How to connect to WiFi programmatically

Question

I am trying to connect to a new wifi network using an app and not android wifi settings with following code, but it seems that relevant android sdk classes only let you connect to network already stored in android and not to any new network. Am i being correct in thinking that?

Here's my code

Manifest XML:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
package="unitedspark.testapp" >
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CHANGE_WIFI_STATE"/>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_WIFI_STATE"/>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE"/>
<application
    android:allowBackup="true"
    android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
    android:label="@string/app_name"
    android:theme="@style/AppTheme" >
    <activity
        android:name=".WiFiConnect"
        android:label="@string/app_name" >
        <intent-filter>
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
            <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
        </intent-filter>
    </activity>
</application>
<receiver android:name=".WiFiChangeReciever" >
    <intent-filter>
        <action android:name="android.net.wifi.STATE_CHANGE" />
        <action android:name="android.net.conn.CONNECTIVITY_CHANGE" />
    </intent-filter>
</receiver>
</manifest>

Activity XML:

<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools" android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent" android:paddingLeft="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
android:paddingRight="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
android:paddingTop="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
android:paddingBottom="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin" tools:context=".WiFiConnect"
android:id="@+id/WiFiConnectLayout">

<TextView
    android:id="@+id/Connect"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:text="Connect To"
    android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceLarge"
    android:layout_marginTop="63dp"
    android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
    android:layout_centerHorizontal="true" />

<Button
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:text="New WiFi Network"
    android:id="@+id/btnConnectNetwork1"
    android:layout_alignTop="@+id/btnDisconnect"
    android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
    android:layout_alignParentStart="true" />

<Button
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:text="Disconnect"
    android:id="@+id/btnDisconnect"
    android:layout_marginTop="108dp"
    android:layout_below="@+id/btnConnectNetwork1"
    android:layout_toRightOf="@+id/btnConnectNetwork1"
    android:layout_toEndOf="@+id/btnConnectNetwork1" />

<TextView
    android:id="@+id/txtStatus"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:text="WiFi Status"
    android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceLarge"
    android:layout_marginTop="67dp"
    android:layout_below="@+id/btnDisconnect"
    android:layout_centerHorizontal="true" />

The java file:

package unitedspark.testapp;

import android.content.BroadcastReceiver;
import android.content.Context;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.content.IntentFilter;
import android.net.ConnectivityManager;
import android.net.NetworkInfo;
import android.net.wifi.WifiConfiguration;
import android.net.wifi.WifiInfo;
import android.net.wifi.WifiManager;
import android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.Menu;
import android.view.MenuItem;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.TextView;
import android.widget.Toast;

import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.List;


public class WiFiConnect extends ActionBarActivity {

@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.activity_wi_fi_connect);

    this.registerReceiver(this.mConnReceiver, new IntentFilter(ConnectivityManager.CONNECTIVITY_ACTION));

    Button btnConnectNetwork1 = (Button) findViewById(R.id.btnConnectNetwork1);
    btnConnectNetwork1.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
        public void onClick(View v) {
            // Perform action on click
            TextView txtStatus = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.txtStatus);

            WifiManager wifi = (WifiManager) getSystemService(Context.WIFI_SERVICE);
            if(!wifi.isWifiEnabled()) {
                wifi.setWifiEnabled(true);
            }

            txtStatus.setText("Trying to connect...");

            ConnectToNetworkWEP("SSID1", "Password1");
        }
    });

    Button btnDisconnect = (Button) findViewById(R.id.btnDisconnect);
    btnDisconnect.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
        public void onClick(View v) {
            // Perform action on click
            TextView txtStatus = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.txtStatus);
            txtStatus.setText("Trying to disconnect...");

            WifiManager wifiManager = (WifiManager) getSystemService(Context.WIFI_SERVICE);
            wifiManager.disconnect();
            wifiManager.setWifiEnabled(false);
            txtStatus.setText("Disconnected!");
        }
    });


}

private BroadcastReceiver mConnReceiver = new BroadcastReceiver() {
    public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {

        NetworkInfo currentNetworkInfo = intent.getParcelableExtra(ConnectivityManager.EXTRA_NETWORK_INFO);

        if (currentNetworkInfo.isConnected()) {
            WifiManager wifiManager = (WifiManager) context.getSystemService(Context.WIFI_SERVICE);
            WifiInfo wifiInfo = wifiManager.getConnectionInfo();

            Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "Broadcast Connected:" +  wifiInfo.getSSID(), Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
        } else {
            Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "Broadcast Not Connected", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
        }
    }
};


@Override
public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
    // Inflate the menu; this adds items to the action bar if it is present.
    getMenuInflater().inflate(R.menu.menu_wi_fi_connect, menu);
    return true;
}

@Override
public boolean onOptionsItemSelected(MenuItem item) {
    // Handle action bar item clicks here. The action bar will
    // automatically handle clicks on the Home/Up button, so long
    // as you specify a parent activity in AndroidManifest.xml.
    int id = item.getItemId();

