[ISSUE] TouchPad Android Wifi Issue Thread

Search This thread

bobtidey

Senior Member
Jul 5, 2011
257
107
Has there Ben any fix for the wifi issue? I'm almost ready to ditch Android on the tp and get a real tablet.

Which ROMs have you been using?

Several with wifi issues get some relief in one of two ways.

If you have control over router settings, say in a home environment, then it seems to perform better if you can change router channel to a low number (e.g. 1), avoid dual band operation, and use wpa rather than wpa2.

In addition, and if you can't change router settings because the AP is not under your control, then the Cherry Kang CM9 build 0.4.8a incorporates an intermediate wifi fix which seems to perform much better than the standard.

There does also seem to be a better fix in the works but it hasn't been released yet, so I wouldn't give up hope of getting stable wifi on the TP.
 

bobtidey

Senior Member
Jul 5, 2011
257
107
I thought I'd try out CM9 Alpha 1 with the HD video acceleration but not really anticipating any change for wifi as I didn't see any mention of that.

So far it is giving me good wifi connectivity on my problematic work network, at least as good as the wifi fix that was in Cherry and maybe better. I don't know whether it incorporates just the new wifi board driver or whether anything else has changed in that area.
 
Is it Youtube? My Access point? or could it be I'm being throttled by my ISP?

I'm using Alpha 2 ICS as of this morning.
I have Wireless N w/WPA2 set on my router.

My problem with Wifi has been the same with every flash since Alpha 1

I can connect easily regardless of the access point and it won't drop at all.
The issue for me is my main access point in my home and particularly while being on said access point and trying to stream a video on youtube. It takes a very long time for the video to buffer.. and even when it does buffer a few seconds of content it takes a long time for rest of the stream to follow.

Now if I were to connect my Touchpad to either my Google Nexus One or my TMO LG G2x via Tether (Using 4G Data from my Carrier) .. The video stream from Youtube is nearly unterupted.. (which is good right?)

So I'm guessing the problem is not ROM or the Device but maybe its my main access point..

I read somewhere on these threads (Or on RW, TR, CM.. Can't remember exactly where) that I should have the Radio Band set to Standard 20Mhz Channel and the Standard Channel set to Channel 1 @ 2.412GHZ which is what it is currently set to.

Every other connection (Browser, Google Music, Etc Etc..) seems to flow nicely with the exception of Youtube.

So am I going nuts here or am I right to think that maybe my ISP is throttling me?

I'm suggesting the Throttle because this month I streamed pretty much the entire 2 seasons of Battlestar Galactica via Netflix in one weekend.. (Nerdy.. I know.. :D )

EDIT: First I want to apologize, I'm fighting off the flu bug and my brain isn't firing on all 8's currently.
I realized that I should try to stream Youtube Video on my other devices using my Wi-fi access point.
And they are streaming good, so perhaps my problem isn't anything I mentioned above but it's actually the Youtube app on my TP combined with my access point at home because every other device does stream normally.

Sorry.. :eek:
 
Last edited:

Cubicsilver

Senior Member
Aug 23, 2011
54
16
Edmonton
Maybe the streaming performance can be improved by tweaking some of the buffer size settings.

Try adding this to the build.prop

Code:
net.tcp.buffersize.wifi=4096,87380,256960,4096,16384,256960
 

mrcpu

Senior Member
Dec 26, 2008
228
30
I know Ii posted about my wi-fi issue before, but it has gotten totally out of control.

The worst part is that I can't come up with a reasonable explanation...

Using xron, it was solid for weeks. Then a week. then a couple days, then a day. Last night, I could only watch about 10 minutes of netflix, then it would drop. turn wifi off/on, it would get an address, work for about another 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, every other wifi device in the house is working just fine.

I could understand it if it was consistent, but this "degradation", w/o changing wls settings, or updating software is the part that puzzles me.

Anyway, nothing useful to contribute, just waiting patiently.

As soon as netflix works on ICS, I'm there.
 

bstevens23

Senior Member
Jun 25, 2011
205
96
I'm using Alpha 2 ICS as of this morning.
I have Wireless N w/WPA2 set on my router.

My problem with Wifi has been the same with every flash since Alpha 1

I can connect easily regardless of the access point and it won't drop at all.
The issue for me is my main access point in my home and particularly while being on said access point and trying to stream a video on youtube. It takes a very long time for the video to buffer.. and even when it does buffer a few seconds of content it takes a long time for rest of the stream to follow.

Now if I were to connect my Touchpad to either my Google Nexus One or my TMO LG G2x via Tether (Using 4G Data from my Carrier) .. The video stream from Youtube is nearly unterupted.. (which is good right?)

So I'm guessing the problem is not ROM or the Device but maybe its my main access point..

I read somewhere on these threads (Or on RW, TR, CM.. Can't remember exactly where) that I should have the Radio Band set to Standard 20Mhz Channel and the Standard Channel set to Channel 1 @ 2.412GHZ which is what it is currently set to.

