{"id":1039,"date":"2015-10-27T14:56:52","date_gmt":"2015-10-27T14:56:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/solutionsreview.com\/wireless-network\/?p=1039"},"modified":"2016-10-11T13:15:16","modified_gmt":"2016-10-11T17:15:16","slug":"wi-fi-problems-with-android-and-how-to-fix-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/solutionsreview.com\/wireless-network\/wi-fi-problems-with-android-and-how-to-fix-them\/","title":{"rendered":"Wi-Fi Problems with Android and How to Fix Them"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"smartphone-531250_640\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Everyone can relate to having issues with Wi-Fi whether it’s because your device won’t recognize the network to general connectivity problems. When it comes to the enterprise, these problems grow exponentially when everyone seems to be having a problem that they have no idea how to fix. Most of these problems are oriented around mobile and most of them tend to be the same issue. These issues are common, but that doesn’t mean that they’re not extremely irritating and time consuming to your IT department.<\/p>\n

According to an article by Gary Marshall for Androidpit<\/a>, there are four very common problems Android devices can have with a Wi-Fi connection and there are four different things you can do to fix them.<\/p>\n

The network\u2019s there but your device can\u2019t see it<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s get the obvious stuff out of the way first: does your device support the right Wi-Fi standard and frequency band? Wi-Fi versions 802.11b, g and a use the 2.4 GHz frequency band, while some 802.11n and all 802.11ac networks use the 5 GHz frequency band. If your device has a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi chip delivering 802.11a\/b\/g it won\u2019t be able to see an 802.11ac network.<\/em><\/p>\n

Make sure, too, that your network isn\u2019t hidden: if your router\u2019s SSID (wireless network station name) isn\u2019t being broadcast, only devices that know the network\u2019s name will be able to connect to it. If that\u2019s the case here, you can enter the details under Add Network: you\u2019ll need to enter the SSID and also specify what kind of security the network is set to. If the information in either bit is incorrect, the connection won\u2019t be made.<\/em><\/p>\n

There\u2019s a third possibility, which is that the network is an ad-hoc network. Most Android devices are configured to access Wi-Fi access points such as routers, but ad-hoc networks are computer to computer or device to device. It\u2019s possible to enable support for ad-hoc networks, but to do so you\u2019ll need to root your device.<\/em><\/p>\n

The network keeps disconnecting\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Oh, if we had a cent for every time this one\u2019s happened to us. Wi-Fi can be flaky, especially with older standards, and it\u2019s prone to interference from obstacles – so if you\u2019re constantly getting dropped connections it\u2019s a good idea to get closer to the router or to change your router\u2019s settings to try another radio channel that might be less congested.<\/em><\/p>\n

Your problem could also be with the router itself: we\u2019ve found that certain low-rent modems coughSky Broadband!cough go up and down more frequently than a kangaroo in a lift. If you\u2019re having problems with more than one device, go and give the router a kick. Er, we mean give it a reboot.<\/em><\/p>\n

Routers aren\u2019t the only cause of dropped connections, though. Rebooting your device is a simple first step – Wi-Fi radios can and do go in a huff from time to time – and it\u2019s worth having a look in your device\u2019s settings (Wi-Fi > Advanced) to see if your Wi-Fi is disabled when your device goes to sleep.<\/em><\/p>\n

Still no joy? Use the Forget option to remove stored wireless network details: this means when you try and connect, you\u2019ll be asked for the login details again. Restart before trying to reconnect and cross your fingers: it\u2019s one of the most effective solutions to bad Wi-Fi.<\/em><\/p>\n

The connection is really, really, really slow<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

First things first: is it a busy public access point that you\u2019re sharing with lots of people? If so, the only way to get a big speed boost there is to use it at a quieter time – which isn\u2019t exactly practical if you\u2019re on a bus, train or in work, we know.<\/em><\/p>\n

Getting physically closer to the router can make a huge difference – Wi-Fi, especially the older standards, is hugely range-dependent – and if you can physically see the router that\u2019s even better. Wi-Fi suffers badly from interference, especially from metal objects, and if walls between you and the router have chicken wire-style mesh underneath the plaster or big metal radiators hanging on them then that can make your connection noticeably worse.<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s also a good idea to ensure that nothing else is connecting to the network at the same time as you. In a typical home there are all kinds of things trying to access the Wi-Fi network from smartwatches to smart TVs and even smart energy meters, and the more devices online at once the less bandwidth there is to go round.<\/em><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t assume that your problems are down to the Wi-Fi, though. The router might be working perfectly and the Wi-Fi signal stronger than Samson, but if the broadband it\u2019s connecting to isn\u2019t up to snuff then you\u2019re not going to get a super-fast connection. Apps such as Ookla\u2019s Speedtest.net<\/span> app can show you exactly what speed you\u2019re getting, and they can help you identify particular problems such as slow ping times (which affects how quickly requests are sent and responded to; slow pings mean slow pages and laggy gaming).<\/em><\/p>\n

If pages are loading really slowly, another culprit could be your ISP\u2019s DNS servers. These translate the likes of Google.com<\/span> orAndroidpit.com<\/span> into addresses your device can understand, and if they\u2019re slow they bring your entire internet experience down.<\/em><\/p>\n

You can try alternate servers by going into Settings > Wi-Fi, selecting the network and then tapping Advanced Options. You should now see boxes marked DNS1 and DNS2: enter 8.8.8.8 in the first one and 8.8.4.4 in the second. Those are Google\u2019s public DNS servers and we\u2019ve never found them to be anything less than nippy.<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s all rubbish and nothing works<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Say hello to our little friend, the factory reset<\/a>. It\u2019s known to refresh the parts of Android that other tips cannot reach.<\/em><\/p>\n

How about you? Have you a solution we haven\u2019t covered here, or a culprit we haven\u2019t named and shamed? Let us know in the comments.<\/em><\/p>\n

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\"wireless<\/a>For information on the top 802.11ac solutions,\u00a0check out our latest Buyer’s Guide:<\/strong><\/h4>\n