouldn't stop me from getting an iPhone 4. But I'll wait until the initial rush is over.

Wifi/3G wireless connectivity in general

i rarely see a ful signal on my wifi connectivity in my own home, whereas my girlf has a3GS and it never goes below full.
Also, my 3G signal is very patchy and only 'switches on' if i put into airplane mode on/off.
i don't SEEM to have these antennae issues, no matter how i grip the phone ( if i cover both and TRY, i do get bar drop.. but no dropped calls, and coverage is no better/worse than i was before on my 3GS on 02/UK.

i rarely see a ful signal on my wifi connectivity in my own home, whereas my girlf has a3GS and it never goes below full.
Also, my 3G signal is very patchy and only 'switches on' if i put into airplane mode on/off.
i don't SEEM to have these antennae issues, no matter how i grip the phone ( if i cover both and TRY, i do get bar drop.. but no dropped calls, and coverage is no better/worse than i was before on my 3GS on 02/UK.

Not a single problem

just got my iphone syncing it now i dont have antena problems or proximity problems everything is great wifi is fast and connected straight away havent tried 3g yet
so so happy what a ******* phone!

I upgraded to the new phone about a month ago in the hopes of better reception over my 3gs. I really believe the iphone 4 holds onto a weak signal much better than the old model. I'm in marginal areas, both 3g and edge, most of the time and do still have call problems but it seems much less prevalent now. None of the other issues except low light white balance on the otherwise great camera. The video seems excellent to me but then I'm not knowledgable in that area. As far as the antennae issue it is only sensitive in a small spot that I notice if I hold it in my right hand (I'm left handed). My 3gs has always been terribly sensitive if held any where near the bottom of the phone and I find the iP4 much easier to deal with as far as attenuation. Yes I'm an Apple fan and not familiar with the other smartphones out there but overall this was a good improvement over the 3gs.

How did you activate your iPhone4?

Reason I ask is because, like others, I also have the antennae "issue". But no other issue. In fact, the phone seems to be functioning perfectly so far. Please report your activation stats. Here are mine:
Computer/Platform: MacBookPro/OS Leopard
Activated as: New Device (NOT from back-up)
I synced all contacts from MobileMe. All other content through iTunes. Did not sync any photos.
No perceivable issues so far. Device works as expected.
Another reason I ask is because my 3GS had a terrible screen-freeze problem for which there was never any resolution. And, after countless visits to the Apple store, about the only thing they could suggest was to delete all content and reactivate as a "new" device. Something I was reticent to do at the time, figuring I'd just wait for the next phone to do this... make a fresh start, etc.
Now, I had originally activated that phone on a Windows machine from a backup (which, when I told the Apple genius, illicited an "aha"). And now I'm wondering if it makes any difference at all.
Like I said... no other issues I can see on this iPhone4.
How have others activated? And what (if any) issues exist on their phones?
Curious.

I think all of the new phones have the same antennae "issue" to one extent or another, regardless of how they were activated. Really what I'd like to see are any of the other issues about which I've been reading.

Some General iPhone 4 questions

We just bought my wife a used iPhone 4 and (a little late now) we have some questions.
Generally the questions revolve around the issues the iPhone 4 had when they were first released - something about the antennae location. How was that resolved? and if so how?
Is there a way to determine when an iPhone was manufactured or how old it is?
I see in the forum 'refined' lineup there are iPhone 4 forums for both GSM and CDMA - where is that shown on the iPhone?
The primary issue we are having is with signal strength. Since it's 'hers' I only hear about it so don't get much chance to see for myself.
Thank you for any help

roaminggnome wrote:
The antennae issue was blown out of all proportion. Many phones have similar issues.
Most do not have the issue.
I have never experienced this problem, nor has anyone that I personally know.
Funny what the internet can do. (maybe not so funny)
Thanks for the reply and 'vote of confidence'

Zagg for the iphone 4?

does anyone have the Zagg full body kit fitted? does it work like a bumper case would, for the antennae issues? just thought it would be a more sylish look than a big fat lump of rubber.

I just got the iPhone 4 and decided to compliment it with the InvisibleShield from Zagg, having the same shield on my iPod Touch and loved it. I went with the Max Coverage version which comes with front/back/sides coverage. I also picked up the Otterbox Defender case to go with it.
Since the Otterbox Defender fits the iPhone so snuggly, I was not able to keep the side shields on the iPhone, and even with the front and back shields in place it was tricky to make it fit properly into the case, but wasn't impossible, so I currently have the front/back shields on and the iPhone is in the Otterbox.
The problem: The protective shield on the Otterbox seems to stick to the InvisibleShield film and causes a pressed look. I am able to "unstick" the two shields by squeezing the sides of the Otterbox so that the Otterbox shield lifts away from InvisibleShield but this is hardly ideal, and a few touches later and I'm back to square one..I am tempted to just remove the InvisibleShield completely from the front...do I really need both shields anyway?? It would be nice to keep the InvisibleShield on though, for times where I may not have it in the Otterbox.
Has anyone experienced this issue and have a solution, aside from removing the InvisibleShield???

