I have been using the OnePlus 5 for over a week now, and as things stand right now, the phone comes with a major deal breaking bug: spotty Wi-Fi connectivity. While phones do ship with a few issues at launch, it is usually addressed soon after launch. OnePlus has also rolled out a couple of OS updates for the 5 since its release last week but they have failed to address the Wi-Fi connectivity issues plaguing the handset.
My OnePlus 5 simply disconnects from any Wi-Fi network after a minute or two of usage. Other owners have been reporting issues with connecting to 5GHz Wi-Fi network or not able to browse the web on the phone despite an active internet connection. OnePlus will likely fix all the Wi-Fi connectivity issues plaguing the 5 within the next few weeks through software updates. Until that happens though, check out some tips below that should help in solving or alleviating the Wi-Fi issues that you are facing on your OnePlus 5.
Reboot Everything
The best shot to fix any unwanted problem on an Android device is by restarting the device. If your OnePlus 5 has suddenly started exhibiting Wi-Fi connectivity issues, you can try restarting the device to see if that fixes the issue or not.
If you are facing Wi-Fi connectivity issues with a particular Wi-Fi network, you can also try rebooting the Wi-Fi router to see if that solves the issue or not.
Reset Network Settings
If you have been facing Wi-Fi connectivity issues with your OnePlus 5 with more than just one Wi-Fi network, you should try resetting the network settings of the device. This can be done by going into Settings -> Backup & Reset and selecting the Network Settings reset option. This will lead to your OnePlus 5 forgetting all known Wi-Fi and paired Bluetooth devices.
After resetting the network settings, reboot your 5 and then try connecting it to a Wi-Fi network to see if that solves the problem or not.
Change DNS Settings
If your OnePlus 5 is connecting properly to Wi-Fi networks but you are facing slow browsing and downloading speeds on the device, you should change the DNS server being used.
For this, you will first have to make the device forget the existing Wi-Fi network. Then, tap on its name to join again, but before you enter the password, tap on ‘Show advanced options.’ Now proceed to tap ‘IP Settings’ and select ‘Static’ from the list. Leave other IP settings as they are, and simply enter the DNS server you’d like to use in the DNS text field area. You can try using Google DNS first (8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4) or OpenDNS (208.67.222.222) to see if they fix the Wi-Fi woes on your OnePlus 5 or not.
You can also change the DNS server being used by your ISP through your Wi-Fi router or ADSL modem to see if that fixes the problem or not. That, however, will require you to access the admin panel of your Wi-Fi router or ADSL modem.
Check for Software Updates
OnePlus has been rolling out software updates for the 5 every few days since its launch. From the date of its announcement to now, the 5 has already received 3 software updates helping improve its camera performance, squash bugs, and help fix Wi-Fi connectivity woes reported by many users.
So, if you have not already updated your OnePlus 5 to the latest version of OxygenOS, make sure to do so. This can be done by going to Settings -> System Updates and tapping the ‘Check for Updates’ button.
Avoid 5GHz Wi-Fi Networks
Most of the Wi-Fi issues being reported by OnePlus 5 owners is while connecting to 5GHz Wi-Fi network. So, until OnePlus gets around to solving the Wi-Fi issues plaguing its 2017 flagship killer, avoid connecting the handset to 5GHz Wi-Fi networks. If your router has a 5GHz mode, it definitely also has an option of creating a fallback 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network. By default, most consumer routers operate at 2.4GHz. This is because while 5GHz Wi-Fi networks offer faster transfer speeds, their range is not as good as 2.4GHz networks.
Factory Reset
If Wi-Fi is overall just wonky on your OnePlus 5 even after trying all the steps mentioned above, I’d recommend you to do a factory reset. While this will lead to all data from the phone being erased, it will also help clear any doubts regarding a faulty Wi-Fi chip in the phone. If even after running the latest build of OxygenOS and doing a factory reset does not help improve the Wi-Fi performance of your OnePlus 5, it likely comes with a faulty Wi-Fi chip and you will need to take it to your nearest OnePlus authorised service centre.
However, if your phone is only having Wi-Fi issues while connecting to a particular network, it’s likely that the issue is due to the router or a bug in the phone’s software. If it’s the latter, it should be solved with a future software update. And if it’s the former, try updating the firmware of the Wi-Fi router in question.
If the above steps help in solving the Wi-Fi issues on your OnePlus 5, do drop a comment below and let us know!
