BUG: Android 7.0 - WiFi connection drastically dropping bandwidth

[Jecht_Sin]

I've got an issue with the WiFi connection. After few days the Internet bandwidth drops from 85Mbps to 10-15Mbps. I noticed it because the YouTube videos go into buffering for few seconds. It happened already few times, so it is a pretty constant issue. Switching the WiFi off and on doesn't solve the issue. The only way I've found to get the full badnwidth back is to reboot the television. Quite annoying.

PS: @Anonymous any chance this can be reported to Sony?

[Anonymous]

Hi @Jecht_Sin

This has been passed onto Sony Support for them to contact you back.  They should initially be contacting you via email as they do not have a phone number on record to contact you with (unless you PM me a contact phone number for me to pass on).

When you do get in contact with Sony, it should be with a experienced technical agent.

Cheers

[Jecht_Sin]

Thanks @Anonymous! Also, and maybe it is related, in 6.0.1 I used (regularly) a memory cleaner, especially before starting Amazon Video (you can imagine why). Although that doesn't mean 6.0.1 had the issue. Now it is broken in 7.0, the memory cleaner can visualise only the processes it owns (same for busybox while doing "top"). It's most likely a new security policy in Android 7.0. 

Which raises a question.. In the Xperia phones there is the option "Delete All" in the App History. Any chance we can suggest to Sony to have a similar mechanism implemented? Yes, I do know that it works only temporarly because after a while Android reloads various apps and services, but it did really make the tv more fluid. No placebo effect, I swear!! 😄

[Anonymous]

@Jecht_Sin - Are you able to grab a screenshot on this 'Delete All' option on an xperia or android device.  I can then forward this to a team called 'Voice of the Consumer'.

[Jecht_Sin]

Sure I can!! Here: 

"Cancella tutto" means "Delete all" in Italian. Actually it looked much nicer in 6.0.1. And as far as I know it has been a Sony's modification, because the stock history from Google didn't support it. It has been added after many people requested it.

Then this is what I get after deleting all:

[Kuschelmonschter]

I can confirm such severe fluctuations in network speed. I am still on Marshmallow though so I can't easily kill tasks...

I can reproduce it by initiating a screen mirroring session with an Android phone. Speed decreases from about 120mbps to 70mbps. Also disabling WiFi Direct doesn't help.

(BTW, firmware 3.885 fixed that station mode wasn't working anymore after enabling WiFi Direct.)

[Jecht_Sin]

Well @Kuschelmonschter, you still get a 60% or so. Mine drops to 15%. I have been contacted now by Sony (Thanks @Anonymous!) and among the various things they suggested to erase all apps cache, which I totally forgot to do earlier. Honestly to me it seems like a CPU or OS issue. For example if I go into settings while watching an YouTube video, after few seconds the video stops (which pairs with the fact that sometime the whole UI - only the UI. Like the volume or getting into settings - freezes for a minute or so). I enabled the "stats for nerds" and the download bandwidth drops indeed (but that could be because stopping the video YouTube stop downloading).

I mean, this OS release seriously needs a general bug fixing. There are too many small (but also not so small, like the infamous USB module) issues.

[Kuschelmonschter]

I had the problem yesterday that YouTube would not go above 720p anymore. A complete restart (long power button press) fixed the problem. Unfortunately my ATV1 based Sony TV didn't receive the Nougat update yet, so I can't just close apps via task switcher...

[Jecht_Sin]

@Kuschelmonschter Would you... like a script to cleanly terminate YouTube while in background? 

Seriously. I would just need to adapt the one I am using for that useless, awful HueyModule constantly crashing.

Anyway, I think I forgot to mention that only an hideous reset to factory settings fixed my issue... Well, until now at least.