Tablet will not connect to my Wi-Fi

You may be having difficulty connecting the tablet to Wi-Fi. This can come up sometimes. This article will go through the troublehsooting steps to connect your tablet.

If you're suddenly having an issue connecting the tablet this may not be the right article for you - check our guide on a sudden internet issue for more information if this article does not help you.

Getting to the Wi-Fi Settings

To be sure the tablet is connected properly you'll need to get into the Wi-Fi Settings.

When you first turn on your TapMango tablet there should be a  gear icon shortcut to Wi-Fi settings on the home screen. If not use the following steps:

1. Swipe down from the top left corner of the screen
2. Select the (settings) gear icon to open the main settings - note: your tablet's may look slightly different than the icon displayed here.
3. Select Wi-Fi Settings under Wireless & Networks

Be sure you have a good setup

Use a private network

If you have the choice, use your Stores own private Wi-Fi

• A guest network can result in low speeds because any customer could be on it taking up bandwidth
• A public network, such as the coffee shop next door could have a poor signal, or also be congested - these networks are designed to limit speeds for customers connecting as well to avoid abuse

Make sure the router is in range

The farther the router is from the device the weaker the connection, and potentially more difficult it will be to receive or maintain a connection. Wi-Fi is awesome, but does have a limited range

• Most routers will have a max range of 150-300ft
• Older routers, or older network types can have less than this

The router could be obstructed

Wi-Fi isn't invincible. Physical objects between the router and your tablet can cause the connection to be weaker, and therefore slower.

• Multiple walls can cause a weak signal
• If your building has a heavy concrete foundation in the walls you may need to look into moving the router (Wi-Fi hates concrete) 
• Metal can weaken the signal a lot.

It could be something interfering with the signal

It's possible that something near the tablet or router is causing a problem with the connection. 

• Nearby devices running Wi-Fi, or other wireless techologies may interfere with the connection the tablet receives. ex:
  • Cordless Phones
  • Bluetooth devices
  • Microwave ovens
  • Other tablets
• Metal objections nearby, depending on the size and shape could cause a weakened or inconsistent signal and therefore slow speeds.
• Other Wi-Fi networks could cause issues
  • Wi-Fi actually takes up space in the air
  • If there's too many nearby routers the Wi-Fi can be 'fighting' for space (malls and shopping plazas would be the worst for this)
  • Changing the Wi-Fi's channel may solve this - you may need to consult your ISP, Network Admin, or Router Manufacturer to find out how to do this. We can try and help - but it's difficult to say without knowing what the router is.

My Wi-Fi isn't on the list of connections

Is your Wi-Fi not appearing on the list of connections? There's a few reasons why this may happen.

It hasn't had a chance to load

• The connection may not have loaded yet.
• You can force a refresh by selecting the 3 dots in the top right corner and choosing 'scan'
• Wait a second and your Wi-Fi should appear

Your network isn't compatible

• It's possible your network is a 5Ghz signal- which isn't supported by the TapMango tablet
• Most routers that can run a 5GHz signal can also run a 2.4Ghz signal as well.
• If you do know whether or not your have a 5Ghz signal - then please be sure you have an active 2.4Ghz signal as well to connect to
• If you're unsure about how to do this please contact your Network Administrator or ISP. We love to help when we can - but there's many different router models so it's not possible for us to outline the steps for your specific router. Your Network Admin or ISP would know best.

Your network is hidden

• Sometimes a network may be setup to be hidden. This just means it won't show up on a list of connections when a device tries finding one and you must connect manually.
• On the tablet's Wi-Fi settings scroll to the bottom and select '+add network' (you may have a + sign on the top as well - or find this option under the menu from the 3 dots)
• Enter the name of your Wi-Fi connection under the SSID box
• Choose your security type (it's very likely you use WPA/WPA2/PSK - if unsure ask your Network Admin or ISP)
• Confirm to connect

I can find my Wi-Fi but it says 'Authentication Error'

If you receive this message it's likely your Wi-Fi password is not correct. It may have been a simple typo or it's possible your password was changed and you're trying to enter the old one. Please note - Wi-Fi passwords are case sensitive as well.

Verify the password is correct

1. Go to your Wi-Fi Connection on the list
2. Press and hold the connection until a pop-up appears
3. Select 'modify'
4. Select 'show password'
5. Enter your password again to verify each character is correct.
6. If you continue to have issues contact your Network Administrator or ISP to recover your password.

I can find my Wi-Fi but it stays 'Saved, Secured ...'

This would be the Wi-Fi isn't letting you connect, but is till authenticating properly. This happens for 2 main reasons. 1 - the router needs to be power cycled, or 2 the network is congested.

Power Cycle the Router

Your router is the device that supplies the Wi-Fi signal to the tablet. Sometimes it could be something simple with the router. The quickest fix and way to test is to power cycle the router.

But my other devices connected are fine!

It's possible you're not having an issue with anything else. It's entirely possible, the longer a modem or router stays on, that it can start having a connection issue with a single device.

How do I power cycle the modem and router?

1. Go to where your store's modem and router is located
2. If you have a single unit - for both the modem and router you'll need to unplug it.
3. If you have two separate units - both a stand alone modem and router - unplug both
4. Wait for at least 10 seconds then plug the equipment back in
5. This process will take 30-60 seconds. Your internet will slow come back on
6. Once you're able to verify it's on again (check another device's connection like Wi-Fi on your phone
7. Try to connect your Wi-Fi again - you may need to press and hold the connection and select 'forget' and re-enter the password.

Network Congestion

This means you have too much happening on the network at once. Here's a few things to verify:

• Staff could be using their personal devices on Wi-Fi (smart phones or tablets) and taking up 'room' on the network
• Security Cameras could be streaming for remote access taking up the space on the network - security cameras like this can take up a lot of a networks bandwidth
• Constant streaming, depending on what it is, could take up network bandwidth

Check all of these - if you do meet any conditions and cannot make any changes it's possible you do not have a router to meet your needs.

I can connect, and it says 'connected' but I'm getting terrible speeds or nothing will load

This could be congestion related like above, but if it's not then it could be what you're connecting to.

Open network

Does your network have security, or is anyone else allowed to connect? If this is the case then it's possible you have more people than you realize using the connection and it's bogging you down - not giving you the speeds you want.

Guest Network

Did you connect the tablet to your store's guest network? It's strongly advised you don't do this because it's not possible to control the number of people connected or the activity of those connected and can lead to a general slowdown on the network (Ex: a customer decides to watch youtube or netflix) 

Network needs login

you may have your internet setup in a way that you have to do an additional sign in. If this is the case open the tablet's web browser (select the icon with the 6 dots and open chrome) and you should be prompted to sign in when trying to go to a website.

I'm still having trouble connecting!

If you've gone through all of the above and still have trouble connecting don't worry! This can happen sometimes, but it's rare. If you do continue to experience this issue then please contact us for further assistance.