Android WifiManager.addNetwork() returns -1

Question

I am writing an android app which will connect to a specific WPA access point, when connected, it will issue a http call. It will not save the network config. I have read al

Answer 1

I just had this very same problem. Seemingly everything was okay, but then - it wasn't.

What I found is this:

• Android WifiStateMachine will not allow you to add or modify networks unless supplicant is running and connected-to. This affects services running on start-up and services running even if WIFI is off.

• Android WifiConfigStore tracks owners of the wifi network by UID. It means that you may not be able to modify network created by another process.

The proper way to add a network is:

1. Check if WIFI network is enabled. If not, call WifiManager.setWifiEnabled(true).
2. Wait until WifiManager.pingSupplicant() returns true.
3. Create and fill a new WifiConfiguration, then pass it to WifiManager.addNetwork(). Make sure the value returned is not (-1).
4. (optional) use value returned by addNetwork() as an argument to WifiConfiguration.enableNetwork() call (unless it's -1). Note, that the boolean parameter means disableOthers and should be false, unless you have right to modify all other networks: it may fail internally, if you set it to true.

This should allow you to add (and connect) programmatically to a new Wifi network.