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Hello I am still dealing with a weird problem that I posted on this forum over a year ago that was never resolved. Basically my tablet is stuck running Android version 4.1.1 (Build JRO03C.US_epad-10.4.4.25-20121228) because if I upgrade to any new versions (whether I do it as OTA or via micro USB) my wifi card stops functioning (it does not see any networks). Anyways I even went so far as to RMA it and Asus said they fixed it, shipped it back to me, but in reality all they did was roll me back to 4.1.1, saw the wifi was working and shipped it back to me saying they "fixed" it. Well of course the second I got it back I installed the OTA and wifi broke again... So I just rolled back to 4.1.1 and said screw it, I just won't update it anymore. Well this week I figured I'd try installing the latest OTA and hoped that this version would not kill my wifi, unfortunately the same exact issue has occurred and thus I have once again rolled back to v4.1.1 and my wifi works perfectly...
TLDR; Anyways apologize for the rant/story but basically I am stuck with using version 4.1.1 of Android and am considering flashing a custom rom to try and resolve some issues I am having with the stock rom's wifi, however the official bootloader unlock tools only say they work on version 4.0 (ICS) or version 4.2 (JB). I'm stuck on v4.1.1 so which tool should I use (or am I out of luck)? Thanks
v7 worked your JB version, but I think v8 will work as well. Just try them both - it's just an app. Either it works or not....
But that is the weirdest thing I've heard in a while (reg. WiFi).
What have you done on your router side? I cannot believe this is a problem with the tablet's wifi card.
Is this 'wifi not working' consistent on any router, any network?
Did you reset the router, change the channel?
Do you have possible interference: microwave, bluetooth speakers, bluetooth enabled or any other device that uses radio waves anywhere in the vicinity of the tablet?
berndblb said:
v7 worked your JB version, but I think v8 will work as well. Just try them both - it's just an app. Either it works or not....
But that is the weirdest thing I've heard in a while (reg. WiFi).
What have you done on your router side? I cannot believe this is a problem with the tablet's wifi card.
Is this 'wifi not working' consistent on any router, any network?
Did you reset the router, change the channel?
Do you have possible interference: microwave, bluetooth speakers, bluetooth enabled or any other device that uses radio waves anywhere in the vicinity of the tablet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks appreciate the reply - I just wasn't sure if using the wrong unlocker could brick my device... I'll give 8 a try first then 7 if necessary. The ironic part is that it requires a network connection to complete the unlock operation (I guess so Asus can cross your S/N forever off of their list of devices under warranty).
I agree that this is a strange problem as I have not seen anyone else report it. Basically I tried resolving this about 13 months ago with the help of this board and as mentioned I finally had to RMA it, but ASUS just rolled the version back instead of fixing anything and at that point I just wanted to enjoy using my tablet more than I wanted to fight with ASUS's customer service reps who effed up the first RMA job (the language barrier was also apparent in my interactions with them)...
Since over a year has gone by since the last time I tried an OTA, I hoped that the latest update would not have the same issues but alas, I'm not that fortunate.
As far as what I've tried - I have tried connecting to different networks and changing router channels and checking for interference, but the thing is, I'm quite certain the problem is with the tablet. When I first had the problem I lived in an apt building where I could 'see' 10+ wifi networks at any given time on all different channels with different routers/security settings etc. As soon as I applied the OTA the tablet could no longer 'see' any of them (even as I sat with my laptop/phone connected to wifi right next to it). I now live in a house (and have a different ISP, and a different router) and tablet works perfectly when on version 4.1.1. I don't have as many wifi networks visible from my house, but can still see a few of my neighbor's wifi networks both on the tablet (v4.1.1) and on other devices. But the second that I upgrade, all of them disappear from the tablet's view (but continue to be visible/work on other devices). I have turned wifi on/off, turned airplane mode on/off, tried connecting via wifi direct, rebooted, cold booted, booted into recovery, factory reset all data, etc. but nothing works because the tablet cannot see any wifi networks. And the second that I rollback to version 4.1.1 the wifi works perfectly... I have upgraded and rolled back probably at least 6 times and it is always the same result.
I do also get another weird side affect when I upgrade - the tablet refuses to turn off when I'm on any version higher than 4.1.1. So if I press "Shut Down", the tablet displays "shutting down" and the screen goes black and becomes non-responsive (as do the buttons, just as you would expect when turning off), but it does NOT actually shut down because if I come back 30 mins, an hour, 2 hours later I can feel it running very hot. The only way to truly shut it down is to let the battery drain...
