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Droid RAZR & Droid RAZR MAXX Jelly Bean Updates Bring Wi-Fi Issues

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It appears that for some Motorola Droid RAZR and Droid RAZR MAXX owners, the update to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean has not only left them with many new Android features, but also has brought some unforeseen Wi-Fi problems along with them as well.

Read: Droid RAZR & Droid RAZR MAXX Jelly Bean Updates Now Hitting All Users.

Earlier this month, Verizon rolled out the long-awaited Droid RAZR and Droid RAZR MAXX Android 4.1 Jelly Bean updates to owners. The updates came after an inadvertent roll out arrived all the way back on Christmas Eve and brought along many new features from their previous version of Android, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

The Droid RAZR and Droid RAZR MAXX Android 4.1 updates seem to have brought Wi-Fi issues.

The Droid RAZR and Droid RAZR MAXX Android 4.1 updates seem to have brought Wi-Fi issues.

However, like many past updates have done, it seems the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean updates for the Droid RAZR and Droid RAZR MAXX have brought some issues as well.

Since the updates, many Droid RAZR and Droid RAZR MAXX owners have been complaining about issues with Wi-Fi connectivity. More specifically, some aren’t able to access Wi-Fi networks after installing the new software.

Phones are able to find Wi-Fi networks without any problems and they are able to connect to them it seems. The networks also show strong signal strength prior to connecting. However, once the phones are connected, there is no connection and owners also get disconnected over and over before the Wi-Fi turns off. Some owners have rebooted their device and Wi-Fi has started working properly again, but other owners simply cannot get Wi-Fi to function properly.

Unfortunately, from the looks of things, owners that are experiencing issues with Wi-Fi may not get software from Motorola or Verizon that tackles the problem. Instead, as DroidRzr Forums, it appears that the issue may be related to outdated routers. According to Motorola, the upgrade may not support aging routers. It says:

“Older routers (typically five years or more), may not support these changes and therefore will not provide a response back to the device, causing the authentication session to timeout.”

The company specifically lists these routers as problematic: Wesetell VersaLink 327W, Actiontec Gt724-WG, Netgear DG834GT, Netgear DG934G (Sky Version), Lynksys WRTP54G, Motorola Netopia 3347-02, Siemens gigaset SE567, Actiontec GT701. It doesn’t appear that everyone having these issues owners one of these routers, however.

So while buying a new router is probably not the most optimal situation for Droid RAZR and Droid RAZR MAXX owners, it may be the only way to fix (at least for now) the Wi-Fi issues that cropped up with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

As Verizon notes above, software is rolled out to enhance a phone, not break it, so there is still a chance that we could see a software update roll out in the future to solve these issues. Owners should just not expect it soon. Remember, it took many months for the the companies to roll out a fix for the issues that came after Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

29 Comments

29 Comments

  1. JD

    03/24/2013 at 12:52 pm

    I have had problems with my Droid Razr ever since the Jelly Bean update. I can’t do anything on my phone, unless I’m at home connected to the Wi-Fi. I have no 3G or 4G service if I’m not on Wi-Fi. When the update originally started on my phone earlier in the week, it did it in the middle of the night. I woke up to find my phone on, and it was extremely hot. It was at 44 percent, and said it was temporarily suspended — thermal heat image or something like that. I was able to turn the phone off to get it to cool off. I was finally able to get to to do the rest of the update, once I had the Wi-Fi in the house turned on the next morning. Our Wi-Fi isn’t on at night (my stepfather has it in his bedroom, and he doesn’t like the lights from the router….ugh). Looks like I’ll be going back to the iPhone soon!!

    • stlshu

      04/13/2013 at 9:51 am

      Jelly Bean is a nightmere for me too. I have the DRMaxx and I left home with a full charge this morning and with very minimal use (10m of YouTube and 1 hr Pandora), I now have 40% left on battery. Also all my applications are so glitchy now and arent as smooth. I was so excited for the update as it worked great on my Galaxy Note Tablet. For the first time ever I thought “maybe I should think about getting an IPhone”. I think I might just try the GS3 :(

  2. Android Times

    03/24/2013 at 12:59 pm

    verizon is set to push another update, I reckon, to fix the issue.
    Source: https://www.androidtimes.info/2013/03/android-412-update-reportedly-having.html

  3. Emurp

    03/24/2013 at 7:14 pm

    The update is also blocking the use of foxfire and other apps that allow you to use your phone as a mobile hotspot unless you use Verizon’s paid version!

    • Dave

      03/25/2013 at 6:30 am

      You can still use the hot spot but you have to apply the entitlement hack. If your phone is not rooted I’m afraid you’re stuck paying for it

  4. ah

    03/25/2013 at 6:22 am

    I got the update and now my phone is stuck in emergency dialer and I can get control of the home page.
    I can answer an incoming call but can’t make a call or get to my address book or email.
    been on the phone for hours with tech support and no one knows what to do.

