WiFi Roaming between AP's - Nexus 5 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I've done some research on WiFi roaming between AP's with the same SSID and posted my findings on the Google Product Forums but I'm hitting brick wall.
Anyone who has any clues on how and why this doesn't work? Here is the link that contains all my finding:
https://productforums.google.com/d/topic/nexus/93GcQ8O75q8/discussion
Situation:
I'm standing next to my WiFi access point downstairs, I have full signal bars and perfect connection. I then move upstairs (2 stories up) and move next to the AP located upstairs.
Expected behaviour:
The phone should notice that the AP it is connected to has very weak signal, barely 1 bar left near -85/-90 db which is hardly usable. On the next background scan it should also find the second AP has much better signal, around -45db and decide to 'roam' to the other AP.
Actual behaviour:
The phone maintains a persistent connection with the AP downstairs for hours and does not 'roam' to the AP upstairs causing bad connection and battery drain.
Anyone any idea's? Can we maybe start a discussion about this issue and get some dev involved maybe who can shed some light on how this is supposed to work in Android?

I have the exact same problem. My 2 accesspoints are both Asus wireless router RT-AC68U. It's very frustrating. I know this is an old topic but maybe there is a solution available? Or is the problem solved with Lollipop?

You could test it and let us know, I no longer have 2 AP's mainly due to this issue.

Same happened to me and i found my fix on an app called Wifi Jumper. It might help you.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.goramart.wifijumper&hl=en
Doesn't matter the SSID, it will just scan for a better signal every interval you set it to in the settings.

Yeah apps like that will do the trick but this is a workaround for the actual issue. The apps are user space whilst wpa_supplicant should deal with this. It will drain more battery than a proper solution.
The solution is quite simple, wpa_supplicant can do this but android does not put the proper directive into the conf file. It will need a code change in the android framework.

I can confirm on the new android lollipop preview my phone jumps to the high WiFi signal in my house. I have Asus ac68u and a airport used a extender and my phone never gets stuck on one signal.

Is it in extender or AP mode? If in extender mode the device does not need to roam, only in AP mode with the same SSID the android needs to actually roam..

The airport is a ap. I just set it to bridge mode in the airport settings so it can pull ips from the main router. They're connected thru a DECA connection. DECA is like moca but using different frequencies on coax wires.

Sounds like the issue is fixed if it roams before fully loosing the signal.
If you have root you could check the wpa_supplicant.conf to see if they have now added a line for the bgscan module. This would complete the theory.

Out of interest, do you have "avoid poor connections" set in WiFi settings?
I do find mine does roam, but I'm not sure if it is down to losing signal completely or avoiding due to poor

