Owners of the Google Pixel 2 are reporting a very peculiar issue where connecting their device to specific WiFi networks results in the networks being forced to restart. Users affected by this issue report that when it occurs, all devices connected to the WiFi network in question are forced out and the network is rendered unusable for roughly one minute, during which the network reboots itself. Once the reboot is successful, all devices that were previously connected to the network are reconnected and the network continues to function flawlessly, with the Google Pixel 2 now also being connected and having access to it.
What causes a WiFi network to restart when a Google Pixel 2 is connected to it?
There are only a handful of things that can possibly cause a WiFi network to have a figurative allergic reaction to a Google Pixel 2 and sneeze (or rather, force close all connections and restart), namely:
- A temporary incompatibility (such as conflicting network preferences or an application on the phone that’s interfering with connectivity) between the WiFi network and the Google Pixel 2.
- Exceeding the number of connections the WiFi network allows. Most WiFi networks have a limit to the number of connections they can establish with devices. When this limit is reached and you try to connect another device to it, the network may start to go haywire and act out – one of the ways it does so is by force closing all open connections to devices and then restarting the entire network.
- An in-built and permanent incompatibility between the WiFi network and the Google Pixel 2. Google Pixel 2 has been found to be incompatible with ASUS WiFi routers for whatever reason. That being the case, when a Google Pixel 2 is connected to an ASUS WiFi router, the router starts having trouble allocating and managing its network resources, resulting in the router restarting the network so as to “wipe the slate clean” as far as resource allocation goes. There is no need to fear, however, as a permanent fix exists for even this permanent incompatibility between ASUS WiFi routers and the Google Pixel 2.
How to prevent your WiFi network from restarting whenever a Google Pixel 2 is connected?
1. Restart both the phone and the WiFi network
The most common cause of this issue, by far, is some kind of a temporary incompatibility between the Google Pixel 2 and the WiFi network it is connecting to. This can be anything from a program running on the phone that is creating interference to the WiFi network’s resources being allocated in a specific way that makes it and the phone incompatible, or anything in between. Regardless of what the exact, incompatibility is, however, a blanket solution for all of them is to power cycle both the phone and the WiFi network.
- Press and hold the Power/Lock button on the Google Pixel 2 until you see a context menu appear.
- In the context menu that appears, tap on Power Off.
Tap on “Power Off” - Unplug the WiFi router that governs the WiFi network you are facing this issue with.
- Wait for 30-60 seconds.
- Plug the WiFi router back into its power outlet.
- While you wait for the WiFi network to start back up, press and hold the Power/Lock button on the Google Pixel 2 until the screen lights up and the phone starts booting up.
- When the phone boots up, turn on the WiFi and try connecting to the WiFi network you were previously facing this problem with. Check to see if the problem still persists.
2. Make sure you are not exceeding the network’s maximum allowed connections
Most WiFi networks only allow for a specific number of devices to be connected to them at the same time, and exceeding this limit can result in the network malfunctioning and forcing itself to reboot. To make sure you are not experiencing this issue simply because you’re exceeding the maximum number of active connections the affected network allows, disconnect a device already connected to the network before you connect the Google Pixel 2 to it, wait for 30-60 seconds, and then connect the Google Pixel 2 to the network. Once connected, check to see if the issue has been resolved.
3. Enable QoS on the network (For ASUS routers only)
There is some deep-seated hatred between the Google Pixel 2 and ASUS WiFi routers because whenever one connects to a WiFi network governed by an ASUS router, the network force closes all connections and immediately restarts. The exact incompatibility between ASUS routers and the Google Pixel 2 remains unknown, but it probably has something to do with how ASUS routers allocate network resources between connected devices since this problem can be resolved by simply enabling QoS on the affected ASUS router. QoS (Quality of Service) is a technology built-in to most routers that manage data traffic to reduce packet loss and network jitter and can manage network resources by controlling how they are allocated and how data is moved between connections. To enable QoS on your ASUS router, you need to:
- On an internet browser of your choice, type in 192.168.1.1 and press Enter to be taken to the web-based setup page for your ASUS router. 192.168.1.1 is the address for this setup page on almost all ASUS routers, but in the event, it isn’t for yours, you can simply find your router’s private IP address and proceed.
Type in “192.168.1.1” and press Enter - Log-in to the setup page. The default username for all ASUS routers is “admin“, and the default password for all ASUS routers is “admin“. If you have previously changed the login credentials for this setup page yourself, enter the login credentials you defined, or if the credentials were changed by your network administrator, contact them and ask for the credentials.
- On the left side of your screen, locate and click on Traffic Manager.
Click on “Traffic Manager” - Click on the slider next to the QoS option to turn it On.
Enable the “QoS” option - Once the slider turns green and QoS has been enabled, set the QoS Type as Traditional QoS.
- Type in your Download Bandwidth as 1000, and your Upload Bandwidth as 1000.
- Click on Save.
Click on “Save” - Restart the WiFi network, and when it starts back up, check to make sure the issue has been resolved.