So maybe a better question on my part would have been, do you think installing a custom ROM will even help resolve this issue? Or should I continue using 4.1.1 and not risk making the situation worse with custom ROMS?
WiFi problems are often kernel related..... Did you always take the update OTA?
Did you ever try to flash the latest firmware version manually? OTA updates do go wrong sometimes....
Although repeatedly???? It's weird. Maybe the server your tablet pulled the OTA from hosts a bad copy????
If you do not want to unlock, manually flashing the firmware would be one thing to try. OTA's patch the existing system, replace old files with new ones where necessary. Manually flashing the firmware replaces everything - a totally new installation of everything: bootloader, recovery, kernel, system and data.
But you cannot make it worse by flashing a custom rom. You unlock, flash a custom recovery (which does not change anything else on your system), then you make a nandroid (backup) of your current 4.1.1 system before you flash a rom. So you would always be able to go back to where you are now. On a custom rom you could even try out different kernels, which often are the root cause of wifi problems..
The thing is: If you want to flash a current custom rom like CROMi-X, based on Asus JB 4.2.2, or CROMBi-KK/CM11 which are KK roms, you always have to update your bootloader first. Your .25 bootloader is too old for any current rom.
You can easily do it once you have a custom recovery installed, but even easier would be to update to the latest Asus firmware 10.6.1.14.10 (after unlocking), then flash the custom recovery (TWRP 2.8.1.0), then flash a rom of your choosing.
Downside of this route would be you wouldn't have that 4.1.1 nandroid I mentioned earlier.....
Nahhh - thinking about it, I would recommend you go this route:
Unlock,
flash an older version of TWRP compatible with your current bootloader (TWRP 2.6.1.0 is ok)
make a nandroid of your current system
do a full wipe of cache, Dalvik and data in recovery
flash the 10.6.1.14.10 bootloader in recovery (I can talk you through it)
flash TWRP 2.8.1.0
flash a rom of your choice
Check out my guide, link in my signature, and let me know if you have questions
Thanks - I was able to successfully unlock my device with v7 of the unlock tool (v8 wouldn't even install). Thanks too for the advice on how to flash a custom rom safely. I've never flashed a custom rom before (have rooted a different android device before tho), so I appreciate any help.
I downloaded the blob file for TWRP 2.6.1.0 from here (techerrata.com/browse/twrp2/tf700t), but not sure how to proceed next, (also I don't see a link in your signature to your guide, but I am running a bunch of script blocking addins so maybe that's why) seems like all the guides I am finding say I need to get a copy of a fastboot program (but don't provide links), where can I find that? Again, I appreciate the help.
Sorry, my bad, I don't have a signature on XDA - wrong forum. LOL
My thread is here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2688891
Ask any questions you may have in that thread, but it should cover your questions - I hope
Hello all,
tl;dr: Location-UK. Rooted MotoG and installed CM11, found that the mobile network connectivity is gone. Flashed EU spec stock 5.0.2, still no luck. Status says Radio is off. What can I do to salvage it? (Still shows the correct IMEI).
Long story:
- I had a terribly slow, practically unusable (GB Retail spec) Moto G running on 5.0. So I decided to roll back to 4.4.
- Unlocked the bootloader successfully, but couldn't root it following the easy procedures listed widely everywhere. In the process, somehow rendered the 'sdcard' storage read-only.
- Rooted successfully using another method specifically written for Lollipop MotoG. A restart after that made the 'sdcard' read-write again.
- Installed TWRP from Playstore and tried backing up the ROM, but after backing up, the phone went into a boot-loop.
- Tried flashing a US Retail spec 4.4 to get out of the boot-loop, didn't work.
- Flashed TWRP via fastboot, pushed CM11 with adb and flashed. Finally it worked!
- But, no network. If I search manually for networks, it throws up an error. Sometimes even the Networks option was grayed out.
- Tried flashing the GB spec radio zip, no change.
- Wiped it all, tried flashing stock 4.4.4 GB retail ROM, it failed for some reason. No idea why.
- Wiped it again, flashed EU retail spec 5.0, it flashed fine, but still no mobile network. Tried with multiple SIMs, and tried reflashing CM11 and 5.0 multiple times; no luck.
