Apps Lose Connectivity Moving Between WiFi & LTE (Nexus 5x, T-Mobile), What Could Be Causing This?

[AC Question]

Apps Lose Connectivity Moving Between WiFi & LTE (Nexus 5x, T-Mobile)

I jumped on the pure Android bandwagon over Black Thursday weekend. So, far I've been mostly happy but have an app connectivity problem. I've searched it up, but couldn't find a definitive answer or fix.

Apps like Pandora, Spotify, FB, cannot acquire a signal when transferring between Cell (LTE) and WiFi and vice versa. To fix, I have to force close the app and re-open each time to get a signal (or restart the phone). This is a pain. Otherwise the phone works fine and all other functions seem to make the switch just fine. Reinstalling the apps results in the same issue.

My phone is a Nexus 5x on T-Mobile ($30/month plan). Any obvious fixes or things to look at? Do you suspect this is a phone, Android or carrier issue? Thanks for any thoughts!

-hottoddy

 

[Rukbat]

Re: Apps Lose Connectivity Moving Between WiFi & LTE (Nexus 5x, T-Mobile)

The server normally opens a session for your IP address when you connect. When you change IP address (which is going to happen if you switch from one connection to the other), you're no longer the person who opened that session, so it has to open a different session for you. It's how the internet works, and it's going to take a while before we come up with some other way to link sessions so that your wifi session can switch to your mobile data address seamlessly. (Even your MAC address changes, so using that wouldn't solve it.)

 

[irastus]

Re: Apps Lose Connectivity Moving Between WiFi & LTE (Nexus 5x, T-Mobile), What Could Be Causing Thi

Thank you for you response. I understand the mechanics of switching between WiFi and LTE, but have never had apps completely lose connectivity this way before the Nexus 5x on T-Mobile. I've had several Samsungs with older android, and even an iPhone and Blackberry switch between with hardly a hickup. It seems there's something preventing apps from switching (eg, if I started them up on Wifi, they stay stuck in Wifi mode and can't find LTE). Frustrating.