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Hopefully someone can help here - we have Virgin broadband with the supplied router set to modem mode and use a TP-Link Deco Mesh system to supply wifi to the house. We have a 'Family' network and a 'Guest' network. The family network works fine, but the user of the Guest network (who we don't want on the Family network so we can monitor their usage) cannot connect properly in order to use their Android devices - it used to work fine but suddenly stopped last week. We have tried connecting an Apple phone to the network and that works fine. The user has tried deleting the network and reconnecting, hard restarting their phone etc but all that happens is that devices show as being connected but no data will upload or download (so they cannot access the internet).
THe user will not allow us access to their devices so I cannot intervene and check that settings are correct, although they do say they can connect to wifi outside of the house so the devices are clearly working okay. I have checked settings in the Deco app. and everything appears to be correct (some internetting suggested that some android devives won't work on 5ghz so I set it to 2ghz only but that made no difference - although the device used to work fine before so I wasn't really expecting that to work.
Ohh, and I have switched off and back on again the modem/mesh rouoter too. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what we could try next?
Thank you
Change the "User" for one that isn't a PITA?
Seriously though.... no idea. Do you have 4G? If so tell them to use that!
Try changing the ssid and password for the guest account?
Are they running a VPN or something due to the secretive and nefarious nature of their Internet use and you're blocking that?
Is it a single app or data type - eg no video but pages load OK?
Check in the Deco app something isn't set under the guest profile. Time limits for example?
If you switch off the mesh network can they connect to the router natively? Just trying to eliminate potential trouble spots.
Otherwise, as you're not permitted to see the settings or apps on the Users device, tell them they'll just have to use 4G. It's your network. You have the right to see how it is being used and the responsibility to ensure it's not being abused. (I'm aware of your previous posts and also how difficult this might be).
Is the ‘user’ a teenager?
Tell them it’s tough that it ain’t working for them and can they get a job?
You could try putting 2.4GHz and 5GHz on different (guest) SSIDs. Some devices seem to struggle when the 2 frequency groups have the same SSID.
The user is a foster child with some issues around us touching things etc (which is why we can't get on their devices - either emotionally or legally - they belong to them so we have no right to touch them), and it starts to get very expensive to pay for their 4G when we have a wifi system that *DID* work until last week. I could try adding them to the main account (to eliminate the guest account being at fault) but I don't want the hassle of then changing all the passwords once we have done that (ie, we don't want them staying on the family account as we won't have as much control (ie, being able to see what they are looking at/managing access levels etc). I don't think they are using a VPN (although they did get a bit edgy when I asked if they'd installed anything on their phone recently so perhaps it is a possibility).
Tesco Mobile don't allow certain things on their Android phones - calls over wi-fi being one. It might be something like that.
The user is a foster child with some issues around us touching things etc
Ahhh.... Gotcha. Ignore me!
Would it be accurate to say that you've no idea if anything on the phone changed in the last two weeks?
I really do have every sympathy with your plight and I'm completely in awe of you for taking on this child. However, as someone who actually did IT faultfinding and support as a living, you're currently fishing around in the dark. Trust me, I've dealt with users who refused to tell me what they'd been doing. The answer was usually give us access to your device so we can restore it to a working example 😁
Can you put them on the family WiFi and you all use the guest WiFi?
Sounds daft but it's an option unless you've got a load of stuff you don't want them potentially seeing?
Is the ‘user’ a teenager?
sorry, it wasn’t a genuine question. Just a reflection on experiences a few years back of ‘it’s not working’ but wanting no direct intervention, just magical external fixes.
If other devices connect to the guest network successfully then I’d opt to separate the SSIDs into their frequency bands.
I expect you have already turned off the routers, counted to 10, and then turned them back on?
Had an instance the other week where one device just would not get given an IP address. A reboot solved that.
Edit. Given the difficult circumstances is this an opportunity to help engage in problem solving together?
Can you put them on the family WiFi and you all use the guest WiFi?
Or you could try the Android on the family WiFi temporarily just to prove it does/doesn't work. Change the password for 10 mins, try it, change it back.
Some bands aren't legit in some markets. Is it possible your guest network is on band 12-14 and the android phone came from the US?
Stick netspot on the phone and see if it can see the network
So, sounds like it is connected to the WiFi but perhaps the default gateway has been changed in the network settings on the phone (quite possibly by VPN software…) If the gateway address doesn’t match your router IP then no traffic will get to the internet.
(ie, being able to see what they are looking at/managing access levels etc). I don’t think they are using a VPN (although they did get a bit edgy when I asked if they’d installed anything on their phone recently so perhaps it is a possibility).
I think think you have your answer to be honest.
Definitely no traffic, not just you can't see traffic?
Did they report the problem to you or did you wonder why there was suddenly no traffic?
Why don't you change the password of the family wifi, log the guest in on that one to see if it works.
If it does you know its guest wifi related, if not its got to be the device.
When done change the password back to what it was originaly.
cannot connect properly in order to use their Android devices – it used to work fine but suddenly stopped last week. We have tried connecting an Apple phone to the network and that works fine
Do you not have any other android devices in the house to prove the point, eg a firestick, chromecast etc.
Did multiple devices stop at broadly the same time? - os updates are unlikely to have been rolled to different devices simultaneously, Otoh its easy to install the same software across different devices at much the same time...
Thank you all for all your replies - through a whole bunch of responses I managed to rethink what to do (especially around the time limit thing - we set a 2hr per day limit but it may have got stuck in a 2hr forever cycle after an app. update) - I removed the guest account, named individual etc and recreated the profiles and it’s working. Hopefully they will trust us a little more now, not assume we are deliberately cutting them off.
Noticed in my Deco app, the guest account had been limited to 2 hours. I've never set that (or used the guest account) so maybe a Deco app update introduced it.
Glad all sorted.
Only just seen this.... glad you got it sorted.
@johndoh, troublesome tech and teen, my head would have imploded. A heartfelt well done for coping on both counts 🙂
<p>@johndoh, troublesome tech and teen, my head would have imploded. A heartfelt well done for coping on both counts :)</p>