    • Droid and Veriszon suck !

      05/18/2013 at 9:08 am

      Same issue here nothing works!

  5. TJ

    03/25/2013 at 2:35 pm

    Got the update and it’s great but having wifi issues with my home Internet. I have the actiontec gt724 and that’s the issue, old router. Called my isp and they are sending me a new router. Problem solved.

  6. ratbert

    03/25/2013 at 10:43 pm

    The update problems aren’t with the droid. They are with the provider.Verizon teamed with the manufacture to intentionally cut off the use of apps like FoxFi so users are forced to pay an extra $30 a month to have wifi hotspot capability.
    First they cut off unlimited data in June of last year, and started charging more, on top of the regular fees. But some smart people kept their old plans and stayed grandfathered in on unlimited data.
    Unsatisfied with smart people getting what they were promised in their contract, Verizon reworked the operating system to cut the use of data, rather then pay to upgrade their ageing system. I was advised to pay an additional $30 a month to use the built in hotspot, that verizon provide in the operating system, but wont include in my already over $200 dollars a month phone bill. This will naturally increase their profit margin, and thusly increase their executive pay scale.
    For Verizon it’s a win win scenario…. until enough of us move to a provider that keeps the promised services and upholds the conract we both signed.
    Of course this is just my opinion… I’m sure Verizon has a different explaination

    Ask Verizon why you have to pay to use something, they themselves, sold you on, when you bought your phone.

    • kay

      04/11/2013 at 7:44 pm

      Amen…seems fairly obvious to me that Verizon only stands to benefit from people being forced to use more data. A$$holes. I will be leaving Verizon when my contract is up.

  7. Scott

    03/27/2013 at 6:43 am

    I used to have problems with wi-fi continually dropping out. Under wifi/settings/advanced I found an option enabled to “avoid poor connections”. Once I unchecked that I haven’t had any problems since

    • Rascal11

      04/01/2013 at 9:58 pm

      I did what you suggested and I still have connection issues along with being unable to stay online with my razer maxx.

      • TJ

        04/02/2013 at 2:22 pm

        U may need to replace your router. I did and have no issues anymore. Samsung galaxy s3, DROID razr maxx, nexus 10, nexus 7

  8. Jen

    04/05/2013 at 9:47 am

    Thank you for this article. The list of problematic routers was exactly what I needed to know. Changed out my Motorola router from that list and issue resolved. Thank you!

  9. elyse

    04/07/2013 at 7:47 pm

    my problem is if I have WiFi on I don’t get phone reception and therefore no text. turn it off and it works fine. any suggestions to fix this.

  10. Joe Crowley

    04/08/2013 at 9:48 pm

    This update has ruined my phone. Now I may or may not receive a text, when I send one it may or may not be delivered. The apps crash at will. I have to reboot about two or three times in an hour if there’s something I must do. This last update has taken the most reliable phone I’ve ever had and made it useless! What’s worse is that your “technical support” not only don’t have the knowledge to fix it, they act as if I’m the only one who is having issues after upgrading to Jelly Bean! Come to think of it, why is it that I’m having to fix a phone that you sold me??

    • knitorgetoff

      04/17/2013 at 9:57 am

      I am having the same exact problems!!!!! I thought it was just me. I am also frustrated that things are missing or no longer functioning because of the update

      • Joe Crowley

        04/18/2013 at 3:54 am

        I kept calling Verizon Technical support and they swapped me out and sent me a Razr Maxx HD and I haven’t had a problem since.

  11. Patty

    04/13/2013 at 12:08 am

    I am so disgusted with what this update has caused I could scream!!
    It is totally unacceptable – somebody please help!!!

  12. Damon

    04/16/2013 at 7:24 pm

    I have spent the past two nights on the phone with Verizon DSL and they have changed every setting on the modem to no avail. The Verizon Wireless guy I spoke with knew what the problem was right away, but I can’t get the Verizon DSL guys to understand. It’s very frustrating. I can connect wirelessly fine everywhere else, except for home. I appreciate the article. Hopefully it will be the key to getting me a new modem. Keep up the good work.

  13. A. Chenkin

    04/22/2013 at 1:17 pm

    This update removed working widgets and programs (with no notice). It has WIFI spontaneously turning on, causing existing queries to hang – because the phone no longer saves wifi passwords. When apps try to access the web via the wifi, The phone has not way to authenticate without human intervention, so the queries (and the applications) HANG.

    Added to the extra effort re-installing all the apps that vanished with the update, I am not a happy camper.

    This is not the service I expect from Verizon or Motorola.