How can I circumvent this connection issue due to closed-lid mode?

I recently purchased a new Samsung monitor and have narrowed down the deficient connectivity to the fact that the Wi-Fi antennae is located at the "MacBook Pro" area of my computer's monitor. I own a late 2009, 2.26 GHz MacBook Pro connected to a 2011 AirPort Extreme Base Station. Resetting the router and searching for the ideal channel still keeps my connection at a slow crawl when the lid is closed. I'm posting this question to see if there any developments in solvin this connection issue and whether or not there is anything I can do before purchasing an external antennae. Any and all help and greatly appreciated!

I've had the same problem, everything was o.k. when lid is open but when I connect it to external monitor and close the lid, wifi signal is very week or there was no signal at all. I tried moving macbook all over the room and nothing helped, untill I tried to open the lid just a little so that macbook monitor stays off, immediately my wifi signal was normal again, strong as it is when I'm using it whit lid open.
I hope it will help you to.

Having issues with phone calls on my new phone.

Having issues with phone calls on my new phone. Other user is hearing echoes or nothing at all. This seems to be a common issue on here. VERY annoying! Anything seem to fix this problem?

I had similar issues - Turns out it was a hardware problem or bad antennae - Call the tech support number and they can do some testing to determine the issue. They might be able to give you a replacement if you do it quickly.

So if the signal drop is caused by the hand physically blocking antennae...

Apple is trying to convince us that this issue "exists in all smartphones" and that its caused by the hand physically blocking the antennae. Heres their education on it:
http://www.apple.com/antenna/
However, if the case is the hand blocking the antennae, as they want us to believe, then how come the iPhone4's signal problems can be reproduced without even touching the phone?
There are many videos of the phones antennae being shorted with a house key, part of a paper clip, etc, with the users hand nowhere near the phone. In fact, the person could stand 100 yards away and zoom in and see the signal gone with just a staple covering the black line.
Basically what I'm saying is, just because the result is similar does not mean its the same issue.
They should have announced a hardware fix, along with the bumpers for now. A simple polymer coating of the antennae, to reduce conductivity, would have fixed the problem, not required new FCC approval, and cost probably 25 cents per phone to implement.
Message was edited by: kre62

The facts are very basic:
1. Coming close to an antenna affects its impedance and its signal-carrying characteristics (ie. it can attenuate the signal) because antennas are designed and tuned assuming there are no conducting surfaces near it
2. Obviously, you cannot avoid close proximity to a cell phone antenna
3. Most other phones have the antenna surrounded by the case, so while you can get close, you are not directly contacting it
4. Apple chose to place the bare-metal antennae on the outside, where you your body (composed mostly of conducting H2O) making a direct electrical connection to them
5. To make matters worse, they placed two different antennas (cell and WiFi/BT) very close together - separated by a millimeter. Shorting those antennas is very easy to do. Not a great idea.
6. A case will keep your hands from shorting the gap, and also avoid direct electrical contact. This makes it similar to other smartphones.
So, while having the antenna act as the rim of the case sounds really cool and innovative, from an engineering efficiency standpoint it was a lousy idea.

IPHONE 4S NO SERVICE ISSUE

I purchased my Factory unlocked iphone 4s sometime now and it was working fine. Then I updated the os to 7.1.2 and now I am getting No service constantly. I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING TO REMEDY THIS ISSUE, READ COUNTLESS PAGES HERE SO I HAVE BASICALLY GIVEN UP.
I get no service basically all the time. Whenever I use a different carrier simcard in the iphone I would get a maximum of 3 bars and edge data(never 3g), but this does not last long, usually a couple minutes and then its back to NO SERVICE.
I HAVE HEARD ALL THE THEORIES AND EXPLANATIONS AS TO WHAT CAUSES THIS. BUT I REALLY DO NOT CARE ANYMORE. I ENTERED THE FIELD TEST MODE CODE INTO MY IPHONE TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY ISSUE WITH MY PHONE'S ANTENNAE SIGNAL. AND IT JUST KEPT ON CONNECTING. WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE ITS ANTENNAE RELATED. SIGH. First my Iphone 5s with the grayed out wifi issue and now this. I just want to use my phone, all I did was update it. gonna sell it tomorrow but as a last resort gonna open it up and check the cellular antenna . I lovemy iphone but its costing me too much money to replace these faulty devices. and no they are not under warranty.

you can try a reset, hold down the home/power button until you see the apple logo and then release, then wait for the phone to boot back up.
If that doesn't work then you will need to contact t-mobile

K8N Platinum Audio recording issue

I’m encountering what I believe are on-board sound issues. I wanted to back up and restore several old cassettes and some VHS tapes. Initially I tried the cassettes using the cassette player from my Sony system with an audio cable (R/L cable to single pin”MicIn”); used Acoustica Spin It Again and sound was distorted – played around a bit w/nVidia Mixer to no avail and retired the issue for a while. This week I purchased the VisionTek card referenced in my sig– good TV video and audio reception via RCA cable to card’s “antennae in”; however, when I attached my VHS player via the same RCA “antennae in” on the card, the audio was garbled just as with the cassette recording – video was fine. Both cassette and VHS audio volume is very low, requiring speakers to be max’d – possible source of distortion? Would appreciate any thoughts on either issue but feel they’re both related; puzzling thing is why TV audio has no issues as is using mobo audio as well. “nvmixer” shows codec is: Realtek ALC850 w/capability of “single AC’97; 8 channel”. And driver version = 4.62 (6.14.0462.0). Thanks.

LarryAllen, As well as the various settings in the nVmixer for speaker jacks, sound levels, etc there is also the settings in windows "sound properties" - from the "speaker" icon in the task bar. In the first example that you used [the sony system] I wouls say that it was wrong to go into the "mic" jack - should be in the "line in" jack. The "mic" jack is way more sensitive than a line in so if your output from the "sony" was indeed a line out then it would overwelm the "mic" input leaving you with garbled sound.

Does Verizon issue any 5Ghz routers?

From my apartment in NYC, there are a lot of WiFi access points. Vistumbler shows at least 25 networks, all except 1 are using 2.4Ghz spectrum. Some people were using channels besides 1,6,11, (causing extra interference) although now there is only 1 after an appeal to our building listserv.
I had a Actiontec MI424WR (single antenna, grey front panel, I forget the revision letter, but it was "early") and my speeds were quite slow. Via their real-time chat, I asked about a router upgrade, and they offered me a better router. I really wanted a 5Ghz router since my range is not an issue (not a huge apt) but interference in 2.4Ghz is. In the chat (which I have a transcript of, I asked explicitly if it would be 5Ghz capable, and was told it was. But I received the same model number router, except revision "I" now, with 2 antennae and a red front panel. As far as I can tell it is 2.4Ghz only. Fortunately, they did not charge me for this upgrade, or I would be really steamed.
But still I wonder - Does Verizon supply any 5Ghz capable routers?

Yes they offer one for about a 139.99 or you might be able to ask them if they will rent it, I think it's about 5 or 6 dollars to rent. I think you have to call in for this one, it's new.
It's a greenwave g1101 Wireless AC router.
OR a nice option is their 5 GHZ wireless extender, about 75 bux you can buy this one online, and we haven't heard a single complaint about them yet on the forums, if that's helpful. nothing but glowing remarks.
https://teleproducts.verizon.com/fios/index.cfm/eh/DisplayProducts

AIR-LAP1242AG bandwidth issue

Good afternoon,
My name is Dave and my company has assigned me to fix an issue with the signal from a WLAN 5508 Controller to several ( maybe 12) AIR-LAP1242AG's in a warehouse location.
We are currently using a single 5 GHz anntenna but are looking into other options.
The issue we are having is the signal strength. We are using Windows CE scan guns and the wireless is weak at best (even if you stand directly under the AP.
Since I am brand new to the job, I am unfamiliar with our topology but will do what I can to resolve this issue. Could the issue be a combination of power, antenna strength and something in the controller perventing the signal from passing?
The ceilings in the warehouse rafters are between 25-30ft. I will be happy to assist anyone that might be able to point us in the right direction.
I have yet to look into the AP's console but I wanted to get possibly a few ideas.
Thank you so much for your time and consideration in solving our issue.
Sincerely,
Dave P.

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Thank you so much for your response. Here are the answers to your questions.
1. Are the APs installed suspended from the ceiling and the "Cisco" logo pointing to the floor? Yes
2. Are the 5Ghz antennae being used? Yes How many per unit? 1 – 2
Are they connected to the correct radio? Yes What type of antennaes? AIR-ANT5135D-R
3. What are the walls of the warehouses made out of? Concrete
4. Are there any electric motors? Just forklifts
5. Are the APs above or below the level of the shelves? Above
6. Was a Wireless Site Survey conducted before and after the APs were installed? No
7. Is the WLC's Radio Resources Meter set to it's default level? ???? We are not sure of this one yet.
I hope this helps.
Thank you so much!
-Dave

N8 Antennae Issue

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