Reported WiFi Issues w/A28, A32, A43, A70, A101

[lenstoner]

Just got the A 101 Christmas day. Let it power up per instructions. Connected to my friend's network without problem. Updated the firmware to 1.084 with Android 2.1. Could not get Apps Lib to work. Was still able to use the network. Today, it will not connect to my friend's network, though my laptop and phone will. The device will not recognize that my phone is a wifi network, though the laptop does. It takes 2 days to get a reply from Archos? And you still cannot get access to all the google apps? I was planning to replace my old Creative Zen with an Archos mp3 device, but after this debacle, I won't consider Archos for anything.

Thought I'd give it a shot with tethering to my droid by bluetooth. It pairs to the droid, but doesn't connect. Tried it with a USB cable and the 101 returned message "Unable to tether with USB". This is definitely going back to Archos. Between the shoddy product and non-existent support, Archos will just drive more people to an iPad.

 

[gurgle]

Just got the A 101 Christmas day. Let it power up per instructions. Connected to my friend's network without problem. Updated the firmware to 1.084 with Android 2.1. Could not get Apps Lib to work. Was still able to use the network. Today, it will not connect to my friend's network, though my laptop and phone will. The device will not recognize that my phone is a wifi network, though the laptop does. It takes 2 days to get a reply from Archos? And you still cannot get access to all the google apps? I was planning to replace my old Creative Zen with an Archos mp3 device, but after this debacle, I won't consider Archos for anything.

Thought I'd give it a shot with tethering to my droid by bluetooth. It pairs to the droid, but doesn't connect. Tried it with a USB cable and the 101 returned message "Unable to tether with USB". This is definitely going back to Archos. Between the shoddy product and non-existent support, Archos will just drive more people to an iPad.

Sorry you feel that way. As I deal in my reality (work) with IPads, I would say the problem of IPad Quality is perceived and not always reality. They just do a better job of Marketing. Your problem seems to be related to Firmware as well. The latest version is not a 2.1 but Froyo 2.2 (2.0.71). You may have many of your problems by updating to an newer firmware. The 1.0.84 dates to October 21.
The BT has to be fixed by Firmware. The connection is DUN for BT. I am able to tether. But you must follow the instructions.
The APPSLib has been down since early Christmas day. No relation to Archos. It is just one of the many markets. You can install Market very easy but is not a default install as the Archos does not fully meet the expectations by Google for Android Market. There are a full set of requirements, The two most common which cause devices not being Market compliant is not having a camera, Phone capabilty, or a GPS. The other cause is the manufacturer does not want to pay the license fee and uses one of the many alternates.
I have had both Zen and Zen ZX and would choose and Archos any day for MP3. But that is my opinion.
Best of Luck

 

[lenstoner]

So when the window to upgrade the firmware popped up on the tablet, why wouldn't Archos load the latest firmware? I received an email response from a tech who gave me the manual instructions for finding the "correct" firmware program on the site. After following the instructions, the tablet just froze. After speaking with a live tech on the phone, she explained that Archos' servers are down and many of the files for the firmware are corrupt and should be repaired in 24 hours. Now, before I even attempted the "solution" from the first tech, shouldn't that tech have known that the servers were corrupted and to tell me to wait? The only sure thing at this point is that I have a $300 brick for the next 24 hours. And the second tech also said that it was the Archos servers that were causing the Apps Lib problem. They should also be repaired in 24 hours.

 

[gurgle]

You need to remember the worst day to call support is December 26. This is proven time and time again. I would just go to ftp://support.archos.com/ and download it. It is quite easy. This is just one source. It also provides the apps installed on each model too.

Be sure to go to the Gen8 D/L folder too ftp://support.archos.com/Generation_8/

ADD-On Edit. Just noticed. The FTP site does not have the 2.0.71 FW it is the 2.0.54 Use this link and follow the instructions.
http://www.archos.com/support/support_tech/updates.html?country=us&lang=en&#firm

 

[Snyperx]

Odd so many are having wireless issues. I was able to connect to my home WPA2 G network without issue. I also have my 101 setup for 802.1X authentication for my work network. Both connections work great using the 2.0.71 firmware. Keep in mind my home and work are both using Cisco gear. Shoot me a IM and maybe I can help a few folks.

 

[nowayjose]

Odd so many are having wireless issues. I was able to connect to my home WPA2 G network without issue. I also have my 101 setup for 802.1X authentication for my work network. Both connections work great using the 2.0.71 firmware. Keep in mind my home and work are both using Cisco gear. Shoot me a IM and maybe I can help a few folks.