- IMEI number is not reset to '0', still shows the correct IMEI, verified it against the battery cover.
Please advise. I would be much grateful! Thank you all in advance.
It's possibly Bootloader corruption - /userdata becoming read-only being a symptom. Bootloader and Kernel are inter-related, and Kernel plays a role in how Radio functions on many newer Android devices.
Flashing another motoboot.img does not appear to resolve this, however the 'Hard Unbrick' method might - once it supports Lollipop Bootloader.
Related: http://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-g/help/how-to-revive-hard-bricked-moto-g-t2833798
EDIT: It might be worth trying custom ROMs other than those based on CyanogenMOD - with possibly differing implementations of RIL/Radio Interface Layer.
lost101 said:
It's possibly Bootloader corruption - /userdata becoming read-only being a symptom. Bootloader and Kernel are inter-related, and Kernel plays a role in how Radio functions on many newer Android devices.
Flashing another motoboot.img does not appear to resolve this, however the 'Hard Unbrick' method might - once it supports Lollipop Bootloader.
Related: http://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-g/help/how-to-revive-hard-bricked-moto-g-t2833798
EDIT: It might be worth trying custom ROMs other than those based on CyanogenMOD - with possibly differing implementations of RIL/Radio Interface Layer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the advice. Do you have any specific ROMs in mind? I tried the stock 5.0.2 back, as mentioned in my OP, but that didn't help. Also tried BissPop ROM to no avail, but that's based on CM12, so that might be the reason. I have just downloaded an Unofficial AOKP ROM. Is that a non-CM one that you have in mind?
I also flashed the UK radio zip multiple times, no luck again. Everything else is working just fine.
hashdoom said:
Thanks for the advice. Do you have any specific ROMs in mind? I tried the stock 5.0.2 back, as mentioned in my OP, but that didn't help. Also tried BissPop ROM to no avail, but that's based on CM12, so that might be the reason. I have just downloaded an Unofficial AOKP ROM. Is that a non-CM one that you have in mind?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was thinking of some of SlimSaber, or Dirty Unicorns.
Tried both SlimSaber and DirtyUnicorns and didn't work. Finally, used this method (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2542219) to reflash to stock 4.4.4 and everything is working fine now. Hurray!
Thanks for all the suggestions and help!
Hi guys,
My girlfriend purchased a brand new Xperia Z3 D6653 not too long ago (about 2 months ago?). I flashed the 5.1.1 pre-rooted firmware for her and it's working fine and all but it does a random reboot every day or so, at random times, with random applications.
I have tried 2 different pre-rooted 5.1.1 firmwares already (yes, the correct model D6653 as well) and it still does it. The System Incident reports don't really say much (in fact you only see details about when it crashed, nothing else), and it seems like Google Play Services is the only thing mentioned in the Application Report.
The same thing also happened (more frequently) when she was on the 5.0 pre-rooted firmware. I'm not sure why, I haven't unlocked the bootloader or anything, it's just stock pre-rooted ROM, that's it. I haven't flashed any other ROMs other than the official pre-rooted ones.
Furthermore, before I flashed the 5.0 and 5.1 firmware for her, the phone came with Android 4.4.4. She used it for a month and reported several crashes as well, so that's with the original factory firmware, unrooted, unmodified etc.
She doesn't run any dodgy or random apps, she's just a typical girl that use Facebook and texting, that's pretty much it. I've done a lot of research on this issue and it seems to be quite common, however there isn't really a solution to this. The same apps she currently use never caused any issues on her older phones.
Also in case anyone asks, the only reason I flashed the pre-rooted 5.1.1 firmware for her is because it makes it easier for me to manage her phone (with Teamviewer, you can remote into the phone as long as it's rooted). Also, I get to backup her phone and do tests etc, makes it easier for me.
Also, I'm not using any custom kernels or overclocking the CPU etc. Everything is just stock but rooted.
Could this be caused by a hardware fault in the phone? I'm not sure what else I can do and would appreciate some suggestions.
Nobody have this issue??
Well, how about you try to flash a full, clean, stock ROM, don't root it, don't install any unnecessary app and see where it goes? If the issue persists, try getting a logcat from the phone and we can take a look at it. If it works fine after returning to stock, there might be a problem with the ROM or some apps you are using.
If it really is Gapps that are causing all the trouble, go to APKMirror and download the latest apps available (Play Services, etc) and see where it goes.
As mentioned already, prior to flashing anything, my girlfriend was running a completely stock, factory version of the phone. It came with Android 4.4.
I could flash a completely stock 5.1 ROM but was hoping that someone would share their experiences or a potential solution to this, considering this is quite commonly asked. I would also like to avoid doing this if possible, because if I were to go back to rooting the device, I'd have to downgrade to v4.4 pre-rooted, then flash to 5.1 rooted with custom recovery. It's just a lot of work for a simple testing that could be answered by others if possible.
Anyway, she didn't have any apps installed other than Facebook and Whatsapp, that's it. I might test with GAPPS and see how it goes, but I thought I'd ask here in case someone knows it's definitely a hardware issue or something else.
i would definitely give a pure stock 5.1.1 a go. I used to get the random reboots on the previous versions but i no longer have such issue.. Make sure you do a clean wipe and do it a few times.
Hi all, it's been a while but I thought I'd post an update and share what I've found/learned so far....
Basically, I'm still getting the frequent random reboots. I've tried reflashing the ROM and also tested out the latest .232 pre-rooted stock ROM, still getting the same issue. I've noticed that other than Google Play Services, sometimes Gapps will crash as well. But most of the time, there's nothing reported in the system or application crash logs. I've tested with everything running as stock, no additional apps installed. I then decided to flash the Minimal GAPPS 5.1.x and that sort of made the phone a bit more stable, but still reboots randomly every now and then.
Later on, I decided to try a custom ROM that still works on a locked bootloader. I found this here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/z3/development/d6603-23-1-1-28-t3102271
The chef has provided a .232 firmware for you to flash in recovery, as well as the ROM base for the D6603 model. Mine is a D6653, but luckily the chef has also provided a D6653 patch for you to flash as well. I've flashed the ROM like so:
1. Wipe everything except my external microSD in TWRP. So basically, wipe system, data, cache, dalvik, internal storage etc.
2. Install .232 firmware.
3. Install v10.5
4. Install v12.0
5. Install D6653 v5 patch
It boots up fine but after using it for a while, I still get the random reboots. What's interesting is that I've also tried without flashing the D6653 patch, which essentially means I'm running just the D6603 base ROM on my D6653. It works, but still crashes as well. I just found it quite surprising that a D6653 could run a D6603 ROM, but it does make sense considering the main differences is just the baseband/frequencies.
Anyway, I later on decided to flash the pure 5.1.1 stock ROM, still getting the crash. Again, everything is tested on pure stock, no additional apps etc installed.
I'm starting to think perhaps this is a hardware issue on my phone?? I noticed that sometimes, my screen will show a bit of tearing and then it'll crash not long after. BUT, I also know that as soon as gapps or google play services crash, the phone will crash not long after as well.....
In fact, I later on used Titanium Backup to convert Google Play Services from a System to a User app, the phone will just boot into the lockscreen and then restart every time. This is a bit ridiculous because I've done this several times on other phones before and they never had such an issue. Of course, I'm not saying I always run Google Play Services as a User app, but that was just for testing and I honestly don't think it should cause a bootloop just because of that. I've also cleared dalvik and cache by the way, so it doesn't make sense that the phone boots into the lockscreen and then just restarts randomly.
I haven't tried uninstalling Google Play Services completely, but at this point I'm back to square one as I've exhausted pretty much all my options and it's been a complete waste of time. I'm beginning to hate this phone more and more. The only thing left is to unlock bootloader and play with other custom ROMs. But yeah, flashing the .232 firmware didn't fix it, AND flashing pure stock 5.1.1 Android didn't fix it either...
Just wondering if others have the same issue and any ideas what could be causing it? If I provide some Logcat logs, would someone be kind enough to look into this for me?
Update:
I'm still getting the random reboots and I think it's very likely to be hardware related. But sometimes also a bit related to software, specifically with Google Play services. I've had more time to test out a few things since my last update, they are as follows:
- Tested complete stock 4.4 ROM without root. Still crashes every now and then, but not as much compared to 5.0 and 6.0 (doesn't matter if it's stock or custom ROM).
- Finally gave in and unlocked bootloader (backed up my DRM keys of course). I thought perhaps that the stock Sony roms (and even the stock-based Sony custom roms) have issues for some reason. They are all the same base, so I thought I'd do a fair test by trying a completely different based rom, such as AOSP. I've used CM 1.2.1 nightly here:
forum.xda-developers.com/z3/development/rom-cyanogenmod-12-nightlies-xperia-z3-t3010201/page117
And yes, I know that nightly have bugs, but the nightly build as of 2016-03-03 seemed pretty stable according to most users. I've tried various other AOSP based roms and stock based Sony roms (for unlocked bootloaders) and they all produce crashes.
I've flashed custom kernels as well and updated my recovery to TWRP 3.0, but all the same results. On all of the custom ROMs I've flashed, the only thing I've done was setup my Google account (so I have my contacts and Gmail) and that was it. No other apps installed. I wanted to limit the environment down to just the stock setup of the ROM itself, as this helps me rule out any potential bugs caused by 3rd party apps.
Having done all of the above and still resulting in crashes, it's safe to assume that this is most likely unrelated to the software, but hardware. I've noticed that sometimes when I scroll a page too fast and move it up and down with my thumb, the screen will freeze and restart.
However, sometimes I will get crashes related to Google Play Services. Anything that relies on Google Play Services will crash randomly. If you re-open the apps, it just crashes again. If you force stop the app and open it, still crashes. The ONLY fix is to restart the phone. I have tried flashing different GaPPs, starting with the pico and nano versions, as well as the ones recommended by the ROM chefs. Still the same result.
So the conclusion is, I haven't really gotten anywhere with this annoying issue. There's definitely an issue with the phone somewhere, maybe a bit of software related, but mostly hardware.
tl;dr - TWRP touch screen won't work after installing custom ROM, much hassle to unbrick, looking for a "bumped" (still not actually sure what that term means) or otherwise modified version of TWRP that won't go haywire when installing a custom ROM.
tl;dr 2 - Also interested in the LATEST "stock-based" ROM recommendations anyone may have... G3 backports or whatever. She needs her Camera to work well but older 4.4.x and 5.0.x OS is missing a lot of new functionality and compatibility with new apps.
I'll just start out by saying that I've figured out just about every way to brick and subsequently un-brick this device that is feasibly possible, and am considering starting a thread specific to those various methods... but that's not what this is for.
This is an issue I've encountered a few times now, definitely on my girlfriend's T-Mobile LG G2 D801 with Lollipop (30B and now again on D801 30C), and iirc, also on KitKat.
I'll explain what I can remember, most of this has been done in the middle of the night after many frustrating hours of attempting various methods... I have to say, this phone has been much more difficult to mod compared to my previous experiences with Samsung and Nexus devices.
I had gotten this device all the way through to CM12 or 13 a year or so ago but recent issues made us decide to attempt to revert back to a Stock-based ROM.
Steps:
1. Root (ioroot / Autorec, can't remember which or for what reason, I have multiple versions of each)
2. Install TWRP Custom Recovery (most recently and successfully using a modified version of the "30B Freedom Tool", although I haven't tried that on 30C - yet.
3. Transfer custom ROM & Kernel to SDCard.
4. Boot into TWRP and install custom ROM & Kernel - most recently GoogleEdition 1.5 and then DorimanX 12.0 Kernel
5. Clear Cache / DALVIK Cache.
6. Reboot device. This is where the trouble begins...
Results: Won't boot into OS at all, instead I end up at the text-based "fastboot" screen, which after multiple tries I can eventually get back into TWRP or into Download Mode.
Once in TWRP after installing custom ROM, the bottom ~1" of the screen won't respond and all other touches aren't accurate... playing with it, I can usually eventually get into some of the TWRP screens, but for most purposes it's about useless.
I managed to restore a backup of the original 30B system image via command line over MTP using ADP TWRP commands, but that bricked the phone in an entirely separate manner where I couldn't access Recovery anymore and the system wouldn't boot at all... I ended up using the LG Update tool to get it up to 30C, and was surprised to find that it still had the restored backup data (apps, pictures, settings, etc), and the phone is now working again, albeit back to stock recovery.
Now, as I mentioned, this isn't the first time I've run into this "phantom touch" issue in TWRP on this device, although the circumstances seem to be a little backwards this time vs when I was taking the device over to CM12/13. I think I remember something about a "bumped" or otherwise modified version of TWRP being out there, but I can't find it now or put my finger on what the changes were.
Has anyone else run into this? I am hoping I've just overlooked something, but days of digging through threads hasn't turned up much.
/edit/ To give you an idea, attached is the folder I've got files stored in... with tons more in Archive and Stock-Based... I've used them ALL at some point. I'd like to get enough info in here to write a Step by Step guide for new owners who are picking these devices up on the cheap, and would appreciate if anyone wants to help out with this!
*SOLVED: see reply*
The ROM I used before was LineageOS [10.0] and used a custom ROM with Android 9 before that. Needed to unlock my phone, and couldn't do that on Lineage, and had troubles flashing firmware with Odin, so I ended up using FrankensteinS6. The Stock kernel seems to let me input the NCK, and unlock the phone. So that's luckily finally over.
For about 4 days now I've been formatting phone and trying again and again. FrankensteinS6 works, some other 6.0/7.0 ROMs work. But LineageOS now enters a bootloop, and Pixel Experience (9.0 and 10.0) and Evolution X 10.0 don't detect the SIM. The ones that don't detect SIM also show no IMEI, which was worrying at first because I though I lost a partition.
Possibly related, the ROM of Pixel Experience Android 10.0 for G920W8 will not install because (paraphrasing) "This device is zeroflte, this file is for zerofltecan, zeroflte***, zeroflte***" claiming that my phone isn't one of those models. I got this S6 from Bell Canada, and I still have even the sticker that says it is a G920W8, not G920F. However, the Pixel Experience ROM for G920F flashes fine (sans the main problem).
I don't know the exact LineageOS ROM I used before, but I've tried all of their 10.0 releases, tried redownloading, and I get the bootloop every time. I see some info online of flashing modem firmware, but... I don't even know where to start with that. As I mentioned at the start, Odin is crapping out. I couldn't flash firmware with it, because it would reject the phone right after I started flashing. Anything I could do within TWRP would be great. I moved it back to FrankensteinS6 for my sanity, I started doing this Sunday and I'm starting to repeat steps over and over hoping that it just solves itself.
I tried to keep this straightforward, and I'm sure I did a bad job. I can extrapolate on what I have attempted. Please tell me what I have to do to get an android 10 ROM working on this old beauty again.
I do not have all the solutions. As per my tests with my SM-G920W8. I have managed to find ROMS and try them out. I have only seen Nougat 7.0 ROMS to work almost flawlessly. NOT 7.1.2, important, 7.0 only.
I have also tested some Pie and v10 ROMS like Pixel Experience. The ROMS boot nicely but since I do not use a SIM card to call as I use SIP phone numbers and require WiFi. But that left asside, I came upon serious camera issues no matter what I try. Up to now, SamStock ROM is pretty much the best Stock ROM I found but I always need to run the Magisk UNINSTALLER before re-installing the latest Magisk version..
As for Kernels, well, Anything that is oriented with Lineage OS, I've had camera issues even with Nougat v7.0. So basically, the only ROMS I found good, as of today, for now, are stock ROMS v7.0. But, to do your tests, Even if you have a 920F ROM, you can download a 920W8 kernel as long as you download a kernel which supports your installed Android version. Also make sure to download the proper Stock or AOSP kernel (AOSP for LineageOS). There's not many but there's a few ones that work properly.
Another option is to download an AOSP ROM that works for W8 phones, unzip the file and grab the boot file inside corresponding to the W8 or T-Mobile version. You simply unzip your real ROM you want top install, replace the boot file for the one you got and rezip it. This made my phone boot properly for some F version ROMS but again, not without issues. That's why, I really suggest v7.0 Srock ROMS. I hope this helps you a bit. Again, you can have your own tests and other users may have other answers, but this is based off over 30 bootloops in my case of trying to mod a ROM for the W8 model. It's not easy to find a good one for Canada, I admit!!!
I flashed TWRP years ago, and I found out that I had a G920F version flashed. I don't know why Lineage allowed me to use SIM before, but rectifying this issue seems to made the SIM work in newer versions.
I don't know what the S6's predisposition to having crashing cameras is, but I have avoided this in the past by using custom camera apps, like Open Camera. This has saved me every time.
As for the boot loops... I think another thing that helped is that "format data" doesn't wipe the OS. When you are in recovery, having issues with bootloops in various ROMs, try advanced wipe, and wipe the system. It didn't fix right away, but the time I got Pixel Experience 10 up and running that was the trick.