IP configuration problem: can't connect to wifi in room but it does connect in hotel lobby

[ultramarine]

Hi,

 

I'm staying at my usual apartment/hotel in Chachoengsao.  It seems they've updated their wifi system from last year so that I can't connect my laptop or my Android phone in the room although I can connect on the main floor restaurant without a problem.  The signal is fairly strong in my room so that shouldn't be a factor.   It seems to be an ip address problem as the error message I get is the network "doesn't have a valid ip configuration."  While there is zero connectivity with the Windows laptop, the phone did manage to get an intermittent connection but it usually only lasts for a minute to two before cutting out again. 

 

I've tried setting up a static IP address but there are some settings on their network that Windows 10 is rejecting.  I told the staff and they rebooted the system but it didn't do anything.

 

I've had some similar connectivity problems in other hotels in Thailand as the wifi can be wonky, to say the least. 

 

Any ideas on how to fix this? 

[topt]

2 hours ago, ultramarine said:

so that I can't connect my laptop or my Android phone in the room although I can connect on the main floor restaurant without a problem. 

Have you checked the encryption level needed - for example if they set the router encryption at a higher level than your devices.

 

Have you tried to delete all previous wi fi  settings for that SSID, clear out browser cache and flush the dns and try connecting afresh?

 

[ultramarine]

Thanks for replying.   I did the dns flush and "forget network" but maybe that wasn't enough.  should i go into registry to delete the network profiles?  is this what you meant by deleting previous wifi settings for that SSID?

[IC2000]

Both phone and computer? It's the router

 

You need to get into your router and reset. Google router specific details.

Edited November 9 by IC2000

[petermik]

If your not getting the login screen try putting 8.8.8.8 into your browser search box?

[ultramarine]

3 hours ago, IC2000 said:

Both phone and computer? It's the router

 

You need to get into your router and reset. Google router specific details.

I got a reboot from the hotel staff but I don't think I can ask for anything more than that.  I don't have access to the router. 

 

It's odd.  Could I be the only person in the hotel with this problem?  I don't know.  To be clear, there is a difference in the way the phone and the computer behave.  The computer has no signal at all, whereas the phone has an unreliable and intermittent signal.  But it's clearly not right. And yet, as I said, if I'm on the ground floor, the wifi works fine on both devices.  

[IC2000]

13 minutes ago, ultramarine said:

I got a reboot from the hotel staff but I don't think I can ask for anything more than that.  I don't have access to the router. 

 

It's odd.  Could I be the only person in the hotel with this problem?  I don't know.  To be clear, there is a difference in the way the phone and the computer behave.  The computer has no signal at all, whereas the phone has an unreliable and intermittent signal.  But it's clearly not right. And yet, as I said, if I'm on the ground floor, the wifi works fine on both devices.  

 

Sorry, I must have missed you were in a hotel. Pretty much off on everything.

 

On the android.. you can also reset network.

 

Delete the wifi connection, reset network, restart

 

https://www.androidauthority.com/reset-network-settings-android-3387066/

 

On the laptop reset network, delete adapter.

 

Sometimes when you release, renew the renew chokes.

 

Also for laptop might be screwed up using ip4 ip6. Use ip4 and enter Google DNS 8888, 8844

 

Are you getting errors or just not connecting?

[IC2000]

Just now, IC2000 said:

 

Sorry, I must have missed you were in a hotel. Pretty much off on everything.

 

On the android.. you can also reset network.

 

Delete the wifi connection, reset network, restart

 

https://www.androidauthority.com/reset-network-settings-android-3387066/

 

On the laptop reset network, delete adapter.

 

Sometimes when you release, renew the renew chokes.

 

Also for laptop might be screwed up using ip4 ip6. Use ip4 and enter Google DNS 8888, 8844

 

Are you getting errors or just not connecting?

 

Can you connect elsewhere? Try Starbucks or another router in hotel. Maybe you're trying to connect to the SSID on a wrong floor and it has a different password?

