WiFi and Bluetooth

[Douvie]

I wonder if any of you have noticed that the WiFi disappears for a moment when you turn on a Blutooth device to connect to the A500. This is something I have noticed lately. Anyone else notice? Any ideas?

My thoughts so far is that by connecting a blutooth device the connection causes the WiFi to refresh as well. Seems to prove that the WIFI and the Blutooth use the same chip set - as Icebike has been insisting in various posts. I'm sure MrHelper would agree!

 

[Mrhelper]

Apparently the AzureWave NH-AW611, as reported by: Acer Iconia Tab teardown: Easy-to-service, 3G-ready | TechRepublic

I'm just a little curious about this because I have not used my bluetooth beyond initial hardware testing, just to make sure it worked...

I wasn't too sure what you meant by wifi "disapearing." Does it cause some sort of problem and actually drop connections, or is it just dropping and then restoring the icons on the screen? (In which case, it could even be an artifact of the status software and not have anything to do with the hardware.)

 

[Greg_E]

No I have not noticed it, but I don't use BT too much on my a500. I may need to test this now.

 

[Douvie]

Apparently the AzureWave NH-AW611, as reported by: Acer Iconia Tab teardown: Easy-to-service, 3G-ready | TechRepublic

I'm just a little curious about this because I have not used my bluetooth beyond initial hardware testing, just to make sure it worked...

I wasn't too sure what you meant by wifi "disapearing." Does it cause some sort of problem and actually drop connections, or is it just dropping and then restoring the icons on the screen? (In which case, it could even be an artifact of the status software and not have anything to do with the hardware.)

I have found that BT does refreshes every so often. Even in other devices like carphone kits, BT headsets and etc.

The WIFI Icon disappears completely for about 2-5 seconds and then re-appears and it only does that when a BT device is connected. The connection is restored - but I'm not quite sure on the problems, some niggly little ones, if this may be exascerbating the problems. I'm not complaining because I work around it a bit - just wondering if anyone else has noticed. It may have done the same thing in HC but I'm not sure.

 

[ebookof]

Hi,

Wifi and bluetooth do not seem to work well together, particularly since the ICS update (it didn't seem to be much of an issue before). Once I start bluetooth, every few minutes, wifi drops then bluetooth drops then wifi drops and so on... It is really agravating. It makes bluetooth almost unusable.

 

[Mrhelper]

I have found that BT does refreshes every so often. Even in other devices like carphone kits, BT headsets and etc.

The WIFI Icon disappears completely for about 2-5 seconds and then re-appears and it only does that when a BT device is connected. The connection is restored - but I'm not quite sure on the problems, some niggly little ones, if this may be exascerbating the problems. I'm not complaining because I work around it a bit - just wondering if anyone else has noticed. It may have done the same thing in HC but I'm not sure.

Hi Douvie, just saw this. You may want to see if changing the visibility timeout to longer than the 2 min default, or setting it to "never" makes it a little more stable with certain devices. This may have happened with HC also, because 2 min was the default there also. Either I don't see the effect you are talking about, or I just don't understand exactly what you are seeing. I can tell you that I have taken time lately to test the Bluetooth with a few devices, and see absolutely no problems at all. I tested with my Qstarz BT GPS and I had continuous data and not a single connection drop over a 1 hour run. Don't know if they make those anymore, but that is the best GPS I have ever owned. It connects to a dozen satellites in the center of the house, downstairs, when any of the other units I have only see 1 or two. Really a great little GPS receiver. Anyway, I had wifi running strong the whole time during the test, and even booted my AP a few times to trigger reconnects. It comes back with a solid connection every time, no BT icons blinking, no BT connection issues.

I wonder if you just may have a few devices that behave differently than the ones that I tested -- in which case changing the visibility timeout may help. One thing that I did not do is check BT signal strengths by moving my devices further than a few feet, so that could be an issue with the a500, similar to the apparent physical a500 GPS antenna deficiencies (or weak receiver). I don't have much reason to use the BT on my a500, other than to exchange files with my old Treo that I keep hanging onto because I'm so cheap. The wifi reception is very clear and stable on this a500 though. That radio seems to be rock solid.

