Hi kenmcm

We need more troubleshooting details to help you:

1. What models of Android tablets and phones are you using? What versions of Android are you using (e.g. Jellybean 4.1-4.3, Kitkat 4.4, Lollipop 5.0, 5.1, etc)? A few models numbers and be super helpful; I use 3 or 4 Samsung and Nexus and HTC devices with KitKat and Lollipop and haven't had any issues with Firefox 35, 36 or 37 with WiFi and freezes.
2. What version of Firefox for Android are you using? (please try the latest version which is currently FF37.0.2)
3. Steps to reproduce: What did you do exactly, what happened and what did you expect? (details please! 2-3 examples of the websites that are causing the problem would help. also more details on your wifi network would be helpful)
4. It sounds like you are technical since you have done so much testing. Please file a bug with the steps to reproduce at: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org
5. as for downgrading (which we DO NOT recommend & support since older versions don't have security fixes!) you can install an old nightly from:

https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/mobile/releases/

Cheers!

...Roland

Hi Roland

Here are the answers to your questions:

What models of Android tablets and phones are you using?

Samsung Note 4 (running Android 5.0.1), Samsung Rugby Pro (Running Android 4.1.2), Galaxy S5 Active (running Android 4.4.4) & Kyocera-E6560 (Running Android 4.4.2). There are others, but these are the ones I have access to right now.

What version of Firefox for Android are you using?

I started noticing the problem with version 34 on. It could have started with earlier versions but I first noticed it with version 34--we did a large phone upgrade and installed version 34 which was the current version at the time. I just tried 37.02 and am still having the problem.

As a side note I have an old Samsung note 1 (on Android 3.0.8). It is running Version 17 of Firefox and does not have the same problem.

Steps to reproduce: What did you do exactly, what happened and what did you expect?

For instance if I do a Google search trying to research something I type in the search hit and hit go. I then click on a link in the search and let the page load. Look at the page to see if it has the answer I need. Then hit the back button and repeat the process with the next link. After about 1.5 to 2 minutes Firefox starts to load the page then the progress bar freezes about 1/6th of the way across the screen. If you wait several minutes the progress bar generally will continue to about 4/6th or 5/6th of the way across the screen then freeze again. If you turn WIFI off then on again Firefox will work for another 1.5 to 2 minutes and freeze again.

Same thing happens if you are on a web page clicking through links on the page. The problem occurs on all web pages.

Also more details on your wifi network would be helpful:

Hmmm, this is a difficult one--I work at the University of Washington, but not with the IT department that manages the technology infrastructure. So I don’t have a lot of technical details. Basically (among other jobs) I do the phone support for the Campus maintenance division. I support 250 to 300 users. While I do not have a lot of the specifics I will do my best to give you a general idea.

The best way to think of the UW is a small city. We have about 45,000 students and somewhere between 20,000 to 30,000 staff plus visitors. On any given day we can have 80,000 to 90,000 people on campus all of which are capable of using the WIFI network. So when I say we have a high volume WIFI network it is extremely high volume.

I noticed the problem with Firefox before and after spring break, but did not have the problem during spring break. WIFI usage would have been way down during this time because there would have been fewer people on campus. So the problem only seems to occur when volumes are very high.

I had a meeting with a UW-IT rep several months ago and he explained that the 2.4 network was near capacity some places on campus, but the 5.0 network had plenty of bandwidth on it. I think most of the phones I have been using work on the 2.4 network, but the Note 4 works with the 5.0 network also and has the same problem. Additionally all other programs work fine with WIFI so I do not think capacity is the issue.

Also I know Firefox itself is not the issue because it worked during spring break and it works on the cellular network. So some combo of the high volume network and Firefox seems to be creating the problem. Maybe has to do with how Firefox handles things when capacity is reached or exceeded.

As another side note I did not have the problem with my home network, but I was only using 2 phones at the time.

It sounds like you are technical since you have done so much testing. Please file a bug with the steps to reproduce at:

I have some technical skills, but really I am just good at research. I will do my best with the bug report :)

As for downgrading (which we DO NOT recommend & support since older versions don't have security fixes!) you can install an old nightly from:

I will try to work my way back to see if I can figure out what version of Firefox the problem started with.

Please let me know if you have any ideas or need any additional info.

Thanks! Ken

Hi Roland,

I input the bug report. I also tested previous versions of Firefox. The problem started occurring with version 33. I tested 30, 32 and 32.0.3. These 3 versions worked fine. I tested each for about 5 minutes and did not run into the problem (problem occurs at around 1.5 to 2 mins). If you think it is needed I can do a longer test on 32.0.3.

I am thinking a change at version 33 created the problem and has continued to the current version. 

Please let me know if I can provide any additional info.

Thanks!

Ken

hi again kenmcm:

thanks for the excellent info:

1. so Note 4 and Note 1 are phones with the problem as well as: Samsung Note 4 (running Android 5.0.1), Samsung Rugby Pro (Running Android 4.1.2), Galaxy S5 Active (running Android 4.4.4) & Kyocera-E6560 (Running Android 4.4.2) . Any other popular devices with the problem? Any popular devices where you do NOT notice the problem?
2. University of Washington as in Seattle? Maybe it's time for a "debugging roadtrip" :-) because I am 3 hours away in Vancouver, Canada!
3. What is the bug report link? Please post it here.

Thanks again!

...Roland

Hi Roland,

So Note 4 and Note 1 are phones with the problem as well as: Samsung Note 4 (running Android 5.0.1), Samsung Rugby Pro (Running Android 4.1.2), Galaxy S5 Active (running Android 4.4.4) & Kyocera-E6560 (Running Android 4.4.2) . Any other popular devices with the problem? Any popular devices where you do NOT notice the problem?

Yes all the listed phones have had problems with the recent versions of Firefox except the Note 1 which I did not test (but can). The Note 1 was an old phone that was in my stock which still had Firefox 17 on it--I did not try to upgrade to the current version of Firefox on that phone. I mainly mentioned it because Firefox 17 did not have the problem that the recent versions had.

There were a few other phone models that had problems, but unfortunately I did not note the phone models at the time of the test. That was more informal testing done on personal phones at the beginning to see if I was really seeing the issue I thought I was seeing--basically I would just stop one of my more tech savvy trades people and say "hey can you test this for me." I do remember one of them being an HTC phone, but I do not know the model. Having said this every phone that was tested had the problem.

University of Washington as in Seattle? Maybe it's time for a "debugging roadtrip" :-) because I am 3 hours away in Vancouver, Canada!

Yes we are just down the road from you in Seattle--If it is possible for you to come down for a debugging trip that would be great. I am sure we can set something up. Just let me know what would work for you.

What is the bug report link? Please post it here.

Here is the link to the Bug page:

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1155256

Thanks again for your help!

Ken

Hi Roland,

I was just wondering if you have developed any ideas as to what may be causing the WIFI problem.

Thanks!

Ken