Eager network disconnects on mobile device because the network I’m trying to configure… is not YET fully configured (doh!): Recently, I ran into a situation where I needed to connect to the freshly-created no-internet-access-yet wifi network (wireless LAN) created by a home wireless router (it’s irrelevant which brand and model) via a smartphone (in this case running Android 12 AFAIK) in order to configure the home router’s mode to behave as a wireless extender/bridge/gateway to another (upstream) wifi network. The exact details about the setup are NOT relevant. The important part is that, because the wireless LAN was not yet capable of providing access to the Internet (because the uplink/upstream wireless connection from that router to the “parent” wireless router/access point (AP) via which it was supposed to connect to the Internet was NOT YET configured), the network connections management logic of the OS of my smartphone kept deciding to disconnect from the wifi LAN because it was – in its view – a useless/non-viable network due to having no connection to the Internet. So I had to struggle a lot: reconnect to the wifi LAN network again and again (by tapping on the network in the list of wifi networks on my smartphone) as it kept insisting on disconnecting from this network a few seconds after figuring out that it couldn’t talk to the global Internet… until, the phone finally figured out that I might ACTUALLY REALLY WANT TO CONNECT AND STAY CONNECTED TO THIS NETWORK after a few reconnnection attempts, and offered me, via a small popup dialog, a checkbox with the option to “Do not disconnect from this network if it has no internet access (or something phrases similarly)” plus the choice whether to do so “Always/every time” or “This time (only)” (again, not the exact wording). When I chose to remain connected “this time (only)” - thinking that it would be enough as I only needed to remain connected for a minute or so to set the upstream/uplink wireless connection up – I got a disappointing disconnect a few seconds later. So I kept trying to reconnect to/reactivate my connection to the internet-less wifi LAN, and, ten-or-so attempts and a couple of minites later, that little popup prompted me again if I wanted to stay connected to this network, presenting me with the exact same options. This time I chose to REMAIN CONNECTED ALWAYS (so, ticked the checkbox + tapped on the “Always/every time” button) and – VOILA! – my phone remained associated with the wifi LAN and I finished setting up my router so it could connect to the proper Internet.
Moral of the story: Sometimes (or maybe often?) the OS/network/connection management software of (mobile) devices is eager to jump off (to disconnect from) a (wireless) network when it senses that this network doesn’t have (or doesn’t seem to have) viable connectivity to the great big Internet (in reality, to a few select test servers/addresses on the Internet – e.g. belonging to google and/or to the device’s manufacturer – in case of Android-based devices, or to Apple – in case of iOS or MacOS devices, or to Microsoft in case of Windows-based devices). The said software makes its assumptions quickly and can fight you – its user/owner/operator – quite eagerly, but, eventually, with enough tries and persistence, it will (usually) let you remain connected to the network of your choice. It’s frustrating in terms of user experience, but hey, the overarching concern of a wireless/mobile device (and its connection/connectivity/network management software/algorithms/logic) is to – QUICKLY – search for and land onto a (wireless) network that lets you and the apps and services connect to the vast expanses of the global digital ocean aka the Internet (with a capital “I”) … and to do so it usually makes sense to try to abandon those wireless networks which don’t seem to be able to talk to the Internet right away. Maybe that wireless network doesn’t have a route/connection to the Internet at all; maybe its signal is borderline weak to pass packets of data; maybe the network is slow and congested and it could in principle/eventually pass packets to/from the global Internet if the software and hardware (re)try hard … but we’re living in the present, and if a network seems to not be able to talk to and receive replies back from the Internet (close to) right away, that network is fishy, and we’d better abandon it ASAP so we can try the next one on our list (of available/known networks) in the hope that it will let us communicate well with the digital ocean out there.
Another moral of the story: You know, there’s a reason why internet service providers and wireless/combo router manufacturers strongly recommend that you use a WIRED (aka RJ45, aka Ethernet cable, aka LAN cable) connection (from a PC/laptop/notebook) to connect to your wireless router and/or to other (similar) network equipment (such as some wireless+wired network repeaters/extenders) when doing the initial setup/initial configuration. It’s NOT an arbitrary suggestion! If you have the option of using a cable connection, it’s usually worth it, saving you some nerves and time (even considering the time spent searching for that LAN/Ethernet/RJ45/network cable).
