Stock 4.2.2 and Finless custom rom wifi issues

[alwaysbless]

Ive been testing this device with 4.2.2 for a few days but the wifi modules are not up to par and connections speeds sink as low as 2mbps regularly (which makes anything internet related impossible). So I switched to 4.1.1 and the wifi modules are much better and give me consistent speeds of 65mps on the 2.4ghz band. However, the 5ghz band doesnt work at all - on either firmware. With that being said, it got me thinking maybe I could use an external wifi adapter like I did on my mk808 (to solve its crappy wifi) - this would also allow me to test if bluetooth is truly integrated onto the same chipset (since I would be removing the drivers for the internal wifi/bt chipset) and also if the wifi drivers are to blame for the connection issues. So I inserted my wifi adapter into my usb hub and deleted the rkwifi module and replaced it with the rkwifi module that I used with the external wifi adapter on my mk808 - then i rebooted. Once i rebooted I had working wifi, but I noticed the adapter wasnt active at all, so I removed it, and my wifi was still working. Which made me think that (a) this thing is using the same wifi as the mk808 or (b) the drivers are built directly into the kernel or something -so I deleted the rkwifi module completely and rebooted, but my wifi was done, it wouldnt even slide to on, BUT bluetooth was still working. So i recopied the drivers from my mk808 again - and wifi began working right away!!

To make a long story short, it appears to me that this device is using RTL8192CU and RTL8188 drivers for its wifi, I dont think broadcom even offers a chip with the ap6330 name that integrates 802.11ac and bluetooth 4.0, at least I couldnt find it on their website. So maybe someone who is smart enough to compile the drivers from source can get us a working rkwifi.ko for 4.2.2 - bcuz in its current state it is complete trash.

Also, with the main difference between the mk908 and t428 being the wifi modules im beginning to think that the mk908 might actually not have the wifi geekbuying is marketing it with either. Google search for both chipset names bring up nothing, and for all we know they could literally be using the exact same wifi as eachother, which would make them no different at all.

[Finless]

I found a trick on XDA that worked a while back when I tried it.

When insmod the kernel will reject a KO module that is the wrong version. If you open the KO with a hex editor and change the version (which is tricky going from 3.0.8+ to 3.0.36+ as you cannot change the length of the file) it will no longer fail the version check. It might still not work but at least it gets past the version check.

I did this to the xpad.ko for 3.0.36+ and it freakin worked!

Again when I get some more time I plan to totally try porting things that I can get working without sources.

To compile drivers we need 3.0.36+ sources... until then we are poking at straws and hacking!

Bob

[alwaysbless]

I found a trick on XDA that worked a while back when I tried it.

When insmod the kernel will reject a KO module that is the wrong version. If you open the KO with a hex editor and change the version (which is tricky going from 3.0.8+ to 3.0.36+ as you cannot change the length of the file) it will no longer fail the version check. It might still not work but at least it gets past the version check.

I did this to the xpad.ko for 3.0.36+ and it freakin worked!

Again when I get some more time I plan to totally try porting things that I can get working without sources.

To compile drivers we need 3.0.36+ sources... until then we are poking at straws and hacking!

Bob

I was also thinking that the modules may be failing due to the differences in the kernels, so I looked around in the module folders on the 4.1.1 rom and the 4.2.2 rom and on the 4.1.1 rom it had drivers for 8192 and 8188 @ 3.0.36+ kernel, I tried using those but no luck unfortunately =/. Its weird though, if I recall correctly doing about tablet on both roms showed me they were using the same kernel (3.0.36), but the drivers in the modules folder for the 4.2.2 rom have something about a 3.0.8 kernel in the name.

[alwaysbless]

Now that I think about it, as far as the kernel source is concerned, the drivers that I had saved for my mk808 were compiled using the mk808 kernel/source (which I assume is different, since they both use different SoC?) but they still work on the t428'a 4.1.1. rom. Perhaps ripping the rkwifi from the mk808 since its on 4.2.2 will work..will test and post later

[Finless]

A man after my own heart willing to hack at it

Let me know what you find!
Remember though that usually wifi drivers are in the kernel.... Many think it is just rkwifi.ko or wlan.ko but that is not always the case. They can be just support modules!

I am working on the T428 4.1.1 ROM now and am going to play around myself.

Also for the hex editor trick. Search for text 3.0.8+ when you find it look shortly after it (a few bytes) and remove a character from a text string there. This will allow you to edit the KO to 3.0.36+ without changing the kernel size or skewing binary code. That's the key!

Good luck!

Bob

[Finless]

PS another tip I have never shared before.

In /system/bin is a file called hciattach
This has a lot to do with wifi and BT and how it works on the buss. When I port ROMs, I almost always have to use that file from the original ROM. Performance can change drastically based on this file.

Crap... I am giving away some of my secrets

That's cool... it's for the cause

Bob

[fwupow]

Mine works fine. If you can call 65Mbps fine.

I have a dual band router and unlike the Stock 4.2.2, Bob's 1.4 ROM automatically connects to the 5GHz access point first, so I don't have to enter my key manually.