 

Do you make the connection and then you just don't get any internet?

 

I'm really thinking it must be the hotels router because it's both devices that you have problems with.

 

If you know where the router is and there's no cameras you could just go over there and push the physical button to reset.

[ultramarine]

2 minutes ago, IC2000 said:

 

Sorry, I must have missed you were in a hotel. Pretty much off on everything.

 

On the android.. you can also reset network.

 

Delete the wifi connection, reset network, restart

 

https://www.androidauthority.com/reset-network-settings-android-3387066/

 

On the laptop reset network, delete adapter.

 

Sometimes when you release, renew the renew chokes.

 

Also for laptop might be screwed up using ip4 ip6. Use ip4 and enter Google DNS 8888, 8844

 

Are you getting errors or just not connecting?

Not connecting at all with the laptop. 

 

For the network adapter, there are two possible moves: one is to disable it, and then enable it again.  Second, would be to uninstall it, and then it gets reinstalled on a reboot.  I've read that sometimes it disappears however and doesn't come back so easily.  I haven't tried it yet, but I will. 

 

I did try the google dns 8888 8844 but no luck. 

 

[ultramarine]

9 minutes ago, IC2000 said:

 

Can you connect elsewhere? Try Starbucks or another router in hotel. Maybe you're trying to connect to the SSID on a wrong floor and it has a different password?

 

Do you make the connection and then you just don't get any internet?

 

I'm really thinking it must be the hotels router because it's both devices that you have problems with.

 

If you know where the router is and there's no cameras you could just go over there and push the physical button to reset.

I can connect on the ground floor, no problem.  Same password throughout the entire hotel.  The staff has already rebooted it for me to no effect.  It seems like it is a more serious issue, probably how it was set up in the first place.  It's not the end of the world as I have unlimited but slow 4G data on my phone although having the hotspot on for a long time burns through the battery.  Well, I was going to buy a new phone on this trip to Thailand anyway, so I may look forward to connecting with that.

 

Thanks for your suggestions.  Really appreciate it. 

[topt]

35 minutes ago, ultramarine said:

if I'm on the ground floor, the wifi works fine on both devices.  

is this the same SSID and password but presumably a different router?

 

Ok you just answered one question but yes if you are connecting to a different router ok then definitely some issue with the one they reset for you.

[Ben Zioner]

Do you have a repeater (router) in your room? I you have need to restart it, so that the main router refreshes it's IP in DHCP.

[IC2000]

6 minutes ago, ultramarine said:

I can connect on the ground floor, no problem.  Same password throughout the entire hotel.  The staff has already rebooted it for me to no effect.  It seems like it is a more serious issue, probably how it was set up in the first place.  It's not the end of the world as I have unlimited but slow 4G data on my phone although having the hotspot on for a long time burns through the battery.  Well, I was going to buy a new phone on this trip to Thailand anyway, so I may look forward to connecting with that.

 

Thanks for your suggestions.  Really appreciate it. 

Try those things

 

Also when you reset the router it'snot  just out of matter of pushing the button. Often you need to hold it for like 30 seconds to make sure that it's really really going to get a restart. Maybe even letting it sit for a couple minutes as well. Power off power on

 

It's definitely that router and buying a new phone won't guarantee you anything. You've already identified that you can connect to another router in the hotel with both devices it's clear.

 

Welcome

Edited November 9 by IC2000

[ultramarine]

6 minutes ago, Ben Zioner said:

Do you have a repeater (router) in your room? I you have need to restart it, so that the main router refreshes it's IP in DHCP.

No router in room.  There are routers and repeaters in the hallways. 

[ultramarine]

9 minutes ago, IC2000 said:

Try those things

 

Also when you reset the router it'snot  just out of matter of pushing the button. Often you need to hold it for like 30 seconds to make sure that it's really really going to get a restart. Maybe even letting it sit for a couple minutes as well. Power off power on

 

It's definitely that router and buying a new phone won't guarantee you anything. You've already identified that you can connect to another router in the hotel with both devices it's clear.

