Notebooks & Netbooks

[pbutin]

I was getting terrible internet speed in my house on two successive brand new Acer R7 572 machines and learned from Geek Squad after many frustrating calls to Acer online support that the wireless card in the Aspire R7 572 is made to operate on the 5 ghz band whenever it is farther away from the router.    They suggested I get a dual band router (others in several "community" threads suggested this too).  Best Buy graciously said I could bring them both back (new computer, new router) even after my second 15 day deadline if after setting up the new routher my home internet wasn't working on this computer to my satisfaction.

I coughed up the money, set up the new router and everything seems to be fine now.

1. Very grateful to Best Buy and Geek Squad for being exceptionally helpful and supportive--they truly understand (at least where I live) that having satisfied customers is the way to have a thriving business.  They went the extra mile, and because of their help I am able to keep this machine, which I love in every other respect--just need it to work on the internet.
2. Quite disappointed with Acer support.  Apparently this has been a widespread problem--it is very easy to fix and all you need to do is prepare a prompt sheet for all of your phone "techs" that explains the issue with the dual band router and counsels people to replace their router.   I think it's unacceptable to talk to 4 different techs (both level 1 and level 2), none of whom knew anything about this widespread problem and all of whom misdiagnosed it. The Geek Squad tech said Acer is well aware of the problem and explained it right away to him.  Why are you covering up to your customers?   Lesson for Acer: having satisfied customers is the way to be a thriving business.
3. Best Buy also needs to warn its sales people about this.   They should point out to anyone buying this otherwise wonderful computer that they will need a dual band router to get acceptable internet service.  This will save a lot of frustration, time (salespeople, customer service, Geek Squad), and help ensure satisfied customers.
4. If you need 1 TB storage,d 8gb RAM, great sound, and a cool all-in-one screen on a slim but good-sized convertible laptop, it is a great computer but you will have to also purchase a dual-band router in order to use it.  Given the features and the price, I personally think this is a good deal, but you should tell people this before they buy.  I spent two weeks and much valuable time sorting it out on my own and Acer support was terrible.

[Acer_Ideas]

This is really great feedback, pbutin. I'm glad that you got your WiFi issue resolved. Now two things .... 1) I'm not sure that a dual band router is 'required' to make the R7 WiFi work effectively. However, it's a good to hear that it can resolve the issue, if anyone else is experiencing it. 2) I think your input would be a much better fit under the Community Forums for Laptops, rather than as an 'Idea'. We have tech folks who monitor that site and they may be able to comment further to you on this, as well as drawing some additional R7 user observations. So I'm going to have this conversation moved to the Community in hopes of getting you more exposure and feedback. Thanks!

[Acer-Cory]

First, I'm glad you found a solution that worked for you, and I'm glad to hear that the folks at Best Buy were so invested and committed to helping you resolve this issue. It is unfortunate that you didn't get the support you needed during your contact with our support team. We're always looking to improve our interactions with customers and the community for one is a great place to learn how we can do so. I'll be passing this information along.

I do want to address a couple of the statements that were made. First, there is not a widespread problem with the R7-572. The problem you are experiencing should not be confused with previous models as improvements have been made to this series. Are there people who have had issues R7-572? Sure, but wifi connectivity is never 100%. Between the ISP, modem, router, operating system and hardware there will issues ranging from compatibility, interference and even the occasionally hardware failure, things will happen. We are very proud of the R7 series and took a hardline stance when the original R7-571 was released to do everything we could to resolve any issues a customer might have. That has been well documented on this community forum. We are consistently watching and checking the status of the R7 on the community and many other social media platforms. I think a quick search of "R7-572 wifi" will show that there is not a widespread problem.

Secondly, I'd like to address the statement that a dual band router is required in order for the R7-572 to function properly. That statement is not true. The R7-572 does not require a dual band router. Will it help? Of course, it's a better technology. The 5GHz band is better than the 2.4GHz band, not just in terms of bandwidth, but also because it reduces the interference in that comes in our everyday life. Many of the technologies that have been developed in the past couple of decades were designed to use the 2.4GHz band. From cordless phones, to all of our wireless smartphones, to car alarms and mircowave ovens. Moving off of 2.4GHz will definitely improve your quality of life in most cases. I do wish you would have received this type of information during your contact with us, but I also can relate that many customers who purchased a new computer don't want to be told that they have to invest in other new technologies to get the most out of their purchase.

Again, I'm glad you got everything work and I hope you truly enjoy it. Hopefully we continue to see you around on the community.