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EMAN19

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 19, 2012
275
0
New York, NY
My iPad mini won't connect to my home WiFi network, meanwhile my iPhone 4 and laptop connects to my home WiFi network just fine. So I initially thought the WiFi in my iPad mini was was fried but get this: it can connect to the WiFi at my work place and at the Apple Store...

What gives? I simply don't get it!!!!

I've also tried two different routers at home and nothing. "Unable to join network."

Thoughts? Solutions? This is mind boggling. This new Mini was working fine for 2 days at home, but not anymore. But WiFi still works at work and other places like the Apple Store. I've reset the network in general settings, reset the routers, hard restart on Mini -- nothing.
 

rockyroad55

macrumors 601
Jul 14, 2010
4,152
59
Phila, PA
What I did was reset my router and the password for the router. I had this issue a while ago with my mini and this did the trick.
 

Aspasia

macrumors 65816
My iPad mini won't connect to my home WiFi network, meanwhile my iPhone 4 and laptop connects to my home WiFi network just fine. So I initially thought the WiFi in my iPad mini was was fried but get this: it can connect to the WiFi at my work place and at the Apple Store...

What gives? I simply don't get it!!!!

I've also tried two different routers at home and nothing. "Unable to join network."

Thoughts? Solutions? This is mind boggling. This new Mini was working fine for 2 days at home, but not anymore. But WiFi still works at work and other places like the Apple Store. I've reset the network in general settings, reset the routers, hard restart on Mini -- nothing.

If rockyroad's suggestion doesn't work, try this:

Forget the network
In "other," insert your network's name and password
Renew lease
 

EMAN19

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 19, 2012
275
0
New York, NY
Aspasia [B said:
Forget the network
In "other," insert your network's name and password
Renew lease[/b]

I did that a couple times. Didn't fix the issue.

My DSL router was provided by Verizon. How would I go about changing the network name and password?

Also, I called and they were helpless.
 

Borjan

macrumors 6502
Sep 28, 2004
262
58
My iPad mini won't connect to my home WiFi network, meanwhile my iPhone 4 and laptop connects to my home WiFi network just fine. So I initially thought the WiFi in my iPad mini was was fried but get this: it can connect to the WiFi at my work place and at the Apple Store...

What gives? I simply don't get it!!!!

I've also tried two different routers at home and nothing. "Unable to join network."

Thoughts? Solutions? This is mind boggling. This new Mini was working fine for 2 days at home, but not anymore. But WiFi still works at work and other places like the Apple Store. I've reset the network in general settings, reset the routers, hard restart on Mini -- nothing.

Have the exact same problem. Here is a repost:

I have wifi issues.

"Oddly, the two main networks I connect to at home and work are fine (both wireless N), but when I'm out and about connecting to public networks or at my girlfriends place (wireless G).... I have issues. I can see the networks (often at full bar) and try to connect... most of the time it'll just say 'unable to connect to the network'. Sometimes I get to the password screen, I type it in... then the same.

I've done all the resets possible and its still the same. I can only connect to my girlfriends network if my mini is <1ft away from the router.

I will be hoping a replacement fixes this for me, just haven't had the time to get to an apple store just yet."

People are going to suggest all the usual fixes, but none of them work.
 

EMAN19

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 19, 2012
275
0
New York, NY
This is too strange. I can connect to public places and the secured network at work just fine. I'm at Columbia University right now using my iPad mini to surf the web

I have a suspicion it's my home network that is at fault...

Yet I can connect my iPhone 4 and laptop to my home network. Damn it.
 

outie2k

macrumors regular
Jun 20, 2010
209
53
First what band is your home wifi on? 2.4 or 5ghz? And what about your work place?

I had this problem with my first mini that I could only connect to 5ghz band and use around the house. While I could also connect to the 2.4ghz band it had to be right next to the router. It was as if the 2.4ghz antenna was broken. Got another mini and all is fine.
 

kdoug

macrumors 65816
Jun 2, 2010
1,025
195
Iowa City, IA USA
My iPad mini won't connect to my home WiFi network, meanwhile my iPhone 4 and laptop connects to my home WiFi network just fine. So I initially thought the WiFi in my iPad mini was was fried but get this: it can connect to the WiFi at my work place and at the Apple Store...

What gives? I simply don't get it!!!!

I've also tried two different routers at home and nothing. "Unable to join network."

Thoughts? Solutions? This is mind boggling. This new Mini was working fine for 2 days at home, but not anymore. But WiFi still works at work and other places like the Apple Store. I've reset the network in general settings, reset the routers, hard restart on Mini -- nothing.
I just sent mine back with the same problem. Call Apple, they are aware of the problem with some of the early Minis. I made the mistake of sending mine back vs. returning it to the store, it's going to take 10 days for a replacement.
Mine would connect and than disconnect or sometimes I'd have to refresh the DHCP. When I was instructed to restore it, it would find the wireless signal but not connect until I did a "Hard Reset". When it would connect I could never get my signal past 2.5mbps whereas my iPhone 5 and iPad 3 could connect well over 8mbps.
 

lazuliblue

macrumors newbie
Oct 27, 2012
13
0
UK
My iPad mini won't connect to my home WiFi network, meanwhile my iPhone 4 and laptop connects to my home WiFi network just fine. So I initially thought the WiFi in my iPad mini was was fried but get this: it can connect to the WiFi at my work place and at the Apple Store...

