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Topic: Telcos

Having iPad WiFi issues? Changing your security settings may help

Summary: Some people have been reporting WiFi connectivity issues with the Apple iPad and I have noticed some stability problems with the Sprint Overdrive connection. James conducted some testing and may have some tips that work for you.

Matthew Miller

By for The Mobile Gadgeteer |

I have been using a Sprint Overdrive for a couple of weeks as part of my Sprint 4G series and have indeed found some issues with the connection between it and the iPad. In what may be some of the most comprehensive connectivity testing with the iPad to date my Mobile Tech Roundup podcast co-host, James Kendrick, posted on possible ways to minimize WiFi issues with the iPad with some discussion of the Overdrive. By default, the Sprint Overdrive uses 64-bit WEP encryption for security on the Wi-Fi network and that is what I continued to use. With the advanced settings of the Overdrive you can change that to other security methods and James recommends and finds WPA2 to be more reliable.

James also tested out his connection at home so check out his thoughts on this. I personally have an open connection at home since my house is too far from any neighbors to worry about anyone jumping on my connection and being at the end of the street means you have to park in my driveway to use my connection, which cannot happen without me coming out to chat with you and see what you are doing. I haven't had any connection issues on my open WiFi 802.11 b/g connection.

Topics: Telcos, iPad, Mobility, Networking, Security, Wi-Fi

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9 comments
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  • RE: Having iPad WiFi issues? Changing your security settings may help

    Yesterday I got a new dual band router, set to WPA2. I set the
    iPad to only use the 5GHz signal. This morning the iPad wouldn't
    even show that it existed. Rebooting the router fixed it, but of
    course I'm more suspicious of the iPad.
    Robert Watsonville
    Reply Vote

    • Depends on the router you have...

      Even though the major name brands are good hardware (for the most
      part), I always find that when I get a router that it needs new firmware
      before being used.
      nix_hed
      Reply Vote

  • My iPad connection woes FIXED!

    There's far too much to list here. You can read about it
    here:

    http://wirthconsulting.org/iPad_WiFi_Problems_FIXED.aspx
    twirth5
    Reply 1 Vote

  • Are you crazy?

    "open connection at home"? Dude there is just no excuse for that other than pure laziness. Are you always home? Do you never sleep? What's your address?

    Seriously, WPA2 is built into just about everything these days and easily turned on. Someone claiming to be technically knowledgeable and advocating not turning it on...well its just irresponsible

    And by the way, WEP is better than nothing...but not by a lot. To have it as the default is pretty idiotic as well.
    cornpie
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Having iPad WiFi issues? Changing your security settings may help

    Well played, men! You just had to slip that one in, don't
    you?: ... " Hi everyone, I live on a very large
    property." It's better for you to accept this as the
    subtext of this otherwise pointless post (and admit being
    a little conceited about your own achievement, something
    most people can identify with) or we'll have to assume
    that you are, well ... not a logically sound person. You
    choose.
    pobiefuna
    Reply Vote

  • Thumbs down to WEP

    If you have WPA as a choice, why would you even consider WEP? WEP-only devices should be tossed.
    ejhonda
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Having iPad WiFi issues? Changing your security settings may help

    I've tried all of the tips on the net right now... Changing security,
    static IPs, changing the auto lock in the iPad, etc.... NONE of them
    work. The effing thing still boots me every 60 seconds or less and
    then I can't get back on. Sprint has been worthless in providing
    any other tips. Anyone know of any other ideas here? THANK
    YOU
    SunsetSFLocal
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Having iPad WiFi issues? Changing your security settings may help

    I have an iPad since January and after 9 months of experiments I have to sadly say that iPad has seriously problems to connect to a WPA2 (non-enterprise) domestic LAN w/ DHCP. I get 169.254.x.x at least 7 times out of 10. Sometime it works by forgetting the network and entering again all parameters, sometimes switching off and on the wi-fi, sometimes (more rarely) by rebewing the lease. In any case, m iPad 1 and iPhone 4 are the ONLY devices in my house that cannot easily connect to the LAN. Since iPad has not an Ethernet port, this is a serious problem. In the same LAN I have 2 Windows based laptops, one Ubuntu based laptop, a DNLA TV, a Wi-Fi printer, two Nokia smartphones, plus other devices. None of them has the same problem and all of them supports WPA2 and DHCP. So the problem is not LAN, but the Apple devices. I tried mostly any solution suggested in the web (it looks like I am not the only one with connectivity problems), with no result. I am very disappointed: a Wi-Fi device that has problems to connect to Wi-Fi is a useless device. I verified, by moving that device on other LAN, thta it works only if

    1. the LAN is not secured (switching off Wi-Fi protection is NOT an option, anyway)
    2. no DHCP is used (but static IP is not an option too for a mobile device)
    3. WPA2 Enterprise is used (but at home I have only WPA2, not the enterprise verion, of course)
    dejudicibus
    Reply Vote

  • Fix new ipad wifi issues

    I had the same problem with my new iPad, the wifi range was really poor. The worst part was no matter where I looked, I always found the same step by step guide to reset the network configuration, which worked only for the older models that don't recognize your home network at all. Finally I landed on a review of a case from Pong Research. They produce these really interesting cases that have an antenna in between layers of the back cover, which redirects and boost the wifi signals into/from the antenna built-in the iPad. this fixes the <a href="http://www.pongresearch.com/new-ipad.html">new iPad 3 poor wifi range</a> . I also enjoy a lot the Origami Smart Cover it comes with, which besides providing the classic sleep/awake function, folds and allows you to stand the iPad on 5 different positions.
    Darren99b
    Reply Vote
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