# WIFI Tablets vs PC **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 21, 2014, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wifi-tablets-vs-pc/707784 "2014-12-21T00:44:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Tread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tread)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wifi-tablets-vs-pc/707784/1 "2014-12-21T00:44:57Z")
Our home WIFI is lousy, no service more often than not , while using laptops or phones ( one iPhone and one android). However even when these seem to have no service our tablets ( nook and next book) will connect. So Dopers why will tablets connect but not phones or laptops ? ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wifi-tablets-vs-pc/707784/2 "2014-12-21T01:43:42Z")
So fix your home WiFi. My home WiFi works great. Laptops, tablets, phones, the works. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wifi-tablets-vs-pc/707784/3 "2014-12-21T02:02:22Z")
There’s no general reason why tablets should be better than phones or PCs, but various devices do differ in their antenna quality. Also, different devices may use the 2.4 or 5.8 GHz band depending on what they support. Each band has different strengths and weaknesses: 2.4 penetrates walls better but is more popular and congested; 5.8 GHz tends to be quieter but loses strength faster when it passes through walls and floors. One device may appear to be better than another if it’s using a different band. In short, there’s not enough information. You may need to get an upgraded router, or perhaps a secondary one if you have a large house. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wifi-tablets-vs-pc/707784/4 "2014-12-21T03:39:52Z")
> [@Tread](#): > > Our home WIFI is lousy, no service more often than not , while using laptops or phones ( one iPhone and one android). However even when these seem to have no service our tablets ( nook and next book) will connect. So Dopers why will tablets connect but not phones or laptops ? Are you sure those devices (the Nook & netbook) are actually WIFI? They might be free unlimited cellular (like the original Kindles) in which case they’re using a totally different network than your WIFI. There is no difference between a tablet and a smartphone other than size so if one’s WIFI works so should the other. ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wifi-tablets-vs-pc/707784/5 "2014-12-21T13:56:49Z")
Wifi is independent from internet service. A device can connect to a wifi (ie connect to the internal network and access shared folders and media on other computers on the same network) even if there’s no internet service. When that happens, on Windows machines you’ll get the wifi symbol with a question mark on the notification area. On my android phone the wifi symbol changes color from blue to grey. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wifi-tablets-vs-pc/707784/6 "2014-12-21T15:33:38Z")
One of the most common reasons for weird WiFi effects is channel interference from your neighbors. Too many people default to the preset channels and so you and your neighbors could easily end up on the channel. Do a scan using the tablet that gets the best reception. See what’s out there. (There might be hidden networks but good WiFi testing software should tell you something.) Then change your WiFi router’s channels. The thing about using the 2G vs 5G band is also good. Fewer people use the 5G band so that frequently connects better. ---
**Author:** ![Saturn\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Saturn\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saturn_Dreams)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wifi-tablets-vs-pc/707784/7 "2014-12-21T22:47:48Z")
Like Dr. Strangelove said, not enough information. It sounds like your laptop and phones sometimes connect to WiFi but it never drops out on your tablet, is that right? Has it been like this from the very beginning (when you bought your devices), or after a certain period of time or event? Does this behavior occur only at home, or everywhere? What router do you use and at what band? Those are some questions just off the top of my head. In the meanwhile, something easy to try would be to delete the home SSID on the devices that don’t work and then disable their WiFi. Reset your router (or just unplug/replug) and wait until service is running again. Turn on your phones’ WiFi and let it search for the home SSID and go from there. ---
**Author:** ![Tread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Tread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tread)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2014, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wifi-tablets-vs-pc/707784/8 "2014-12-22T13:53:17Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > Are you sure those devices (the Nook & netbook) are actually WIFI? They might be free unlimited cellular (like the original Kindles) in which case they’re using a totally different network than your WIFI. There is no difference between a tablet and a smartphone other than size so if one’s WIFI works so should the other. Yes they are definitely WIFI , neither of those have cellular service. They can connect only via WIFI ---
**Author:** ![Tread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Tread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tread)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2014, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wifi-tablets-vs-pc/707784/9 "2014-12-22T13:56:40Z")
> [@Dog80](#): > > Wifi is independent from internet service. > > A device can connect to a wifi (ie connect to the internal network and access shared folders and media on other computers on the same network) even if there’s no internet service. > > When that happens, on Windows machines you’ll get the wifi symbol with a question mark on the notification area. On my android phone the wifi symbol changes color from blue to grey. Yes, they connect to home network. But not to internet, we can print via router, and see shared files but no internet service, that’s what makes it so vexxing ---
**Author:** ![Tread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Tread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tread)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2014, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wifi-tablets-vs-pc/707784/10 "2014-12-22T14:03:24Z")
> [@Saturn\_Dreams](#): > > Like Dr. Strangelove said, not enough information. It sounds like your laptop and phones sometimes connect to WiFi but it never drops out on your tablet, is that right? Has it been like this from the very beginning (when you bought your devices), or after a certain period of time or event? Does this behavior occur only at home, or everywhere? What router do you use and at what band? > > Those are some questions just off the top of my head. In the meanwhile, something easy to try would be to delete the home SSID on the devices that don’t work and then disable their WiFi. Reset your router (or just unplug/replug) and wait until service is running again. Turn on your phones’ WiFi and let it search for the home SSID and go from there. Not an original issue . all devices used to work fine, laptops and phones do connect to home network , but most of time, but not all, they will not connect to internet. They work fine everywhere else. Router is a belkin G plus MIMO ---
**Author:** ![Saturn\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Saturn\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saturn_Dreams)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2014, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wifi-tablets-vs-pc/707784/11 "2014-12-22T22:51:56Z")
Since your phone and laptop connect outside of the home, we can assume it’s an issue with the router. Reset your router and this time do not connect the devices that are working fine, (i.e. the tablets). Reconnect the phone and laptop after deleting the old network info and go from there.