Wifi dropping connections & Hotspot not working

[analias1]

My wifi connection dropps every couple of seconds. It started around 7/21/18 after the July 2018 Android patch update. I am using my home router that I have used for months in the past with *no* problem at all. And there are at least 6 other devices in the house using the same router without any problems. No settings on the router have been changed since it was set up.  I cam currently running Android 8.0.0 on Xperia X F5122. Build 34.4.A.2.97. I have seen multiple reports on the internet with this similar problem but no solution.

In addition, I also notice that my Phone Hotspot has become very eratic and will sometimes not show up at all on my computer. Note that my computer connects to home, work and Starbucks Wifi quickly and reliably, every time, with no recent software changes. Thus I do not think the problem has to do with my computer but rather my phone. I previously used my phone hotspot without problems as recently as last week, thus I think this problem may be related to the update mentioned above.

Sony --- do you have a fix for this???

[Strampke]

In general there are 3 possible causes for your problem, maybe 4

• you installed a misbehaving app recently
  • test by restarting in safe mode
  • possible solution: find the latest installed apps and delete
• your device is messed up with apps and low on memory
  • first try: restart your device
  • better: do a software reset or a software repair
    • first make backups
    • do the repair
    • do NOT put everything back, just save important stuff and install the most necessary apps
    • you will end up with a clean machine
• a mechanical issue
  • contact sony support
• and 4 maybe a wifi issue
  • delete all saved passwords and see if it will behave better

My advise: Don't fuzz too much, don't search, do the software repair with Xperia Companion and regain a phone that acts like new.

[analias1]

Thanks for the suggestions:

• You installed a misbehaving app recently - No apps installed in the last month. And I've deleted the two apps that updated the day prior to me noticing the problme. Did not solve the issue.
• Network settings reset - I tried that. Did not solve the issue.
• Restarting in safe mode - I did that. The issue persists in safe mode.
• Messed apps and low memory - Storage memory is only 30% used, and RAM memory is not overused. The phone has excellent specs too that can handle even resource-intensive apps. That said, i do not use any resource intensive apps eg games, etc; I mainly use this as a business device i.e. google drive, dropbox, whatsapp, browser, calls, texting, etc. Nothing unusual.
• Factory reset - I have been trying to avoid this due to the burden of getting everything back in that I use. It will take me weeks to get back to my usual efficiency.
• Mechanical issue - Possible, but unlikely. The phone has not fallen, submerged in water, rough use, etc. It's still possible but I guess I would have to factory reset first and see if that works.

Thanks for your suggestions. Before I factory reset the device, I will also try wiping the device cache with something like Flashtool and see if that helps.

[Strampke]

Don't be afraid to get your toes wet.

Every now and then I do a software repair.

I make a backup of photos, of Whatsapp, synchronise Google and that's it.

I write down (on a piece of paper) the apps I would miss most.

After software repair Google puts most back in place and even offers me a choice of which apps to reïnstall.

If you want to play it safe then erase your Google account on your phone before doing the software repair.

It is so embarrassing when your phone is blocked because you forgot your password.

The result is a clean and lean machine.

In fact (apart from experiments done by myself) my X as well as my former Z3 Compact have never let me down and have proven to be very reliable.

The only downside I'm facing is that the phone can get hot and I am not very happy with battery life.

Btw I rebuild my Windows install every year around Xmas, operating system on c:, all software installs on d: and all documents on e:. Just wiping c:.

As with the phone I never encountered problems with a lagging device.

[analias1]

So, no luck!

Here is a summay of my efforts so far:

• You installed a misbehaving app recently - No apps installed in the last month. And I've deleted the two apps that updated the day prior to me noticing the problem. Did not solve the issue.
• Network settings reset - I tried that. Did not solve the issue.
• Restarting in safe mode - I did that. The issue persists in safe mode.
• Messed apps and low memory - Storage memory is only 30% used, and RAM memory is not overused. The phone has excellent specs too that can handle even resource-intensive apps. That said, i do not use any resource intensive apps eg games, etc; I mainly use this as a business device i.e. google drive, dropbox, whatsapp, browser, calls, texting, etc. Nothing unusual.
• Mechanical issue - Possible, but unlikely. The phone has not fallen, submerged in water, rough use, etc. It's still possible but I guess I would have to factory reset first and see if that works.
• Factory reset - I have factory reset the device. Did not solve the problem. The phone continues to drop the Wifi connection after "authenticating" with the network, and "connected to network" for around 2 seconds, it drops the WiFi connection and begins searching for wifi networks again. Even a factory reset, has not solved the problem. I am convinced that Sony Software Upgrade 34.4.A.2.97 is a disaster.

This will be the last Sony phone that I own. This company has completely failed to maintain a basic standard for business users which is reliability. I have used Sony Xperia for the last 8 years and have recommended them to countless people; from now on I will ask everyone I know to stay away from this brand. This is a total waste of multiple hundred dollars. A total disaster!

@SONYMOBILE - GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER!

[Strampke]

Now that you have decided to 'drop' your phone, you might try a few more things.

The fact that the problem remains in safe mode and after a reset made me think again.

- WiFi connection disconnect: Only at your home spot or on every every WiFi spot?

- You can try a router reset or change router settings, sometimes the trouble starts there. The fact that you're not the only one suffering can be seen in this article which can be helpfull for you too.

- You can try to do a proper software repair with Xperia Companion instead of a reset.

  (important, do not put everything you backed up back in place, start with a clean machine and only install the most necessary apps)

As I mentioned before: the Xperia X doesn't have outstanding WiFi reception. I tackled it by adding another Wireless Access Point. The bonus is a very good signal everywhere in the house as well as in the garden and the whole family is happy now.

[analias1]

Hi Strampke,

Unfortunately the problem is with all wifi networks - home, work, Starbucks, same thing happens in all cases. Additionally, all other devices at home use the same home network without any problems. Thus I don't think the problem is with my home wifi network/router. In any case I did reset my home router, and that again did not fix the problem. The problem here is not wireless range/reception, the problem is that the phone repeatedly dropps the wifi network after authenticating & connecting, thus going into an endless cycle of connect-disconnect. Wifi is unusable as the connection never lasts mroe than 2-3 seconds before it disconnects and starts searching for networks again to reconnect. And what makes me think that a Software Repair would not work is that I have hard reset my phone back to factory condition and yet the problem persists. There is no user-installed software on it that could be reponsible for the problem. I think the problem stems from the recent July 2018 system update/patch.

I have been relegated to using the phone on mobile data at this point. At least that still works.

Thanks. 

[Strampke]

Sorry to hear that @analias1

Hope one way or the other there will be a solution.

Maybe someone else on this board has a tip or can ask relevant questions.

Still I would try the Xperia Companion software repair and keep it bare boned.