Mobile devices are increasingly present in our day to day when browsing the Internet. Among all the systems we have, Android is undoubtedly the most popular and used. It is available for mobile phones, tablets and other similar devices. The fact of being so widely used means that when problems arise, many users can be affected. In this article we are going to deal with a problem that happens sometimes. We will explain how to solve the failure to obtain the IP address .
What causes the error when getting IP address on Android
When we connect to the Internet, problems can arise that make the speed slow, cause outages or even we cannot even have a connection. The causes can be very diverse, as well as the solutions. It may be due to a bad configuration, failures related to the software we use, the access point …
In Android sometimes the problem of obtaining IP address arises. It shows us that message and we are unable to connect. We try to enter a Wi-Fi network but this error prevents us. We must know that it is the most used operating system on mobile devices, so it can affect many users.
Luckily we can carry out a series of actions that could help us solve this problem. They are simple steps that allow you to navigate correctly and overcome this type of obstacle that may arise at any given time when trying to connect to the network. We are going to show which are the main ones.
How to avoid failure to obtain IP address from device
Keep in mind that without an IP address we will not be able to connect to the Internet. That is why this problem is so important and we must solve it in order to navigate normally. Without that address it is impossible to register the Android device on the network and the access point, the router normally, could not recognize us.
Now, it must be borne in mind that sometimes the problem will be in the mobile device but in others it may be in the router. Therefore, there are different methods to avoid the problem when obtaining IP address in Android. We are going to first show some steps that we can take if it is an error in our mobile or tablet.
Restart the device or put it in flight mode
Something basic and that we must take into account in the first place is to restart the device . It is the method that we always use when this type of problem arises and on many occasions it gives good results.
We can try to put the mobile in flight mode . We wait a few seconds and reconnect it. In case this does not take effect we can also try to restart the device.
Many problems related to wireless networks on mobile devices can be solved with this simple and fast method.
Forget the Wi-Fi network
We can also give you to forget the Wi-Fi network . It may be giving us a problem and we cannot get the IP address correctly. To forget the network (although it may change slightly depending on the version) we have to enter Settings, Connections, Wi-Fi and click on the name of the specific network.
Once we are in here we simply give Forget. If it had a password, it would no longer be stored. When we do this we have to reconnect and check if this time it works correctly or not.
Use a static IP address
Wi-Fi networks often use dynamic IP addresses to keep them running smoothly. However, sometimes this can be the reason for network errors, such as the case that the Android device keeps obtaining the IP address and does not connect. Therefore, another step we can take is to use a static IP . It is something that we can easily modify on our device.
To change to a static IP address, you have to enter Settings, Connections, Wi-Fi and all the available networks will appear there. We have to hold down the one that corresponds, the one that is giving us problems. When a menu with different options opens, click on Manage network settings and then Advanced options.
In the IP Settings section it will be marked as dynamic (DHCP), so we have to click and change to Static . Now we simply have to put any other IP address changing the last number for a different one up to 255. Once this is done, we will be able to connect again and see if the problem has been solved.
Use another name for Android phone
The fact of changing the name of our phone , in case of using a generic one that comes from the factory, could affect the operation of certain tools and services. Although it is not a solution directly related to networks, it is one more test that we can perform to see if this connection failure is solved.
Sometimes connection problems could appear depending on the configuration and the name of the device that we have assigned. Therefore, if the previous advice we have given has not had any effect, we could try changing the name and see if this way we can connect normally.
Reset the device to factory settings
One more option, although this extreme, is to reset the mobile to factory settings. In this way we will return to the original configuration and avoid possible problems that have been caused by a failed update or any small error that causes us to not be able to obtain the IP address.
However, this is an option that we should only do if nothing has helped us and if we verify that the problem is in the mobile device.
Steps to avoid the error if the problem is with the router
It could also happen that there is some fault with the router . This could happen in our home, if our device stops working properly. In the case of a problem when connecting to a public network, it could be more complicated, since surely we do not have direct access to the device and we cannot make some changes.
Restart the router or access point
As we have mentioned, the problem that we cannot get the IP address correctly is not always on the mobile device. It may be on the router or access point to which we connect.
Another option to try to solve this failure is to restart the router . Of course, you have to do it correctly; just turning it off and on again is not enough. To restart it correctly, it must be turned off for at least 30 seconds and then turned on again. In this way the changes will take effect and we will be able to avoid those small conflicts that appear on occasions.
Check router configuration
Additionally we can also check the router configuration and see that there are no errors. For example, we must make sure that there is no MAC filter in place so that this equipment cannot connect. Although it is not a really effective security measure, many users create a whitelist of devices to prevent others from connecting and that can lead to this problem.
We already know that this is an option that many routers include. We can block access to all devices except those we allow to connect. It is something useful on certain occasions, to have greater control over what devices we have connected to our network.
Change network encryption
Do we have the correct network encryption? Sometimes we may be trying to access a network that uses outdated encryption and that can cause problems when generating the IP. Once again we would have to enter the router and see that everything is correct. Obsolete encryption, for example, is WEP, which today is not secure and can be exploited through certain brute force tools.
It is convenient to have the router configured with good encryption. Not only does security matter in this case, but it will also help improve the speed and stability of the connection. WPA2-PSK is the most widely used today, although the most recent is WPA-3 encryption, which is not yet supported by many computers.
Install a new version of router firmware
Do we have the router updated? It is undoubtedly a very important factor to avoid any problem when connecting other equipment to the network. It is something that we must check periodically, even if we do not have problems, since in this way we will avoid vulnerabilities that can be exploited and that also affect performance.
It will depend on the exact model we have, but generally we can update the firmware from the device’s management panel. We can access it through the default gateway and the corresponding data. It is usually through 192.168.1.1, although we can always find out what it is in our case using the ipconfig command in Windows.
In short, these are some steps we can take if we get the error of obtaining IP address in Android. As we can see, by following some simple actions we can solve this problem and be able to navigate the network correctly from our mobile phone.