The phone does not see the Wi-Fi network, what should I do? [actual for Android]

Good time everyone!

In many cases, it is much more convenient to connect your smartphone to a Wi-Fi network (than to use 3G / 4G Internet). Firstly, it is often unlimited, and secondly, the speed and stability are an order of magnitude higher.

But ..., in some cases, the phone stubbornly does not see Wi-Fi, creating discomfort (and in some cases, for example, on the road, airport, on vacation, it is completely impossible to access the Internet).

Actually, in this article I wanted to give the most common reasons why a smartphone (on Android) may not find a Wi-Fi network. I think the note will be useful for many users. .

Note: I emphasize that this article deals with the issue of "invisibility" of Wi-Fi. If you have connected to Wi-Fi, but you do not have the Internet, then this is a slightly different problem (to solve it, use this note: //ocomp.info/na-android-ne-rabotaet-internet.html)

What can be done if Android does not see the Wi-Fi network

1) Reboot the router, phone

Sometimes, due to various errors, it can become so that the router (for example) stops distributing the Internet. Therefore, one of the very first tips in this case is to reboot the router (for this, it is enough to disconnect its power supply from the network for 20-30 seconds).

After that, I would also recommend restarting the phone (Restart). To do this, just hold down the power button for several. seconds (see screen below).

Reboot your smartphone

2) Which channel (region, if any) is selected in the Wi-Fi settings

Each of the radio devices operates at a specific frequency (and the router is no exception). So, the channel (region) * influences the frequency in the router settings, and I will immediately note that different countries use a different number of channels: in Russia from 1 to 13, in the USA up to 11, in Japan up to 14.

The bottom line is that if your device is localized to work in another country, then it may not see some channels. For example, if your phone sees only from 1 to 11 channels, and auto-mode is selected in the router settings (and it chose channel 13), then your phone simply cannot work with such a Wi-Fi network.

The channel and region are set in the wireless network settings (Wireless) in the web interface of the router (see a couple of screenshots below).

To help! How to enter the router settings - //ocomp.info/kak-zayti-v-nastroyki-routera.html

How to choose the "best" channel for work (instructions), how to change it in the router settings - //ocomp.info/wi-fi-kanal-na-routere.html

Wireless settings - Tenda router

Wireless Mode - Settings (TP-LINK Router)

Important!

Now most of the classic routers operate at a frequency of 2.4 GHz, but recently new routers with a 2-frequency frequency have appeared on sale: 2.4 GHz and 5 Ghz (5 GHz allows you to unload the 2.4 GHz frequency, and improve the quality of Wi- Fi networks in homes where there are too many routers running at 2.4 GHz). But here the whole point is that not all laptops, tablets, phones support 5 GHz. Pay attention to this too!

5 GHz or 2.4 GHz - configuring a TP-Link router

3) Does the phone see Wi-Fi networks at all (at least some?)

If the above does not help, pay attention to the phone: does it see any other Wi-Fi networks?

If the phone does not see any Wi-Fi networks at all (although other devices find them), it may have a hardware problem (the Wi-Fi module could become unusable). I recommend restarting your phone, removing the case and trying to find Wi-Fi again. If this does not work, contact the service center.

If the phone, in general, sees a Wi-Fi network, but does not find only one specifically of yours, then pay attention to the channel and region (this was indicated a little higher), the coverage area (perhaps you are too far from the router and the signal in this place weak), on some parameters of the router (about them just below ⇓).

4) Does the router distribute a Wi-Fi network (can other devices see it?)

Next, I recommend checking if the Wi-Fi network (which you want to find on your phone) can be seen by other devices, for example, a laptop or tablet.It is possible that the problem is still in the settings of the router. For example, a reset of the router's settings could occur (this sometimes happens with power surges).

To help! The router does not distribute Wi-Fi (why?) - //ocomp.info/router-ne-razdaet-internet-po-wi-fi-reshenie.html

Check that the wireless network is turned on

Another important point: there may be a "white" list in the router (blocking of unknown devices is usually carried out by MAC address). This is done for security reasons so that "unknown" devices cannot connect to the Wi-Fi network. Therefore, pay attention to the "Security", "Parental Control", "Bandwidth Control", "Wireless Network Settings" tabs in the web interface of your router.

In some cases, it is much easier and faster to reset the router to restore the factory presets (they usually do not have any locks or restrictions).

5) About the radius of Wi-Fi coverage

Pay attention to the location of the router. The fact is that the quality of the signal and the radius of Wi-Fi coverage very much depends on where the router is located and where the receiving device is (each "extra" concrete wall or other obstacle greatly reduces the signal). And if the phone is behind two concrete walls from the router, it is quite possible that it will not find this network.

Recommendation: remove the cover from the phone, restart it, and bring it closer to the router (within a radius of 2-3 m.). Check if there is a network.

To help! Ways to Strengthen Wi-Fi Signal - Improving Reception and Increasing Network Radius at Home - //ocomp.info/kak-usilit-signal-wi-fi.html

The location of the router in the apartment: on the right - the option is much more successful

6) If you distribute a Wi-Fi network from a laptop

If you distribute a Wi-Fi network from a laptop, then in some cases you need to make some settings in the Windows Network Control Center (the fact is that security settings in Windows 7+ by default can block the Internet for other devices) .

First you need to open the Windows Control Panel, the tab: Control Panel \ Network and Internet \ Network and Sharing Center.

Then open the link in the menu on the left "Change advanced sharing settings" (see screenshot below).

Network and Sharing Center

Then open one by one several profiles that will be in this tab (private, guest, all networks) and disable password protection, enable network discovery, enable file and folder sharing.

Enable network discovery

Then double-check the Wi-Fi operation (it is advisable to restart Windows and the phone before doing this).

7) Last resort - reset the settings (the so-called Hard Reset)

The last thing I can recommend is to reset the phone settings, try to return it to the factory presets (the so-called Hard Reset). I draw your attention to the fact that with this operation: the entire phone book, parameters and settings of the phone will be reset and they will need to be set again!

To reset the device settings for Android - just go to the "Restore and reset" section, and open the "Reset settings" item (see the screenshot below).