How is the wifi on the Android Netbook?

[JoeMaggs]

Concerns about buying an Android netbook

Hello, fellow Android lovers!

I am looking to buy a cheap Android netbook to use, as your grandfather would say, just to access the internet, etc. My current laptop cannot be moved, as the battery does not hold charge (it is a nine-year old HP laptop). My only concern is, four years ago I bought an Android tablet, however the WiFi range on it could not even go the ten metres in my lounge, let alone upstairs, and I live in an average-sized house.
So my question is this.
The specifications given are:
OS: Android 4.1
CPU: WM8850 1.5Ghz
Display: 6.98" TFT
Resolution: 800 x 480
Memory: DDR 512MB
Device storage: 4GB (Supports Up to 16GB via SD Card)
LAN: 10/100M Ethernet Access(RJ-45)
WiFi: 802.11b/g
Keyboard: Standard QWERTY 80 Key US Keyboard and Touchpad
Audio: Built in Stereo Speaker & Microphone, MP2/MP3/WMA/OGG/AAC/M4A/MA4/FLAC/APE
Video: HD 720P,3GP,MPEG1/2/4,FLV,MJPG,H263,H264
Image: JPG,BMP,PNG,GIF
EBook: TXT,CHM,UMD,PDB,PDF
Power adapter: AC 100 - 240V, DC 5V 2A
Language: As Per Standard Android Languages.
And I would like to know whether these specifications mean the WiFi could connect to a BT Home Hub 3 router in an average sized house without any problems like I had with my Android tablet. I compare the 802.11b/g with the specification given on my WiFi adapter I use for my PC upstairs, and it gives the same number, albeit with IEEE at the beginning and /n/2.4GHz at the end. So, my assumption would be it'd be as powerful as my WiFi adapter that works perfectly, I am just asking one of you Android experts to confirm.

Thanks in advance,

- Joe.

 

[B. Diddy]

Re: Concerns about buying an Android netbook

Welcome to Android Central! Unless cost is a strict constraint, I would strongly recommend against buying one of these cheap no-name budget devices. They're unreliable, often don't have access to the Google Play Store (instead forcing you to use some obscure app store with very little selection), and have minimal to zero support. You can get much more reliable devices from better-known manufacturers like Asus, Acer, Lenovo, Samsung, and LG for pretty decent prices (as low as $80-90 in some cases).

If you just need something to browse the internet, I would also highly recommend a Chromebook, which is what the original idea of a netbook should have been. Chromebooks are lean, lightweight, boot in seconds, and access the web via the Chrome browser quickly and smoothly. They have good battery life (generally 6-8 hours). They aren't Android devices, so they don't run Android apps--they basically run anything you can access from a browser. It's important to note that browsing on an Android browser can sometimes be maddeningly slow, depending on how powerful the device is and how complex the website is. Even with a relatively powerful device like my Nexus 7, browsing on the mobile Chrome browser is always significantly slower than on my Chromebook.

To answer your question, the device that you're asking about would be compatible with your router, but since it only has 802.11b/g wireless, it would only be able to get a theoretical maximum download speed of 54 Mbps (which is the fastest transmission speed of 802.11g). Realistically, download speeds would be lower, since they drop off the farther you get from the router. The actual reception strength of the device's antenna is something you can't tell from the specs--it depends more on the quality of the components that the manufacturer uses and the absence of any bugs in the firmware. With these no-name devices, both of those could be potential weak points.

 

[Slashyou]

Re: Concerns about buying an Android netbook

Should be fine and even if theres no store you can just install it your self

G3,Stock,16GB,Tapatalk

 

[B. Diddy]

Re: Concerns about buying an Android netbook

If a device isn't certified for Google Play (and therefore doesn't have Google Play Store preinstalled), you can always try to manually install it, but it will often be incompatible.