 

[Douvie]

I was just answering you and glancing down saw no WiFi for about 1.5 seconds. So I made a decision to turn the BT OFF and watch what happens.

No WiFi is definitely 1000% better now with the BT turned OFF. The difference is instantaneous. So a recommendation for all those with WIFI - TURN OFF THE BLUETOOTH.

 

[Douvie]

Hi,

Wifi and bluetooth do not seem to work well together, particularly since the ICS update (it didn't seem to be much of an issue before). Once I start bluetooth, every few minutes, wifi drops then bluetooth drops then wifi drops and so on... It is really agravating. It makes bluetooth almost unusable.

Yeah turn off the bluetooth - it will improve your WiFi instantaneously.

 

[Douvie]

MrHelper,

I have had several BT car kits in different cars and they are always disconnecting - all of them. They never provide a stable enough connection. So due to the fact that the same chip is used for WIFI and BT and the BT is the one causing the issue because they keep disconnecting and refreshing and reconnecting. This is definitely causing issues with WIFI.

A good 20 minutes has gone by without a single disappearance of the wifi icon and the signal is stable.

 

[Mrhelper]

MrHelper,

I have had several BT car kits in different cars and they are always disconnecting - all of them. They never provide a stable enough connection. So due to the fact that the same chip is used for WIFI and BT and the BT is the one causing the issue because they keep disconnecting and refreshing and reconnecting. This is definitely causing issues with WIFI.

A good 20 minutes has gone by without a single disappearance of the wifi icon and the signal is stable.

You've apparently identified some form of interference between your bluetooth and wifi connections. I don't see the same problem, but I have no doubt that you are seeing a problem there. It sounds like an RF interference issue possibly caused by competing wifi, BT, and other devices. It seems less likely to be a problem with the AzureWave chip, and even less likely to be caused by OS software. An AP firmware problem is a possibility though. Some APs are just more prone to have certain compatibility problems. It could also be related to your AP configuration, and channel selection.

When some folks use the comparison that device X works fine with an AP but device Y does not, they misunderstand that different devices can interact with a network and use wifi much differently by design. If the AP is not equipped to handle such differences, problems can occur with device Y, at the same time that device X is working fine. For example, some devices actively manage transmission power to save battery reserves, while others do not. Another example: Android tablets on wifi tend to make many concurrent connections by nature, to enhance performance and the user experience, which can overwhelm some router models that worked just fine for other devices that use fewer concurrent connections. The list goes on...

Consider also that you may have one or more sources of external interference causing this. You may have an issue where you have more devices running in your vicinity near the 2.40-2.48 Ghz band than I do. This can cause BT to compete with your wifi channel space by picking channels nearby that are less busy overall, but that interfere with your wifi. BT is designed in a way that it tries to avoid interference with wifi, etc. by channel hopping, but that's not foolproof when the space is really crowded or otherwise noisy. Like I said, I don't see the same problem you are seeing, but I have always managed the 2.4 Ghz environment in my home very carefully to ensure optimal wifi performance. Have you tried setting up your AP to force a specific channel selection? I currently force all my wifi to channel 1 (2.412 Ghz) to avoid interference from other local networks and devices here, but some other channel may work better for you. You may need to experiment. If you have a lot of devices running in the 2.4 Ghz band in close proximity -- i.e., in or near your home -- you are likely going to see more interference problems. Bluetooth and other causes of interference will not show up on any wifi scanner tool, but those sources can certainly cause wifi performance problems. I had to get rid of my 2.4 Ghz phones several years ago to resolve similar problems, and I've also had to update my AP hardware through several versions over the past 10 years as my neighborhood went from having only one AP (mine), to at least one per house.

 

[Douvie]

Actually, you're probably right. In a 10 foot area there are 3 Ms wireless Kb/mice combos. The internet computer has a BT dongle. Then there is the wireless network internet connection. Then there is a second wireeless network no internet connection.

But happens even when I'm away from home. And I must say the WIFI is rock solid now - since I've turned BT OFF.