Galaxy S5 : Why won't my S5 work with 2.4GHz APs?

[Alan Mccormack]

For a 4 or 5 weeks the wifi signal on my Galaxy S5 has been really poor. I tried a number of things including the dreaded factory reset but to no avail until I stumbled across a setting on my home broadband router that permits me to configure my access point as a 5GHz AP and the problem is resolved. My service is constant and the performance excellent.

My problem is I have a number of wifi enabled devices that will not work with my 5GHz AP. Most frustratingly of all my Sonos Play 1 (odd as it's quite new).

Is there something on my S5 that I could enable\disable to remedy this problem?

Phone : SM-G900F
Android version: 4.4.2
Baseband Version:G900FXXU1ANG2
Kernal Version: 340-2089850
Security Software Version: MDFD v1.0 Release 3, VPN v1.4 Release 1

Alan

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! What brand and model of router do you have? Our resident tech wizard Rukbat would probably agree that it may be a problem with the router's firmware, and certain brands seem to be more problematic than others. Have you been able to try other routers at home? And do you have any problems with wi-fi networks outside of home?

 

[Alan Mccormack]

Hi the problem also happens in my father's house. He has the same provider (upc ireland) and what looks like the same modem but he has an older firmware (Cisco epc3925). The problem is also in my girlfriends home and she has a different provider and wifi device.

 

[B. Diddy]

Can you tell us what brand and model router your girlfriend has? And are there any wi-fi networks that work ok on the 2.4 GHz band? Like at your local cafe, or library, or airport?

 

[Rukbat]

Newer versions of Android on some phones are having a problem with some of the router implementations of TKIP encryption. Check the router in Wireless/Security to see what encryption it uses. If it's TKIP or TKIP+AES, try changing it to AES. (On 2.4 GHz.) If that doesn;t let your phone connect, try updating the firmware on your father's router. (Go to Cisco's site, find that model router, download the latest firmware and use the "update firmware" function in the router to load the file you downloaded. The router will be unusable during the update, so don't do it when everyone wants to be on line. And make sure you don't have a power failure when it's updating [I usually use a small - 400-500VA - UPS for the router and computer during the update. JTAGing a Cisco router isn't fun.)