Help Gs2 poor wifi reception

[Steve W]

I upgraded from a gsm htc hero. I am on the three network in the uk. I put a payg sim in my old handset. When I put the 2 handsets together both running the phone status app wifi reception on the gs2 is on average 30% lower. I'm on gingerbread 2.3.3 brand new handset, stock rom. Any ideas?

 

[XplosiV]

Have you updated the firmware? New one was released a day or two ago.

 

[Spewy]

I having the same problem and I am on the latest firmware.
Hope Sammy fix this soon.

 

[Steve W]

I checked for an update just on the software update thingy and it said there was no update available... thanks for the replies, not that it's nice to see, but as I see someone else has this problem it makes it less likely that it's just my handset.

Thanks fellers.

 

[XplosiV]

Well there have been 3 updates in the last 2 weeks, so dint give up just yet. Samsung are obviously working on improvements.

 

[Steve W]

I spoke to Three in the UK today and they said it is a known issue, but he didn't know if it was an android issue or a samsung firmware issue, either way they know about it and are apparently working on it...

 

[wheelwright]

Ye got this also but what i have noticed if i hold the phone vertically in left hand wifi reception is say 1 bar BUT if i rotate the phone horizontally (vol button at top) wifi reception improves by 1 bar!

Im guessing antenna is located on the volume button side of phone? thus the improvement?

I was having issue with reception on O2 indoors but changed the network mode to GSM only and now got full reception indoors.

 

[ukmoto]

There's no doubt in my mind that ( at least my) Sg2 has very poor wifi range. After using a 3gs for 2 years, it's painfully obvious that the RANGE of wifi in comparison to my iphone is woefully worse. This was just a gut feeling to me after using the sg2 for 2 weeks, but after installing "wifi analyser" it's clear to be seen.

After spending the whole of this morning in my local town ( Plymouth) walking around to different wifi AP's and checking range I was pretty shocked tbh.

I usually sit outside a cafe on a Sunday morning and have never had problems getting really good speeds on my 3gs. This morning, on my sg2, there was no signal at all ! 30 feet from their router !? Full strength when I was stood right next to it though.

I went to the local o2 shop (200 metres away) and spoke to the chap who sold the sg2 to me. He has one also, so he installed wifi analyser on his phone and we went walkabout. It was fair to say that his phone was maybe a tad better than mine in some places, but in general they wer both the same. ie. poor. Even in the shop, we had to be stood over the router to get a good signal. From 20 feet away it dropped to -60 to -70db on both handsets and jumped up and down rather a lot too.

So, I then went into a Voda shop and the lady in there had a Sensation. She kindly installed W/A on that phone and the results were instantly obvious. The Sensation had maybe -20db better signal then my sg2 and a more solid lock. We then walked up the road to about 50 feet away and the Sensation was still holding a better signal the the sg2. Mine was unusable and hers was fine.

Only problem with the Sensation was (in bright sunlight) that we couldn't see the screen very well at all. Plus point to the sg2 there.

So, where does all this leave us. Well, the manager in the o2 shop is going to have a word with the Samsung rep on Tuesday. I have until Thursday to return this phone which is looking likely now. It all points in the direction of a hardware problem, seeing that initial reports of KE7 f/w sees no improvement in wifi range or strength. I'm on KE2 btw. ( No Kies updates on o2 here yet.)

Below i have uploaded some screenshots to show what I get:

Sg2 directly on top of linksys router


Sg2 8 feet from linksys router


Sg2 20 feet from linksys router


In town, sat right outside the Americano cafe, 20 feet from router which is visible through the window


30 feet away from Americano router, note that the Americano has gone!


Any comments?
Phil

 

[Irate]

i think people will just have to wait for a fix other smartphone have had the problem and after firmware upgrades they were fixed. as an early adopter i expected some faults but samsung are are obvoiusly fixing the very few problems the phone has give them some time the will get to it

 

[ukmoto]

Just come across an interesting thing. I was running wifi analyser with the phone right next to me when the battery came up "low". So I plugged the phone into the mains charger whilst still running WA and guess what.... the signal increased by approx 40%. Unplug and signal strength drops.......

Now there's a funny thing, what's all that about?

 

[XplosiV]

Just come across an interesting thing. I was running wifi analyser with the phone right next to me when the battery came up "low". So I plugged the phone into the mains charger whilst still running WA and guess what.... the signal increased by approx 40%. Unplug and signal strength drops.......

Now there's a funny thing, what's all that about?

Its probly 'about' the fact that the sgs2 as previously said, does still have a couple of gremlins, and as oppose to the portal and the galaxy S, samsung are being much more productive with updates, patients is a virtue

 

[FlyerP]

Yesterday I changed from my iPhone 3Gs of 2 years standing to the Galaxy S2 and like UK moto found a big difference in wifi reception. I am on average 2 bars lower on the Galaxy S2. In fact the only way I can get full reception is to hold the S2 12 inches or closer to the router. My phone was purchased in Switzerland. This does not sound to me like firmware but hardware, similar to the iPhone 4 aerial problem so I am not sure what to do. It would be very nice to have some feedback from Samsung on this issue.

