Download Wifi Strongest Signal or Wifi Roaming Fix
"Wifi Roaming Fix" replaces "Wifi Strongest Signal". The reason for the name change is so that the original version can remain on Google Play, and users can choose whether to upgrade or not. We recommend "Wifi Roaming Fix", but if you find it doesn't work better than "Wifi Strongest Signal", please let us know in the forum!
The latest versions are on Google play:
"Wifi Roaming Fix":
http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.heleron.wifiroamingfix
"Wifi Strongest Signal":
http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.heleron.wifistrongestsignal
Test versions:
A Beta test version is available from Google Play, read the following post for details on how to get it:
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/wifistrongest/FjlLF19FFhY/ZLrn6_HeEOMJ
The latest versions are on Google play:
"Wifi Roaming Fix":
http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.heleron.wifiroamingfix
"Wifi Strongest Signal":
http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.heleron.wifistrongestsignal
Test versions:
A Beta test version is available from Google Play, read the following post for details on how to get it:
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/wifistrongest/FjlLF19FFhY/ZLrn6_HeEOMJ
Previous Versions
Download the file to your Android device, then select it to install it. Before you can downgrade to an older version, you might have to uninstall it first.
Wifi Roaming Fix version 2.08 (158KB)
Wifi Roaming Fix version 2.08 (158KB)
| com.heleron.wifiroamingfix.apk |
Version 1.0 (158KB)
| wifistrongestsignal1.00.apk |
Test version
These are old beta versions.
Beta versions
Beta versions
| wifistrongestsignal2.06.apk |
| wifistrongestsignal2.04.apk |
| wifistrongestsignal2.02.apk |
Wifi Strongest Signal and Wifi Roaming Fix - history
Version 2.08
Renamed to "Wifi Roaming fix" and published as separate app on Google Play. Added new settings.
Version 2.06
Solved Android JB 4.2 incompatibility
Version 2 beta (5/11/12)
Package size 172.8KB, installed size 580KB, memory* used: background=3.1MB (service), total=5.3MB (with app running).
Many changes to make it more efficient. Added setting for automatic startup; and status information. Version 1 used a "brute force" approach to AP reselection, ignoring the state of the wifi drivers. Version 2 contains a state machine which takes into account what the wifi drivers are doing, to minimize disconnect delays due to conflicts and unnecessary activity. Version 2 fixes the problems which occurred in version 1.
Version 1.00 (15/10/2012)
Package size 157.8KB, installed size 532KB, memory used* total=12MB (service + app).
First version. Known problems with this version:
- When switching APs there may be a delay of several seconds, noticeable if a voip call is in progress.
- If the phone's screen is off before moving away from a strong AP, it may not change to another AP until the screen is on again.
- Incorrect display of IP address and channel number in notification.
* Note: the memory used is for a Samsung Galaxy Nexus running 4.1.2. The amount of memory used will be different for other phones and other versions of Android. The background memory is used all the time. When the user interface is visible more memory is used, but is freed again sometime after it disappears.
Renamed to "Wifi Roaming fix" and published as separate app on Google Play. Added new settings.
Version 2.06
Solved Android JB 4.2 incompatibility
Version 2 beta (5/11/12)
Package size 172.8KB, installed size 580KB, memory* used: background=3.1MB (service), total=5.3MB (with app running).
Many changes to make it more efficient. Added setting for automatic startup; and status information. Version 1 used a "brute force" approach to AP reselection, ignoring the state of the wifi drivers. Version 2 contains a state machine which takes into account what the wifi drivers are doing, to minimize disconnect delays due to conflicts and unnecessary activity. Version 2 fixes the problems which occurred in version 1.
Version 1.00 (15/10/2012)
Package size 157.8KB, installed size 532KB, memory used* total=12MB (service + app).
First version. Known problems with this version:
- When switching APs there may be a delay of several seconds, noticeable if a voip call is in progress.
- If the phone's screen is off before moving away from a strong AP, it may not change to another AP until the screen is on again.
- Incorrect display of IP address and channel number in notification.
* Note: the memory used is for a Samsung Galaxy Nexus running 4.1.2. The amount of memory used will be different for other phones and other versions of Android. The background memory is used all the time. When the user interface is visible more memory is used, but is freed again sometime after it disappears.
