I upgraded my HTC Thunderbolt to Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) some time ago... maybe back in November. Since the update, I've noticed a few issues that were not present with Froyo. Most notably, WiFi performance is horribly degraded. Previously, I was able to connect to my home router with no issues, as well as the router at my workplace with good signal strength. Additionally, I was always picking up Xfinity (Comcast) Wifi hotspots, which all have the same SSID and utilize my login info, so devices see them all as the same known/saved network; I was pleasantly surprised to find my Thunderbolt connected to Wifi frequently around town.
Since the update to Gingerbread, however, I would go so far as to say that the Wifi feature of the phone is "unsuable." I cannot connect to my workplace router (which is only 2 cubicles over, our office only has 12 employees), and I cannot connect to my home router unless I'm within 10 feet of it; and when I DO connect, the signal strength meter indicates a very weak signal. My workplace is barely within range of 1 or 2 other wifi networks since we own the entire building and are not immediately adjacent to other homes or businesses; this makes a good case for interference from other 2.4GHz sources NOT being the issue (since the TB does not have a 5GHz radio, those networks do not apply).
A secondary issue is decreased performance in areas of low 3G signal strength. There are two locations in particular -- a friend's house and my parents' house -- where I visit frequently and have historically had poor Verizon 3G signal strength. Previously, my phone operated fine with 1-3 bars of 3G service in these areas. Now, I find that the phone sometimes gets into behavior where neither 1X nor 3G is displayed next to the signal meter, and there is no data connectivity. Sometimes, if I force the phone's radio into 1X-only mode (using a third party app called "LTEOnOff"), I am able to maintain a 1X connection in these areas. Other times, 3G will work; yet other times, NOTHING will give me a data connection. The behavior is very inconsistent with Gingerbread.
The Wifi issue seems to be a "known" issue on various Android and HTC discussion forums. I would like to maintain my phone's warranty etc and avoid flashing a third-party ROM or rooting the phone, which has been the only solution I've found thus far. I have not yet heard back from HTC's customer service, which I expect will give me a canned response telling me to power-cycle my phone, pull the battery, etc. I am an electrical engineer, so you may assume that I've done all the obvious things (power cycle, battery pull, SIM card pull, clear data cache...)
Thanks in advance.
Jim_philly, I regret to hear all the issues you are facing with your Thunderbolt. It sounds like you have done quite a bit of troubleshooting. Since this issue is happening with more than one wifi hotspot and having signal issues in more than one location, I would suggest completing a factory reset. A reset is sometimes needed after software updates because some of the information or applications may not be compatible with the new software. It will also clear any corrupt files that may have been caused in the software upgrade process.
MarquiaF_VZW
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