Help Wifi won't turn on, and after factory reset data refuses to work too

[stilinskii]

Hi everyone, I haven't really used a forum since grade six so I'm probably messing up on etiquette and so on, but I've looked everywhere for a solution to this problem and keep ending up back at start, usually more screwed than I was to begin with.

About a week ago, my phone updated, and then within the next day or two my wifi stopped turning on. The icon in the drop down menu will flash green like it's trying to turn on, and then ultimately fail me. Same if I go into my settings and use the switch. It's green for a moment and then greys back out to the OFF side. So, after about a week of putting up with this and using a good half of my gig of data, I decided I couldn't wait anymore.

I tried clearing the cache partition, which helped with my overall phone performance but didn't solve my wifi issue. I was really hesitant to factory reset my phone seeing as it is pretty much my life line at the moment, being sick and holed up in bed for almost two weeks now, moving to a new apartment next week and also expecting our first child--I kind of need my phone and there was so much that could potentially go wrong if my phone is as f-u-c-t as it's been.

So after the factory restore, phone acts like normal, except now my data won't work. I've tried going to the Google Play store, it won't connect, I've tried both Chrome and the internet browser androids come preinstalled with, and still nothing. Everything internet related refuses to work.

So, I'm at a loss. I'm not sure if it could have something to do with an SD card error I had for a few weeks before this? I had to get a new SD card. But my SD card works now and my phone's still pulling it's spiel so I honestly don't think it's connected.

I'm probably going to take it to Sprint within the next few days but any advice would be a godsend right now.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, everyone.

 

[Jfalls63]

If Sprint S3 has a sim card you could try removing and reinstalling it. Check your APN settings and in Settings-About Phone, check IMEI information to see if corrupted. You can compare number with what is listed under battery.

 

[svim]

OK so you've already done some of the things most of us would do like clearing the cache and even the dreaded factory restore but your S3 still has a big problem with just connecting to the Internet. Initially I was wondering about your home wireless situation but since you're also having a problem with even a cellular connection that's real puzzling. Assuming that both your WiFi and cellular were pretty stable before the update, I'm wondering if there's just some kind of conflict going on between your updated Android OS and some random app or utility that's already installed previously. Maybe try booting your S3 in 'safe mode' so it's just running without any of the things you've been adding to your phone since you've had it.
-- Power off your phone.
-- Now start it up again pressing the Power button.
-- As soon as you see the 'Samsung' logo, press and hold down the Volume Down button (on the left side of your phone).
-- Continue pressing that Volume Down button until you see the screen fill up, it'll have the words 'SAFE MODE' in the bottom right corner.

Your Home screen will probably look pretty sparse in Safe Mode but at this point when you check your drop down menu at the top, do the icons for WiFi and Mobile data light up green or are they still greyed out?
To get out of Safe Mode just restart your phone.

 

[svim]

If Sprint S3 has a sim card you could try removing and reinstalling it. .

I don't think they have a SIM. Sprint phones are CDMA and don't use SIM cards.

 

[stilinskii]

If Sprint S3 has a sim card you could try removing and reinstalling it. Check your APN settings and in Settings-About Phone, check IMEI information to see if corrupted. You can compare number with what is listed under battery.

My IMEI number doesn't match the one under the battery, but yeah, Sprint doesn't do SIM cards, or if they do mine doesn't have one.

OK so you've already done some of the things most of us would do like clearing the cache and even the dreaded factory restore but your S3 still has a big problem with just connecting to the Internet. Initially I was wondering about your home wireless situation but since you're also having a problem with even a cellular connection that's real puzzling. Assuming that both your WiFi and cellular were pretty stable before the update, I'm wondering if there's just some kind of conflict going on between your updated Android OS and some random app or utility that's already installed previously. Maybe try booting your S3 in 'safe mode' so it's just running without any of the things you've been adding to your phone since you've had it.
-- Power off your phone.
-- Now start it up again pressing the Power button.
-- As soon as you see the 'Samsung' logo, press and hold down the Volume Down button (on the left side of your phone).
-- Continue pressing that Volume Down button until you see the screen fill up, it'll have the words 'SAFE MODE' in the bottom right corner.

Your Home screen will probably look pretty sparse in Safe Mode but at this point when you check your drop down menu at the top, do the icons for WiFi and Mobile data light up green or are they still greyed out?
To get out of Safe Mode just restart your phone.

I should have been more specific about the wifi issue--all of the other phones and laptops on the network connect with no problem, and there's about three phones and three laptops connected at any time. I tried messing around with the router for a while and came up with nothing conclusive, I couldn't even manually connect my phone to it. Even tried kicking the other devices, thinking maybe it was overloaded in a sense.

I tried starting it in safe mode before I restored it and it didn't help, and then again after, and still nothing. I'm pretty much at a loss and I'm not sure if even Sprint's going to be able to do anything at this point.

Thank you for your time and help, guys, anything further would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Jfalls63]

Never had a Sprint phone so wasn't sure on the sim. The IMEI could be a issue with data connection. S3's kinda glitches sometimes and corrupts IMEI on factory reset or flashing new rom. If you got the phone new and never had motherboard replaced the IMEI should match what is under battery. Did you resolve the WI-FI connection issues?