Airport receiving only weak signals after machine disassembly - iMac 4,1
Hi,
Big problem - a client asked me to upgrade the hard drive in their iMac 4,1. It's an older one, with just a Core Duo, not a Core2Duo.
After opening the case and replacing the drive successfully, I put it back together. I installed 10.6 on the new drive, bringing back the files, apps and settings from 10.4, which was previous installed, by way of connecting the old drive via USB.
Everything worked like a charm - except this: the machine couldn't see any WiFi networks when I turned on Airport. I know for a fact there are about ten in range of where I was working.
To test this, I enabled the WiFi hotspot on my phone, and placed it close to the machine, and it could see it, and connect. If I took the phone just outside of the room, the signal dropped.
Same with bluetooth - it will connect to the mouse only if the mouse if pretty much pressed up against the screen.
I open it up again, and checked that the WiFi antenna was connected, and it was. On this model, however, there is only one antenna connected to the WiFi adaptor. Another antenna appears to be connected to what I presume to be the bluetooth adaptor.
When I opened it up, I presumed the foil tape between the LCD and its frame needed to come off, so I removed it. Of course, it didn't. There's not much left of it, so it can't go back on.
Would I be right in thinking that this foil (looks aluminium) should be connecting the edge of the screen and it's supporting frame to create an extension for the antennae?
It's all I can think of - I've checked and rechecked, and everything is connected up right.
I've deleted the airport connection in networking and readded it. However, I haven't reset the NVRAM yet - but somehow, I don't think that's going to do anything. It's clearly a signal strength problem.
As a test, a connected some long antennae wires from an old laptop to both terminals on the WiFi adaptor, and it seemed to work while they were out trailing out of the case, and the thing was flat on its back. I tried securing them inside the case, closed it up, and stood it up, but once again - no signal.
I have some foil tape on order. Can anyone help, or confirm that this is the problem?
Stressing out now!
Cheers.
Big problem - a client asked me to upgrade the hard drive in their iMac 4,1. It's an older one, with just a Core Duo, not a Core2Duo.
After opening the case and replacing the drive successfully, I put it back together. I installed 10.6 on the new drive, bringing back the files, apps and settings from 10.4, which was previous installed, by way of connecting the old drive via USB.
Everything worked like a charm - except this: the machine couldn't see any WiFi networks when I turned on Airport. I know for a fact there are about ten in range of where I was working.
To test this, I enabled the WiFi hotspot on my phone, and placed it close to the machine, and it could see it, and connect. If I took the phone just outside of the room, the signal dropped.
Same with bluetooth - it will connect to the mouse only if the mouse if pretty much pressed up against the screen.
I open it up again, and checked that the WiFi antenna was connected, and it was. On this model, however, there is only one antenna connected to the WiFi adaptor. Another antenna appears to be connected to what I presume to be the bluetooth adaptor.
When I opened it up, I presumed the foil tape between the LCD and its frame needed to come off, so I removed it. Of course, it didn't. There's not much left of it, so it can't go back on.
Would I be right in thinking that this foil (looks aluminium) should be connecting the edge of the screen and it's supporting frame to create an extension for the antennae?
It's all I can think of - I've checked and rechecked, and everything is connected up right.
I've deleted the airport connection in networking and readded it. However, I haven't reset the NVRAM yet - but somehow, I don't think that's going to do anything. It's clearly a signal strength problem.
As a test, a connected some long antennae wires from an old laptop to both terminals on the WiFi adaptor, and it seemed to work while they were out trailing out of the case, and the thing was flat on its back. I tried securing them inside the case, closed it up, and stood it up, but once again - no signal.
I have some foil tape on order. Can anyone help, or confirm that this is the problem?
Stressing out now!
Cheers.
SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
ASKER
Very late reply to all this, but in case anyone ever stumbles across the same problem, here's some kind of resolution:
I put the Mac back together, being careful to repair the EMI shield with the aluminum tape. No gaps.
It received a WiFi signal, but it was much weaker than before.
Baffled. I ended up having to gift the customer a nano-USB WiFi Adaptor.
:-(
I put the Mac back together, being careful to repair the EMI shield with the aluminum tape. No gaps.
It received a WiFi signal, but it was much weaker than before.
Baffled. I ended up having to gift the customer a nano-USB WiFi Adaptor.
:-(
ASKER
It did help me to confirm that that model only had one antenna connected to the WiFi adaptor, but that's it, really.
I'm about to put it all back together with aluminium tape repairing the EMI shield, so I'll report back.