Intermittent issues with Wi-Fi for an Android phone

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Intermittent issues with Wi-Fi for an Android phone

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Intermittent issues with Wi-Fi for an Android phone
Intermittent issues with Wi-Fi for an Android phone
2020-03-28 05:08:59
Model: EAP245  
Hardware Version: V3
Firmware Version: 2.4.0 Build 20200117 Rel. 39932

Hi,

 

I have finally set up my home office Wi-Fi and am generally quite happy.

 

I do have this odd issue where, from time to time, my Android phone (Xiaomi A3) will have issues with Wi-fi. The phone would show that it is connected to Wi-Fi however loading is very slow. It will either:

  1. Take upwards of 5 seconds before an app or webpage starts loading but once it starts loading it is very fast, OR
  2. The website or app would time out.

 

The only solution I have found is to do a hard reset of the access point i.e. unplug the POE and replug it back in. A reset through the Omada software will not work. It is quite frustrating and I have no idea how to start to troubleshoot this.

 

Key components of my network as below.

 

Nokia Fibre modem / GPON point as provided by my ISP -> Mikrotik RB4011

Mikrotik RB4011 -> OC200

Mikrotik RB4011 -> EAP225

Mikrotik RB4011 -> Rasberry Pi set up as the DNS server (Pi Hole)

Mikrotik RB4011 -> MoCA adapter 1

MoCA adapter 1 -> MoCA adapter 2

MoCA adapter 2 -> TP-Link POE switch (TL-SG1005P)

TP-Link POE switch -> EAP245

 

There are a few other things wired directly to the Mikrotik RB4011 and TP-Link POE switch (Smart TV, Nivida Shield, laptop).

 

A few other notes:

  1. I have tried resetting each key item in my network and the one that consistently works is hard resetting the EAP245
  2. The issue only occurs with my Android phone (Xiaomi A3) and the various other Wi-Fi connected devices like iPhones dont seem to have any issue
  3. I do have a guest network enabled but I am sure it is not connected to the guest network
  4. It happens to both the EAP245 and EAP225
  5. Both are bought from Amazon US so the Wi-Fi would be US regulatory domain
  6. Restarting the phone does not consistently work
  7. Soft restarting the EAP from the Omada app does not consistently work

 

I have no idea how to start trouble shooting and I am happy to provide or post any logs but please let me know how to access and post these.

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#1
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4 Reply
Re:Intermittent issues with Wi-Fi for an Android phone
2020-03-28 08:26:47

@newtpuser Hi, if you only have problems with your Xiaomi A3 should probably start troubleshooting there, do a google search and you will find many with similar problems on Xiaomi A3. I even had a Xiaomi phone that didn't work as well on 5GHZ bands as I had to send back to the store.
you can test if it works better on either 2.4GHz or 5GHz band, mine worked best on 2.4MHz but this band is not very fast.

 

If You start with a SSID with 2.4GHZ like this. if it's not bether change to only 5GHz

 

 

 

 

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#2
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Re:Intermittent issues with Wi-Fi for an Android phone
2020-03-28 17:23:51

@newtpuser are in the USA?

 

My home network is versy similar to yours (Fios Gigabit fiber w/Verizon Router), two AP's (both EAP225 V3), and Actiontec MOCA 2.0 Bonded.  One EAP is Ethernet the other is MOCA.  I don't use a POE switch, I use the POE injectors that came with the AP's.

 

Sometimes my MOCA will drop off leaving clients "stranded" on the one AP.  I also used to use EAP245s.  Since switching to EAP225 w/MESH and installing some UPS'es this is no longer an issue.  The one EAP prefers Ethernet (MOCA) but if the MOCA flakes out it fails back to 5.8GHz MESH.  I run about 40 clients at any given time.  6 laptops, several phones, ipads, etc.  One Roku (rest are hardwired) and a variety of IoT, NEST cams, etc.

 

Start by disabling band steering and use separate, different, SSID's for your 2.4 and 5.8GHz networks.  Also disable airtime fairness (if enabled).  Join your Xiaomi A3 to the 5.8GHz (assumng it supports it).

 

Check your channels and channel interferece with your neighbors.  I find I need to use channels 3 & 9 for my 2.4GHz (20 MHz only) because my neighbors are slamming channels 1, 6, and 11.  I run 80MHz wide on 5.8GHz manually selecting one low and one high channel.  Enable fast roaming on the OC200.

 

Try lowering your transmit powers to medium all around.  But, as others have said, if it's just that one device likely its a wonky driver or something.  Make sure it's fully updated.

 

I find no real advantage to using my older EAP245's (V1) despite the 3x3 since all of my clients are only 2x2 anyway.  Generally, I see 350-450 Mbit/sec DL & UL over wifi when I'm in the same room with the EAP.  This drops to ~150-250 Mbit/s in other rooms.

 

-Jonathan

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#3
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Re:Intermittent issues with Wi-Fi for an Android phone
2020-03-29 02:52:59

@JSchnee21 @shberge 

 
Thank you both for you help. Posting the resolution in case anyone else has this problem.
 
I have found in the end that this is an issue with my Xiaomi A3 and not performing well with certain channels. I have locked both EAPs to 149 on the 5 ghz radio and things work flawlessly now. Previously it was left in auto so the EAPs must have selected a band which was not compatible with my Xiaomi A3 so a hard reset forced it to choose another channel.
 
I knew it wasnt an issue with the MoCA as the other devices attached to the same switch which was connected via MoCA were ok. Thanks to both of you for taking your time to answer.
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#4
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Re:Intermittent issues with Wi-Fi for an Android phone
2020-03-29 03:50:05
Re region - I am in Singapore. The EAPs were purchased from Amazon US so I assume it is locked to the US regulatory domain. Xiaomi A3 was a grey import and not sure which region it was meant to goto. Suspect that is where the incompatibility was from
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#5
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