Wireless driver reports incorrect signal strength

[K. Eng]

I'm using Access Connections 3.70. My wireless card is the original IBM 802.11a/b/g device using an Atheros 5001X+ chipset, and my wireless driver is version 4.0.100.140.

I have noticed that the IBM Wireless driver tray icon (has 3 bars) almost always reports 3 bars, even if the signal is low, and that if I search for wireless networks, almost all of them are 80% or above, even if the signal strengths are actually low.

Both the Windows Network Connection Status and Netstumbler programs will accurately show that far away signals are weak, while the IBM Wireless driver will continue to insist that the signals are strong.

Has anyone else noticed this?

[jdhurst]

I think it may be true. With older IBM 11 a/b/g drivers and older Access Connections, the status used to show as good upstairs. Now with the newest drivers and Access Connections it shows excellent. That said, Netstumbler show excellent as well. So perhaps with newer Netopia firmware and newer IBM 11 a/b/g drivers, maybe it really has improved to excellent. ... JD Hurst

[vpn-user]

Yes I also have that problem, even with v4.1.102.1095. The icon is just useless (and consumes a huge amount of RAM!) if IBM won' t fix it in the near future.