 

Welcome

Maybe I'll sneak out into the hallway in the middle of the night and unplug the router on my floor and then plug it back in. 

[ultramarine]

Ok I asked the front desk to reset it again.  They did so, it still didn't work so now they're going to call the technician.  So that's progress.

 

Thanks to all who have replied.  I'll let you know how this IP configuration saga turns out.

 

One thing I notice is just how messed up the hallway router is.  It's a jumble of cables, it's no longer in its case and it's just sort of hanging off the wall.  I've seen this several times before in Thai hotels.  Whoever is doing IT is doing it by the seat of their pants.  It's just like all the sea of cables one sees on the street utility poles.  There is no effort to tidy it up.  It's just a series of ad hoc additions, probably by unqualified people. 

 

 

[johng]

1 minute ago, ultramarine said:

One thing I notice is just how messed up the hallway router is.  It's a jumble of cables, it's no longer in its case and it's just sort of hanging off the wall.

if everything works at ground level

but not on your floor then I suspect the hallway router is misconfigured or kaput...asking them to keep resting the internet won't help

Try connecting to another floor router..or “accidently“ disconnect the dodgy hallway router from the power supply for a short time to test the results.

[ultramarine]

9 minutes ago, johng said:

if everything works at ground level

but not on your floor then I suspect the hallway router is misconfigured or kaput...asking them to keep resting the internet won't help

Try connecting to another floor router..or “accidently“ disconnect the dodgy hallway router from the power supply for a short time to test the results.

Hopefully the technician can figure it out.  If he can't, then I may go rogue on the hallway router. 

[Ben Zioner]

6 hours ago, ultramarine said:

No router in room.  There are routers and repeaters in the hallways. 

I'd reset the device closest to your room. Physically would be the simplest and most effective way. 

[ravip]

How old is your PC?

What is your Windows version?

 

I have experienced something like this on two or three occasions.

When a PC is old, and when Windows was updated on that PC.

(sometimes on a working PC, after a Windows update the WiFi will cease to function after a reboot)

It refuses to connect to WiFi (and Bluetooth). The only solution I had was to disable the built in WiFi and connect via an USB adapter.

 

Just for your info

Edited November 11 by ravip

[Andre0720]

Perhaps too many thick cement walls between the router and your room...

[dddave]

Any chance OPs PC was purchased in USA?  I ran into this exact issue once.  I purchased a new laptop in US, brought it to Thailand.  Tried to connect to my home Wi-Fi and couldn't though all my other devices were connected with no problem.  Long story short, the US reserves several WiFi channels for government use and all WiFi devices sold in the US have these channels locked-out.  Just coincidently, when set-up, my router had selected one of those channels which are not locked out in the rest of the world.   Changed the WiFi channel and all was good.

Edit:  Closed channels are 12, 13, 14

Edited November 11 by dddave

[ultramarine]

A happy ending it seems.  For now anyway.  Its a family run hotel so the technician was a husband of one of the owners/managers.  He was working away at it yesterday and got it up and running but it only lasted an hour before conking out again.  Weird.  But he was nice enough to give me my own temporary router in the room that is about 15 years old just until their system was fixed.  It only gets 2 Mbps but it's a good back-up. 

 

They have a Cisco system of repeaters mounted on the ceiling every 10 meters down the hall.  The one nearest my room was not working as evidenced by the different color light on that unit compared with all the others.  

 

Anyway, I talked to them again this afternoon, and now it's up and working again.  I don't know what they did to fix it.  But they know it's a problem so that's good.  I was just relieved it wasn't anything at my end.  It's their system that is at fault.   

 

Thanks again for everyone offering ideas. 

[johng]

17 hours ago, ultramarine said:

A happy ending it seems. 

Always glad of a happy ending  😋