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Apple's iOS 6 Wi-Fi problems linger on

Summary: The big iOS 6 Wi-Fi problem has been fixed, but users report other Wi-Fi connection troubles linger on.

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

By for Networking |

iOS6-WiFi-disabled
This grayed out, dead Wi-Fi connection is not the "upgrade" iOS 6 users had in mind.

Apple fixed the major iOS 6 Wi-Fi problem quickly. That foul-up turned out to be a missing Apple Web page. While Apple siming replacing that page cured the networking headache for 90%+ of Apple iOS 6 users, other Wi-Fi problems are continuing to pop up.

A quick look through the Apple Support forums shows thousands of iOS 6 Wi-Fi problem reports. Winnowing them down, it seems there are two significant iOS 6 Wi-Fi problems left. 

One of these Wi-Fi problems seem to be unique to iPhone 4S smartphones and iPad 3 tablets. A school teacher reports, “I am a teacher in a school that went one-to-one Bring Your Own Device this year. We have 750 students each with a choice of device from Mac to PC to Android to iOS. With hundreds of students with iPhones and iPads, all connected to our school's WiFi network, we have been monitoring the development of WiFi issues on iOS devices. These issues are unrelated to last night's infamous Apple login page.”

The teacher continued, “There is definitely an issue where iPhone 4S and iPad 3rd generation devices are "unable to join network" after updating to iOS 6.” The teacher isn't the only one. Others report the same problem of being unable to join their local Wi-Fi network with these devices.

Numerous fix-it-yourself solutions have been suggested. These include:

Go to Settings>General>Reset>Reset Network Settings
Reboot system
Go to Setting WiFi and select your wireless connection.
Hit the ">" symbol for that connection.
Select "Auto" for HTTP Proxy.

This answer seems to work fairly often. 

Others, who have say over their home of office Wi-Fi configuration, have found that resetting Wi-Fi security on the router to WPA2 TKIP (Wi-Fi Protected Access II Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) from WPA2 AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) has enabled them to connect with their Wi-Fi routers. This suggests that iOS 6 has a potential security problem.

At least these users can turn on their Wi-Fi on and tinker with it. Other iDevice users aren't so lucky. Many users found after "upgrading” that their WiFi was “grayed out and disabled.”

The usual fixes suggested by Apple support techs, “soft reset, hard reset, and reset network settings,” haven't been working. This problem, like the other one, seems to happen more often with iPhone 4s phones.

I have yet to see a solution suggested for this particular annoyance that consistently works.

It's not just the iPhone 4s that's unable to talk Wi-Fi. Some users are also reporting Wi-Fi troubles with their shiny new iPhone 5s. This problem also seems to have a Wi-Fi security element. In particular, it's being suggested that iOS6 has trouble with WPA2 AES.

Apple, as per usual, had no comment.

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Topics: iPhone, Apple, Mobility, Networking, Security, Smartphones, Tablets

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35 comments
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  • I'm having major issues with WiFi on my iPhone 4

    After upgrading to iOS 4.9 (Apple calls this iOS 6 but without Siri, panorama, turn-by-turn navigation, etc. this is not iOS 6) I have had major issues with WiFi at work.

    Apple has never been very good at software and it is really showing. Maps, Ping, iOS "6", these are all examples of Apple's complete incompetence when it comes to software.
    toddbottom3
    Reply 1 Vote

    • My ipad third generation

      I notice that my 5 Gz wifi from Apple time capsule only gives lowest bar on my iPad. The distance just 3 m...
      Oden79
      Reply Vote

      • Better

        Wifi seems to work better after real power down and start of iPad. I hope it will last.
        Oden79
        Reply Vote

    • with your anti-apple track record

      No one believes you. Go cry wolf somewhere else.
      PogoBlue
      Reply Vote

  • Don't worry guys!

    It just works ROFL
    L3thargic
    Reply 2 Votes

  • Sour Grapes

    Tim Cook promised he will make sure everyone who wants an iPhone 5 will get it.
    So don't despair.
    danbi
    Reply 2 Votes

  • Wait b4 updates

    Our experience with Microsoft, Ubuntu, iOS, etc would suggest that we wait before applying an update. Maybe the slow roll-out of Android updates is a good and desirable feature. We can read about whether we want to update or not.

    :-D
    BorgX
    Reply Vote

  • Schools have always been BYOD . . . .

    "I am a teacher in a school that went one-to-one Bring Your Own Device this year. "

    Umm, ok. NEVER have any of the schools I've been to handed out cell phones or computers to students. They've always been BYOD . . .