What gives? I simply don't get it!!!!

I've also tried two different routers at home and nothing. "Unable to join network."

Thoughts? Solutions? This is mind boggling. This new Mini was working fine for 2 days at home, but not anymore. But WiFi still works at work and other places like the Apple Store. I've reset the network in general settings, reset the routers, hard restart on Mini -- nothing.

I had this with my iPad 4. Sent it back and got a new one, which has had no problems.
 

Txjole

macrumors member
Feb 22, 2008
91
0
What is your router named? If it is a factory name it's an Apple security feature. They have an Apple bulletin on it.
 

EMAN19

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 19, 2012
275
0
New York, NY
Holy crap, so guess what?

After calling Apple's Technical Support 3-4 times which totaled 3 hours of being on the line with them going through various steps to ensure my Home Network was "setup properly," nothing worked. At all.

It was their opinion that getting my Mini swapped out would not fix the issue seeing as how I could connect my Mini to other Networks outside my home and that the issue was my Home Network...

WRONG. Just swapped out my Mini an hour ago. My Mini NOW connects to my Home Network. The genius also insisted that my Home Network was at fault, and not the Mini... but insisted on swapping it out anyway.

*SIGH*

C'mon, Apple... Step it up.

----------

I seriously what wonder what the issue could have been with the Mini, as I COULD connect to other networks, just not at home... So weird.
 

EMAN19

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 19, 2012
275
0
New York, NY
It's a sad state of affairs.

I'm going to start waiting it out instead of buying new gadgets during their initial release.
 

sdsvtdriver

macrumors 65816
Jul 31, 2008
1,077
36
Southern California
there was perhaps some corruption with the network configuration information for your home network, which explains why it worked on others and not yours at home.

"forgetting" the network doesn't fix it. A restore probably would have. Changing the SSID of your network would have made the device save the new config when it connected.

Seems to be a bug in ios6.1
 

EMAN19

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 19, 2012
275
0
New York, NY
there was perhaps some corruption with the network configuration information for your home network, which explains why it worked on others and not yours at home.

"forgetting" the network doesn't fix it. A restore probably would have. Changing the SSID of your network would have made the device save the new config when it connected.

Seems to be a bug in ios6.1

I don't understand. It worked at one one point, then it stopped. I tried restoring the iPad mini and it still didn't work.

How would one fix this issue if it were to happen again?

If it happens again I will be thoroughly pissed because it'll render this thing useless, at least at home and I'm done swapping out my iPad. Finished.
 

sdsvtdriver

macrumors 65816
Jul 31, 2008
1,077
36
Southern California
I don't know, but if it happens again, what I'd do to troubleshoot: I'd restore the iPad to factory, not from a backup and see if it connects. If it does, then it's a software issue on the device. If not, then it is the device itself... but that wouldn't make any sense.
 

Stupad

macrumors newbie
Apr 11, 2013
2
0
Thanks for the info here. Have had something very similar. I bought an iPad Mini in Qatar at the start of a round the world trip. It worked pretty much fine for two months, although sometimes it would not connect where my iPhone 3S would and vice versa. Then in the middle of Laos the wifi stopped connecting. Have tried it in dozens of hotels, coffee shops, etc. since then and always get the message Unable to Connect, even though I can see all available networks. When I got to Tokyo I went straight to the Apple store and guess what, it connected instantly (at blazing speeds). They were very apologetic but couldn't offer any advice other than to upgrade to 6.1 (which I haven't been able to do yet). Am still unable to connect anywhere else, so essentially it is a brick. From the info in this thread I am guessing there is an issue with the wifi chip so will swap the unit as soon as I get to the US and see what happens.*
 

muy picante

macrumors member
Sep 8, 2012
35
0
I have similar problem - new ipad4 wifi was constantly loosing connection and was not reconnecting to my home network. replaced it with new - works much better - still loses connection, usually when browsing with safari or atomic web browser, but at least reconnects to network automatically.
strange thing - it never looses connection when my wife is watching movies streamed from my home file server.
I never had such problems with two iphone 4's, macbook airs, ipd2 and ipad3, so I don't want to blame my router - linksys e3000 - it is old, but still performs well. I will wait for ios 7 before asking to replace it again - hopefully it is software issue, not hardware and appe will manage to fix it.
 

Stupad

macrumors newbie
Apr 11, 2013
2
0
Update

Following on from my post above, I took my iPad mini to the Apple store in San Diego and again it connected immediately, despite not being able to connect anywhere else. So strange. Do they use some kind of interesting wifi 802.11 flavor other than B/G whatever?
One other odd thing about my unit was that every time the battery died, it would reset the date/time to Unix date zero (1970-01-01). On plugging it in for a diagnostic the Apple genius found it reported having been plugged in for 43 years, haha!
Anyhow, long story short, he swapped it for a new unit and this one is working fine so far. So the lesson is, there is clearly a bug in some units.
 
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