Printable View
Well, I'm moving into the modern era, and the technology is fighting me all the way. My phone sees the WiFi network, but refuses the password. I'm not even sure how to study this further. I have two Surface Pros also connected to the network. I checked that the password on those was the same as the one that I was using (in case I had written something wrong), and I can't find any issues. Tried a dozen times, too.
Any suggestions as to how I can even investigate this further?
No, but based on your reports of sporadic issues with your other devices in your recent thread in the database forum, it probably is a mistake to troubleshoot each individual issue in a vacuum. There is likely a related root cause to all of it.
I concur with Optionbase.
I think you are in luck that this is happening. It is very likely that this shows a problematic rooter or a bad configured rooter.
Have you tried to reset your rooter (not power on/off but hard reset, probably holding button for 10 seconds or whatever your manufactured suggest) or have you tried a spare rooter?
We could go to MAC address security or Wireless Security Mode or Encryption Mode but I think the best thing is to check the "plug" first, aka, reset or another rooter test.
Are you testing this by sitting directly in front/three feet away from the router?
Do you have a nearby friend who's phone works on their wifi that you can test on?
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204051
Yeah. Without measuring, I can't say that I am exactly three feet away from the router, but I estimate that is almost exactly the distance. I only set the phone up about an hour or two before posting that, so I haven't had a chance to test anything else out, but I was already thinking of what other wifi networks are available that I can try out as an alternative. I've got a good one, which I'll be able to try in a day or so. That would be a good test.
I don't have an alternate router, but OB1 does make a good point. I certainly do have some suspiciously erratic behavior with this router. I was leaning towards the issue being with the system connected via ethernet, in that case, but the router is the other likely culprit. I'm not going to mess with that, at the moment, though. I've got a bit of a trip coming up. I don't need the phone connecting to this particular wifi in the interim, and I'm not inclined to mess with anything about the internet or the router at the moment, as I have other things going on that I don't want to interrupt.
I'll try the phone on a different wifi network tomorrow or the next day. That will be a useful piece of information.
I didn't realize the phone had WPS. Connected using that. So, I'm not sure what's up with the password, but whatever...
I had some trouble because despite what some people will claim I feel it is still advantageous to set the access point (for most Joe Blows out there this is integrated in their routers) to not broadcast its SSID.
Recent versions of Android made this clumsier to set up, but I found the procedure online. Of course these days web pages are despicable messes with goofy fonts, colors, jumping floating blimp ads, etc. Nobody just lists the procedure concisely.
How to Manually Connect to a Hidden WiFi Network on Android 8 Oreo or Higher is less of a festering landfill than most pages on the topic though.
The most important thing is the need to check the new Hidden Network box added as the last suboption under Advanced (back around Android 8).
But that's just a stab in the dark based on my own experience with two new Android 10 devices.
I never bothered hiding the SSID because it's not all that useful as a security measure. Still, I could understand the reason to do so (every little bit helps, mostly) in some environments. However, as I was setting this up, I was shocked at the number of WiFi networks I could see. I knew there were quite a few around me, but the numbers have gone crazy. There are dozens of them. How many networks do people have, anyways?
A lot of home routers contain dual access points, each of which can support WLANs in two (soon 3?) bands. In theory you might assign different SSIDs to each one. If you use an ISP-supplied router part of the deal is that they grab one access point and make it semi-public to let other customers piggyback on your bandwidth as they roam.
There are also tons of devices from phones to IoT devices to pocket "hotspots" and even toys that contain access points.
Then you have the businesses using WiFi who sometimes offer access to customers on a separate access point as well.
Even in residential neighborhoods that don't allow it you often have subletting going on with two or more "households" in the same house. Each may have their own routers and access points, range extender access points, etc. compounding the situation.
Don't forget cars that often contain access points these days too.
If that all sounds pretty techno-hillbilly you aren't wrong. I hear things are far more chaotic in Europe and even more so in Asia. For all we know global warming is primarily being caused by microwave heating of the environment by excess WiFi transmitters, ;)
Just came to mind:
Quote:
... every gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse.
Yeah, you left out printers. At least one of the SSID being broadcast is for some HP DeskJet printer. I'd LOVE to see THAT get hacked.
I have 14 networks displayed, at the moment, two of which are printers. I had forgotten about the two band routers, even though I have one. I turned off the second band, as I don't have a use for it. I would expect that isn't common. They are on by default.
I also have one listed as Hidden Network. Is that a WiFi that isn't broadcasting an SSID, or did somebody name their SSID "Hidden Network". That's like setting your password to "*************".
There is even a web site (said to be funded by Google and Apple) that accepts wardriver submissions of SSID, BSSID (sort of a "WiFi MAC"), band, and street address. Nothing like big business co-opting the dufus population in order to infringe on everyone else.
Don't be a tool.