Wi-Fi connection – it’s pretty important these days. Missing out on an important work call. Staring at the buffering wheel on Netflix until you want to throw your laptop against the wall. There are few things more frustrating than when you can’t connect to Wi-Fi.
So let’s get those Wi-Fi problems sorted. There are lots of things that can cause Wi-Fi connection problems, whether it’s down to your device or the broadband itself. Whether it’s your Android not connecting to Wi-Fi, an iPhone not connecting to Wi-Fi or Windows 10 not connecting to Wi-Fi, there are a few basic things to try. Here are a few suggestions on how to fix problems with Wi-Fi connection.
Wi-Fi connected, no internet
Furiously typing ‘Wi-Fi connected, no internet’ into Google? We got you. The first thing you’ll want to do is check whether the problem’s with your device or with the internet connection itself.
If it looks like there’s Wi-Fi connected but no internet access is available, try connecting to the internet with something else. Like if your laptop’s not connecting, test it out on your phone. And if the ‘Wi-Fi connected, no internet access’ error isn’t happening on your other piece of tech, you’ll know the issue is with the Wi-Fi adapter on your device.
These three things might just help your device connect. And the steps should be similar whether there’s Wi-Fi connected but no internet access on Android, you have an iPhone connected to Wi-Fi but no internet or you’re using a laptop:
Toggle the Wi-Fi on and off
Restart your device
If you’re using a Windows laptop, right click on the Wi-Fi button and select ‘Troubleshoot problems’
What if the Wi-Fi says connected, but no internet is available on both the devices you tested? Head to your router. This will usually be the source of our Wi-Fi woes. So try restarting your router. Give it a minute or so to load up again and if it’s still not working, onto the next step.
Check whether the ‘Internet’ light on the router is lit up. If it’s constantly flickering, red or off, calling your internet service provider may be your best bet.
Wi-Fi not connecting
Wi-Fi not connecting at all? To the router we go again! It might be that a sneaky cable’s unplugged somewhere. So if you can’t connect to Wi-Fi router, give it a once over for any loose connections and make sure they’re secure. And if that fails? You guessed it – restart your router. Or it could be that you need a new router all together.
Or it might be that you cannot connect to router Wi-Fi because your device is trying to link up with the wrong Wi-Fi network. Check the name of the Wi-Fi network it’s connecting to. If it’s not your usual network name, look through the list and click on the right one.
But what if the right Wi-Fi network isn’t showing up at all? Maybe you can’t connect to Wi-Fi because the signal is too weak. Try moving the device that’s unable to connect to Wi-Fi closer to the router. If it can pick up the signal when you’re nearer, you might want to look at getting a Wi-Fi signal booster.
Limited connection Wi-Fi
What does it mean when your tech says it’s got limited connection Wi-Fi? Well, it means your device can connect to the network partly, but not enough so that you can actually get online. Frustrating! So the question now is: how do I fix limited Wi-Fi connection?
If your Wi-Fi keeps losing internet connection – but all the right cables are plugged in – the culprit could be your IP address. Once again, we’re looking at our old friend the restart button. Restart your router and restart your device. This should hopefully force them to reassign the IP address.
And there’s another weird quirk that could have your laptop or phone losing Wi-Fi connection. Make sure the time and date on your devices is right. Sometimes a mismatch can play havoc. So change it up in your settings if there’s a difference.
Problem with authentication
This is more of an issue with Android phones, so we’re going to zero in on that here. There are lots of things that can cause a problem with authentication on Wi-Fi. It could be a router problem or an unstable network connection. Or if you’re having an authentication problem with Wi-Fi on a phone, it could be that a device update’s messed with it. So there’s no easy Wi-Fi authentication problem solution. But give these things a whirl, they might just work:
Forget the network you’re connecting to. This is usually how to solve authentication problem in Wi-Fi connection in Android. So go into your ‘Settings’ > ‘Wireless & Networks’ or ‘Connections’ > ‘Wi-Fi’. From there you should be able to see the network you’re having trouble connecting to. Tap it and select the ‘Forget network’ option. Now try reconnecting, with your password at the ready if you have one.
Change the wireless network from DCHP to Static. Go into your ‘Settings’ > ‘Wireless & Networks’ or ‘Connections’ > ‘Wi-Fi’. Tap the network you want to connect to and select ‘Modify’ or ‘Manage network’. Then under ‘Advanced settings’ > ‘IP settings’ change the IP from DHCP to Static. Now check the back of the router, there should be an IP address on the back. Enter that into the IP address field on your phone. Save your settings and try reconnecting!
You guessed it – restart the router and your phone.
So there you have it – just a few ideas to help fix those Wi-Fi bugs! But if these haven’t worked from you, there are loads of resources on the internet to check out. Just have a Google!
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