    "This suggests that iOS 6 has a potential security problem."

    Not really. TKIP has been dictionaried, but AFAIK not broken.

    You shouldn't be using a dictionary word for a router password anyways -_-.

    Anyhoo, I'm not having any major issues with WiFi. So it's probably a YMMV issue.
    CobraA1
    Reply Vote

    • I think they meant they got rid of the computer labs

      Local schools here, as they did back when I was in school, don't let the students use devices while in the classroom, with computer use limited to school-provided computers. Even the local community college doesn't allow cellphone/laptop/tablet use in the classroom; free Wi-Fi is available on campus, but you have to sign into it with your student email & password to access it, & they still have all of their college-provided PCs on campus for students to use to access their email or work on homework & projects.
      spdragoo@...
      Reply Vote

  • But Apple Gear Just Works™

    Doesn't it?
    ldo17
    Reply 4 Votes

  • WiFi problem solved by simply removing my metal case

    I had the same WiFi issues as everyone else. Could not find WiFi or when found, could not connect. And if finally connected, it would drop out after the phone turning off. Tried everything from resetting network, to resetting everything, hard resets, forget the network, airplane, mode, etc. None worked. On a hunch, I removed my sleek looking metal case that I bought 2 weeks ago from Hong kong. It suddenly started working. Put it back in the case and the signal gets very weak. Turns out that the antenna is on the bottom left side of the 4 and 4s right where the little crack is. Aluminum, carbon fiber, and other metal cases that cover that area weaken the signal reception. Plastic cases do not.
    mikemikelson
    Reply Vote

    • False hope. Metal case removal did not solve the issue

      Last night I became hopeful that all the WiFi issues I had was due to my new metal case and lowered antenna reception. Case removal has help in my iphone 4 at least finding the WiFi networks around, but every time I want to use the phone, I have to go back into settings and connect to WiFi manually. It does not remember it and become automatic regardless of what I do. Piece of crap. You know, this is the first major release with Steve Jobs not in charge and Tim Cook had an opportunity to show himself but he screwed up big time. This OS should have never been releae without more testing and debugging. Apple is loosing it without Jobs.
      mikemikelson
      Reply Vote

  • SJVN has a new target

    I'm all for SJVN taking aim at Apple. Pretty soon we'll read tons of articles about how awful Apple is and that this is the year Linux defeats Apple on Apple devices.
    DreyerSmit
    Reply Vote

    • Re: this is the year Linux defeats Apple

      That happened over two years ago, when sales of Android passed that of Apple.

      And this year, Linux/Android has passed Windows.
      ldo17
      Reply Vote

      • And you're passing something...

        "And this year, Linux/Android has passed windows"???

        Seems like what your passing a gas out your ass.
        gribittmep
        Reply 2 Votes

        • Umm

          You're thinking desktop. Linux/Android is on a LOT of devices that are not desktops.
          benched42
          Reply Vote

          • Re: Linux/Android is on a LOT of devices that are not desktops.

            A lot of people don't seem to have realized that yet. Windows only ships 1 million copies a day; Android is up to 1.3 million a day.

            Linux is now the.world's fastest-shipping OS.
            ldo17
            Reply Vote

  • Forget WiFi issues

    A chap at work is near tears because his iPhone 5 has scratches all over, he is now using a make shift case he made with paper towel and scotch tape
    TD_2003
    Reply Vote

  • WiFi grayed out and no solution!

    My daughter iphone4s has the WiFi grayed out with ios 6.0. Her phone worked fine with ios 5.1 but once she updated to ios 6.0 then no wifi. We tried everything, but all failed. So we were supposed to get a replacement, unfortunately Apple pulled the water damage scam on us. The red dot at the bottom of the ear device connection, although this phone is new, always been in a case with protection and never been dropped in water. This is the last Apple product I will ever buy!
    jeanfor
    Reply Vote

    • Which makes me think I'll wait to upgrade my iPod touch

      Although it also makes our purchase even more frustrating to know, since we just bought them (one each for my wife & myself) less than 3 weeks ago, & they just announced last week they'll be releasing the 5th-gen iPods next month...for the same cost as we just paid.

      Although, to be honest, I strongly suspect my wife's reaction will be the same as her reaction to the iPad: "it's too big". Our 4th-gen iPods fit perfectly into her purse & my pocket, so I don't think the larger size would fit as well -- not to mention having to buy brand-new cases when we [b]just[/b] bought these, having to buy adapters for the new car/home chargers we just bought, etc.
      spdragoo@...
      Reply Vote
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