Every other connection (Browser, Google Music, Etc Etc..) seems to flow nicely with the exception of Youtube.

So am I going nuts here or am I right to think that maybe my ISP is throttling me?

I'm suggesting the Throttle because this month I streamed pretty much the entire 2 seasons of Battlestar Galactica via Netflix in one weekend.. (Nerdy.. I know.. :D )

EDIT: First I want to apologize, I'm fighting off the flu bug and my brain isn't firing on all 8's currently.
I realized that I should try to stream Youtube Video on my other devices using my Wi-fi access point.
And they are streaming good, so perhaps my problem isn't anything I mentioned above but it's actually the Youtube app on my TP combined with my access point at home because every other device does stream normally.

Sorry.. :eek:

I had this problem last night. HD worked fine, once it buffered. I went into the YouTube app and cleared cache and data, closed any browser applications I wasn't using and restarted YouTube. It seemed to work better and after a few videos the buffering was back up to speed.

Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
 
  • Like
Reactions: tekrhino

Cubicsilver

Senior Member
Aug 23, 2011
54
16
Edmonton
Have you tried setting a static ip address?

I was suffering from a similar problem, my wifi wouldn't stay connected -- or it would show as connected and simply lose throughput.

I messed with all sorts of settings, and it never occurred to me to try a static ip.

So I let my touchpad connect to the wifi at my work, went into wifi settings, held my finger down on the work access point, selected modify, then chose static ip. I left the settings that dhcp assigned and just hit ok. I have had a solid connection for about 5 hours now.

I would imagine that if you were doing this on your home router you would want to assign an ip address outside your networks range or towards the end of it to avoid ip address conflicts. e.g. if your router's dhcp range is 192.168.1.100 - 192.168.1.150, pick a static ip 192.168.1.50 or closer to 150 depending on how many devices connect to your network.
 
Maybe the streaming performance can be improved by tweaking some of the buffer size settings.

Try adding this to the build.prop

Code:
net.tcp.buffersize.wifi=4096,87380,256960,4096,16384,256960

is there a particular line on the Build.prop file where this new line would be inserted?

I'm asking because there is no such line on my build.prop

I'm running alpha 2

:cool:
 

Neejay

Senior Member
Jul 29, 2009
1,016
148
Atlanta, GA
Has there Ben any fix for the wifi issue? I'm almost ready to ditch Android on the tp and get a real tablet.
Yep, I'm about ready to just sale mine...especially since this appears to be hit or miss between TP owners (not ROM specific, per my experiences).

Maybe the streaming performance can be improved by tweaking some of the buffer size settings.

Try adding this to the build.prop

Code:
net.tcp.buffersize.wifi=4096,87380,256960,4096,16384,256960
Has this been working better for you?
 
Last edited:
It doesn't matter where you put it really. I have been using the build.prop editor app, and it seems to drop it at the bottom.

Well, it didn't work for me. I added the line at the bottom of the build prop file, rebooted. The device showed as connected to the web but nothing would load. So I reverted.

Thanks anyway.

It's strange though, when I tether the Touchpad to either of my phones data connection the stream on youtube is near prefect.
 

dahauss

Senior Member
Jul 20, 2008
1,150
13
We really need a stable wifi driver. I really don't use my tp to much because 99% of the time wifi isn't working.

Sent from my EVO4G using Tapatalk.
 

bobtidey

Senior Member
Jul 5, 2011
257
107
We really need a stable wifi driver. I really don't use my tp to much because 99% of the time wifi isn't working.

Sent from my EVO4G using Tapatalk.

If you have control over your main wifi access point then you can probably get reasonable results by selecting channel 1, WPA, and single band operation.

Where you can't do better then the Cherry Kang ROM had an intermediate fix in which improved wifi performance significantly for quite a few people including me.

I am also getting similar performance to the Cherry Kang ROM with CM9 Alpha 2 so I suspect it may also have this improvement in but can't be sure.

There are some other drivers kicking around which look as if they will be a better match to the Touchpad but I don't believe the work has not been finished to integrate those.

If you say what ROM you are using, what your wifi symptoms are and what Access point you are connecting to then we can try to offer some more specific advice.
 

biggggant

Senior Member
Jan 23, 2007
207
22
Jacksonville
I found a solution that works for me. My router has a guest network feature that I use with wep that I keep running just case I have a device in the house that doesn't like wpa2. Using wep also forces a g network instead of an n network and my touch pad has been rock solid on my guest network. So hopefully that info helps others out there.
 

katiepea

Senior Member
Apr 28, 2010
854
169
Los Angeles
I have this issue also, didn't exist on alpha0 for me, has happened ever since, it is solved easily for me by opening settings and turning wifi off, waiting 10 seconds and back on. It doesn't work for me doing it from the status bar, I have to open the wifi tab in settings directly, so strange i wish channel 1 was a reasonable solution for me, i live in an apartment, channel 1 gives me the worst results in testing, mostly because of the limited spectrum it offers, and i'm guessing other people are on 1 2 or 3, so i keep mine around 8 or 9. this issue is annoying, and i don't get why it exists, if it's solvable by turning wifi off/on it should really fix itself, it's strange because it'll boot up, wifi on, and see the network, just not connect, what i don't get is why it appeared later and not at first. anyway, i'm willing to bet it will be fixed.
 