    • N. Pratt

      04/23/2013 at 11:51 am

      My new Droid Razr MAXX has this same wifi problem with my Amped Wireless Smart Repeater (SR300), but not with my main Linksys router. After trying a few factory resets to rule out apps as the cause of the problem, I tried booting in safe mode (hold down volume button when booting up). Surprisingly, that worked! Obviously not a solution, but an interesting clue.

      When I called Verizon to ask why my upgrade date (for other phones on my plan) moved out 4 months (they changed the promotion offering! bait-n-switch)…..I checked on the status of the wifi issue. They hadn’t heard of it. I was forwarded to Motorola and got similar results. Sometimes you get a person who is aware of the problem. Other times not. It doesn’t appear that anyone is actively trying to resolve this.

      Verizon is sending me a “like new” phone (why not actually new?) to see if that solves the problem. Getting a new router is NOT a solution, especially when the router works fine will all other devices and it’s fairly new.

      • N. Pratt

        04/24/2013 at 11:30 am

        As expected, the replacement phone didn’t solve the wifi problem (“connects” but connection doesn’t work). Droid Razr MAXX is NOT compatible with Amped Wireless Smart Repeater (SR300), even though the router is less than a year old. Motorola has been notified and said that they will add it to their list of “bad” routers. No promise of a fix anytime soon. The cause of the problem hasn’t been determined, and it doesn’t seem to be a high priority for any of the parties involved (Verizon, Motorola, Google (Jelly Bean), router companies). They all seem unaware that a problem even exists.

        • N. Pratt

          06/10/2013 at 8:48 am

          One last update on my wifi connection issue with an Amped Wireless Smart Repeater (SR3300). I finally have a connection to my router that works! I’m not 100% sure what fixed the problem, but suspect it’s related to the wps button. Motorola assigned me a case number and the support person followed up repeatedly with suggestions to try to resolve the issue. I am impressed with their interest in solving this because there are so many variables; it’s not easy to resolve tech issues when there are so many protocols involved. On the last call, we tried using the wps button (hidden on back of router/repeater) and sync’d with wps icon on phone (bottom left of wifi screen – the two arrows that look like a circle). The initial bad connection showed a speed of 1Mbps; that’s why it showed connected buy nothing worked…. too slow. Once the wps handshake completed, after poking around trying to bring up different web sites, the speed eventually improved to an average of 52 Mbps. Now that the communication is established, I connect and get up-to-speed quickly every time.

  14. Angela

    04/27/2013 at 8:37 pm

    Did something happen today? My phone was perfectly fine until today. Now it is going crazy. Text messages are disappearing. Texts that I intentionally deleted have RE-appeared. Gmail, google drive, Dropbox, everything is messed up. Droid razr maxx.

  15. megan

    05/02/2013 at 6:43 pm

    My Google Play just crashes every time I open it! Cannot download or update any apps. Freezes up. This phone sucks now!

  16. Ray

    06/10/2013 at 7:45 am

    Unacceptable!!! I’m sorry guys, thanks, but I am fed up with the need of “fixes” from boards. Everyone has been great and only wish that you worked for Verizon or Motorola who both don’t seem to care and even after countless boards of problems act like my case is an isolated one. I just want a phone that works!!! The Razr was amazing with Gingerbread, but after ICS and now Jellybean; it’s a paperweight. I have done everything from wiping the cache, unloading ALL apps, to hard reset. It makes the phone work fine, but these are all temporary fixes and frankly it shouldn’t need “fixes”. My question is does anyone know if it’s just Android that’s the problem, Motorola, or Verizon? My contract is not up until February 2014 which is a complete nightmare. I am already wondering if I should just give up Verizon and/or Motorola or leave the Android phones alone – PERIOD!! Poor connectivity, poor wifi, now battery life sucks, all of a sudden blutetooth issues not able to connect to my car, voicemails not getting through, texting is painful, etc. etc. etc. Each day I wonder what else will go wrong.

    • toby

      08/02/2013 at 2:00 am

      I have the same problems here in Australia using a Motorola Razr Hd after the 4.1.2 upgrade. My carrier is Telstra, Motorola are not responding with a fix.

  17. Hwebb54

    09/16/2013 at 9:49 pm

    I have the GT724WG router and as soon as I got the update to my razr it wouldnt connect to wifi at all. I ended up buying a S4 after they sent me 3 replacement phones to try to fix the wifi problem. I kept telling them it wasnt the phone it was the update that was sent out. After they finally figured out what I was telling them was true, they told me that I should update my firmware on my router. There is no newer firmware for my router. You would think that the programmers could figure out how to get around this in an update but Im sure that they decided it was more COST EFFECTIVE to just screw people like me that needs wifi to connect at home (no service in my area, sometimes 1x). I hate that Verizon has the best cell service for my area. They have cost me enough money…

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