Samsung’s flagship handsets — the Galaxy S8 and S8+ — have received ravishing reviews from major publications and consumers alike. However, one common complaint that most users have had with the handset is that they have been facing Wi-Fi connectivity issues. Most users are complaining that their Galaxy S8 fails to connect to WiFi networks or the connection automatically disconnects after a few minutes of use.
It’s common for Android devices to have some connectivity issues when they are first released, with companies rolling out a software update to fix the issue for good. Samsung has also promised to roll out a software update to fix the Wi-Fi connectivity issues that most Galaxy S8 owners are facing. Until that update arrives though, do check out some of the tips and tricks below to help solve the Wi-Fi woes on your S8.
Reboot everything
This tip is likely going to fix the majority of Wi-Fi issues that your S8 or S8+ has run into: a simple restart of all the devices involved. This means your Galaxy S8 and your Wi-Fi router. You can also only try switching Wi-Fi off/on first. If that does not work, then you should try rebooting all the devices.
A very simple tip, but probably the most effective of the lot.
Reset Network Settings
If your Galaxy S8 faces connectivity issues with more than just one Wi-Fi network, I will recommend you to reset the network settings on the handset once. This can be done by going into Settings -> Backup and reset and selecting the ‘Reset network settings’ option. Do note that this will lead to your Bluetooth and mobile networks settings being reset to their default settings as well.
Reset your router
If you recently upgraded the firmware of your Wi-Fi router, it’s possible that it is to be blamed for the Wi-Fi issues that you are facing on your new Galaxy handset. While most routers don’t provide an option to roll back an update, you can always try resetting the router to see if that helps things or not. Now, it’s not necessary that resetting the router will work for you as well. However, if the Wi-Fi network is working just fine on your other devices and it is only your Galaxy S8 that is having some issues with it, there really is no harm in resetting your router once, especially if you changed some setting on the router recently or upgraded its firmware recently.
Change DNS settings
If the above tips did not work for you, its time to take things to the next level. If the Galaxy S7 is the only device in your Wi-Fi network to suffer from slow speeds, you can try changing the DNS server used on the handset.
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 S7 or not.
Factory reset
If the above steps did not work for you, your last resort will be to do a factory reset on the handset. While painful, this will clear any doubts on whether the handset has a faulty Wi-Fi chip or not. If even after the reset, your Galaxy S8 refuses to connect or work properly with a selected few Wi-Fi networks, I will recommend you to take your phone to a Samsung service centre and ask for a replacement/repair.
However, if your phone is only having connectivity issues with one Wi-Fi network even after following all the steps above, I will recommend you to wait for Samsung to roll out a software update to fix the issue for good. If the problem persists even after the update, it is likely that your Galaxy S8’s Wi-Fi chip is faulty and you should get it replaced/repair.
Samsung is also set to roll out a software update for the Galaxy S8 this week that should fix some Wi-Fi connectivity issues that some people have been facing with their units. If you continue to face Wi-Fi issues on your Galaxy S8 post the update, it is likely that you have received a lemon unit.
If the above tips helped in solving the Wi-Fi issues you were facing on your Galaxy S8 or S8+, do drop in a comment and let us know about it.
