How to connect the Internet to a Xiaomi phone: 5 proven ways

Xiaomi’s modern smartphone without internet is like a car without gas: all features work, but the main task remains unattainable. Whether it’s watching videos, updating apps or working with cloud services, stable network connection is the basis of comfortable use of the device. However, even experienced users sometimes have difficulties: Wi-Fi is not connected, then mobile Internet disappears after the update. MIUI, The access point refuses to give away traffic.

In this article, we will analyze all the current ways to connect the Internet on Xiaomi, Redmi and other phones. POCO — From basic to advanced, you'll learn how to set up Wi-Fi at maximum speed, why. 4G/5G It might not work even if you have a good signal, and it might not work if you have a good signal, and it might turn your smartphone into a full-fledged router for other devices, and if something goes wrong, you'll end up with a solution section. 90% typical.

1. Wi-Fi Connection: From Basic Setup to Hidden Features

The most common and cost-effective way to connect to the network is to connect to a wireless Wi-Fi network. On Xiaomi phones, this process is as simple as possible, but there are nuances that will help to avoid errors.

To connect:

1. Open the settings (cog icon on the desktop).
2. Go to the Wi-Fi section.
3. Activate the switch at the top of the screen.
4. Select the network from the list and enter the password (if required).

If your network is not displayed, check:

• 📶 Network visibility: some routers are hiding SSID (To connect to such a network, click Add Network at the bottom of the list and enter your name and password manually.
• 🔒 Security Type: Xiaomi Supports WPA3, Some older routers only work with WPA2. If incompatible, change the settings on the router.
• 📡 Frequency range: 5 GHz networks are faster but have a smaller coverage area. If the signal is weak, try connecting to 2.4 GHz.

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If your phone is constantly losing Wi-Fi connection, try turning off the Smart Switch function in your network settings. It automatically switches the device to mobile internet when there is a weak Wi-Fi signal, which is not always convenient.

For advanced users: in MIUI There's a hidden network prioritization feature, so if you're often connected to multiple Wi-Fis (like at home and at work), the system can automatically select a more stable network:

1. Press the name of the network in the Wi-Fi list.
2. Choose Change the Network.
3. Activate the Autoconnection option and tick Priority Network.

2. Mobile Internet (4G/5G): setup APN network selection

If Wi-Fi is not available, mobile Internet comes to the rescue.Modern Xiaomi smartphones support networks 4G LTE and 5G (on models with the appropriate module, but sometimes manual adjustment is required.

The first thing to check is the access points. APN. Wrong parameters APN They can block access to the network even when there's a good signal:

1. Go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks.
2. Choose yours. SIM-card (if there are several).
3. Press Access Points (APN).
4. If the list is empty or the parameters are incorrect, click Add APN Enter your operator's data.

Below is a table with parameters APN for popular Russian operators (current for 2026):

If, after setting up, APN The internet is not working, check it out:

• 📱 Network mode: c Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Choose the preferred network type 4G (preferably)/3G/2G or 5G/4G/3G/2G (if maintained).
• 🔄 Data roaming: if you are abroad, enable data roaming option (but consider possible additional rates).
• 🔋 Savings in traffic: in MIUI There's a Traffic Saving feature that can limit background Internet usage. Turn it off in Settings. → Connections and sharing → Saving traffic.

3. Access Point: How to distribute the Internet from Xiaomi to other devices

Your Xiaomi smartphone can become a full-fledged router and distribute the Internet to a laptop, tablet or other phone, a feature called an access point (or Hotspot), which takes less than a minute to set up:

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Connections and Sharing → Access Point.
2. Press the Access Point Settings.
3. Set a network name (SSID) and password (minimum 8 characters).
4. Go back and activate the Access Point switch.

By default, Xiaomi uses the 2.4 GHz band, but you can switch to 5 GHz for faster speed (if your phone supports this feature).

1. In the access point settings, click additionally.
2. Select frequency range.
3. Set 5 GHz (if available).

Mobile Internet or Wi-Fi connected|Battery charge > 30%|The client device is offline VPN|The password of the access point is stored in a secure place.-->

Pay attention to the restrictions of operators: some tariffs block the distribution of the Internet or limit speed.

• 📵 Blocking the operator: call in support or check the tariff conditions.
• 🔄 Modem mode: In some cases, switching between WCDMA and LTE mobile network settings.
• 🔋 Energy saving: Turn off Battery saving mode, as it may limit the operation of the access point.

