wireless connectivity

[pnikhilrao]

I love my Pixel 2XL - I got it in November 2018 and it replaced a Samsung 5 from 2014. Question though: for my old device, in my house, the phone picked up my wireless network flawlessly. With my new Pixel 2XL, I often walk through my home and don't have wireless (i.e., my phone is not picking up my home wireless network). Is this is an issue others have found and/or is there a way to increase the strength of the wireless connectivity "strength" on my phone?

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Do you have a single router, multiple access points, or a mesh router system? Does the phone have a case on?

 

[GSDer]

Also, is the SSID on your Home network hidden?

 

[pnikhilrao]

Thanks for replying! I have a single router, and yes I have a case on my phone. I don't believe that the case affects this "problem" that I have experienced (I had the phone for a month before I got a case and I still had the issue), but I can experiment when I get home. Re the single router question, this is the same router/configuration I had with my old Samsung phone - so, again, I am curious why that old phone was so much better able to "find" and "connect" with my wireless network. Finally, I do believe the SSID on my home network is hidden; however, again, this is the same configuration I had when I was using my Samsung.

 

[B. Diddy]

It was unlikely for a case to be the problem anyway, but every now and then someone uses a cheap blingy case from China with actual metal in it, which interferes with signal reception, so that's the reason for asking.

This probably won't do much, but try rebooting the router by unplugging its power for 30 seconds.

Also, is the phone connecting to a 5 GHz or 2.4 GHz network? If it's preferentially connecting to 5 GHz, that has poorer range and penetration than 2.4 GHz (in exchange for higher throughput speeds when closer to the router). Make sure you're connecting to 2.4 GHz and see if reception is better.

 

[GSDer]

Finally, I do believe the SSID on my home network is hidden; however, again, this is the same configuration I had when I was using my Samsung.

I'd suggest turning on the SSID broadcast and see if that fixes the problem; I seem to remember some other threads about hoops you have to jump through if the SSID is hidden - this will let you know if we're on the right track.

 

[ptkelly]

I live in a fairly small apartment in Mexico and the walls are brick/concrete with some rebar. My WiFi signal will go through two walls. Distance doesn't seem to be as much a factor as walls. The neighbor downstairs uses my WiFi and the signal goes through one reinforced concrete floor without any trouble. A neighbor who is only here for a few weeks in the winter is in another apartment and the signal goes through two walls and it works. I should note that I'm using the extremely cheap router/modem supplied by my ISP, Telmex.