Orange San Francisco WiFi problems

Oct 21

Personal David 89 Comments
blade, francisco, orange, san, wifi, zte

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The Orange San Francisco - A false economy?

Last week, I went to my local Orange store to buy one of their “San Francisco” pay as you go phones (a re-badged ZTE Blade). I was hoping to have an economical Android 2.1 device permanently in-house just so that I could keep an eye on the Android world, even though I mostly write about the Symbian world.

Upon getting the phone home, all seemed well, and it was a lovely little device. Buying a phone with a 3.5″ capacitive multi-touch OLED screen for £99 seemed too good to be true.

However, without getting into a review of the phone, I must report on an issue that many San Francisco users are finding, and I have fell foul of too.

It seems that this phone has trouble maintaining a WiFi connection with a wide range of routers. I found that when the San Francisco dropped its WiFi connection, I just had to power the WiFi off and on again (via home screen widgets) and I could carry on. However, this ‘fix’ only works so many times for me, four at most. After which, the phone is permanently unable to gain an IP address from my router, until I reboot the router. The frequency at which I would have to do this is just ridiculous.

Many people on Twitter have reported this problem too. There is also a HUGE forum thread about this problem over at the Modaco forums, click here. In that forum, others have tried manually assigning IP addresses without success, so I don’t think it’s just a DHCP problem.

As another possible remedy, I have set the phone’s WiFi to never disconnect when the phone goes into sleep mode. Although the WiFi still disconnects anyway.

I had a long phone conversation with the store manager from where I bought my San Francisco who stated absolutely that there was no way I could have a refund – in contradiction of consumer law!

I’m posting this here because if it is a flaw in ZTE Blade drivers, as I suspect, then Orange might need to issue a recall. In the interests of investigating this problem, I would like readers to leave their experiences of WiFi on the San Francisco / Blade here in the comments, and hopefully someone at Orange will take note.

Update (26th October 2010):

I neglected to add the technical details of my San Francisco when I oriingally posted, so here they are:

Firmware version: 2.1-update1
Baseband version: P729BB01
Kernel version : 2.6.29

I returned to the Orange store yesterday, armed with knowledge of the amended 1979 sales of goods act. After explaining to them that repair and replacement were not applicable because this was a software issue, and therefore refund was the only redress left available – they still absolutely refused to cooperate. They claim they are within the law, I disagree.

All the would offer me was another San Francisco, which I accepted for the sake of going through the proces. Also, the new San Francisco is exactly the same firmware, baseband and Kernel version as above.

However, to my utter lack of surprise, having tried the new San Francisco on my home WiFi network today, the exact same problem persists – just as expected.

There still fails to be a universal solution to this issue over on the Modaco forums, and I’m still keen to get more feedback here in the comments to this post.

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89 Comments (+add yours?)

Older

Paul Smith
Aug 16, 2011 @ 11:19:56

I bought a San Francisco last December and immediately had problems with the WiFi. Complaints to Orange and requests for my money back were ignored.
I now have a complaint against Orange registered with Trading Standards who maintain a national database of complaints. If anyone would like to add their complaint to this database then they have to make contact via Consumer Direct, either on the web or 08454 040506.
I also complained to my credit card company on “equal liability” basis for the full price (£99 + compulsory top up) and got my money back from them. They were not at all surprised that I was having trouble with Orange!

Reply
Mark Nathan
Aug 27, 2011 @ 15:35:46

Does this problem apply to public wi-fi spots, (e.g. pubs cafes and libaries), or is it only happening with home routers?

Reply
- David
  Aug 28, 2011 @ 09:45:45
  
  I think it will probably depend on the brand of router being used in the public hotspot.
  
  Reply
Dennis
Oct 28, 2011 @ 21:23:01

While using ZTE Blade smartphone, i’ve noticed it doesn’t work properly with my home wifi router. Seems like the phone gets connected, but doesn’t give me the access to the Internet. Do we speak of the same problem?

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Daniel. D
Oct 29, 2011 @ 19:47:21

On my San Fracisco the wifi is now ‘unable to scan’ after owning the phone for 10 months even when it did it went of unexpectedly turned of caused me loss in loads of credit..

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Max
Nov 06, 2011 @ 08:58:25

I am having a very similair problem. My SF ocasionally connects to the Wi-Fi in our housse, but the printer doesnt connect either. Maybe its just a glitch to do with the routers we have.
I have a BT-Homehub2-S7KS, and my phone, nor printer can connect.
My best advice is: get a new router, or, live with however many megs of internet you have free

Reply
Jen
Nov 22, 2011 @ 11:06:01

I had this problem and it drove me spare as it’s a lovely phone aside from the wifi bug and the lousy camera!

I downloaded a little thingy called “blade wifi fix” and my SF seems to be (re)connecting to wifi reliably again. One to poke around the android store for?

Reply
- ufohunterorguk
  Nov 22, 2011 @ 14:07:14
  
  Hi this has problem has been solved a long time ago. please follow the link which will provide you with all the information to upgrade the rom on your phone http://android.modaco.com/forum/488-zte-blade-libra-roms-rom-customisation/
  
  Reply
Geoff Bowman
Dec 30, 2011 @ 20:53:31

I bought my SF on Orange PAYG about 10 months ago. As my first smartphone.
It has all of the problems re wifi, poor battery life, spacebar worst of all on the keypad. many text sent because it changes word to what it thinks you ment, and not what you typed, more so in bright light like outside when you can hardly see the screen.
I live in a poor signal area so don’t get many calls, Can you get the phone out of your pocket and slid the answer thingy before the caller has stopped ringing, hardly ever!!.
Wifi. I have tried the wifi buddy and monitor and the advanced wifi lock, and the 13 number password code mentioned on this site and None of them work for more than the first connection, The only sure way is to switch the router off then back on again.
The most frustrating problem of all is it’s refusal to switch on without taking the battery out and putting it back in. Once a day now more often than not
This does not just happen because the battery is low, today plugged in the charger and phone lights up ok, checked about 45minutes later and it would not switch on, and after removing battery and replacing it charge was nearly full.
Nothing smart about this mobilephone cos the cables not long enough. battery life is a joke.
Will try getting rid of all the Orange stuff soon.

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Geoff Bowman
Jan 24, 2012 @ 22:48:53

Update on my phone.
Bought new battery and this seems to have cured the problem of having to take the battery out almost every day because it would not switch on and lucky if battery would last the day out..
With all internet roaming off, and no calls out or texts battery life nearly 2 days now after about 4 charges.

Reply
kian soon
Feb 09, 2012 @ 14:26:39

I am pissed off with this phone,wifi problem remains even I have upgraded it to Gingerbread 2.3…I switch to HTC now, hoping this is a better phone

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Owen
Apr 24, 2012 @ 21:44:18

I bought a San Francisco a while back, I went through a lot of trouble to get my phone with it not being delivered until a few weeks after I was suppose to receive it, I am in university, they phone will connect to the router sometimes, however at the moment it wont connect… no matter how many time I turn the WiFi/phone off and on it still wont connect… it is extremely frustrating.. if there is a fix for it please let me know.

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