[Q] Weird wifi problem - always scanning never refreshing SSIDs

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uscpsycho

Senior Member
Mar 25, 2011
258
49
I've searched and seen a ton of wifi threads but couldn't find this particular problem.

Something is making my S3 wifi get stuck scanning constantly. This part seems to be a common problem; the weird thing in my case is that even though the phone is constantly scanning it is not refreshing the list of SSIDs. So even though I am home and it is scanning, it doesn't show my SSID or any of the SSID's in the vicinity. It shows a bunch of SSID's which it picked up at some point while I was out and it is stuck on them. Also, when this is happening it doesn't show the "remembered" networks which are not in range. Usually you see all those at the bottom of the SSID list.

If I turn wifi off then back on again nothing changes. It displays the same obsolete list of SSIDs and keeps scanning.

If I toggle airplane mode then the phone actually refreshes the list of SSIDs and it stops constantly scanning. And it shows the list of remembered SSIDs which are not in range.

Keep in mind that updating SSID's isn't totally broken. When I leave the house it's working fine on my home SSID. After I leave it is obviously updating the list of SSIDs for a while but at some point it just stops updating the list but keeps scanning.

Any ideas? I'm stock & rooted 4.3.

I feel like I've posted a million issues in the last few days. I recently got a refurb S3 from Sprint that is a complete POS. My old phone was rock solid until the power button crapped out on me.
 
Last edited:

jdelano

Senior Member
Sep 10, 2010
3,004
1,983
Buford, GA
I've searched and seen a ton of wifi threads but couldn't find this particular problem.

Something is making my S3 wifi get stuck scanning constantly. This part seems to be a common problem; the weird thing in my case is that even though the phone is constantly scanning it is not refreshing the list of SSIDs. So even though I am home and it is scanning, it doesn't show my SSID or any of the SSID's in the vicinity. It shows a bunch of SSID's which it picked up at some point while I was out and it is stuck on them. Also, when this is happening it doesn't show the "remembered" networks which are not in range. Usually you see all those at the bottom of the SSID list.

If I turn wifi off then back on again nothing changes. It displays the same obsolete list of SSIDs and keeps scanning.

If I toggle airplane mode then the phone actually refreshes the list of SSIDs and it stops constantly scanning. And it shows the list of remembered SSIDs which are not in range.

Keep in mind that updating SSID's isn't totally broken. When I leave the house it's working fine on my home SSID. After I leave it is obviously updating the list of SSIDs for a while but at some point it just stops updating the list but keeps scanning.

Any ideas? I'm stock & rooted 4.3.

I feel like I've posted a million issues in the last few days. I recently got a refurb S3 from Sprint that is a complete POS. My old phone was rock solid until the power button crapped out on me.

have you tired a data reset?
just backup first (incase it doesn't work) factory/data-reset, wipe partition cache and dalvik cache.

if it doesn't work you can restore your backup to get back where you are now.
 

uscpsycho

Senior Member
Mar 25, 2011
258
49
have you tired a data reset?
just backup first (incase it doesn't work) factory/data-reset, wipe partition cache and dalvik cache.

if it doesn't work you can restore your backup to get back where you are now.

I haven't tried that. I appreciate the advice but this is usually the first thing Sprint tech support would recommend. I come to XDA for better suggestions ;)

Besides, I can't easily make a backup, I'm rooted but still have stock recovery so no way to make a true backup.
 

jdelano

Senior Member
Sep 10, 2010
3,004
1,983
Buford, GA
I haven't tried that. I appreciate the advice but this is usually the first thing Sprint tech support would recommend. I come to XDA for better suggestions ;)

Besides, I can't easily make a backup, I'm rooted but still have stock recovery so no way to make a true backup.

Absolutely true, though sometimes the easiest and most obvious steps are actually the ones that work. :D

good luck, I hope you find a solution that works for you.