Related

Help please, Fuze Wifi issues

Anyone else having trouble with wifi? I have a connection to my home network and have used the 10 digit hex wep key. Even in the same room as the router (Linksys/Cisco), the signal strength is only about 50% and I can't even open a page in Opera.
SSID shows correctly
Mode: Infrastructure
Tx Rate: 54Mbps
RX Rate: 1 Mbps <-- is this the issue?
Channel 1
Advanced status shows: Associated to network.
Any ideas?
hopper13 said:
Anyone else having trouble with wifi? I have a connection to my home network and have used the 10 digit hex wep key. Even in the same room as the router (Linksys/Cisco), the signal strength is only about 50% and I can't even open a page in Opera.
SSID shows correctly
Mode: Infrastructure
Tx Rate: 54Mbps
RX Rate: 1 Mbps <-- is this the issue?
Channel 1
Advanced status shows: Associated to network.
Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bump
A call to HTC yielded nothing. I'm at my wits-end. Just turning wifi makes it almost impossible to load a website, I do better with just my marginal 3G service even though the wifi shows connected. Do you think a hard reset might help??
hopper13 said:
Bump
A call to HTC yielded nothing. I'm at my wits-end. Just turning wifi makes it almost impossible to load a website, I do better with just my marginal 3G service even though the wifi shows connected. Do you think a hard reset might help??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd also reset the wireless router too. Another possibility is there might be compatibility issues between the router and fuze. what router do you use? i'm using a linksys router and it's working fine. Obviously the signal the phone gets isn't as good as my Thinkpad's signal, but it does the job fine. I'm really enjoying this 3G speed, so I don't really use wifi that much - saves power!
only wifi problem i had was when i put in my wep key it rejected it the first time, and when i made it reconnect everything was fine. but at first it said my network was unavail.
Okay, try this - it's what worked for me:
Go to Settings -> Connections -> Wireless LAN.
On the bottom, choose the Power Mode tab.
Move the slider all the way over to Best Performance.
Fixed me right up.
FuzzyLogic_FC said:
Okay, try this - it's what worked for me:
Go to Settings -> Connections -> Wireless LAN.
On the bottom, choose the Power Mode tab.
Move the slider all the way over to Best Performance.
Fixed me right up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yea that worked for me....but this is gonna drain the battery alot quicker right? whay wont it work the other way?
FuzzyLogic_FC said:
Okay, try this - it's what worked for me:
Go to Settings -> Connections -> Wireless LAN.
On the bottom, choose the Power Mode tab.
Move the slider all the way over to Best Performance.
Fixed me right up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I found that in a windows mobile support forum as a stated solution for anothe HTC project and tried it also, it worked!
Thanks!
I'm having problems connecting to a WPA encrypted router and it's driving me crazy.
It just hangs and hangs and hangs, but never connects. If I put in an incorrect pass, or bad info- it immediately will fail to connect, but with the correct info- it will continue to attempt to connect, but never finish.
I've changed it to "Best Performance" but that made no difference.
^ Happened to me also. Turned out that I didn't add the Fuze's MAC address to my router's allowed devices list in wireless security.
I'm having the same problems as OP. I'm using the Fuze straight out from the box and I've tried adjusting the power settings as suggested and still no luck. I've also hard resetted to no avail. Any help is appreciated, thanks.
I don't have any issues with my wireless network, but I don't use an WPA encrypted router.
I have mine set to MAC address, and it work without issues.
I have a WEP encrypted router and it shows that I am connected. Do I need to set something up in settings -> connection -> connection? All I have are Media Net and "Work" listed. Seems like no one else is having this problem =/
I'm having a similar problem with my phone. I set my phone to maximum signal and the battery is just taking a hit. I can barely get a signal although it does work. I can't get the "free" ringtone to download off of their website, but no big loss. Wondering if the 3G/Edge would be a better bet.
Im also having a problem connecting to my network. it shows that im connected but doesnt now connect to the internet in internet explorer and other online apps. ive tryed...
restarting the router.
hard reset.
changing the power settings to high performance.
disabled hidden proxy as suggested on another thread.
exchanged my phone after being suggested by htc.
im using a linksys router. is it a compatibility issue?
this is driving me crazy; why are so many people having this problem?
I dont know if this goes here, but reading your problems, I think mine is a little different.
Where I live, in Mexico, almost everyone has internet service with the same Isp, who gives 2wire dlsmodem/routers with only a 10 digits wep encription (for default), the problem I have is that whenever I try to connect to any router (I've only tried with these) it asks for the wep key, but no matter what I put it always says that is incorrect. I tried disabling the encription and IT DOES work, but I dont control the other routers wich I want to connect to..
Any Ideas?
I am having the exact same problem. I could connect to an unsecured hotspot but can not connect to my WEP protected linksys/cisco router. It appears that linksys/cisco seems to keep popping up in this thread from folks having problem. Out of curiosity what model number of linksys/cisco do you have? Has anyone figured out a solution yet?
Go to configure wireless networks than go to the network adapters tab, click the first one IEEE 802.11 bg .... and make sure its set to user server assigned IP address.
Same problem here! tx @ 54 mbps rx @ 1mbps, and it doesn't change therefore i'm getting about 5meters distance before my connection becomes unstable (WTF). Using WPA2-PSK and set to performance.
P.S. all router incompatible comments are incorrect. There's a spec for .11 b/g and all hardware should be using this therefore it should work it's either a hardware fault or some settings aren't working correctly. BTW for me it's the same prob whether changing the ROM or radio, it doesn't change...
Same problem...never resolved? Fuze $200
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=4213175&postcount=19
Solution
I may have a solution, it worked for me on 3 routers so far and dramatically increased reception over distance and connection stability.
Open your WiFi router settings, go to advanced settings and look for something like Beacon Period. If I got it right, this is the interval between position updates and default setting should be 100.
If you lower this number, it will update your devices position more accurately and get you better stability.
Be warned it will probably marginally increase AP radiation and decrease bandwidth of the wifi connection by a percent or two, however I didn't notice any difference but a huge stability increase.
I am using Beacon Period 50 at home but anything from 50-75 works for me.
Enjoy

Finally got wifi working check this trick out.

