iPad keeps dropping WiFi connection

I reset my iPad and renetered the WiFi Account Information. Seems to have done the trick. No WiFi dropping now. Post reset none of my downloaded Apps launch - the App just flickers and goes back to icon state. I am deleting and re-downloading all my Apps again. Will get there, never say never...

I ran into this problem at my parent's house it seems to be a router issue cuz wifi is rock solid at my place. After checking the settings I realized that the router was assigning an invalid ip address once I put in a static ip the problem went away.

I think I have solved the mystery - at least on my iPad. For the past several weeks my iPad kept losing the WiFi connection. I tried many of the suggestions made in these forums and other sites as well but to no avail.

Yesterday I got the crazy idea to turn on "Ask to Join Networks", which is off by default I believe. After turning this to ON, my WiFi connection has stayed connected now for 24 hours. It would usually lose the connection within 10-20 minutes.

So try that and see if it helps. Hope it does, because I sympathize this is a VERY annoying issue.

Kevin

splashnader said:

For those that are having wifi problems you might want to try changing your wireless router security settinsgs to the most secure setting. That is what I did after having problems and since then I have not had any problems or interruptions.

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Thank you so much for this information. I was so frustrated having to constantly rebooting every few minutes to use the internet. I was going to return my Ipad (boo). However; this simple fix, that you suggested, has made all my Wifii drop issues disappear. Thanks again, JelliBean.

Check channel settings

After using my iPAD in my house network for almost a year it began to drop the signal constantly in the past few days. My Apple TV was also doing the same. I checked my router settings and somehow the channel settings had become changed to scan for best channel instead of being set to broadcast on a single channel.

Once I reset the router to broadcast on one channel my iPAD has been rock solid, connecting instantly again and not dropping the signal.

Apple Support Thread

Here's the big Apple Support thread on this issue. My iPad2 worked flawlessly for the first few weeks - now it keeps dropping my home connection, and random resets seem to get it connected again - for a while.

Heres hoping whatever is going on gets fixed. I'm surprised there isn't more discussion of this on this site.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2780293?start=0&tstart=0

I've the same problem, the Wifi goes perhaps 5-10 times per day. Very annoying. It can almost always be fixed by using the "Forget this network" option and re-joining the Wifi network, but that's only temporary.

It is an 802.11N router, so some people have suggested that may be the issue. Also, I noticed something odd about how the network settings work on the iPad when joining the network.

It's setup via DHCP, and when the iPad first joins the network, it actually auto-fills the DNS server settings with my ISP's DNS settings (not sure where it actually gets these from!). When I check later, the DNS is set to the IP address of my Wifi router; not sure how/when that happens.

I just switched the iPad from DHCP to manual, and it's been perfect since; where before it would have dropped at least 5 times. I'll post back if the issue returns.

Wifi dropping out

SchneiderMan said:

My iPad keeps on dropping my WiFi connection all the time, and when i want to reconnect it will not. My iPhone has no connection issues..

Whats going on? Anyone else?

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I have a similar problem, only way I can get to reconnect is to go into settings, click on the wifi and renew lease. No idea what this for, but it does reconnect!

I cannot believe that this is the real answer though

What and where is the WEP Key?

Hi Stankyfish. I'm having the same problem with my iPad, which I bought only 3 weeks ago. Now it won't connect online. You say to reenter the wep key, but excuse my ignorance, will you please tell me what is the wep key and where do I find it a and where do I enter it?

Thanks and best regards,

Stuartp77

stankyfish said:

I had this problem a few times. It would drop the wifi connection, then try to reconnect and when it did it failed. Then it would attempt to rejoin and I had to reenter the wep key, after which it successfully connected.

I had to do this like three times, but haven't seen the problem since. I imagine after the first software update, this problem will magically go away.

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I had the same issue and ultimately solved it with two changes to my network. I've sinced backed out the changes one at a time and confirmed that both changes were indeed necessary. I've been rock solid for a month now.

First, I am running AT&T's UVerse and am stuck using their 2-Wire 3800HGV B router as my DHCP server. I found that approximately once a week, DHCP would freak out, kicking my iPad off the network and not allowing it back on. Sometimes it would take a few reboots to get it to calm down. Since I need the 3800HGV to run my TV, I hung a NetGear wireless router off the 2-Wire router and created my home network on the NetGear. The 2-Wire router is now in its default configuration and provides signal only to the TV and the NetGear router.

Second, between using a consumer grade router and the challenges that iPad has with its antenna, the iPad would drop constantly. Initially, since I had a few wireless routers sitting around, I set them up as access points (turning off all of the router functionality) to cover the deadspots. Something about the multiple access points seemed to confuse the iPad making it drop off the network, so I added WiFi repeaters to cover the dead spots. Problem solved.

Sorry if this seems a bit complicated, but I hope it helps. Bottom line, if you're using UVerse, isolate their router outside your home network and don't over complicate your home network.

