Are you having connection issues? Read this.

[intanet]

Before I brought a Craig Netbook back to RiteAid for a replacement because of connection issues, I called Craig tech support. Here's what I learned. The tech agent told me they tested their units (tablets and netbooks) and they found that they have connection issues with Verizon internet service because it's Mi-Fi and not Wi-Fi. The agent was actually surprised that I connected at all. I had a Craig tablet for a few days that connected effortlessly. And this netbook intermittently but it still connected on occasion and for hours at a time but not always which was very frustrating. They should have that information out front to save many of us this trouble and time searching out a solution. I got the feeling that two of the units I bought were returns because of fingerprints and apps that were installed when I got it. This area is mainly serviced by Verizon so that could be the reason they were returned. And my local store had the nerve to resell them....geez. It's a jungle out there.

 

[cereal_killer]

Thanks for posting. It's too bad that you had to go through the hassle only to find out it's a hardware issue.

 

[J515OP]

I'm sorry you had some problems with your internet connection on your Craig devices but I'm not buying the tech support answer. MiFi is not a technology it is just a marketing name which stands for "My Wi-Fi". The technology that connects the two devices is still just regular Wi-Fi.

It is possible that the MiFi device is having trouble picking up the cellular signal that it pulls its data connection through but that isn't a Wi-Fi connection issue or an issue due to MiFi being some modified version of Wi-Fi that doesn't work with Craig devices. It is just an issue of not having cell coverage which is how the MiFi hotspot connects (just like a cell phone).

JP

 

[intanet]

I'm sorry you had some problems with your internet connection on your Craig devices but I'm not buying the tech support answer. MiFi is not a technology it is just a marketing name which stands for "My Wi-Fi". The technology that connects the two devices is still just regular Wi-Fi.

It is possible that the MiFi device is having trouble picking up the cellular signal that it pulls its data connection through but that isn't a Wi-Fi connection issue or an issue due to MiFi being some modified version of Wi-Fi that doesn't work with Craig devices. It is just an issue of not having cell coverage which is how the MiFi hotspot connects (just like a cell phone).

JP

Thanks for that explanation. Yeah, After I posted the info here, I looked up Mi-Fi and found some of that info out that you mentioned. That it simply means My Wi-Fi. Wiki said it was a compact wireless router. Also, I didn't think that it was referring to connecting to Verizon DSL through my home router but hot spots. So thanks for confirming that too.

When I spoke to the tech agent, I was very clear that I was not able to connect to Verizon DSL through my router. And also, that I was not using a Verizon Router but a Linksys router but that was the answer I was given.

The three units I had gotten in the past week...2 Craig tablets and 1 Craig netbook, I had problems with each. The first connected flawlessly to the internet but had a bum internal keyboard. It went back and I got another tablet that would not pick up any wireless networks at all. That went back and I got a Craig netbook. It connected intermittently to the internet and sometims for hours. And then, no matter what I did, it would not connect. It went back too. But after talking to the tech agent, I'm passing on this for now. No more replacements for me. I hugged my laptop last night.

 

[intanet]

One more thing. In order to connect with the Craig netbook, I had to broadcast my SSID which I have disabled in my router settings for security reasons. Once I did that, it connected. So the agent did give the me the incorrect information about Verizon. sigh. Besides, I didn't have to broadcast my SSID with the Craig tablet I had. It connected as soon as I added the network manually in the Wifi settings. They both ran on Android 2.2 so it most likely was a hardware problem with the netbook.

 

[intanet]

Turns out the Craig agent was wrong about not being able to connect to Verizon because they use Mifi because I connected a bunch of times since the phone call using Verizon DSL through my Linksys router using Static IP. (instructions below) I hate passing on bad information so hopefully, with this post, I can make amends. But note that I'm still checking this proceedure out. Sometimes it connects automatically and sometimes it doesn't. I get the "out of range" status with no wifi icon next to my manually entered network. I have to turn Wifi off, then on a few times. Turn off "Static IP" (in wifi settings) and then turn it on again. As if I have to wake up the wifi. Then my network status changes to "remembered wifi security level..." and goes to the top of the wifi list and then it connects. Crazy but at least I'm able to connect...mostly. All this work and I paid for this freakin' thing too. Feel like someone owes me a paycheck. (I am frazzled but that is what 6 days of stressful troubleshooting can do to you.)

As a side rant, this is my 4th Craig devise this week and this still may go back too. (Glutton for punishment???)

Ok. My device is a Craig Netbook running Android 2.2. Oddly I had a Craig tablet (which was returned for keyboard issues) but, that ran Android 2.2. It must have been a different build because two of these netbooks had the same problem that the tablet didn't. They would not connect to a network NOT broadcasting the SSID but the tablet did with no problem at all.


Here's what happened. I decided to use the static IP in network configuration on the netbook to see if I can connect that way. You have to add information manually. But I got an IP conflict.

But first things first...to get the information to configure the WiFi connection with a Static IP:

Go to the run box (Start/Run and type "cmd" (w/o the quotes) and the command prompt on the PC that's connected to your router will come up. Type in the command prompt:

ipconfig /all (that's a space between ipconfig and the slash(/)

and hit the ENTER button on your keyboard

It will give you the info you need:

IP ADDRESS (which basically is a variation of 192.168.1.1) which is your routers address eoyj a couple of zeros at the end.
SUBNET MASK (called: NETMASK on your device)
DEFAULT GATEWAY similar to your routers address.
and the DNS servers. I have 2 listed so I used each one with no difference either way.

You put those numbers in your device manually. I hit settings in that menu and the option to "save" came up. Click ok.

But a problem arose because, when I connected to the Internet with the Netbook, I got a balloon message on my PC connected to the router by LAN (Ethernet wire) saying there was an IP conflict because both computers were using the same IP address and it knocked me off the Internet on my PC. That's where this website comes in: (hope I can post a link here but I basically say the same thing in this post so it's cool either way)

IP Address Conflicts - What Is an IP Address Conflict?

The instructions to release the IP and renew the IP I learned here did the trick for the IP conflict.

Here's what you do:

Go to cmd prompt (Start/Run box type "cmd" without the quotes) and then, when the command prompt comes up type:

ipconfig /release

(make sure you put a space between the ipconfig and the slash.(/)

and hit the ENTER button on your keyboard and it will release the IP address (which, if you are using a router is the router's address).

Then type:

ipconfig /renew

(again, a space between the ipconfig and the slash.(/)

and hit the ENTER button on your keyboard, and it will give you another IP address. Also, I did this while my netbook was connected to the internet. That may make a difference because when it renewed the IP on my PC, it changed the IP address on the PC by just one digit which resolved the conflict.

I'm still proving this so I hope I'm not jumping the gun here. I connected about 5 times automatically and about 10 times jostling the wi-fi by turning it on and off a few times as well as the Static IP on and off. What a pain this all is. If one Android 2.2 connects effortlessly while another doesn't, what the heck is that about??? The tablet I had was a July, 2011 Andrioid 2.2 and the Netbook is an Aug, 2011 Android 2.2. At least, as far as I understand from snooping around both systems. Problem must be in the build.