Anyway, I have functional 5Ghz and 2.4GHz connections to my router. Multiple speed tests show that I'm getting near the max speed that my cable broadband provides (abt 17000Kbps download and 1Kbps upload).

It would be helpful if you could select which AP in the list you want to perform the WPS on instead of the firmware automatically selecting one for you and then leaving you to manually set up the other by typing in the dreadfully long encryption key. - minor complaint

[Guest]

On T428 with generic 4.1.1 firmware the 5Ghz band work. I tested it with my router.
And the wifi on both band work very very well. The first time in an android hdmi stick. (for me)

The wifi module on T428 is the BCM 4330 that support 2.4 and 5 Ghz but don't have the ac protocol. You can have also the fm radio i think.

I believe strongly, that the stock 4.2.2 rom is a porting from mk808 (kake rom)

[fwupow]

Router config settings Auto Channel switching

I just recalled that I had big fat trouble with one of my older TV Sticks trying to get WiFi to work until I disabled that automatic channel switching on my NetGear n600 dual-band router configuration settings. Maybe that would help?

Could be that different router brands/models are a factor here.

There's a Playstore app called WiFi analyser that might help you confirm 5GHz operation.

[alwaysbless]

I just recalled that I had big fat trouble with one of my older TV Sticks trying to get WiFi to work until I disabled that automatic channel switching on my NetGear n600 dual-band router configuration settings. Maybe that would help?

Could be that different router brands/models are a factor here.

There's a Playstore app called WiFi analyser that might help you confirm 5GHz operation.

On 4.1.1 my t428 cant even see the ssid of the 5ghz band, on the 4.2.2 it can see but when I connect my speeds drop to 2-11mbps immedeately. There are a few different versions of the 4.2.2 rom floating arounDd as well, if you boot it up and it says rbox instead of tronsmart then you are on the beta 4.2.2 rom, if you actually see the tronsmart logo and can get 150mbps using your 5ghz network that stumps me because my e3200 just isnt working that way

I saw that geekbuying posted a new rk3188 device on their blog too, and low and behold they are claming that this one uses realtek 8189 wifi. All of these devices are a generic re-brand so its pretty safe to say that ours is using the exact same wifi. Knowing ugoos those their firmware probably comes with its own problems as well but when they post the link for this firmware imma rip it apart and try a few things.

http://blog.geekbuying.com/index.php/2013/05/10/ugoos-qc802-rk3188-quad-core-tv-stick-mini-pc-review/#.UY0DF7XV97k

[alwaysbless]

On T428 with generic 4.1.1 firmware the 5Ghz band work. I tested it with my router.
And the wifi on both band work very very well. The first time in an android hdmi stick. (for me)

The wifi module on T428 is the BCM 4330 that support 2.4 and 5 Ghz but don't have the ac protocol. You can have also the fm radio i think.

I believe strongly, that the stock 4.2.2 rom is a porting from mk808 (kake rom)

That might explain why the drivers are in there, but it doesnt explain how using the rkwifi drivers from my mk808 actually allow working wifi on the t428 as well? Also since the bcm chip has everything integrated it dosnt explain how bluetooth was still working without the drivers for wifi? (unless maybe there are multiple drivers for the different functions of the same chip) - either way quite confusing, do you know of any way to actually test the version of the bluetooth at least then we could see if it was really using 4.0

[Trollgeir]

Hi!

I'm not sure if this is related or not, but I have a very similar problem with my ug802 stick (tested both with finless 1.7 and 1.8)

The second I connect to the wireless network everything is fine. But suddenly after 2-15 mins the wireless connection drops to ~700kbps-1.5mbit. A quick fix is to disable and enable the wireless internet, although the same problem reoccurs all the time and it's driving me nuts. I doubt the problem lies within the SSID considering I have two other android devices which the connection never drops on.

[hoabycsr]

In response to your connection issues.

Hi!

I'm not sure if this is related or not, but I have a very similar problem with my ug802 stick (tested both with finless 1.7 and 1.8)

The second I connect to the wireless network everything is fine. But suddenly after 2-15 mins the wireless connection drops to ~700kbps-1.5mbit. A quick fix is to disable and enable the wireless internet, although the same problem reoccurs all the time and it's driving me nuts. I doubt the problem lies within the SSID considering I have two other android devices which the connection never drops on.

This behavior I typically run into when using a power supply that isn't up to par. There's plenty of adapters that say 2amps but really don't put it out. A good 2-3 amp adapter is what a guy really wants. Sadly, two of my last ug802's shipped out including a 1amp adapter... which I feel is quite underpowered.

[alwaysbless]

This behavior I typically run into when using a power supply that isn't up to par. There's plenty of adapters that say 2amps but really don't put it out. A good 2-3 amp adapter is what a guy really wants. Sadly, two of my last ug802's shipped out including a 1amp adapter... which I feel is quite underpowered.

If the device has enough power to last through an antutu benchmark it has enough to power its wifi. The power supply is not the problem here, it is just plain ol bad engineering.

[hoabycsr]

Possible... but they really are two different things. Just offering a suggestion. I had the exact same problem on some of my ug802's and it ended up being a power thing.