Slow downloads, Galaxy Note 8

[becksnyc]

1. Android
2. Galaxy Note 8 (SM-950U)
3. Software version - (9.0)
4. Specifics of the problem - downloading photos from Adobe's Lightroom Mobile Cloud super slow, ONLY ON THIS DEVICE.
5. NOT rooted

My internet speed is about 50 Mbps, tested on multiple devices, including this Galaxy Note 8 phone. I'm experiencing slow downloads to local storage (SD with 250GB free space) from Adobe's Cloud in Lightroom Mobile app. I've had the same issue when downloading photos from Dropbox to this phone. All other apps work fine, for example Kindle downloads or streaming videos, no issue.
On my Note 8, it takes over 8 minutes to download 50 photos (Lightroom's "smart previews" with longest edge 2550 pixels). The same exact 50 photos took less than 25 seconds on my Galaxy Tab a7 lite & on Bluestacks.
I've tested the Note 8 using ethernet & USB-C dongle & Wi-Fi, same results. I don't have good cellular access in this location, so have not tried mobile data.
I've posted on Adobe's forum and on a Lightroom forum and no one has a solution, so thought I'd ask here.

Thanks

 

[ocnbrze]

What speed and class is your SD card? What brand is it

 

[becksnyc]

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS EVO Select 256GB MicroSDXC UHS-I U3 100MB/s Full HD & 4K UHD Memory Card with Adapter (MB-ME256HA)​

I did check to see that the SD card is seated properly and cleaned the contacts with alcohol. No difference.
Thanks for your reply!

 

[ocnbrze]

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS EVO Select 256GB MicroSDXC UHS-I U3 100MB/s Full HD & 4K UHD Memory Card with Adapter (MB-ME256HA)​

I did check to see that the SD card is seated properly and cleaned the contacts with alcohol. No difference.
Thanks for

ok that is a class 10 card, should be fairly fast.

why are you downloading via phone? also i would try and reboot the router and phone and see if that helps. if that does not work, then i am at a loss.

 

[becksnyc]

ok that is a class 10 card, should be fairly fast.

why are you downloading via phone? also i would try and reboot the router and phone and see if that helps. if that does not work, then i am at a loss.

Not sure I understand the question? I'm using the Adobe Lightroom app that keeps your photography edits synced across multiple devices through a cloud service. I checked, there is no way to directly copy their database except by upload/download from their cloud. (working fine on my tablet, but I use my phone for photos more).

 

[svim]

Just to make sure you're working from a 'clean slate' you should restart both your Note 8 and your router. That should eliminate something like an offhand glitch. And yeah, you stated other devices are working fine but your home network is actually a lot more complex in its functionality. Simply because no other device connected to your router is having a similar problem, it is that connection between your Note 9 and your router that needs to be checked. Or in other words, every device connected to your router is its own link and if one fails that does not necessarily mean all of them will too. But this is just a remote possibility to fixing things, but it's worth trying because the problem may actually be that simple, but that needs to be determined.
If a clean boot doesn't make any difference, than start looking into your Note 8. Since you didn't list anything you're already tried this is likely to repetitive.
-- Has this been a long standing problem or did it just start occurring recently?

-- Go into your Settings >> WiFi menu and delete your home WiFi network listing, and then add it back to make a new one.

-- Is this slow bandwidth issue only happening in specific location in your home or in multiple places?
Keep in mind that WiFi coverage range varies quite a bit, especially in comparison to a physical Ethernet cable. Also, when you tried using an Ethernet cable/USB adapter setup did you make sure that WiFi and mobile data were disabled?

-- If this sluggish behavior is just with those two apps, perhaps it is just an odd coincidence. Try going to your Settings >> Apps menu, find and open the app entries for both apps and use Clear data. This should essentially return both apps back to their original, first time used status. Clear data wipes away the app's previously settings and config data. So when you start up the app it will require to re-enter your user name/password to re-authenticate your user account (sync back to the service's online servers).

 

[becksnyc]

I restarted my device and router multiple times---no improvement.
I ONLY use an ethernet cable with this phone (we have a fully wired home network, Wi-Fi OFF, no cellular in this location). To troubleshoot, however, I tested all devices & configurations with Wi-Fi temporarily on---no improvement.
Download speeds on Wi-Fi & ethernet tested the same (on both Android devices)---about 50Mbps.
Although I don't use Wi-Fi, as you suggested, I deleted and reestablish my connection to my network, restarted the Galaxy Note 8. Download speed of photos within Lightroom Mobile (LrM) was same, 8 mins/50 photos. I put it back in airplane mode & reconnected my ethernet cable---no change within the LrM app.
My usual connection for my Android devices is downstream from a tp-link 5 port Desktop Switch, via an ethernet cable & USB-c dongle. I also tried via ethernet directly to the router itself, using a different ethernet cable/USB-c dongle pair---no improvement.
I created a test folder with 50 photos in it. I uploaded to Dropbox then downloaded to the Galaxy Note 8 via Dropsync. It took 2 minutes. I did the same with Google Drive, took about 2:30 mins.
There are no other issues with streaming or data download EXCEPT when downloading photos within the Lightroom Mobile app (both to device & SD), & only on the Galaxy Note 8. Thus, I don't think the issue has anything to do with our internet speeds, modem or network.
I've had no answers from Adobe and experts on their Lightroom software on Lightroom Queen forums are also scratching their proverbial heads. I'm looking into alternate ways to export photos from Lightroom to my phone, but none of them are as "simple" as their automated cloud system. Thus, my hope to find help here.
Thanks so much for your reply and willingness to help!

 

[svim]

OK, that does clarify the situation quite a bit, and it does appear an issue with the Lightroom app itself in some way.

-- Have you tried to remove and reinstall the Lightroom app? Don't just use Uninstall though, instead tap on Force stop, then find and tap on Clear data, then tap on Uninstall. It's important to use Clear data, that will delete any settings and config data for the app. (i.e. in the event some obscure app setting is limiting the download speed). Typically the settings get removed with the rest of the app data when you use Uninstall but some sloppy developers aren't so judicious so it's not surprising when there is some 'orphaned' files/folder get left behind. The point being, while it's a completely different product, don't forget that it's Adobe Flash that was a security nightmare not just for smartphones but all computer devices, and that spanned across decades. So I don't trust Adobe developers/programmers very much.

-- Do you have any utility like a firewall app on your Note 8? Anything that relate to networking or filtering?

 

[becksnyc]

I removed and reinstalled, exactly as you instructed.
I also uninstalled McAfee, which must've been bloatware I wasn't aware was on the phone.
No change in download time, still at 8:30 mins for 50 photos.
What a puzzle. I appreciate your kind help.

 

[becksnyc]

At this point, I am abandoning the Lightroom Mobile ship and reverting to another method to export photos (publish collections) from Lightroom Classic to my phone and view them using F-Stop gallery.
Thanks for your help.

 

[svim]

Good move, unless there was some function in the Lightroom app that you're dependent on, just switching to an equal competitor that just works as is will save you a lot of wasted time and frustration.