Wifi Drops during Skype or Facetime

I only notice these wifi drops when I'm on Skype for like 20 or 30 minutes at a time. I just starting using FaceTime and my call dropped 3 times within 20 minutes. When Skype drops I see the wifi icon disappear and then reappear a few seconds later. With FaceTime I have not noticed the wifi icon since the app doesn't let you see the status bar.

Aside from that that's the only time i've noticed any drop in wifi. Not during anything else. I use Skype on my Mac and it never drops. So it seems like an issue between the iPad and my internet.

Anyone else have similar issues during just video calling?

MiamiBourne said:

I only notice these wifi drops when I'm on Skype for like 20 or 30 minutes at a time. I just starting using FaceTime and my call dropped 3 times within 20 minutes. When Skype drops I see the wifi icon disappear and then reappear a few seconds later. With FaceTime I have not noticed the wifi icon since the app doesn't let you see the status bar.

Aside from that that's the only time i've noticed any drop in wifi. Not during anything else. I use Skype on my Mac and it never drops. So it seems like an issue between the iPad and my internet.

Anyone else have similar issues during just video calling?

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It could be an issue with the Skype app.

whm03 said:

After using my iPAD in my house network for almost a year it began to drop the signal constantly in the past few days. My Apple TV was also doing the same. I checked my router settings and somehow the channel settings had become changed to scan for best channel instead of being set to broadcast on a single channel.

Once I reset the router to broadcast on one channel my iPAD has been rock solid, connecting instantly again and not dropping the signal.

Click to expand...

Same thing happened to me, the wi-fi connection on my iPad (1st gen running iOS 5.0.1) would drop constantly after moving into a new house. Then I set my Verizon FIOS router to channel 8 (or any other channel) and the connection's been solid ever since (already had the router's security protocol switched from WEP to WPA2). Definitely try turning off the Automatic channel setting on the router if you experience this problem

I bought an iPad 2 for my wife, and noticed the Wi-Fi problems talked about in this thread, but only at home. What i did was to make the signal from the router stronger by elevating it from the desk. I moved the router to a bookshelf that's at least three feet higher than the computer desk where it had been. That's all I did to it, and now my wife can use her iPad anywhere around the house without dropping the Wi-Fi connection.
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/8-tips-to-boost-the-signal-from-your-wireless-router/

orion23 said:

Same thing happened to me, the wi-fi connection on my iPad (1st gen running iOS 5.0.1) would drop constantly after moving into a new house. Then I set my Verizon FIOS router to channel 8 (or any other channel) and the connection's been solid ever since (already had the router's security protocol switched from WEP to WPA2). Definitely try turning off the Automatic channel setting on the router if you experience this problem

Click to expand...

this would make sense, mine has been dropping all the time and also the speed will drop down to nothing and then I will turn wifi off and back on to get it back up. i updated the firmware on my extreme and 2 expresses and have used the airport utility on my ipad to change some settings and i think I mighty have changed them all to automatic because I was having issues getting my expresses to join the network.

running some cat6 and gigE routers this weekend and hope to clean up some of my network issues by not using as many wifi devices as I had been using.

whm03 said:

After using my iPAD in my house network for almost a year it began to drop the signal constantly in the past few days. My Apple TV was also doing the same. I checked my router settings and somehow the channel settings had become changed to scan for best channel instead of being set to broadcast on a single channel.

Once I reset the router to broadcast on one channel my iPAD has been rock solid, connecting instantly again and not dropping the signal.

Click to expand...

I did this and didnt get dropped once last night.

EvilC5 said:

I did this and didnt get dropped once last night.

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follow up, after over a week, no drops anymore.

Possible fix..

I had the same problem from the first day I bought the ipad2 which was over 2 weeks ago. I contacted apple regarding this and they at first told me to try it on other wifi connections so I did and the problem still continued.. I called them back only to have a snooty man who be littled me to the point I had to speak to the supervisor who was also not helpful they kept blaming my router and to try there recommended settings which didn't work. This problem has been happening with my mothers iPad 2 as well which is just a month old, and also my friends iPad 2 which is just over 90 days old. So anyway after a pointless call to apple.. I took to the Internet found a possible fix on YouTube.

This video was addressing a fix for this issue.. It is a weird fix but so far it has worked for me..

Go to settings, brightness and wallpaper.. Turn brightness to max.. And my internet connection came back..

If this doesn't work try changing your routers security from WPA2 to WEP.. This has also been know to help.. However this does not help when your on the road connected to other wifi networks..

The guy at apple refused to believe it was a software issue and was very cocky, he even went into a debate with himself while I kept quiet not able to get a single work in until I said to him Can I speak!..

I hope this helps..

Always use the Other option

I saw this fix on another post and can attest that it works. I suffered from dropped connections and forgotten passwords, on both an Ipad1 and Ipad2, on both a Netgear and a TPlink router. Solution - Always use the Other option to manually enter network name, security type and password.