XD80 49"/Android 6.0.1 - Connecting via WiFi: I give up

[Jecht_Sin]

I have a KD49XD8099 with Android 6.0.1, security patch Sep 1 2016. Connected via Ethernet (nearly) never a technical issue. Only the 100Mbps connection is just ridiculous and I wanted to see if via WiFi I could get better LAN performances.

So today for the n-th time (in various weeks) I tried to connect it via WiFi ac at 5GHz. I first disabled the 2.4GHz in my router. Connected via WPS it connected, it disconnected, it showed the esclamation mark (<!>) in the WiFi icon. Usually after a restart it works.

But then when I try to stream a video from a Plex server with DLNA enable, in the same exact WiFi network and 30 cm from the television (!!!) the server simply doesn't appear in the Video app. Nor the DLNA server of the router (which has no libraries but I left it enabled for testing). Video & TV SideView doesn't connect. Or if it does it keeps disconnecting every second. 

The only time that I managed to stream something the bandwidth was ridiculous (monitored from the computer).

Sure, it can be my router, the typical junk from ISPs. But my MacBook Pro connects fine via WiFi and also at a decent bandwidth (usually 200-260 Mbps), never disconnecting. But little really explains why all remote devices in the LAN just disappear when the tv is connected via WiFi. I mean, routing from WiFi to Ethernet it works!

In few words, my television's WiFi connection is simply useless.

Is there any special trick to make it working, or I just have to cross my fingers and wait for the next update? If it will ever fix anything, sure.

[Kuschelmonschter]

I actually hoped for the Android Marshmallow (6.0.1) update to give us better WiFi ^^ . Mine is still on Lollipop. My problems:

- sometimes no WiFi connection or IP address (-> restart)

- generally moderate transfer speeds on 802.11ac, see here

- already moderate transfer speed sometimes drop even lower to a point where it is not usable anymore (-> restart)

[Anonymous]

Yes, the TV only has a 10/100 ethernet port and the Wireless AC is slower than it should be.  But this doesnt take into the account that you are experiencing disconnections.

This may also sound silly - but have you tried changing the wireless channel in the router settings.  Also try setting up the TV with a static IP address and use googles DNS servers of 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 and see how things go?

[Jecht_Sin]

@Kuschelmonschter They seem more or less my WiFi symptoms. Plus the remote devices disappearing in my case. Hopefully when you'll get Android 6.0.1 they will be fixed!

@Anonymous No, I didn't try anything fancy. Because to setup everything I need a keyboard (which I actually have now that I think about it, the PS3 Keypad! lol). Also the Android TV Remote from Google should work, since it goes via Bluetooth (while setting up the WiFi,  the connection is down, and so it is Video & TV Sideview..). I can't stand to type with the remote. I don't know, next time I'll give it a try. Right now I am just fed up.

I can't believe that in 2017 we still have to deal with WiFi problems. It should be as simple as "Press the WPS button - connect the TV via WPS - End of story!".Not a chance. The least I have to do is to reboot the tv after enabling the WiFi connection. And that just to get the connection, Oh, I tried also with the password, just in case. I'm so disappointed!

[Anonymous]

@Jecht_Sin - Im curious on why you need a keyboard - the TVs remote control should do just fine?

[Jecht_Sin]

@Anonymous Urgh! It kills me typing with the controller. It takes forever. At least for inserting IP addresses Google could make a numeric keypad (unless there is in other models, but not in mine). Still next time (in a far distant future!) when I'll try again I'll remember that I can use the Android TV remote app.

For now I leave it as it is (wired). Also because I doubt I would ever get any improvement switching to WiFi at this point. I'm just glad that Sony sent me an email to do a survey for the television, and regarding the networking I gave it the minimum. An 100 Mbps ethernet port is just.. stingy.

[royabrown]

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@Quinnicus wrote:

@Jecht_Sin - Im curious on why you need a keyboard - the TVs remote control should do just fine?

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I'm curious where Marshmallow came from, since last I heard it isn't out yet?

[Kuschelmonschter]

Marshmallow comes preinstalled with models based on the ATV2 platform, so all models released after summer 2016 (XD80/XD83/XD70/XD75/ZD9).

2015 and early 2016 models, so those based on the ATV1 platform, didn't yet receive the update.

[roddoller]

I have a XD8099 49" which is connected wirelessly to a Virgin super hub. I recently thought about making it a wired connection to run Kodi more efficiently but it streams perfectly, wirelessly, my only problem is that if the router is reset for any reason, the TV needs the password to be re-entered, is there a setting to memorise the password?

[Jecht_Sin]

@roddoller Technically Android, once inserted a wifi password, does save the it (in clear, at least up to Android 5.1.1) in a reserved area accessible only by superuser (root), and maybe by a wifi ID/account. But since the WiFi module in our television is a piece of garbage this is one of the many issues I am getting. In my case often it doesn't make the connection even straight after having inserted the (right) password, so much that I opted to use the WPS (not that it alway works fine either).

Which is quite surprising, actually. Because the WiFi module in Android 6.0.1 works quite decently, at least in the Xperia phones. Unless it is a problem with the MediaTek WiFi drivers (and no, that instead wouldn't surprise me at all).