• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

Bionic OTA ICS update broke FoxFi Wifi Hotspot

E

ezriderz

Newbie
So many things have broken since the OTA update on my Bionic the other day. I really need FoxFi Wifi hotspot app to work, but now, after the update, when I try to activate the hotspot it says, "Wifi mode has failed on your phone; please try the Bluetooth mode instead." However, that fails also.

The playstore description for FoxFi says it does not work on Jellybean, and to please stay on ICS (4.0). Well, I'm on 4.0.4 after the OTA update, and I cannot make it work. I read someone with a Razor/Maxx report that it works OK on his phone, but then they directed me to the Bionic forum with my questions.

Please let us know if anyone has a Wifi Hotspot app that works on the Bionic after the ICS update, and does it work without registering with VZW?

Thanks

michael
 
Yes, I use Foxfi and haven't had any trouble using it on the OTA that just rolled out. Try uninstalling and reinstalling the app
 
Do a FDR on your phone. There can be issues after doing the OTA of the update.

Also, if you are on a capped data plan you don't have to worry about Verizon knowing if you use tethering as they can no longer charge a hotspot fee for people on a capped plan.
 
ezriderz said:
So many things have broken since the OTA update on my Bionic the other day. I really need FoxFi Wifi hotspot app to work, but now, after the update, when I try to activate the hotspot it says, "Wifi mode has failed on your phone; please try the Bluetooth mode instead." However, that fails also.

The playstore description for FoxFi says it does not work on Jellybean, and to please stay on ICS (4.0). Well, I'm on 4.0.4 after the OTA update, and I cannot make it work. I read someone with a Razor/Maxx report that it works OK on his phone, but then they directed me to the Bionic forum with my questions.

Please let us know if anyone has a Wifi Hotspot app that works on the Bionic after the ICS update, and does it work without registering with VZW?

Thanks

michael
Click to expand...


foxfi works fine after the update.
 
stridermt2k said:
I was using foxfi earlier today with no problems.
I performed an FDR after updating.
Click to expand...

Same here, but I didn't do a FDR and FoxFi still works. I did however, FXZ back to 905 the week before ICS was released OTA so maybe that was somewhat like a half-assed FDR? IDK WTF?...
 
I was running foxfi as well with no issue.

Keep in mind, Verizon is offering unlimited wifi hotspot/usb tethering for users who are grandfathered in on the unlimted data plan.

I know this to be true because I just added the feature. An extra 30 bucks a month is more than fair for unlimited hotspot with up to 8 devices/computers.

P.S. I do believe they know people are tethering. Why? I checked my Verizon app and my data usage went from 40+ gigs to 39+ gig right after I had the hotspot feature added. Just food for thought. ;)
 
My Bionic is stock ICS via the recent OTA. No FDR, or JFK, or BHO. FoxFi ran fine under GB and it runs fine under ICS. I did not have to reinstall the app.

Last weekend, I was in Miami. Hotel TV was dead due to high winds on their dishes. My Bionic got a strong and consistent LTE signal. I watched football on my Asus Transformer Infinity with my Bionic feeding it with a wi-fi hot spot provided by FoxFi.
 
1. Make sure that you have Wi-Fi on the phone itself turned OFF.

2. If you add a password (FoxFi by default has none), you need to change the
hotspot name as well.

3. Reboot the phone after making changes to FoxFi.
 
Thank you to all who responded with useful tips. I did a FDR and now Foxfi works fine. Just a pain to have to re-setup the phone, home screen, and such. But Foxfi is worth it. I do have VZW unlimited dsta and will investigate their hotspot offer you mention.

Thank you all again,

Michael
 
wildkitten said:
Do a FDR on your phone. There can be issues after doing the OTA of the update.

Also, if you are on a capped data plan you don't have to worry about Verizon knowing if you use tethering as they can no longer charge a hotspot fee for people on a capped plan.
Click to expand...


Why type of FDR did you use? Isnt there an option to wipe the internal memory/SD also. did you select that option?
 
jetguat,

I removed the microSD card from the battery compartment of the phone, then went to the settings and in "Privacy" there is an option to reset the phone. I believe that I did retain my settings option.

After the FDR, I reinstalled the SD card and let the phone find most of my apps, photos, and contacts. Took about an hour or two. Some apps I had to re-install myself. But I keep a copy of my app backups in my Dropbox, so I always have access to them so it was easy to find them.

thanks

michael
 
I don't know if the older versions of foxfi will work, but I wouldn't update it the older free version still works. They charge for the new version and it's buggy... At least in my recent experience with it. I wish I had kept an old version in my backups.
 
Hi Satires
I have ICS on my bionic, and Foxfi still works. My Foxfi version is 1.95.3.

Are you using a similar configuration and versions? If not, please advise as to which versions do not work. The Play store writeup now does not mention that it is blocked by JellyBean as it did before. But now there is mention of a usage limitation that forces FoxFi to drop connection after a few MBs. Then you have to keep restarting it. I have not yet run into this problem, mainly because I have not done much using it since I got the ICS update OTA.

Any other problems people are finding with ICS or JB with FoxFi? I'd like to know about them. I am considering blocking my phone from further updates OTA just to keep my FoxFi working.

I phoned Verizon to ask about a new free tethering option for my phone as I've read about here, but they said that is not true, and there is no free wifi tethering unless you pay for it. Booo!
 
ezriderz said:
...
Any other problems people are finding with ICS or JB with FoxFi? I'd like to know about them. I am considering blocking my phone from further updates OTA just to keep my FoxFi working.

I phoned Verizon to ask about a new free tethering option for my phone as I've read about here, but they said that is not true, and there is no free wifi tethering unless you pay for it. Booo!
Click to expand...
I have had no serious problems with FoxFi since the ICS update. Occasionally I need to reboot the Bionic to make it work, but not often. In our current location, our USB modem is getting virtually no reception, so we have been using FoxFi for all our Internet access for the last three days. I had to reboot once. Otherwise, it works fine. I did not install the release that came our a few days ago, since the current one works fine and was free. The unlock key for the new version costs $6.97.

If you have the old unlimited data plan on you phone, it is true that Verizon does not provide free tethering. If you have a limited plan, however, there is no longer a charge for tethering: What Verizon's FCC tethering settlement means to you (FAQ) | Mobile - CNET News
 
Thanks for the link to the FCC info. Since I still have the VZW unlimited data plan I'm forced to use the backdoor option with FoxFi. I can only hope it keeps working for me. Else I have to revert back to Easy Tether and USB.

Thanks,

Michael
 
ezriderz said:
Hi Satires
I have ICS on my bionic, and Foxfi still works. My Foxfi version is 1.95.3.

Are you using a similar configuration and versions? If not, please advise as to which versions do not work. The Play store writeup now does not mention that it is blocked by JellyBean as it did before. But now there is mention of a usage limitation that forces FoxFi to drop connection after a few MBs. Then you have to keep restarting it. I have not yet run into this problem, mainly because I have not done much using it since I got the ICS update OTA.

Any other problems people are finding with ICS or JB with FoxFi? I'd like to know about them. I am considering blocking my phone from further updates OTA just to keep my FoxFi working.

I phoned Verizon to ask about a new free tethering option for my phone as I've read about here, but they said that is not true, and there is no free wifi tethering unless you pay for it. Booo!
Click to expand...

Like I was saying in another thread, just google around for old foxfi versions till the dev works out the bugs. Better grab one quick before the links disappear.
 
I keep a copy of my app backups in my dropbox. That way all apps are available to any device I have that has dropbox installed.

thanks for the tips

michael
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom