Why Won’t My Peplink Connect with WiFi as WAN?

Most WiFi WAN issues are related to the signal strength to the Peplink, interference in the environment, as well as how the WiFi network you’re connecting to is managed (i.e. from Hotel, campground, coffee shop, etc). There’s a few tips we’ve gathered that can help to troubleshoot some common connection issues. Read on to learn more. 

Confirm Connectivity with the WiFi Source

Take your mobile device or computer and try connecting to the WiFi WAN source directly. This will show you how initial connections are established – whether there is a splash page; their connection password and frequency – as well as the performance of the network. Keep in mind that users can see bandwidth degradation of up to 50% [when connected through the Peplink], depending on conditions. 

Confirm You’re Following the Proper Configuration Steps 

1. [Depending on model] enable (OR, drag and drop from the left) only 5ghz OR 2.4ghz WiFi WAN to the priority needed
2. Wait until the status says scanning
3. Click on the wireless networks button
4. Click the Connect button next to the network you are trying to connect to and enter the password when prompted.
5. Click Save
6. Wait for the Star or Check Mark to show up beside the network
7. If needed, click Connect again next to the network
8. Select OK
9. Wait for the status to show Connected (This can take a few mins.)

Upgrade the firmware

If the firmware is not up to date, this could help resolve the issue. Go to System -> Firmware to check for firmware , or manually upgrade the firmware if needed. 

Check Signal Strength

1. Log into your Peplink web admin and refer to the Dashboard page -> WAN Connection Status -> WiFi WAN. Click on the Wireless Networks button here.
2. In the window that opens, you’ll see a table showing the WiFi names, channel, security and signal. The signal is represented by a negative number. The closer this number is to 0, the better the signal is. Generally, a signal of -80dBm or closer to 0 is needed to maintain the WiFi WAN connection. However, interference and obstructions between your Peplink’s WiFi signal and the WiFi WAN source can still cause issues with a stronger signal. 

Check Channel Settings

1. In the same window (with the list of wireless networks), refer to the Channel column and make note of the channels in use. 
2. Close the Wireless Networks window and click on the Details button to the right
3. Scroll down to the Wi-Fi WAN Settings section
4. Adjust Channel Width from 20MHz to 20/40Mhz
5. If you found that most nearby networks are on the same channels in step #3 above, set the Channel to Custom and then select a channel not used or less used. Ideally, the channel selected should be as far away from the in use channels as possible. 

Adjust the Output Power

1. The Output Power can be adjusted to control how much signal is broadcast to pull in the WiFi WAN connection. If you’re in a heavily congested WiFi area, sometimes lowering the power may provide better results. You can also enable the Boost to add extra power. 
2. Click Save and Apply at the bottom when done. 

Change the DNS server setting

Changing the DNS server to match the IP address of its network could also help if nothing else does. When you create the WiFi connection profile (by clicking on the “Connect” button under the “Wireless Networks”) uncheck the box to “obtain DNS server address automatically.” Then, check the box to “use the following DNS server addresses.” Enter the Gateway/ Router IP address of the WiFi network in “DNS Server 1.” For “DNS Server 2” we entered one of Google’s DNS server addresses (8.8.8.8), but you may use a different server address if desired.  

We hope this information is helpful to you and welcome you to contact us if you have any questions. You can reach out to our team by phone, email, or chat!