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It’s common (and fairly transparent) logic, actually, but might still occasionally go against a person’s intuition – especially if the person is frustrated with bad wifi… :
ALWAYS, ABSOLUTELY ALWAYS put the wireless extender in a spot where:
1. It can still hear the radio signal of the main router (or main access point (AP)) relatively well – medium signal strength, medium number of bars, medium speed when your run speed-tests
NOTE: Pre-test the candidate spot’s suitability by running some speed-tests over wifi directly from your phone/tablet/laptop to the main router/main access point – BEFORE you bring the new wireless extender device into the picture. Pre-testing this way will save you time, complications, and headaches.
1a. (But NOT too well! NOT too strongly!) Make sure that the wireless signal from the main router/main access point is noticeably (and moderately) weaker in and around the candidate spot than it is when you are standing with your testing/surveying smartphone/tablet/laptop 1-2-3 meters away from the main router/main access point (in the same room or hallways where that is located).
2. It is best to NOT make measurements, NOT run tests of any kind (speed, signal strength/number of bars, decibels, packet loss, latency, … ) when you’re standing extremely close to the main wireless router/main access point, or to the wireless extender/repeater/mesh node device with the device that you are using for testing (smartphone/tablet/laptop). The three main reasons are that:
2a.
2b.
2c. ALL electronic devices (even the best ones, but especially mass-market ones) – and their power supplies (such as power bricks, dongles, etc.) emit some electomagnetic noise, which usually falls off VERY rapidly the moment you move away from the device. Whether the devices are physically touching or stacked on top of one another, or separated by at least 5-10 centimeters, or one foot, or one yard/meter apart, or two yards/meters apart, can and often does make a TREMENDOUS difference! This is why equipment manufacturers, internet service providers, and tech professionals recommend and insist on ensuring good separation between different pieces of electrical/electronic gear/equipment. For the more technically inclined and/or the more curious among you, the relevant concepts (and search keywords/phrases) are: near-field, near-field effects, near-field interference, near-field coupling, electromagnetic coupling, electromagnetic induction, electrostatic coupling, electromagnetic shielding).
2d. Everything that emits radio signals, also receives radio signals – to some extent. To some extent – even when in transmit mode.
2e. Every piece of metal (or of another conductive material) acts – to some wildly varying extent – as an antenna and/or a reflector – meaning that it
3. Because of the factors and effects mentioned – and many not (yet) mentioned – the radio environment – especially within or around a building – can be VERY unpredictable (including VERY counter-intuitive, at times!) and can also CHANGE RAPIDLY as one moves around in space (a centimeter/inch or two could potentially make a meaningful difference, and a foot or two can make a HUGE difference!) and can also vary in time (for example, as objects – furniture, people, vehicles, other electrical/electronic equipment – come and go; as electrical/electronic devices get switched on and off or change operating/sleep modes).
3a. Consequence: Do NOT assume that “nothing has changed” when it comes to anything wireless/radio – including wifi – simply because you cannot think of any obvious and big enough change. It’s way too easy to overlook details.
3b. Consequence: Small, even tiny details can matter seriously.
- Think about a small aluminum beverage can that someone in the household (or office) might have placed somewhere at/near either the wireless router/access point/wireless extender/repeater (there it would normally have the greatest potential impact, likely wreaking havoc on the signals), or near your mobile/portable device (smartphone, tablet, laptop, …) (there it would have the second greatest potential impact), or perhaps somewhere in-between on the line of sight between the two (router/AP/extender and your device(s)).
- Think about someone placing their own mobile/portable device in one of the mentioned places, without giving it much consideration. Or maybe it was you that casually put your smartphone only a few centimeters/inches away from where the internal built-in antena(s) is(are) in your laptop – causing both or one of the devices to suddenly suffer from a flaky and/or inexplicably sluggish wifi connection?