Setting up Wi-Fi on a Xiaomi Redmi phone: From connection to troubleshooting

Smartphones Xiaomi Redmi — one of the most popular Android devices on the market due to its combination of price, performance and flexible firmware MIUIHowever, even the owners of these phones sometimes face difficulties when setting up Wi-Fi Whether it's your first connection to a home network, problems logging into public hotspots, or unexpected connection failures, we'll cover every step: from basic connection to fine-tuning settings that will help stabilize your signal and speed up your internet.

Peculiarity Redmi (including models Note 12 Pro+, Redmi K60, Redmi A2+ and others) - the presence of proprietary MIUI features that can either simplify or complicate working with Wi-Fi. For example, automatic switching between networks (Wi-Fi Assistant) or energy-saving algorithms that sometimes disconnect. We'll explain how to enable, disable, and customize these features to suit your needs.

Important: If your Redmi If your phone doesn't detect the network, constantly loses connection, or returns an authentication error, the problem may be more than just your phone. This article includes a diagnostics section where we analyze the causes, from the router to the ISP.

1. Basic Wi-Fi connection on Xiaomi Redmi

First connection to a wireless network on Redmi It takes no more than a minute if you know the interface nuances MIUIHere are the step-by-step instructions:

1. Open Settings (gear icon on the desktop or in the application menu).
2. Go to the section Wi-Fi (in some versions of MIUI it may be called Connections and Sharing → Wi-Fi).
3. Activate the slider at the top of the screen if Wi-Fi is off.
4. Select your network from the list of available networks. If there is no network, click Refresh (round arrow in the upper right corner).
5. Enter your password (case sensitive!) and click Connect.

If the network is hidden (does not broadcast the name SSID), click Add a network at the bottom of the screen and manually specify:

• 📡 Network name (SSID) — the exact name of your Wi-Fi;
• 🔒 Security type - usually WPA2-PSK or WPA3-PSK;
• 🔑 Password - check if it is turned on Caps Lock.

The network name is spelled correctly (no typos)|

The password is entered in the correct case|

The phone is within the router's range|

The router is in Wi-Fi broadcast mode (the indicator is on) -->

After a successful connection, a message will appear next to the network name. Connected, and in the status bar (upper right corner of the screen) - a Wi-Fi icon with the signal strength. If instead you see Saved or Authentication..., this means that the password was entered incorrectly or the router is blocking the device (read about this in the section on errors).

2. Additional Wi-Fi settings in MIUI

Firmware MIUI offers several hidden features that can improve Wi-Fi performance or, conversely, hinder a stable connection. Let's look at the most useful ones:

2.1. Wi-Fi Assistant (automatic switching)

Function Wi-Fi Assistant Automatically connects your phone to known networks when you're in range. To set it up:

1. Go to Settings → Wi-Fi → Advanced (⋮) → Wi-Fi Assistant.
2. Turn on the slider Automatic connection to known networks.
3. Click List of known networksto remove unnecessary ones or prioritize your home network.

⚠️ Attention: If your Redmi If your phone constantly connects to weak public networks instead of your home network, disable this feature or manually set the priority in the list of known networks.

2.2. Power saving mode and Wi-Fi

MIUI aggressively optimizes power consumption, which can lead to Wi-Fi connection drops in the background. To avoid this:

• 🔋 Go to Settings → Battery & performance → Power saving mode.
• 📴 Select No restrictions for applications that require constant access to the network (for example, instant messengers or cloud services).
• 🔄 Disable the option Disable Wi-Fi in sleep mode in the section Settings → Wi-Fi → Advanced.

2.3. Configuring DNS to speed up the Internet

By default Redmi uses your DNS provider, but you can specify alternative servers (such as Google or Cloudflare) to speed up page loading. Here's how:

1. Tap and hold your finger on the name of your network in the Wi-Fi list and select Change network.
2. Activate the option Additional options.
3. In the field IP settings select Static.
4. In the lines DNS 1 And DNS 2 please specify:

   8.8.8.8
   8.8.4.4

   (Google) or

   1.1.1.1
   1.0.0.1

   (Cloudflare).

5. Save the changes.

⚠️ Attention: After changing the DNS, some local resources (such as banking applications or corporate portals) may become unavailable. In this case, return the settings to the default value. DHCP.

3. Solving common Wi-Fi problems

If Redmi If your phone won't connect to the network, constantly loses connection, or displays errors, there could be various causes—from incorrect phone settings to router-related issues. Let's look at some typical scenarios:

3.1. "Authentication" or "Saved but not connected" error

This error occurs when:

• 🔑 The password was entered incorrectly (check the case and characters).
• 🔄 MAC address filtering is enabled on the router (you need to add the address of your Redmi to the white list).
• 🛡️ The network security type is not supported by the phone (e.g. WPA3 on older models Redmi 5/6).
• ⚙️ The router is in the "Security Mode" mode. 802.11r (Fast Transition), which may conflict with MIUI.