My Archos 101 arrived last week and I was dismayed to discover it refused to detect my jailbroken iPhone's WiFi hotspot (using the MyWi app), and also failed to detect it as a bluetooth device to pair to.

It has had no problem detecting and connecting to a work and home wifi network, one using Ruckus gear, and the other using an off the shelf netgear access point. Conversely, my laptop and two other iPhones had no problem connecting to and using the WiFi tethering I have set up on my iPhone.

I have the Android 2.2 firmware installed, so as far as I know it's not something that can be fixed by updating firmware; I put on the newest firmware myself.

Any suggestions on how to fix or trouble shoot this would be appreciated. Not being able to tether to my existing portable WiFi is a dealbreaker for me. If I can't fix this soon, I will abandon the Archos platform.

Which would be a shame, as I'm pretty happy with it otherwise. Great tablet at a great price.

 

[gurgle]

Welcome to the one of the known limitations of Archos and their Firmware model. The connection set up by MyWi is an AdHoc (Peer based) not a true Access Point model. Archos has decided that there is no need for Ad Hoc connections. Prior to current Firmware 2.0.71, you could run z4root and get temp root and if talented mod the connections to allow 70/101 adhoc supposedly BUT, no longer. So until there is a temp root capability, and the instructions for the Firmware is published, You would need to DUN style BT tethering. This has issues too. but is getting better with each FW release. It would be Fantastic if you could PAN tether. Much better than some of the limitations of ad hoc. But no joy yet on that.

The Archos Firmware model Since Gen4 (0/101 are Gen8) is to lock the firmware so it can have the DRM capability and stop rooting. This has been an ongoing game/fight since before jailbreaking IPhones. So this is not new news.

 

[nowayjose]

Welcome to the one of the known limitations of Archos and their Firmware model. The connection set up by MyWi is an AdHoc (Peer based) not a true Access Point model. Archos has decided that there is no need for Ad Hoc connections. Prior to current Firmware 2.0.71, you could run z4root and get temp root and if talented mod the connections to allow 70/101 adhoc supposedly BUT, no longer. So until there is a temp root capability, and the instructions for the Firmware is published, You would need to DUN style BT tethering. This has issues too. but is getting better with each FW release. It would be Fantastic if you could PAN tether. Much better than some of the limitations of ad hoc. But no joy yet on that.

The Archos Firmware model Since Gen4 (0/101 are Gen8) is to lock the firmware so it can have the DRM capability and stop rooting. This has been an ongoing game/fight since before jailbreaking IPhones. So this is not new news.

Wow. Thanks for the detailed primer and definitive answer - I'm just getting into tethering so the information is appreciated. Too bad the tethering I need isn't readily available on the Archos. Off to research DUN tethering.

 

[my_Anjel]

Hi, like almost everyone else here, I got the 101 for Christmas. I'm using it now to respond about a connectivity issue. I have managed to tether my Nokia e71 by connecting the phone by the usb data cable that came with my phone. I tried this after first trying to use my home comcast internet connection (USB connection directly from th modem to the Archos - that didn't work. I think I have to install the usb driver to make that work).

Have you guys navigafed to the "Settings/Wireless Networks" folder and Activated the "Wieless Networks," "Bluetooth" and "WiFi Settings"? You have to make sure that you have NOT checked the Airplane Mode. If you want to tether the phone, you may have to do what I did and use Bluetooth first to establish a profile for your phone, so that you can then use you DATA cable (not just a regular usb cable) to connect (tether) the phone to your Archos.

I first had to use bluetooth to pair my phone with the archos. Then, I chose to the data cable tethering (don't know if it matters, but I also have the Bluetooth active while the cable is attached.) Then once my archos recognized the phone in the list, it was easy to tether the phone. When I connected my Nokia, I had several connection options (pc suite, usb, connect phone to internet, etc. I chose the "connect phone to internet" option - I assume that other "smart" cell phones have similar options, otherwise I would suggest that you acknowledge the connection and enable your phone modem in the way that you're used to doing it). I had to reconnect the data cable and turn the phone on and off a few times before the Archos connection manager displayed ths "attempting to tether to mobile" dialogue box presented, but I was successful after about 5 minutes of effort. It may have taken that long to instal/transfer the drivers for my phone and cable. I hope this helps someone. If my information is too vague, please let me know and I'll try to explain further.

Now, with the (cable & bluetooth) tethering, my Nokia has become become the modem for the Archos. All I can do so far is use the Archos browser application to get to the internet (Google search page). My 4G network makes my phone internet connectivity work Super Fast, so I don't hve a lot of lag time while browsing on line.

