Android - Copying Files over LAN Freezes and Fails

Copying files from your Android phone or tablet to your desktop or laptop computer and vice versa over your Local Area Network (LAN) is very handy if you don't want to deal with cables. Unfortunately, when copying large files or a lot of small files the copying may freeze and fail. In this article I'm going to explain what are the main reasons for this problem and show you how to fix each of them.

The most common reasons that cause issues when copying files over LAN from your Android phone to your computer and vice versa are:

1. Weak WiFi signal
   If your Android device is far from your Wireless router, it may have weak connection. As a result the connection may fail from time to time and prevent your files from being copied.

   FIX:
   Make sure your Android phone or tablet has a good and stable WiFi signal before copying files to or from your computer. If it doesn't, moving it closer to your Wireless router will improve signal strength and should solve the problem.

2. Problems related to the dynamic host configuration (DHCP)
   By default most LAN networks are configured to give each connected device an IP address from a given range. This address is given dynamically each time the device connects to the network, so it may change if the device disconnects and reconnects to the network even for a second. That may change your phone's IP address and thus cause the copying of your files over LAN freeze and fail.

   FIX:
   To eliminate this potential problem I recommend you set a unique IP address to your Android phone or table following this procedure:

   1. Go to Settings and tap on Wi-Fi.
   2. Turn on the Wi-Fi and connect to a network.
   3. Long press on the connected network and select Modify Network.
   4. Check Advance Options.
   5. From the IP Settings drop down menu, select Static.
   6. Assign an IP address of your choice in the form "192.168.1.N", where N is a number of your choice from 2 to 255. Leave all other settings unchanged.
   7. Tap Save to save the changes.

   Make sure you select a unique IP address so that it won’t conflict with other connected devices. It is best to select and IP address outside the range of IP addresses your router is configured to give to devices connected to the network. For example if you router is configured to give IP addresses in the range "192.168.1.100" to "192.168.1.200", you can set your phone an IP address of "192.168.1.99" or "192.168.1.201". Thus you will ensure that no other device will ever take your phone's IP address in your Local Area Network (LAN).

See also:

• Lowest Radiation Android and iOS Phones
• Avoid Roaming Data Charges on Android
• Show Battery Percentage on Moto and Nexus Phones