Solutions:

1. Restart your router and phone.
2. Remove the network from the list of saved networks on your phone and reconnect.
3. Temporarily disable MAC address filtering on your router or change the security type to WPA2-PSK.

3.2. Wi-Fi connects, but the Internet doesn't work

If there is an inscription next to the network name Connected, no internet access, the problem may be in:

• 🌐 IP settings (try changing Static on DHCP and vice versa).
• 🔌 Traffic blocking on the router (check parental controls or firewall).
• 📡 Provider error (try connecting from another device).

Quick solution:

1. Open Settings → Wi-Fi, press your network and select Forget the network.
2. Please reconnect.
3. If this doesn’t help, reboot the router (turn off the power for 30 seconds).

What to do if the problem is only on one site?

If the internet works but you can't access a specific resource (such as VKontakte or YouTube), the problem is likely not with Wi-Fi, but with DNS or a blocked ISP. Try:

1. Change DNS to Google/Cloudflare (instructions in section 2.3).

2. Use a VPN (for example, Cloudflare WARP or ProtonVPN).

3. Check whether the router is blocking access to the resource (the "Parental Control" section in the router settings).

3.3 Weak signal or frequent interruptions

If the signal level is low (1-2 bars on the Wi-Fi icon), or the connection constantly drops, try:

⚠️ Attention: If the problem only appears on Redmi, and other devices are working stably, try resetting the network settings on your phone: Settings → System → Reset settings → Reset Wi-Fi, mobile network, and Bluetooth settings.

4. Hidden MIUI Wi-Fi Features

MIUI contains several "secret" features that aren't immediately obvious but can significantly improve your Wi-Fi experience. Here are the most useful:

4.1. Network prioritization

If your Redmi Automatically connects to weak public networks instead of your home network; you can manually set the priority:

1. Go to Settings → Wi-Fi → Advanced (⋮) → List of known networks.
2. Click on the three dots next to the desired network and select Priority.
3. Drag the network to the first position in the list.

4.2. Developer mode for Wi-Fi diagnostics

Turning on developer mode, you'll have access to advanced Wi-Fi settings, including:

• 📊 Traffic statistics by application;
• 🔍 Connection logs (useful for diagnostics);
• 📶 Manual range control 2.4 GHz/5 GHz.

How to enable developer mode:

1. Go to Settings → About phone.
2. Click on the item 7 times MIUI version (a notification will appear saying "You have become a developer").
3. Return to Settings → Advanced → For developers.
4. Find the section Net and activate the options:

   Enable Wi-Fi logging
   Display Wi-Fi frequency

4.3. Wi-Fi transmission via QR code

MIUI lets you quickly share Wi-Fi access with other devices via a QR code. This is convenient if you don't want to dictate a complex password:

1. Connect to the desired network.
2. Open Settings → Wi-Fi and click on the name of your network.
3. Select Share (or QR code in some versions).
4. Scan the code with another device (eg. Redmi friend or tablet).

5. Optimize Wi-Fi for gaming and streaming

If you use Redmi for online games (PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty, Genshin Impact) or streaming videos in 4K, the default Wi-Fi settings may not provide sufficient stability. Here's what you can do:

5.1 Enabling Low Latency Mode

MIUI has a hidden option to reduce ping in games:

1. Activate developer mode (instructions in section 4.2).
2. Go to Settings → Advanced → For developers.
3. Find the option Network optimization for gaming (or Wi-Fi Latency Mode) and turn it on.

5.2. Forced use of 5 GHz

Range 5 GHz It's less crowded and offers higher speeds, but less coverage. To force a connection to it:

• 📶 Make sure your router supports 5 GHz (usually networks in this range have a suffix _5G).
• 🔧 In your router settings, enable a separate name (SSID) For 5 GHz.
• 📱 On your phone, connect to the network with _5G.

⚠️ Attention: If your Redmi doesn't see the network 5 GHz, check if your model supports it. For example, Redmi 9A works only in the range 2.4 GHz.

5.3. Disabling background activity

To free up as much bandwidth as possible for gaming or streaming, disable background activity of other apps:

1. Go to Settings → Apps → Permissions → Autostart.
2. Disable autostart for all applications except messengers and the launcher.
3. In the section Settings → Battery → App battery usage Set background restrictions for unnecessary programs.

For social networks and instant messengers|

For online games|

For streaming video/music|

For work (VPN, clouds)|

Other-->

6. Diagnosing problems using third-party applications

If standard MIUI tools don't help identify the cause of the problem, you can use third-party utilities. They provide detailed network information that your phone doesn't display:

6.1. Network Analysis with Wi-Fi Analyzer

Application Wi-Fi Analyzer (available in Google Play) helps:

• 📊 Determine the freest channel for the router;
• 📶 Measure real speed and latency (ping);
• 🔍 Find sources of interference (neighboring networks, household appliances).

How to use:

1. Install the application and open it.
2. Go to the tab Analysis — all available networks and their channels are displayed here.
3. If your channel is overloaded (many networks on the same frequency), change it in your router settings.

6.2 Testing speed with Ookla Speedtest

To check if your internet speed matches the speed stated by your provider:

1. Install Speedtest by Ookla.
2. Connect to your Wi-Fi network.
3. Run the test and compare the results Ping, Download And Upload with tariff.

Normal values:

• 📥 Download: not less than 80% of the stated tariff speed;
• 📤 Upload: at least 50% of download;
• 🕒 Ping: up to 30 ms for gaming, up to 100 ms for streaming.

6.3. Checking the MAC address and other parameters

Application Network Analyzer shows:

• 🆔 MAC address your phone (needed for the white list on the router);
• 🌐 Local IP and gateway;
• 📡 Signal level in dBm (normal: from -50 to -70 dBm).

If the signal level is worse than -80 dBm, try:

• Move the router closer;
• Use a repeater;
• Change the antennas on the router (if they are removable).

7. Resetting network settings and extreme measures

If none of these methods help, resetting your network settings to factory defaults is the only option. This will delete all saved Wi-Fi networks, passwords, and mobile data settings, but it often solves complex issues:

How to reset settings:

1. Go to Settings → System → Reset settings.
2. Select Reset Wi-Fi, mobile network, and Bluetooth settings.
3. Confirm the action (you may be asked to enter a pattern or password).
4. After the reset, restart your phone and reconnect to the network.

⚠️ Attention: If the problem persists even after a reset, the cause may be hardware: a faulty Wi-Fi module or antenna. In this case, contact a service center. Redmi With a guarantee, repairs will be free if the breakdown is not the user's fault.

On models Redmi Note 10 Pro and newer, after a network reset, you may need to reactivate the feature Wi-Fi Assistant, as it is reset to factory settings.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about Wi-Fi on the Xiaomi Redmi

My Redmi isn't detecting the 5 GHz network. What should I do?

If your phone doesn't display networks in range 5 GHz, the reasons may be the following:

• 📱 Your model Redmi does not support 5 GHz (For example, Redmi 9A, Redmi 8A).
• 🔧 The range is disabled on the router 5 GHz (check your router settings).
• 🆔 In some countries the range 5 GHz limited - update your router firmware.

Solution: Connect to the network 2.4 GHz or upgrade your router to a dual-band standard Wi-Fi 6.

How do I find the password for a saved Wi-Fi network on my Redmi?

MIUI doesn't show passwords for saved networks in plain text, but you can find them out:

1. Install a file manager with access to root folders (for example, Root Explorer), if you have root rights.
2. Go to the folder /data/misc/wifi/ and open the file WifiConfigStore.xml.
3. Find the line with the network name (SSID) - the password will be encrypted next to it.

Without root: connect to this network with another device and look at the password in its settings.

Why does Redmi connect to Wi-Fi, but websites won't open?

This problem is usually related to:

• 🌐 Incorrect settings DNS (try changing to Google or Cloudflare).
• 🔌 By blocking traffic on the router (check Firewall or Parental control).
• 📡 Problems with your internet provider (check if the internet works on other devices).

Quick solution: Restart your router and phone, then reconnect.

Can Redmi be used as a Wi-Fi repeater?

Yes, starting from MIUI 12, V Redmi there is a function Hotspot & Tethering → Wi-Fi Bridge ModeIt allows you to:

• 📶 Boost the signal of an existing network;
• 🔄 Connect devices that don't support Wi-Fi to the same network 5 GHz;
• 📱 Share your phone's internet connection with other devices (but this will reduce speed).

How to enable:

1. Settings → Hotspot & Tethering → Wi-Fi Bridge.
2. Select the original network and set a name/password for the new one.

How to update Wi-Fi driver on Redmi?

IN Redmi The Wi-Fi driver is updated along with the firmware MIUITo update it:

1. Check if your MIUI version is up to date: Settings → About phone → System update.
2. If there are no updates, download the latest firmware for your model from the official website. Xiaomi and install it manually through System Update → Three Dots → Select Firmware File.

⚠️ Do not install firmware from other models - this may damage your phone!