 

[KING LUFF]

My Desire had exactly the same problem when it was first released, it was fixed in a software update.

Just hold out a little and i'm sure it'll be fixed

 

[loony]

in theory its sounds like the wifi isnt being fed enough power to boost the signal, so its low....i just hope if their "fix" isnt fedding it more power and possibly draining the battery too much.
to conserve the battery i think i would rather have a weak signal that is boosted when attached to the mains :/

 

[trick202]

Ye got this also but what i have noticed if i hold the phone vertically in left hand wifi reception is say 1 bar BUT if i rotate the phone horizontally (vol button at top) wifi reception improves by 1 bar!

Im guessing antenna is located on the volume button side of phone? thus the improvement?

I was having issue with reception on O2 indoors but changed the network mode to GSM only and now got full reception indoors.

You're holding it wrong?

There's not a lot of room in that slim little case and it seems GPS was fixed on this model - but maybe at the expense of the wi-fi?

 

[jinwons]

Is it really weak in signal strength/download speed on WiFi, or is it just wrong display on signal strength?

 

[ukmoto]

Interesting that a Swiss handset has the same problem, thanks for the info FlyerP.

loony, your theory about power may be something. That would explain my experience about getting a better signal when I plugged the phone into the charger. Maybe it's "about" lack of power fo the wifi chip/ antenna. Time will tell whether it's hardware/software/firmware.

I've got plenty of patience but I'm running out of time. I have until tomorrow to return this phone and call it quits or take a chance that Samsung can fix it. Whatever it is, it's a pretty poor show for such a basic fault at launch for what is meant to be a flagship device. I couldn't get away with it in my company. Makes you wonder how and/or if these things are tested in real world situations. It's not like it's new technology.

 

[ukmoto]

Is it really weak in signal strength/download speed on WiFi, or is it just wrong display on signal strength?

The display is correct as confirmed by checking wifi analyser. The problem is the range. unless you are next to
the router, any router, the signal drops dramatically to the point of losing connection - within 30 feet or less in my case. W/A confirms this by dropping from -30db to -90db.

edit. seems like samsung know there's a problem. Copy this link into google and hit translate.

http://samsungtomorrow.com/1211

 

[Irate]

its only been out less than a month give samsung a chance to fix it

 

[sythlord2001]

i use wi-fi at home and at my dads when i browse on my SGS2. I have had not issues with the wifi at all. from its first firmware to its latest one. I have atleast 3+ bars. At my dads the wirelss router is on the third story of the house at I have a good reception whether i am in the front or back living room, or even out in the garden and the router is at the front of the house right at the top. I have also got one of those rubber grip covers on the phone just so that I (or my kids) drop it and that has made no difference in reducing the Quality of the wifi.

 

[wheelwright]

You're holding it wrong?

Are you steve jobs.....

 

[PeteRyde]

I'm glad I have a dual band router at home. When I first got my SGS2 I thought the wifi didn't work at all as I set it up on the 5GHz band. It couldn't even see it two rooms away from the router. It is at least ok on 2.4 GHz.

 

[johnyfalco]

I agree 100% on all the comments about pathetic WiFi reception.
My S2 drops out at about 8 meters. My iPhone 4 is still usable at 15 meters.
I think this may be a Android thing, as we have another Android phone in the house and its exactly the same, with regard to WiFi reception. The 2nd phone is running Froyo though.

 

[Rolandas]

I agree 100% on all the comments about pathetic WiFi reception.
My S2 drops out at about 8 meters. My iPhone 4 is still usable at 15 meters.
I think this may be a Android thing, as we have another Android phone in the house and its exactly the same, with regard to WiFi reception. The 2nd phone is running Froyo though.

I would like to believe its a software issue as am getting one of these in a few days. Friend of mine has it also. apparently he uses it in "energy saving" mode. If that possible that many of you here have it on same mode also?! Especially after someone said that wifi gets better once on a cable...

 

[ukmoto]

Makes no difference here whether it's on power-saving mode or not. It's still..... weak, to say the least. Wondering if 2.3.4 will make it work better, but who knows when that'll come for the Sg2 and if it'll makes (my) wifi work better anyway. I've spent hours and hours and...... hours testing the wifi range on the phone and all I can say is this:

Some people say it's fine, some people say it's not as good as " whatever phone" and some ( like me) say it's abysmal. I know many things are subjective, even using apps like wifi analyser, but my personal experience is that it's the single major flaw in my phone. For how, where and when I use it.

Hopefully, a solution is forthcoming very soon.