4. USB-Modem: Connecting to a PC without Wi-Fi

If you do not have access to Wi-Fi, and the access point for some reason does not work, you can use your smartphone as a mobile phone. USB-This is a way to connect a laptop or a desktop PC to the Internet via a phone.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your phone to your computer using USB-cable (preferably original).
2. On the phone in the notification that appears, select the Data Transfer mode (or USB-modem, if such an option exists).
3. Go to Settings. → Connections and sharing → USB-modem.
4. Activate the switch.

If the computer does not recognize the connection:

• 🖥️ Drivers: Install Mi PC Suite or drivers ADB For your Xiaomi model.
• 🔄 Regime. USB: In the phone notification curtain, select File Transfer (MTP), then again USB-modem.
• 🔒 Firewall: temporarily disable Windows firewall or add an exception to connect.

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USB-The modem consumes less battery power than a Wi-Fi hotspot, but the connection speed may be lower due to limitations. USB 2.0 on some models.

Windows. 10/11 Sometimes there's a "Unidentified Device" error to fix it:

1. Open Device Manager (Win + X → Device Manager).
2. Find the device with the exclamation mark in the Other Devices section.
3. Right-click and select Update Driver → Search for drivers on this computer → Select a driver from the list.
4. Install the Remote driver NDIS based Internet Sharing Device.

5.Internet problems on Xiaomi: diagnostics and solutions

Even when you set up the Internet properly, it can be unstable, and let's look at some of the most common problems and how to fix them.

Problem 1: Wi-Fi is connected, but the Internet is not working

• 🔄 Reboot the router: disconnect it from power for 30 seconds.
• 📱 Reset network settings on your phone: Settings → System and device → Resetting settings → Resetting Wi-Fi, Mobile Network and Bluetooth.
• 🔒 Check it out. MAC-Filtering: Some routers block devices by MAC-Add the address. MAC-Address of your Xiaomi in the list of allowed devices (find the address of your Xiaomi) MAC-Address can be made to Settings → The phone. → General information).

Problem 2: Mobile Internet is only available 2G

• 📶 Check the coverage area: there may not be any in your area 4G/5G. Use operator coverage cards.
• 🔧 Update the modem software: go to Settings → The phone. → Update the system and check for updates.
• 🔄 Reset your network settings: as in the paragraph above.

Problem 3: The Internet is not giving away

• 📵 Check operator restrictions: some tariffs block the distribution of the Internet.
• 🔧 Change the frequency range: try switching from 5 GHz to 2.4 GHz or vice versa.
• 🔋 Turn off battery savings for the Settings app.

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After the update MIUI You've lost the Internet, you've got to roll back on the previous firmware, or you've got to wait for a patch.

Important for Xiaomi owners 12/13 Series: on these models there is a bug with automatic shutdown 5G If you have low signal, go to the code engineering menu to fix it ##4636##, Select Phone Information and set the preferred network type to LTE/5G auto.

Additional functions: VPN, Proxies and traffic savings

In addition to the basic settings, the MIUI There are tools to optimize Internet connection and data protection.

VPN Xiaomi

If you need to encrypt traffic or bypass regional restrictions:

1. Go to Settings → Connections and Sharing → VPN.
2. Press Add Add Add. VPN and choose the type (PPTP, L2TP or IPSecec).
3. Enter data from yours VPN-provider.

Saving traffic

To reduce internet consumption:

1. Activate Traffic Savings in Settings → Connections and sharing.
2. Limit background traffic for individual apps: Settings → Annexes → Application management → [select the application] → Data data.
3. Enable data compression in Google Chrome: open the browser, click ⋮ → Settings → Saving traffic.

proxy server

To configure a proxy (for example, for a corporate network):

1. Go to Settings. → Wi-Fi.
2. Press your network name and select Change the network.
3. Deploy Additional settings and select Manual Proxy Setup.
4. Enter the address and port of the proxy server.

7. Hidden functions MIUI better communication

MIUI It contains a few hidden features that help stabilize the connection, which are not found in standard settings, but they can significantly improve the quality of the Internet.

Engineering menu

To open the engineering menu and configure the modem settings:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Enter the code ##4636##.
3. Select Phone Information.
4. Scroll down to the Set preferred network type block and select the optimal mode (e.g., the best mode, LTE/5G auto).

High Speed Mode (for gaming phones)

On models POCO F and Black Shark have a special mode to reduce ping:

1. Go to Settings. → Special facilities → Game mode.
2. Activate the High Speed Network.
3. Select applications for which you want to optimize the connection.

Shutdown IPv6

If you have trouble connecting to some sites, try disabling IPv6:

1. Go to Settings. → Wi-Fi.
2. Press the name of the network and select Change the network.
3. Deploy additional parameters and install IP-settings IPv4.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions