Wifi connection problem

[willsdca]

Same issue

Having the same issue with my WRT160N v3. Based on what I've seen here I'm changing mine to 20Hz/40Hz and making the SSID all lower case. I'll report back tonight when I'm home and have a chance to test. This has been irritating since it WAS working fine for weeks.

And the issue is, using WiFi out and about we won't have the option to change the SSID names. Hopefully the 20/40 fixes it by itself.​

My Verizon Galaxy Nexus was working find with my Cisco WRT160Nv3 router/wireless until last night. All day today it was giving me a failed to Authenticate message. All other devices I have are working fine with the wireless.

After banging my head against the wall for most of the day, I ran across this thread. Based on PowerJoe's post above, I looked hard at the SSID/name of my wifi. It was named AbcdXyz (not a real SSID, but the format is correct. Notice the two capital letters in the SSID name)

I changed the name to have no caps (i.e. abcdxyz).

On some other posts, outside this forum, the chanel frequency had also been mentioned. My router channel width was set to: 20MHz. I switched the channel width to a setting of: auto(20MHz or 40MHz)

The combination of these two changes seems to have fixed the issue. Time will tell if it losses connectivity again and if it does I will post.

For now, you may wish to try this if you are having issues with WiFi authentication with your Galaxy Nexus.

I hope this helps someone!

 

[lfireboltjd]

Hi there, figured I would try and give some input as well. I ran into this same problem and tried a few things. None of which worked on their own.

I made the SSID one word with only a leading capital. I changed the frequency to auto. We are running a linksys router as well and it is modified with DD-wrt. Im not sure if this problem is only with these routers or what but I am finally able to access my network in a reasonable fashion.

It did take a while for the phone to fully connect up it seems though. Not sure what started causing these issues but i hope they fix them. May have to go to a custom rom if they dont.

 

[nleksan]

I get sporadic WiFi performance regardless of what I do, and I have tried EVERY SETTING COMBINATION POSSIBLE. It has been fine for a few days, but before that: no wifi for a week. I have the following routers: Asus RT-N63 N900, Linksys E4200(and v2), Linksys WRT310N, 2x Linksys WRT54G (DD-WRT and 8dBi omni-antenna's), 2x Amped Wireless routers (1 is 600mW TX power and the other 1000mW TX Power), and I have also had issues with the routers used at school, work, and at my girlfriend's (I got her a WRT54G and flashed it with DD-WRT). School routers are Cisco and while I can't remember the model I do remember looking it up and they cost over $2k a piece, and at work we have an insane amount of money invested in wireless (due to crazy security, necessary at a BioChem Engineering and Pharma company).

Believe me, if it's possible, I have tried, and it's like the phone has a mind of its own. Things will go great and I'll see >150Mbps speeds for a week, and then I'll lose my signal and get nothing, anywhere, even after factory reset, for the next week. I'm pulling my hair out!

 

[dezymond]

nleksan I would try to get a new nexus if I were you. Yours seems wackier than even ones that have gone in for an exchange.

 

[nleksan]

nleksan I would try to get a new nexus if I were you. Yours seems wackier than even ones that have gone in for an exchange.

Oh, I have tried...and tried...and tried... Even with a "Lvl2 Tech Support" gentleman having written in my "file" that: "Customer is to receive a BRAND NEW IN BOX (NOT REFURBISHED!!!) Samsung Galaxy Nexus, per Corporate, and is to continue to receive BRAND NEW units until he receives one that is 100% functional - this exchange can be carried out at ANY Verizon Wireless Corporate Store by any Verizon Sales Associate or Manager. All replaced units will have an indefinite warranty period so as to eliminate the possibility of a second/third/etc non-functioning device".

The extremely awesome tech support guy wrote that in my "file" after the THIRD TIME I WAS DENIED A NEW PHONE WHILE UNDER WARRANTY! I was offered a BNIB RAZR or Rezound but was told "Under absolutely NO CIRCUMSTANCES are you EVER going to get a replacement Nexus... That's just how it is, I'm not changing the rules for you, so either deal with the unit you have now or TRADE UP to a device that actually works..." - I am not exaggerating. It was after that experience that the Tech Support gentleman told me he had authority over any salesperson or in-store manager when it came to device refunds/exchanges, and that now that he has it in my billing file, it will not be ignored.

IT HAS BEEN IGNORED.

(all of that happened within the 30-day holiday warranty I was given when buying the phone on Dec15/2011)

 

[nleksan]

Quick Update:

I have been testing my phone with a Linksys WRT300Nv1 (for consistency and because it's a single-band router) running the latest version of DD-WRT.