MY biggest issue is getting the freaking AppLib to work! I have figured out how to enable wifi, however even when I'm connected to a wireless network, I still can't get the AppLib to work. Apparently, I can only access the Applib by using a wfi connection. I thought that maybe since I was simultaneously using wifi and the cell phone tether, perhaps the archos device was confused about the connection source). I tried each connection separately, but I still can't access the Applib without receiving a server connecton error. I read your posts indicating that Archos server may be down...

Last thing with regard to getting the (Generation 8) system updates, I used the browser application (with the cell phone tether) to access the Archos website directly to download the Archos 101 system update, which took about 10 minutes to complete. When the download occurs, you'll notice an animated download icon in the upper left coner. When the download is complete, you navigate back to the Desktop/"Files" folder. Scroll down the list to reach the "Downloads" folder, then Open and Insall the download making sure to follow the directions on the screen. The Archos device will install the download, then power off and reboot itself. At startup, it will configure itself on startup. Since the AppLib (preinstalled) is driving me crazy, I downloaded the 2.0 updated version (from the Archos website) directly to the Archos (the device came with ver.1.0 preinsalled). No matter what, you're going to have to update the system to Generation 8, as well as a few applications because if you try to use the preinstalled stuff it's going to ask you to update it first.

Since I was able to successfully download and install the system update and the new Appslb application, I was hoping that I'd be able to just skip the AppLib step and download the applications from the website, but that won't work either. The apps don't appear to be downloadable from the website. I can only read about it. The only downloadable item on each respective page seems to be the updated version of the Applib. Does anyone have a creative idea to help me get new apps w/out using the AppLib?

 

[bobybc]

My Archos 70IT cannot connect to company's WIFI with WPA-EAP
it seems that it has buggy wpa_supplicant module :
Issue 8804 - android - wpa_supplicant 0.6.10 (froyo) unable to auth in a wpa2/enterpise wifi - Project Hosting on Google Code

it is fixed from Google, but seems not included in Archos firmware

 

[justinepeter]

Basically, I guess what it all means is that if you have a network pass key that is 26 characters or more, it creates authentication problems with the iPad, thus the inability to connect to certain APs with that length of a password. Best recommendation would be to shorten the password siguro.

 

[Luchoe]

i had the archos 101 for 3 months and these are the problems i observed :
- device freezes sudenly ( even after full reinitialization )
- battery takes 4 days or more to fully charge
- keyboard hard to use because of the time between typing a character and appearing
on the screen
- camera has horrible imaging quality
- after installing some apps it became extremely slow .... impossible to use
- operating system become unstable after using youtube ( even after full
reinitialization )
- non-responsive touch screen ( really exasperating )
- grid lines in screen
- high glossy screen , is hard to see anything with or without light ( the viewing
angle is too narrow )
- sometimes unit reboot by itself
- Wifi losses connectivity constantly, in addition it doesn't recognize most of the cell phone's Hotspot ( like iphone )
- bad memory configuration , with 256 mb will never work fine ( is like having a pc
i7 with 1gb ram ).

conclusion :
bad engineering design, it can be a good toy for a children under 3 years old .... i
lost 373 bucks

 

[Bobo2000]

I once had an Archos 101. Had same problems. I have a n network, and nothings picking up. Wifi never connected, and later I had to take it back and get a refund.

 

[gurgle]

There is a distinct misunderstanding what is meant by N compatible. The Gen 8 units can connect to N networks. BUT, The NIC is not a Parallel connection. So Do not expect Full N Speeds, you will get better speeds than a G Speed, but to some that is not enough. I have been using my Archos 101/16 with Factory Firmware happily. My Gen8 70/8 works fine with a community build. But, the functions of the community builds sometimes miss the capability of factory builds. Bottom line, I just wish I had feature sets from both. Even then I would still not get full N 802.11N speeds.

 

[dingoo]

There is a distinct misunderstanding what is meant by N compatible. The Gen 8 units can connect to N networks. BUT, The NIC is not a Parallel connection. So Do not expect Full N Speeds, you will get better speeds than a G Speed, but to some that is not enough. I have been using my Archos 101/16 with Factory Firmware happily. My Gen8 70/8 works fine with a community build. But, the functions of the community builds sometimes miss the capability of factory builds. Bottom line, I just wish I had feature sets from both. Even then I would still not get full N 802.11N speeds.

How do you being arrived to let the 101 work with N ? Mine doesn't