General problems
Some programs that transmit and receive on wifi have a noticeable impact on the battery life. Wifi Strongest Signal does not, because it does not transmit. The battery power required for transmitting is much higher than for receiving, because it has to generate the radio signal. Wifi Strongest Signal only receives measurements from the wifi drivers. When the AP is changed, there is a very brief transmission to connect to the new AP.
Wifi Strongest Signal, like any app, does of course use some processing power when it is running, which uses power from the battery. However we have not been able to notice a reduction in battery life, it appears to be very low. If you switch off your wIfi, this will save some power, but it will also mean you cant receive Skype or voip calls.
The amount of power used depends on the chipset and wifi drivers. We have not noticed problems with the phones that we have tested.
This app can even save power and give a longer battery life, because when the wifi is connected to a stronger AP, your device uses less transmit power than when it is connected to a weak AP.
There is an Android setting for Wifi during sleep, which you can find here:
Advanced Wifi->Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep
If you set it to "always" it can save power, because then Wifi Strongest Signal does not need to wake up the wifi each time it checks the signal strength.
Wifi Strongest Signal, like any app, does of course use some processing power when it is running, which uses power from the battery. However we have not been able to notice a reduction in battery life, it appears to be very low. If you switch off your wIfi, this will save some power, but it will also mean you cant receive Skype or voip calls.
The amount of power used depends on the chipset and wifi drivers. We have not noticed problems with the phones that we have tested.
This app can even save power and give a longer battery life, because when the wifi is connected to a stronger AP, your device uses less transmit power than when it is connected to a weak AP.
There is an Android setting for Wifi during sleep, which you can find here:
Advanced Wifi->Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep
If you set it to "always" it can save power, because then Wifi Strongest Signal does not need to wake up the wifi each time it checks the signal strength.
Uninstalling
You can uninstall Wifi Strongest Signal from Google Play in the normal way. Alternatively you can uninstall it from Android Settings - > Apps. Find Wifi Strongest Signal in the list of apps, press it and then you see some information including an "Uninstall" button.
When you have uninstalled it, Wifi Strongest Signal is removed, and nothing is left behind. There is nothing else you need to do.
More information
When an Android app is uninstalled, it is gone. It is not like WIndows, which can leave code behind after it is uninstalled. The only thing an Android app can leave behind are changes to the settings for which it has permissions.
You can see what permissions an app has in Google play by clicking the "permissions" tab. For example, for Wifi Strongest Signal you can see the following:
change Wi-Fi status
Allows the app to connect to and disconnect from Wi-Fi access points and to make changes to configured Wi-Fi networks.
view Wi-Fi status
Allows the app to view the information about the state of Wi-Fi.
The only settings that Wifi Strongest Signal can change is the configuration of the wifi networks. It can not change the configuration of anything else. Wifi Strongest Signal does not make any changes to the power management.
If you go to Android Settings - > WiFi, you can see a list of your networks. If you press on one of them, you see a menu "Forget network". If you do this, than any changes made by Wifi Strongest Signal will be lost, and you will need to enter the password again when you reconnect to the network.
You don't need to do this for Wifi Strongest Signal, but it might be useful to do if you have other wifi apps that you have uninstalled.
When you have uninstalled it, Wifi Strongest Signal is removed, and nothing is left behind. There is nothing else you need to do.
More information
When an Android app is uninstalled, it is gone. It is not like WIndows, which can leave code behind after it is uninstalled. The only thing an Android app can leave behind are changes to the settings for which it has permissions.
You can see what permissions an app has in Google play by clicking the "permissions" tab. For example, for Wifi Strongest Signal you can see the following:
change Wi-Fi status
Allows the app to connect to and disconnect from Wi-Fi access points and to make changes to configured Wi-Fi networks.
view Wi-Fi status
Allows the app to view the information about the state of Wi-Fi.
The only settings that Wifi Strongest Signal can change is the configuration of the wifi networks. It can not change the configuration of anything else. Wifi Strongest Signal does not make any changes to the power management.
If you go to Android Settings - > WiFi, you can see a list of your networks. If you press on one of them, you see a menu "Forget network". If you do this, than any changes made by Wifi Strongest Signal will be lost, and you will need to enter the password again when you reconnect to the network.
You don't need to do this for Wifi Strongest Signal, but it might be useful to do if you have other wifi apps that you have uninstalled.
