Question Phone lost connection to home wifi, complains of password

[stuckyville]

Motorola Edge 2022, Android version 13.
This morning I noticed that my phone was using the carrier's (T-Mobile) 5g connection instead of my home wifi. I opened Settings -> Network & internet -> Internet, where it listed my home network, with the note "- Security : strong - Saved / Check password and try again".

Hmm. The password hasn't changed, and all other devices are connected .. printer, Ring camera, Roku, and two laptops. Still I double check the password in my wifi app, then carefully enter it in the phone settings. And it just rejects it.

That is until just now, when I was doing it again to document the exact procedure for this posting . . .

I know, I know. You are thinking I was just fat-fingering the password. But I've just recently retired from a 40-year career as a database and systems admin, so know all about fat-fingering passwords, and being particularly careful, especially on second and third attempts. And this password is not particularly complex. And even if I were having a "senior moment" in re-entering it, that doesn't explain why it spontaneously dropped the connection in the first place, leaving behind the message about the password.

 

[Daniel Detkowski]

Reboot your router.
This is a common occurrence with home wifi.
You may have too many devices connected or your ISP is the issue.

 

[methodman89]

Did it complain before or after your morning coffee

 

[winmod21]

Did it complain before or after your morning coffee

Nothing worse than a wifi that complains!

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! I agree with Daniel -- the first step in this situation is always to reboot the router by unplugging its power for about 30 seconds, then plugging it back in and giving it a minute or 2 to reestablish the network.

 

[stuckyville]

Reboot your router.

Actually, it had been rebooted 24 hours earlier, due to a power glitch.

This is a common occurrence with home wifi.

Any technical explanation for why that should be so? I've been running this particular network configuration with no changes and no issues for a couple of years now. Same ISP providing fiber to the house, same Cisco mesh routers, same devices . . .

You may have too many devices connected or your ISP is the issue.

At the time of the failure, there were actually two fewer devices than usual, as my wife was away with both her tablet and her phone. Even with those devices on the network, we've never seen this issue before.

And how could the ISP be the issue? The disconnect was between my phone and the router.

 

[stuckyville]

Welcome to Android Central! I agree with Daniel -- the first step in this situation is always to reboot the router by unplugging its power for about 30 seconds, then plugging it back in and giving it a minute or 2 to reestablish the network.

Any technical explanation on how the password was deemed incorrect in the first place? Simply giving a blanket 'reboot the router' is like hearkening back to 'the first three steps of resolving any issue with Windows is 1) ctrl 2) alt 3) delete.

 

[methodman89]

Alex, I'll take 'don't shoot the messanger for 1000'

 

[Daniel Detkowski]

I don't really have any explanation other than try rebooting the router, as this has happened to many people many times before.
Are you running a VPN?

 

[methodman89]

Rebooting the router is an early, if not first step, in the troubleshooting algorithm for many wifi related issues. Good luck

 

[B. Diddy]

Any technical explanation on how the password was deemed incorrect in the first place? Simply giving a blanket 'reboot the router' is like hearkening back to 'the first three steps of resolving any issue with Windows is 1) ctrl 2) alt 3) delete.

All I can tell you is that this has happened before to me, and a reboot usually does the trick. I'm not so technically proficient that I could give you a nuts and bolts explanation, but maybe it has to do with the device credentials database on the router getting corrupted?

This article might also be helpful: https://www.howtogeek.com/165110/do...s both private,things can start working again.

 

[stuckyville]

All I can tell you is that this has happened before to me, and a reboot usually does the trick. I'm not so technically proficient that I could give you a nuts and bolts explanation, but maybe it has to do with the device credentials database on the router getting corrupted?

This article might also be helpful: https://www.howtogeek.com/165110/do-i-really-have-to-

Thanks for the article. Over the course of my IT career (dating back to before PCs) there have been times when I've had to settle for "I can't explain it but this fixed the problem". But it's always unsatisfying and I try to leave no stone un-turned is seeking a root cause.

 

[Daniel Detkowski]

Let us know when you find the root cause....

 

[winmod21]

Actually, it had been rebooted 24 hours earlier, due to a power glitch. ~

Perhaps the power glitch had something to do with the problem?

All I can tell you is that this has happened before to me, and a reboot usually does the trick. I'm not so technically proficient that I could give you a nuts and bolts explanation, but maybe it has to do with the device credentials database on the router getting corrupted? ~

Same here ∆. Rebooting has typ always done the trick.

When we used to be with AT&T, we once had an AT&T gateway that kept dropping connections, and that kept needing rebooting; which would temporarily fix any lost connections. Nonetheless the issues persisted. AT&T decided the gateway must be a will-o'-the-wisp and on the fritz.
They sent us a brand new gateway modem/router.... and we never had a single problem afterwards.