Android ICS 4.0.3 cannot connect to Ad hoc Wifi

 

About a year ago I bought a cheap Chinese made 7 inch android tablet. It runs Android version 4.0.3, otherwise called Ice Cream Sandwich. I bought it only to use it to read e-books, in EPUB and PDF format, but soon I started craving for news feeds. I wanted to use my favourite RSS feed reader (Google Reader, RIP) on the tablet, so I can catch up to tech blogs during my numerous bus and train journeys.

Now this tab did not have a slot for a SIM card, it did have Wifi connectivity. And I had my trusted personal Toshiba Satellite laptop. So I figured, I can easily setup an ad-hoc Wifi connection from the laptop and share internet to the tablet. I soon found out, it was not that easy.

For some reason, Android does not work as expected on Ad hoc Wifi connections, ie, wifi networks setup without a Wifi router/hub. There are issues across different versions of Android, some versions can recognize and show you the Wifi connection name, but does not connect to it. Other (mostly later) versions do not even recognize Adhoc wifi. My version (ICS 4.0.3) was showing me the newly setup Adhoc Wifi name, but refused to connect to it. It was just showing..”connecting..” , “receiving ip address..” and giving up.

Now a quick google search showed me that there were more than one fix for the problem. Some involved upgrading or downgrading the android version. Others advised using a custom ROM, or swapping some system files for hacked versions, after rooting the android device. And there was always the sure shot solution of buying an actual  Wifi router. I tried some options, did not want to root my device so soon, and definitely did not want to buy a Rs 6K router for my Rs 2K/- tablet.

I started playing around with the tablet system, and tried turning some settings on and off. And found a easier way to setup the connection. 

I was setting up an Adhoc wifi using WPA2 security from my laptop. The tab was recognizing the connection but was not connecting to it.

I tried removing the security fully, and setup an unsercured Ad hoc Wifi. BAM ! The tab was able to connect !

Now I live in an apartment, and did not want to expose an unsecured Wifi in the building.

So I changed the security on the Wifi to WEP, that is lower than WPA2. The ICS tablet happily connected to the new connection after prompting me for the password.

So that’s it. If your device is not connecting to the secure Adhoc Wifi , try lowering the security on it. This has worked for me for last one year, I use it to browse the net, read RSS feeds and download apps.