FINALLY GOT WIFI WORKING CHECK THIS TRICK OUT.
No need to use airplane mode trick.
Stock phone not rooted.
Download WIFI ANALYZER from market.
1)Once downloaded, open app.
2)hit menu button on phone and select AP list.
3)Do you see your router, press it and should take you to the market to download a program to connect to your router.
After it downloads that follow steps 1 and 2
After step 2 second time around.
4)If Yes press and hold until it says connect to FAKE AP , Or whatever your routers name is.
Enter your password.
5)hit connect and you should be connected now.
Turns your android phone into a Wi-Fi analyzer!!
Shows the Wi-Fi channels around you. Helps you to find a less crowded channel for your.
User Reviews
Excellent app for pinpointing the best channel to set up your WiFi router!!
by Daniel– May 5, 2011
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brilliantly useful tool for reducing / eliminating wireless interference.
by Dane– May 5, 2011
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wonderful tool for checking local WiFi. Managed to boost my signal by selecting a ...
by Robert– May 5, 2011
Wonderful tool for checking local WiFi. Managed to boost my signal by selecting a different channel from all the other local ones.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have also did the same things as the people that reviewed the app.
my favorite WiFi Analyzer is WiFiFoFum for Android. For PC I use InSSIDer (Inside Her, lol)
I've used it back in Windows Mobile days. The cool feature I like is the WiFi Radar, which is cool for finding wifi networks in relation to your position.
It has the same thing like showing various WiFi networks and their dedicated broadcast channels.
Channels isn't something people regularly consider when setting up WiFi networks but it is a huge issue. Having 2 wifi networks with overlapping frequencies will result in serious lag, timeouts, and connectivity issues.
To get technical there are 11 channels (plus some more for 5Ghz bands) but typically you'd have 11. Only Channels 1, 6, and 11 won't overlap each other.
Selecting 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, or 10 will be overlapping a channel somewhere (if you are in a rural area with lots of networks). In my router, I did a wifi analyzer around my house and everyone is using 1, 6, or 11... but the key is finding the less crowded channels with the least amount of signal.
Don't select a channel that has another signal with full bars or you will degrade both of them. When I first bought a house I moved in and had HORRIBLE wifi. I looked and my neighbors are both using Channel 6... and so was I. So I moved to 11 because it was less crowded and everything is great now.
This is standard WiFi 101 but most people just use the defaulted settings which usually is set to 6.
[EDIT]
We are talking about your WiFi Routers... not your Phones. The process above simply states that you should download a WiFi analyzer for testing purposes SO THAT you can program your router properly.
The stock wifi settings connects and disconnects, And never connects.
Thanks for that info +1.
It was a problem with phone not connecting to router. After I did the trick I found out it worked.
Instant wifi connection.
The stock wifi settings connects and disconnects, And never connects.
Yesterday was my first day with wifi working , After this method.
I made this post to help someone out, Suffering from the same problems I was having.
WIFI SETTING MENU
Inside there is a setting to connect to the router. That is the only my phone can connect.

