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There is no doubt that internet connectivity is essential in our lives today. From socializing to completing work tasks, everything revolves around the internet now. Therefore, not being able to connect to the internet to go online can be extremely frustrating. There are several reasons that could be causing this.
A standard error faced by users during these times is “Access Point temporarily full.” This article will explain everything you need to know about this error and how to overcome it.
What is an Access Point?
An access point is a physical appliance that brings wireless capabilities to a wired device allowing other devices to connect. It is usually present in routers allowing them to create a Wi-Fi network for internet connectivity. Each access point is shown as a uniquely connectable option on the Wi-Fi menu in the form of a Service Set Identifier (SSID).
Large corporations usually create multiple access points to avoid dead zones (areas with no Wi-Fi) in their buildings. It is also done to ensure enough room for all devices within the building to connect to a Wi-Fi network at all times, even after a particular access point reaches its limit.
What Does Access Point Temporarily Full Mean?
Access points are convenient for connecting to Wi-Fi networks using smartphones, computers, etc. However, access points come with a limit to how many devices they can connect to at once. “Access Point Temporarily Full” is a message that appears when a Wi-Fi access point cannot accept any more connections because it has reached its maximum capacity.
The words “temporarily full” indicate that though the access point may accommodate more devices, it just can’t assign any more IP addresses at that moment.
What causes “Access Point Temporarily Full” to Appear?
In the above section, we’ve discussed when the error appears; however, many factors can lead to this error. Here are some of them:
1. Lack of IP Addresses to Assign
Access points mediate between the user and the internet service provider. Access points retrieve IP addresses from the internet service provider and assign them to each user that connects over the network. Once this retrieval has stopped, there is no way for the access point to assign IP addresses to more devices resulting in “Access Point Temporarily Full” appearing.
2. Poor Wi-Fi Signal
While access points need support from the internet service provider to retrieve IP addresses, they also need the support of the device trying to connect to the network. Access points cannot assign IP addresses if the device receives a poor WI-Fi signal due to being out of range or interference. As a result, errors like “Access Point Temporarily Full” are shown at the user’s end.
3. Outdated Firmware
Outdated firmware can lead to a bottleneck in the system, disallowing access points to read devices correctly. Users are, therefore, unable to connect to their desired Wi-Fi network to connect to the internet.
How to fix: “Access Point Temporarily Full”
Since there are various reasons why this error pops, the fixes are also numerous. Here is how to fix “Access Point Temporarily Full”:
1. Power Cycling
Power cycling a device means switching it off, letting it rest for a minute, and restarting it usually. It is done so that machines can reinitialize their configuration parameters and/or come back from an unresponsive/abnormal state in terms of functionality.
Access points are prone to this issue and need to operate an ecosystem for many devices to connect. To power cycle, your access point, unplug it from its power source and let it rest for about a minute. Restart it normally and try connecting your device again.
2. Disconnect Unused Devices
Since we are dealing with an error that clearly states that the access point has temporarily reached its capacity, disconnecting connected devices to make room is a simple fix to the problem. While this is not always possible, try doing so and see if that fixes the problem for you.
3. Update Firmware
As mentioned above, outdated software can create a bottleneck in the system, disallowing devices to connect to the network created by the access point. It is also possible that the problem you are facing was caused due to a temporary glitch.
In either case, checking for firmware updates is the way to go. Log in to the access point’s website or application and check for firmware updates. If there are, run through the updates, restart your access point, and see if your issue was fixed.
4. Reconfigure Device Bands
Wi-Fi networks operate on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. It is common for access points to be designed so they can only connect a specific number of devices on each band—for example, 15 devices on 2.4 GHz and 15 on 5 GHz. If either band is filled first, it will show the error “Access Point Temporarily Full” to the following user trying to connect. We recommend reconfiguring some of the connected devices to different bands or connecting your new device to another band and seeing if you can connect.
5. Reset the Access Point
Sometimes access point settings are altered by a user or a software update. It could result in errors like “Access Point Temporarily Full” appearing. Reset your access point, reconfigure it, and see if your problem has been fixed.
Conclusion
Connecting to the internet is one of the simplest methods, thanks to Wi-Fi. However, there are times when your device cannot connect to Wi-Fi, resulting in errors such as “Access Point Temporarily Full” popping up. We discussed this error and how to fix it in the article above.
