One of the worst problems we have in Android is its low capacity to manage the transition between different networks. With WiFi signals limited by range, if you live in a place where there are multiple routers, you will need to configure them to ensure proper wireless coverage. This may be easy, but it can become a hassle if our smartphone is not able to identify which of these networks has the greatest power and, therefore, gives us a better Internet connection. For this reason, Google also launched Wi-Fi Assistant, which will gradually reach the Nexus.
The main problem is that Android will not disconnect from the first network Wi-Fi until signal strength is lowered to zero. When this happens, your device will not connect to another network, even if it is higher powered and closer to the original network. But as often happens with serious Android problems, we have alternatives like the one proposed by Cloudie Development, a team that has developed a solution to it. The app has the function of selecting a group of favorite networks to even allow you to choose the signal with the least strength before going to the preferred one. ROOT is not needed, so we will comment on its virtues and benefits.
How to Automatically Select the Highest Power Wi-Fi Network
The first thing we are going to do is install the app called WiFi Switcher. Make sure it's the developed by Cloudie Development, since there are some apps with the same name in the Google Play Store. This app works with 2.4 and 5 GhZ networks and will ensure that you are always connected to the best available Wi-Fi network. This is the app:
Now we must bear in mind that if we are under Android Marshmallow we will have to give the appropriate permission to access the location so that it can function properly. There is a bug in Marshmallow that will not allow apps to scan Wi-Fi networks without this permission, so be sure to click on "allow".
Choosing the favorite networks
When we are already with the app open and in the main menu, WiFi Switcher should show you a list of all Wi-Fi networks close. If this does not happen, we make a downward gesture to update them.
Now we will see the entire list of networks and we will start clicking on the networks that we want to have as favorites by activating the box next to it. Wifi Switcher will make sure that your device only connect to networks marked "Preferred".
Selecting a brand for the network strength signal
If you have already selected the group of preferred networks or «preferred», the only thing that remains is choose a brand for the sign from the outside. Let's say that this is the line or mark that tells the app that it has to look for another Wi-Fi network of the favorites to connect to it.
So we click on the menu with three vertical points arranged in the upper right corner, then click on «Settings». Now we will use the slider in «Switch Range» to set the minimum mark to start the change to another network. By selecting any parameter above zero, which is what is marked by Android as default, you will get it to switch to another network at the moment. Theirs is that it has one or two bars in the signal, but it would be better if you were experimenting to find a custom configuration.
We have the option «Ask Before Switching» from the same settings to receive a notification with change option network, although this will disable automatic switching. The other option is "Show Full SSID", which is ideal to know the full names of the routers.
An interesting free app, though it can get heavy with advertising. In any case, as you are not going to be configuring it every day, it can be overridden so that your smartphone always connects to a higher-powered Wi-Fi network.