issue: switching between access points in the same wifi network

i'm dealing with this weird issue,
i have set up a wifi network in my home consisting of a router and a repeater,and they have now eliminated the dead spots in my home.
I tested whether mobile devices can switch to the nearest access point when they are moved,while they are connected to the wifi network
laptops switched to the nearest access points as they were moved
unfortunately my arc was not able to...it depended on the same access point as it moved away, even if i keep it next to the repeater it would not pick it's signal.
this would happen the other way around as well if i connect via repeater and bring the phone near the router it would not pick router's signal
any work-a-rounds
HELP!!
Also running doom kernel i had to flash the wifi modules could this have affected in anyway
Sent from my LT15i using XDA
I know this post is a bit old...but a good solution for this issue is Best Wifi:
Description
Do you have a WiFi extender in your home or office, or even a second WiFi Access Point Name (APN)? You do? Then ‘Best WiFi’ is for you!
‘Best WiFi’ is a lightweight application that automatically switches between saved APNs based on their signal strengths. So if while you are pacing in the office or walking around at home, and the signal strength drops below the pre-set level, ‘Best WiFi’ will go through your saved APNs and automatically connect to the one with the best signal at the time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This app works well to switch between different saved SSIDs that are listed in Android and has eliminated the issue of losing connectivity on my home network due to my phone staying connected to a weak signal and losing its ip address/not surfing.
Thank you
Same problem here, but this app does not do make any difference
Useful app, you deserve a "thank you"

Wifi roaming bug is back on S7

I have two wifi APs with the same SSID and it will stick to one of them with next-to-useless connection while standing near the other one. which would have much better connection.
This works fine on my Nexus 9 tablet and even better on my iPad and my wifes iPhone..
I tried some possible workarounds like Always allow wi-fi roam scans but I didn't see any effect.
This fix for SG3 might work but i havn't rooted.
Even more solution suggestions
Doesn't this bother anyone else ?
wifi has a bug in 6.X and its been talked about before.
my problem some times when i want to connect to another wifi it connects for a 1 sec and then drops it
i turn off wifi and back on and it will connect
i'm trying the app "Wifi roaming fix" but i think it causes the wifi to disconnect for a couple of seconds when it switches.
Strange that this seems to be of no interest to anyone. Is there indeed nobody who is using one or more WLAN APs in addition to his/her WLAN router? I can't believe that.
I have two APs (Main router and 2nd router as AP) but not for more coverage, my main router pushes 5GHz wifi, the second AP pushes 2.4GHz for older clients that can't connect to 5GHz
The 5GHz router is placed on a wall in the middle of the house and the entire house has great coverage so no need for more APs
I have more APs in my house with OpenWRT and 802.11r aka Fast Roaming configured and roaming between all my APs is working perfectly with all my devices.
Note 10.1 2014 Wifi, S7 Exynos and all other also.
With APs configured as "normal" ap with the same SSID and key i had the same issue as you mentioned.
I think your phone dont know that it could roam between your two APs.
If you could not run OpenWRT on your APs for 802.11r, you could try to enable WDS on both APs even if your APs connected by wire.

Android Devices Unable To Maintain WiFi Connection

I have four handheld Android devices and, currently, 3 standalone WAPs plus Verizon's FIOS router.
.
None of the four devices can maintain a connection to any of the standalone WAPs or the router for more than a half-second or so: they solicit the PW, Authenticate, connect briefly, and then drop the connection.
.
I normally have only one WAP, but added the two just to make sure the problem was not in the WAP. Ditto Verizon's router, whose WiFi is normally turned off, but turned on now for troubleshooting.
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For the life of me, I cannot think of any changes I have made in the week leading up to the onset of this problem.
.
One of the standalone WAPs is an Orbi Mesh system, but currently with no satellites - the satellites having started to act weird with onset of the problem and therefore having been turned off.
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I also have two instances of AndroidTV running: one on a Sony Bravia TV and the other on an NVIDIA SHIELD box. And, weirdly, both of them are able to hold a WiFi connection - but UNABLE to hold a Ethernet cable connection. Same appearance as the handhelds over WiFi: connection gets dropped, only almost instantly so the screen just kind of vibrates with the connected.
.
If I turn off all standalone WAPs, leaving only the WAP in the Verizon router, the problem persists - with the Verizon router's WAP on channel three and, according to the WiFi Manager Android app, no competing signal sources on channel 3.
.
The problem persists even with the handhelds within 10 feet of the various WAPs.
This started about a week ago. Before that, no problems. And I don't *think* I have changed anything.
Right now, the only thing between me and hiring somebody to troubleshoot the problem is the weirdness of the problem - and the fear that their billing by the hour could cost me too much.
Can anybody point me in some direction?

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