    //noinspection SimplifiableIfStatement
    if (id == R.id.action_settings) {
        return true;
    }

    return super.onOptionsItemSelected(item);
}

public boolean ConnectToNetworkWEP( String networkSSID, String password )
{
    try {
        WifiConfiguration conf = new WifiConfiguration();
        conf.SSID = "\"" + networkSSID + "\"";   // Please note the quotes. String should contain SSID in quotes
        conf.wepKeys[0] = password;  //WEP password is in hex, we do not need to surround it with quotes.
        conf.wepTxKeyIndex = 0;
        conf.allowedKeyManagement.set(WifiConfiguration.KeyMgmt.NONE);
        conf.allowedGroupCiphers.set(WifiConfiguration.GroupCipher.WEP40);

        WifiManager wifiManager = (WifiManager) this.getApplicationContext().getSystemService(Context.WIFI_SERVICE);
        wifiManager.addNetwork(conf);

        List<WifiConfiguration> list = wifiManager.getConfiguredNetworks();
        for( WifiConfiguration i : list ) {
            if(i.SSID != null && i.SSID.equals("\"" + networkSSID + "\"")) {
                wifiManager.disconnect();
                wifiManager.enableNetwork(i.networkId, true);
                wifiManager.reconnect();

                    break;
            }
        }

        //WiFi Connection success, return true
        return true;
    } catch (Exception ex) {
        System.out.println(Arrays.toString(ex.getStackTrace()));
        return false;
    }
}
}

Answer 1

I just got this working with my home WiFi network with WPA2 authentication.

Your disconnect code works fine as is. I was able to repeatedly connect and disconnect with the buttons.

For your WEP network, try this:

public boolean ConnectToNetworkWEP( String networkSSID, String password )
{
    try {
        WifiConfiguration conf = new WifiConfiguration();
        conf.SSID = "\"" + networkSSID + "\"";   // Please note the quotes. String should contain SSID in quotes
        conf.wepKeys[0] = "\"" + password + "\""; //Try it with quotes first

        conf.allowedKeyManagement.set(WifiConfiguration.KeyMgmt.NONE);
        conf.allowedGroupCiphers.set(WifiConfiguration.AuthAlgorithm.OPEN);
        conf.allowedGroupCiphers.set(WifiConfiguration.AuthAlgorithm.SHARED);


        WifiManager wifiManager = (WifiManager) this.getApplicationContext().getSystemService(Context.WIFI_SERVICE);
        int networkId = wifiManager.addNetwork(conf);

        if (networkId == -1){
            //Try it again with no quotes in case of hex password
            conf.wepKeys[0] = password;
            networkId = wifiManager.addNetwork(conf);
        }

        List<WifiConfiguration> list = wifiManager.getConfiguredNetworks();
        for( WifiConfiguration i : list ) {
            if(i.SSID != null && i.SSID.equals("\"" + networkSSID + "\"")) {
                wifiManager.disconnect();
                wifiManager.enableNetwork(i.networkId, true);
                wifiManager.reconnect();
                break;
            }
        }

        //WiFi Connection success, return true
        return true;
    } catch (Exception ex) {
        System.out.println(Arrays.toString(ex.getStackTrace()));
        return false;
    }
}

Here is the code that worked for me on WPA2:

public boolean ConnectToNetworkWPA( String networkSSID, String password )
    {
        try {
            WifiConfiguration conf = new WifiConfiguration();
            conf.SSID = "\"" + networkSSID + "\"";   // Please note the quotes. String should contain SSID in quotes

            conf.preSharedKey = "\"" + password + "\"";

            conf.status = WifiConfiguration.Status.ENABLED;
            conf.allowedGroupCiphers.set(WifiConfiguration.GroupCipher.TKIP);
            conf.allowedGroupCiphers.set(WifiConfiguration.GroupCipher.CCMP);
            conf.allowedKeyManagement.set(WifiConfiguration.KeyMgmt.WPA_PSK);
            conf.allowedPairwiseCiphers.set(WifiConfiguration.PairwiseCipher.TKIP);
            conf.allowedPairwiseCiphers.set(WifiConfiguration.PairwiseCipher.CCMP);

            Log.d("connecting", conf.SSID + " " + conf.preSharedKey);

            WifiManager wifiManager = (WifiManager) this.getApplicationContext().getSystemService(Context.WIFI_SERVICE);
            wifiManager.addNetwork(conf);

            Log.d("after connecting", conf.SSID + " " + conf.preSharedKey);



            List<WifiConfiguration> list = wifiManager.getConfiguredNetworks();
            for( WifiConfiguration i : list ) {
                if(i.SSID != null && i.SSID.equals("\"" + networkSSID + "\"")) {
                    wifiManager.disconnect();
                    wifiManager.enableNetwork(i.networkId, true);
                    wifiManager.reconnect();
                    Log.d("re connecting", i.SSID + " " + conf.preSharedKey);

                    break;
                }
            }


            //WiFi Connection success, return true
            return true;
        } catch (Exception ex) {
            System.out.println(Arrays.toString(ex.getStackTrace()));
            return false;
        }
    }