How do you downgrade to a previous version of firefox?

Question

How do you down grade to a previous version of Firefox on an Android Phone? Current versions of Firefox no longer work with our WIFI network. Starting sometime around version 33 or 34 we started noticing that while using WIFI, Firefox would freeze every minute or two. Basically it would start to load a page then the progress bar would stop about 1/6th of the way across the screen. If you wait several minutes the bar would continue to about 5/6th of the way across the screen and then stop and not continue to load the page. If you turn WIFI off and then back on, Firefox will again work for a minute or two then freeze again. The timing is very specific and is not bound by a number of clicks. It also happens on all websites. The problem is not with the WIFI network because all programs including Chrome and the Android Browser work fine with WIFI. Also previous versions of Firefox work fine with the WIFI. We have the problem across several phone and manufacture types as well as across Android versions. We also did not have the freezing problem during a time of lower WIFI usage. So the problem specifically has to do with using newer versions of Firefox on a busy WIFI network. Because it may take time to fix these issues in Firefox we would like to downgrade to a previous version of Firefox that we know works with our WIFI network.
Thanks for your help!
Ken

Answer 1

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