Last edited:

dahauss

Senior Member
Jul 20, 2008
1,150
13
It better be as my tp isn't useable with out a fix. Every tp Android ROM I tried has this issue.

Sent from my EVO4G using Tapatalk.
 

Mgamerz

Senior Member
May 9, 2011
758
128
mgamerzproductions.com
My touchpad hates connecting to wifi but recently its been better...

Sent from my Motorola Atrix 4G using Tapatalk on AT&T, the company that disappoints me so much that I have to use my tapatalk signature to tell everyone
 

Top Liked Posts

  • There are no posts matching your filters.
  • 5
    This thread is intended to be a gathering point for all wifi issues on Android Touchpad ROMs.

    Having a separate specific issue thread for this will serve several purposes.

    • Avoid wifi issues getting lost in the more general Touchpad ROM threads.
    • Allow issues common to wifi operation on all the different ROMs to be concentrated in one thread.
    • Reduce annoyance to those who are currently enjoying good wifi operation and who see repetition in the issues being aired.
    • Make it easier to report tests and experience on different set ups and as new drivers / ROM integrations appear.
    • Make it easier for users with questions to see if it has been asked before.

    Background
    Wifi operation on Android Touchpads currently is a hit and miss affair. Some users report flawless operation regardless of access point. Others can get stable operation with careful set up and / or choice of access point but problematic operation on access points over which they have no control. Others still fail to get conditions right for any form of stable operation.
    This is in comparison with WebOS based operation where the problems seem to be much fewer. Probably most of the explanation for this difference is the current lack of suitable drivers integrated into the ROM environment. Hopefully this will be fixed at some point and there are some encouraging signs already that improvements are possible.

    Factors affecting operation
    There are several factors which could potentially affect the wifi performance with Android Touchpads including the type of Access point, the set up of the Access point, the local signal strength and interference conditions, variations in Touchpad hardware build, and how the ROM software has been installed and set up. A key factor on top of all these is the wifi drivers used and how they are integrated.

    General advice
    Until the fundamental performance is improved the end user of the Touchpad can do some things to help get better performance particularly if they have control over the Access point. Typically this will be in the home situation. Possibilities for adjusting setting for work or public access points tend to be small or non-existent.

    Note that not all suggestions work for everybody affected so you have to be prepared to experiment a little to see what may work for you.

    The primary suggestions I offer that worked for me in my home situation is to lower the channel setting on the router to Channel 1 even though for me that was worse from a local interference point of view. Other suggestions include avoiding dual band operation and experimenting with security settings (like using WPA instead of WPA2).

    Posting
    Please post to this thread if
    • You want to ask Android Touchpad wifi specific questions including problems you are encountering
    • You can answer Android Touchpad wifi specific questions posted here
    • You have reports on specific problems that may help resolve wifi issues
    • You have suggestions on how to improve operation in the short term with existing drivers
    • You have reports on new driver operation either better or worse.

    Please also include the ROM and version used in any specific reports. Although wifi issues have been present on 2.3( e.g CM7) and 4.0 (ICS) the focus for development is now firmly on ICS and that is where improvements are likely to be made.

    It is unhelpful at this stage just to post here that you do not have any wifi problems unless you have some specific advice on how that can be generally applied. We already know there are many who enjoy good wifi performance.

    Currently I am using CherryKANG 0.2a which does have some experimental new drivers in and for me gives much better performance.
    5
    That was only a preparation for a new driver which yet still has to come. New driver ath6kl, old driver (and still in use) ar6000.
    So no fix yet for wifi :(

    these are the drivers that fixed wifi for me on nightlie version from yesterday:
    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/37682542/update-ath6kl-v3.0-for-20120509-signed.zip
    3
    Until today I could not connect to my home network without forgetting it and reconnecting, and my uni's network has been almost completely unusuable (on CM9, whereas webOS has been great).

    Attempts to manually change locale/region in various ways have all failed.

    adding "ap_scan=2" to data/misc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf fixed the problem with my home router. Hoping it will work at uni as well.

    If you have wifi trouble, if nothing else can help, and if you're bored, maybe you can set ap_scan mode to 2. This mode seems to be appreciated by some of the more frustrating/crappy drivers out there. If it works, let us know! Maybe try ap_scan=1! Good luck :)
    2
    Clearing /data/misc/wifi and rebooting makes my touchpad connect to the router without any hesitation, I guess it is similar to forgetting and rebooting(but haven't tried that)

    ROM: 0.2a Kang