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Tablets having trouble connecting to WI-FI

R

Ryan Murdock

Lurker
Hey guys, I am new to the site/forum but could use some info or help with some problems. So we have around 100 android based tablets out with different clients (truck dealerships) running promotions. The tablets are from a company called Outform. They are the OUTFORM IDISPLAY 21 inch android tablets. Anyways we have had nothing but problems with these tablets; we finally got a software update to get them working halfway right but we have several dealerships that cant get the tablets to connect to their wi-fi networks. We tried resetting and everything I could think of. Had two of them send the tablets back to me and as soon as i powered them on and plugged in our WI-FI password they connected right up and work perfectly fine here. I have no idea what to tell these people, I am not a programmer or an IT guy; just a person trying to help get these things running properly. These tablet dont have a battery so they have to stay plugged into the wall. Ethernet cable connection works great but the majority of them want them on wi-fi. Is there anything I can tell them to try or check in order to get them to connect to the wi-fi network?
sorry i know this post is all over the place but its been a long day already and I am going nuts!
 

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If those tablets have no issues connecting at the home dealership offices but only out in the remote offices, that's an indicator there's a problem with the WiFi network in those remote offices and not necessarily with those tablets.
Without more detailed info on which of those remote offices are and are not having problems with their tablets there's not much any online forum can do to help you. Basically you need to arrange to have some tech contractor go to those remote dealerships and do a quick audit on their networking and WiFi.
 
Don’t panic Bobby: Not sure why the size of the trucks would matter, the tablets are in different freightliner dealerships so you can probably figure it out.

SVIM:
Thanks for the reply, figured it was something to do with their wi-fi.
 
Again not knowing any details about those remote offices the following might be completely valueless. If you already have a company-wide networking solution like Ubiquity with multiple access points already implemented than it does sound like someone needs to reach out to the original contractor who set them up and the things need to be re-configured to be more universally functional.
But if it's a matter where each remote office is responsible for their own networking/WiFi, there's obviously some kind of disconnect between how each office is setting things up. (... and if some are just using whatever network routing that's there in an ISP-supplied modem/router, well that's just really creepy from both a privacy and a security viewpoint.) If it's a matter where each office just uses some off-the-shelf (or in today's arrangement, off-the-truck-from-Amazon) WiFi routers plugged into the main network, it might be worth investing in mesh WiFi for each office. Typical WiFi routers need to be configured properly not just for usability but also security. It's simply not safe to just plug a WiFi router in and rely on whatever defaults its manufacturer has set up, most of them don't care as much about keeping their customer's online access secure as the priority is to keep tech support costs to a minimum. On the user's end locking down a router isn't necessarily difficult but it can be involved for any casual user. A benefit to current mesh routers are they use multiple access points (allowing increased and more consistent coverage) that are configured not individually but together from a central point (with the issue being multiple access points working off the same central network do require them to all be configured properly with one being the 'main' and then one or several 'satellites'). Mesh routers are more pricey however, so you're paying for the convenience. This article is a good read on mesh WiFi networks. It's more consumer focused, but the basics still apply to an office setting.
https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-wi-fi-mesh-networking-kits/
 
Dontpanicbobby just let it go man.

SVIM
Thanks for the info, one of the 2 dealerships actually got it to connect finally. I just couldn’t figure out if it was an issue with the tablets or if it was a problem with the dealership’s connection. These tablets have been nothing but problems since day one and as you can tell I am not the best person for the job but I’m doing the best I can lol. Thanks for the info and the help.
 
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