Toshiba Portégé M300-101 wi-fi & battery queries

[Marzman]

Basically a family member was given a Toshiba Portégé M300-101 from work and it's a strange one (1.2Ghz, 1.23GB RAM):D Anyway I added the notebooks MAC address into my Netgear DG834Gv3 configuration and I'm mainly getting a very weak or absent signal. I've posted this here because I don't think it's a problem with the router, as I have a playstation portable which shows the signal at 100%, yet the laptops internet is still intermittent.

Also the battery holds very little charge (a matter of seconds), so I looked up replacement parts and came across the voluntary battery exchange scheme. The little app from the Toshiba website couldn't detect the battery, but upon visual inspection the serial numbers match those that are being replaced. Of course a stupid premium rate phone call is involved, so I was just wondering if anyone else had been through this process and how was it?

[Marzman]

I posted in another forum, and was advised to broadcast my SSID whilst trouble shooting. So I did, then connecting to my network, and entering the network key when prompted (as apposed to manually via settings like I was before) did the trick. I should have remembered having the same issue with my PSP. I’ll post back about the battery replacement later, although I doubt how interested everyone will be.

[Marzman]

I’ll post back about the battery replacement later, although I doubt how interested everyone will be.

The replacement process was pretty straight forward (and efficient with it being directed from Germany). I got the battery detection application to work, it forwarded me to a webpage, where I entered my details and a replacement was quickly dispatched.

The downsides where the communication wasn't brilliant, as I had to email in order to obtain a delivery date, which turn out to be the same day as the reply so that worked out. Also the included literature contained poorly annotated images, which is a minor thing, with the only other being UPS saying they would need to check the old battery upon collection when they didn't and their phone line being premium rate (neither are crucial though).

[Fruss Tray Ted]

Just curious what you had to pay for a battery purchased through that route? In the USA through eBay they can range from $20 US for used, $30 to $45 for new plus shipping. As seen here (M300).

[Marzman]

Just curious what you had to pay for a battery purchased through that route? In the USA through eBay they can range from $20 US for used, $30 to $45 for new plus shipping.

Toshiba where running a couple of voluntary replacement programs (http://uk.computers.toshiba-europe.com/innovation/generic/BATTERY_PROGRAM_2/) and I qualified for the second. I wouldn't have brought an official replacement, as they're always silly money, so all this cost me was a premium rate call to UPS in order for them to pick up the old one (although I think this is also possible on their website).