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WiFi exclamation mark

alesito85

Lurker
I've been having an issue for a while on Poco F3 with WiFi icon having an exclamation mark and thus not being used. The phone automatically switches to mobile data.

The problem is that WiFi works. If I keep the phone in the same position and disconnect mobile data, thus forcing the use if WiFi, internet works just fine. If I switch mobile data back on, the icon comes back and 4G is used again.

I've checked WiFi assistant and have disabled the automatic switching to 4G when WiFi connectivity is "poor".

Any other suggestions about resolving this issue?
 
Router is clearly not the issue. Though I didn't mention that it has been restarted several times already.

Key piece of the information is that the internet through the router works, I can successfully browse the internet. Even though Android claims it doesn't, when 4G is available. As soon as 4G is disabled (phone is not moved, tried several times), WiFi works without any issues. Nor do other devices on the network appear to have issues.
 
This may all be repetitive too since we don't know just what you have and haven't tried already.

-- Try repositioning and re-configuring your router so it's able to emit a stronger WiFi signal with longer coverage range. There's apparently an issue where the cellular signal from the closest cell tower/access point is stronger than the WiFi signal from your home router. Below is a link to a handy guide on setting up a home router with optimal performance:
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/202...ntific-guide-to-wi-fi-access-point-placement/
Install this 'WiFi Analyzer (open-source)' app on your phone to help set up your router. Don't just make assumptions and guesses that you're getting good WiFi coverage, take steps to get actual data to confirm there is adequate WiFi signal strength wherever you need it. Use the utility to make up a rough heat map of coverage so you know weak and strong points, and be sure to test both 2.4GHz and 5GHz band networks.

-- Just assuming you've already done this but just in case delete and re-enter the WiFi network entry in your phone to see if that makes any difference. Also, is your Poco phone having similar problems with other WiFi networks or just one in particular? (the former might indicate a networking issue with your phone, the latter to be with just that local network).

-- You might want to enable the 'Aggressive Wi-Fi to Cellular handover' option in your Poco phone. It's an option buried in the Developer options menu you need to enable first to access it:
https://android.stackexchange.com/q...-cellular-handover-option-in-developer-settin
This option is intended to make the automatic changeover from a weak Wi-Fi signal to a cellular signal less likely to occur. If you find it to be too 'aggressive' just disable it.

-- On the router, set up a temporary guest network using just the basic default settings. Then see if your Poco phone has any connectivity issues with that temp WiFi network. If it's still a problem, than there is some issue between your phone and that router, if not than that indicates there's some quirky configuration setting with that particular WiFi network. You might think that simply because other devices are not having the similar issues that it has to be a problem only with your phone, but keep in mind basic networking is much more complex than that. You might want find it less of a hassle to narrow down the exact setting problem and just set up a new, clean WiFi network, and then just reconnect all your devices to that new network instead. In that case , it's a good time to lock down your router to further protect your local network from nasty crap that's now pervasive in the open Internet:
https://routersecurity.org/index.php
 
Poco phones are actually Xiaomi devices. How does the device determine if it's actually got internet connectivity via WiFi or not? Does it ping a certain server somewhere?
Maybe the Poco/Xiaomi server is in China, or somewhere, and the device is not receiving a timely response to the pings, hence it's showing the WiFi "!" exclamation mark.

I have occasionally seen a WiFi "!" exclamation on my Huawei phone when hotel WiFi is not so great.

AFAIK Xiaomi intended their Poco branded phones for sale and use in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Is that where you are?
 
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