Don’t you just hate it when your smartphone starts misbehaving? Unfortunately, smartphones like every other tech gadget are prone to issues, now and then.
And sadly, even the top phones on the market are not spared from these issues. If you own a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, one of the common problems you are likely to experience is the “failed to obtain IP address” error when connecting to a Wi-Fi network.
This is a common network error that occasionally affects popular Samsung Galaxy phones such as Galaxy S7, S8, S9, & S10, Galaxy Note 10+, Galaxy A5, and others.
But what if you could easily fix the issue and resume connectivity? Below is a look at the top solutions for fixing the error.
What causes ‘Samsung failed to obtain an IP address error?’
There are several solutions that you can use to fix this Samsung Galaxy network error. But before we go into that, it is important to first understand what causes the issue in the first place. Below is a look at some of the most common reasons:
- IP configuration failure on the router side
- Entering the wrong wireless network password
- Weak Wi-Fi signal
- A problem with your device
- An issue with the security settings on the Wi-Fi router
How to fix ‘Samsung Galaxy failed to obtain an IP address’ error
The failure to obtain an IP address error on your Samsung Galaxy phone can be frustrating. However, it is easy to fix the issue with the solutions below.
1. Check the signal strength
A poor wireless signal could be the reason why your phone is having problems obtaining an IP address from the router. So, before trying other fixes, first check your signal strength. Just to be safe, try to connect your phone when you are close to the router.
2. Check the Wi-Fi password
Another possible reason for the Wi-Fi connectivity error is if you enter the wrong password. For example, it is common to enter a lower-case letter instead of upper-case and vice versa. It is also possible to mistype some letters when entering the password. Before trying other solutions, re-enter the password again.
3. Restart your smartphone
Some Samsung devices are prone to network issues to bugs in the phone’s software. Luckily, you can fix most of these bugs with a reboot of your phone.
To reboot, long-press the power button, then select the restart option. Once your phone powers back on, try re-connecting to the network. It is that simple!
4. Restart your router
IP address configuration failure can also occur on your router’s side, where it is unable to assign an IP address to your Galaxy device.
More often than not, this is due to temporary bugs on the router, which can be fixed with a reboot.
There are several ways you can go about rebooting your wireless router:
- Using the designated reboot button, usually found at the back panel of the router
- Using the router’s physical power on/off button
- Rebooting the router in the online settings page
- Disconnecting and reconnecting the router from the power outlet
Once the router powers back on, try connecting your device to the Wi-Fi network
5. Forget the network
Another reason why Wi-Fi keeps saying failed to obtain IP address is there is a problem with the saved network information on your device.
You can fix the issue by “forgetting the network” (which will remove the saved data) and then reconnecting again.
To forget the network:
- Go to Settings > Network > Wi-Fi on your device
- Tap and hold the Wi-Fi network (that you are unable to connect to) until a menu pops up
- Tap on “Forget Network” option
- Re-enter the password for the network and try connecting again
In conclusion
Can’t obtain an IP address for a Wi-Fi network on your Samsung Galaxy device? We understand how frustrating and annoying the issue can be.
Luckily, with the above solutions, you can be able to fix the error and enjoy internet connectivity on your phone once again.