Over the past two weeks, my phone's ability to grab and hold a Wi-Fi signal has gone down by probably 30%... No changes to the router, and all other devices (as many as 12) have seen ZERO changes when I hand-them-off from the main router to the WRT300Nv1 (as in, they always have the same signal strength in "bars", -dbm, and Speedtest.net speeds). However, my Galaxy Nexus does not! While other devices are grabbing a 54Mbps connection speed from 50ft away, my Galaxy Nexus gets 28Mbps IN THE SAME ROOM from 8ft away! With all devices set to "N"-only, others will be sitting at 130Mbps while my Nexus sits at 48Mbps (same distances).
I have managed to increase signal strength by 10% after upping my router's Tx Power to 95mW (from 71mW) but now I have to have my router sitting on two 2x4s with a 180mm 215cfm industrial fan sitting on top of the router and blasting cold air through it in order to prevent it from overheating.... All for an extra 5ft of range...

I can't for the life of me figure out what is going on!!! Also, the Galaxy Nexus is the ONLY device connected to this router (except when testing others' connectivity) for consistency's sake. Everything else is running off a combo of Asus RT-N66U + multiple repeaters/AP's...

I am going crazy here!

 

[R850R]

Nleksan...thanks for the update.

My gnex also started losing wifi at work...flat out won't connect. Can't rename the router at work. Based on your findings, I'm leaning towards the device itself.

I had a horrible day yesterday with vzw cs. Sure enough, the wifi works in there store...8 inches away from their device. I showed them that it would lose it with more distance. Connected, excellent signal...still grey and no data. They tikd me that was normal and that my device is working fine.

I'm calling BS. I don't know if this is hardware or software related. I doubt I will wait for 4.0.? Whatever because it's vaporware. Really want a differnet device at moment...

 

[work4noone]

wifi connection problems with samsung nexus on linkys router....

My son was having this same problem with his samsung nexus on sprint network. i use an E1000 linksys router and was baffled that it would not connect. long story short, i ended up adding his MAC ID to my "wireless MAC filter" and it started working fine. has been connected since with no additional problems. So; all you LINKSYS router users, keep that in mind to add the MAC address for any android phones that have trouble connecting to your wifi.

good luck..

My Verizon nexus is having problems establishing and maintaining a wifi connection. First 2 days it was fine. Now it will state that it is connected via wifi and gives an IP address but the wifi indicator is grayed out (with 4 or 5 wifi bars ) and it will not receive any data. I have 2 different routers; same issue with both. Security is WPA2 PSK, and the correct password is entered. All other wifi devices on the network work fine. Both are Linksys routers (54G flashed the most current firmware). When I turn wifi off and then on again, the wifi indicator will briefly turn blue when I turn wifi on, but will gray out again within a second or two. Airplane mode on/off does not help. I have powered the phone on/off etc with no help. I have tried forcing the 2.4 mhz vs 5 mhz selection and that does not help. I am not going to flash anything since I don't want to screw up the warranty if I have to return it.


The 3G and 4G data seems to be fine. I have unlimited data so I don't mind that much but I do want to be able to use wifi.

There is a thread on XDA-developers forum describing this but I wondered it anyone else here has noticed it here.

Two Major Issues with teh Galaxy Nexus: Wifi drops and multitouch failing at times - xda-developers

 

[work4noone]

wifi connection problems with linksys router and android phone

try adding the MAC address of your phone to your router software's 'wireless MAC filter'. might resolve the issue for you.

 

[nleksan]

Thank you for the tip about the MAC Address Filtering, although it is something that I have already tried to no avail :/ I have been messing around with DD-WRT and I am pretty sure I have changed EVERY possible setting at some point and nothing seems to make much of a difference. It would be nice to be able to stay connected to just one router, considering the known issues with WiFi hand-offs these phones have making my current setup of multiple repeaters/AP's less-than-ideal for maintaining a consistent connection as I walk across the house. (*NOTE* While doing this testing, I turn off my primary network so as to prevent as interference; even though my primary network runs on different channels, 11+7 for 2.4ghz and of course the 5ghz channels, while the WRT300Nv1 I am using as a test-bed for my phone is set up on 2.4ghz Ch1+5 and does not utilize the 5ghz spectrum; also, my house cordless phones operate at 6.8ghz or so, my microwave is shielded, and there are no other potential disturbances that have not been accounted for)
I am constantly fiddling with, tweaking, adjusting, and even upgrading/replacing my "primary" network as well, so by having one centrally-located router that is powerful enough to reach my phone (at a minimum 18Mbps connection) anywhere in the house is a very valuable thing to me. That was the goal with the WRT300Nv1 + DD-WRT, and while it seemed promising, I don't know how much further I can push it.
Currently, I have the Transmit Power increased all the way up to 105mW on the router, which is a ~300% increase over stock and a 45% increase over DD-WRT's initial Tx settting for my router's firmware configuration. I have plenty of experience installing upgraded antennas on routers but this particular model does not have detachable ones, so I am limited there.
To give you an idea of how hard my router is cranking out it's signal, my average -dBm rating via the laptop I am using now (that sits 9ft away from the router) has gone from -34dBm to -19dBm with the increase in Tx Power; my Galaxy Nexus has not. I am willing to try up to 150mW Tx Power, but considering I already have a DC Box Fan sitting on top of the router blowing down through the perforated "vents" and out through the bottom vents while the router sits up on 2 pieces of 2x4 to allow adequate airflow beneat it (the fan is the kind used to cool rackmount servers or high-end audio gear, the latter being its normal use in my home; 175x175mm square, 58mm deep, has a steel casing (powdercoated black) with aluminum grills, and is rated at 187cfm). That is keeping it cool for now, but when I turn the fan off it heats up fairly quickly, so I am considering spending $20 or so to get a set of EnzoTech 100% Pure Copper Heatblocks that would mount onto the router's heat-generating components and provide almost 100x the surface area for heat dissipation, and maybe even installing 2x 40mm chipset cooling fans inside the router due to the noise of the fan I'm using now.

Sorry for the novella.. Point is, I am getting more and more sure that this WiFi issue is something inside the phones, not the network surrounding them!

 

[bzerker]

I have almost the exact same issue, with almost the exact same equipment. I am running three Linksys WRT310N's with DD-WRT, and cannot get neither my Droid Razr nor my wifes Droid 4 on the home network. They both connect, exchange keys and get IP addresses, but no happy 'blue' bars. My SSID started as one word and no capital letters, so no change needed there. I have disabled security, assigned a static IP to the MAC address, and added it to the DMZ. I find it curious that I cannot bring up the routers administration page, even though the phone says I'm connected. Hopefully someone can figure something out.

Edit: And of course as soon as I post this I think to check the DD-WRT forums... and find my solution. All I did was uncheck both "use DNSMasq" settings and BAM, instant blue happy bars.

 

[nleksan]

bzerker: THANK YOU for the tip! I will try it now and report back as soon as I have any "findings" :biggrin:

 

[nleksan]

UPDATE:

I just rooted my Nexus (THANK YOU WUG!!!), and it has gone painlessly thus far (install drivers, backup, bootloader unlock, root, CWmod, ROM Manager, CWmod, and I am currently doing a backup via ROM Manager after which I will be getting my apps/contacts/etc all back on my phone).

I had been holding off on doing this for quite a while, but I have been so frustrated with some things (i.e. WIFI) that I finally took the plunge! I don't know if I am ready for a custom ROM yet or not, but Android Revolution looks pretty nice

WILL LET YOU KNOW HOW/IF THIS AFFECTS MY PHONE's WIFI CAPABILITIES

 

[thorntcl]

Update nleksan?

UPDATE:

I just rooted my Nexus (THANK YOU WUG!!!), and it has gone painlessly thus far (install drivers, backup, bootloader unlock, root, CWmod, ROM Manager, CWmod, and I am currently doing a backup via ROM Manager after which I will be getting my apps/contacts/etc all back on my phone).

I had been holding off on doing this for quite a while, but I have been so frustrated with some things (i.e. WIFI) that I finally took the plunge! I don't know if I am ready for a custom ROM yet or not, but Android Revolution looks pretty nice

WILL LET YOU KNOW HOW/IF THIS AFFECTS MY PHONE's WIFI CAPABILITIES

How's the WIFI working now nleksan? I'm running into similar problem with my nexus. I have no problems with WiFi at home, but my work WiFi is not working. connected but grey bars... at home I have a cisco WRT600N and that works fine so I know WiFi works fine with the phone. However I am trying at work and it will connect, but no happy blue bars, just the dreary grey bars

 

[nleksan]

Well, it was a rough start, I'll be honest... It was WAY WORSE initially...

However, I can honestly say now that I have finally gotten my phone to get a GOOD WiFi signal, particularly since going from GummyJarNexus 0.9.x to 1.2.0 (and all the ones in between). 1.2.0 has increased my signal strength substantially; I don't know why, but it has... I would say I average about double what I was before, and I have never noticed my phone "handing off" between my main router and my Wireless Bridge, yet everywhere in my house I get AT LEAST 2/4 bars (although I have to try to get under 3, even in my basement on the opposite side of the house from the main router I can pull 18Mbps down and 2.25Mbps up (actual)! Considering the WRT300Nv1 is on the second floor, there are 1-2 walls between the main router and the wireless repeater bridge and another 5-6 walls between the bridge and that spot in my basement (95ft point-to-point), and considering the automatic halving of speed by using a repeater (even if it is a bridge), I am impressed!

I DO still lose the blue bars from time to time, but the longest its lasted with 1.2.0 was 30min, and that was a fluke it seems as the 2nd longest "grey time" has been MAYBE 2 minutes...

I highly recommend GummyJar Nexus if you're having WiFi issues! PM me and I'll send you the DL Link for the ROM and the proper GAPPS (or I can email/SkyDrive/DropBox/Box you the files!).

Hope things are going better for you!