Iconia One B3-A30 WiFi flakiness

ObiWanCeleri
ObiWanCeleri Member Posts: 4 New User
edited March 15 in 2018 Archives
I'm posting this here before I call support. I did my research so this post will be rather long. 
Bought a brand new B3-A30 two days ago (not refurbished). It replaces a first gen B1-730 who's battery bit the dust. 
Was amazed by the size and feel of the B3 but my problems started right away. After typing my email address the install process wouldn't ask me my password.
I rebooted but at that point I discovered that the WiFi connexion was resetting all the time. Managed to get through the install process ...
After finally getting to the desktop I installed all the updates ... which took nearly 6 hours (!) because the connexion to the wifi was resetting continuously. Even had a system update. Downloading it was a real pain : it took an hour and a half for a 750 meg file. Alas the issue persisted. 
By reset I mean this : the tablet connects and downloads quickly for a few seconds, then starts to slow down (handshakes at a lower rate after an error?) and after 10-15 seconds it stops downloading altogether. Then it stays at a standstill for 2-3 minutes until the connexion is reset by Android and the process restarts once again. The timings mentioned vary wildly and seem mostly random.

So I set out to find out what the issue was. Here are my steps to date :
1. Tried getting closer to the router. No difference. In fact the reception is pretty good; I see twice as much stuff as my old B1-730.
2. No other device has issues with the WiFi. The old tablet works fine, my girlfriend's laptop and phone work great.
3. Disconnected all the other WiFi devices except the router and tablet. No joy.
4. Tried giving the tablet a static IP. No difference.
5. The tablet is fully charged and doesn't overheat.
6. Problem seems worse when you download. If you get connected and don't download stuff it takes longer before there's a reset.
7. Brought my tablet to a friend. Same issue with his WiFi connexion (that's not good; it means it's not caused by the router)
8. Tried connecting in a shopping center just to see. Same issue.
9. Restarted the tablet many times. Still no joy.
10. Toyed around with the "turn off WiFi during sleep" option. No difference there either.
11. One of my game (Diggy's Adventure) sometimes has corrupt graphics when the connexion resets; could it be a corrupt ram buffer issue?

At this point the only thing I didn't try is a complete factory reset.
I'm not convinced this will help out any; it sounds like a hardware issue. Unless having a WiFi issue during install throws the whole system off?

What really scares me though is sending the machine back for repairs and having Acer tell me there's nothing wrong with it as I've read here : https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/526598/iconia-10-b3-a30-keeps-disconnecting-from-wifi
Having Acer drop the ball is not an option!

At this point I'm wondering if there's any way to reset the TCP/IP stack like what can be found on Windows computers. I'm assuming it can't be done without some fancy schmancy debugging steps.

If anyone has any further suggestions before I log my call I'd be really grateful!

Thanks!

Best Answer

  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer
    Answer ✓
    call Acer and have it serviced, you already did all your best.
    I'm not an Acer employee.

Answers

  • ObiWanCeleri
    ObiWanCeleri Member Posts: 4 New User
    Update: Forced my connexion on a fixed IP both on the tablet AND on my router. Still resets. Maybe it's me but it looks like it's getting worse!
  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer
    Answer ✓
    call Acer and have it serviced, you already did all your best.
    I'm not an Acer employee.
  • ObiWanCeleri
    ObiWanCeleri Member Posts: 4 New User
    IronFly said:
    call Acer and have it serviced, you already did all your best.
    I still have at least one card up my sleeve. I will reset and start from scratch with the hopes it was "one of those undocumented bugs" that crept in since the install process wasn't 100% smooth. I want to make sure I can say "done that" to Acer support.

    If the issue persists I'm wondering if I should simply go to the store where I purchased the device to ask for a replacement?
    If I go the Acer way I know I will be loosing the tablet for a few weeks. Not a whole lot of fun. I did purchase the tablet two days ago, according to the law in Canada I have 10 days to claim a refund or a replacement. 

    Anyways thanks a million for your support. 
    If that's a thing for you, have a beer or coffee on me :)
  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer
    If you have the 10 days policy, go to the shop!
    I'm not an Acer employee.