iPod touch Free Wifi Access Problems

[HeatherA]

I've just recently purchased my 32gb touch and I've found an issue that I'm not sure how to resolve. I'm pretty much a girl geek so I have an idea what I'm doing and I'm stumped so I'm coming here for help... (after searching and not getting any good answers)

Ok, my gym offers free wifi and I can successfully connect via settings and have full signal strength, but when I try to access any pages via Safari I get the error that I'm not connected. I asked the folks at the front desk if there was something going on with the wifi and they had no clue (it's a brand new gym and the kids working there are clueless) but they said that it's happening to a lot of the members... so I'm assuming all touch owners?

Then I was at my mall today and again connected to their free wifi and had the same scenario as above. I walked outside and went to the Apple store and asked the non-genius if there was a secret to getting connected and she told me it just had to do with signal strength and that it just won't work unless there is a strong signal (I have full signal strength on both connections) and suggested we try to connect to the Apple Store wifi which worked instantly.

My only thought is that it has to do something with the authentication web pages that I get when accessing the mall's wifi via laptop. The mall's wireless page pops up on my browser before I'm able to surf or check mail. (same as at Panera etc.) I was unable to get this page to come up using Safari.

Any thoughts on this issue? I'm hoping to stop by Panera at some point this weekend to see if I have any luck there, but was hoping you guys would have the "easy" answer for me.

Thanks for your time and help!!!

-HeatherA
2g 32gb Touch | 5g 60gb Video | 2g 2gb Shuffle | 3g 40gb (retired)

Other household iPods:
3g 20gb (2) | 5g 30gb Video (2)

 

[mgguy]

Just because you are connected to a wifi network doesn't mean you can connect to the internet. The wifi network has to be connected to the internet for you to go online. Of course, if it is a protected network, you will also need to key in a password to get connected. It is also true that signal strength on the wifi network may not be strong enough to enable you to go online or stay online once you are connected. Sometimes the signal strength can change after you are already online and you can lose connection (even though you still have bars showing that you have a wifi connection). I have found that when this happens, if I go to the wifi settings and turn wifi off and then back on, the online access will come back. Unfortunately, when using public wifi its not always a perfect world.

 

[dmiller]

have you been able to use your wifi anywhere? for instance at home where you know you have full signal and are connected to the internet?

this could mean the difference between isolated incidents (mall and gym) or bad wifi altogether (needing a repair)

 

[HeatherA]

Just because you are connected to a wifi network doesn't mean you can connect to the internet. The wifi network has to be connected to the internet for you to go online. Of course, if it is a protected network, you will also need to key in a password to get connected. It is also true that signal strength on the wifi network may not be strong enough to enable you to go online or stay online once you are connected. Sometimes the signal strength can change after you are already online and you can lose connection (even though you still have bars showing that you have a wifi connection). I have found that when this happens, if I go to the wifi settings and turn wifi off and then back on, the online access will come back. Unfortunately, when using public wifi its not always a perfect world.

These are "free" wifi spots and connections designed for public access. Not password protected. Thanks for the tips on re-starting the wifi though

 

[HeatherA]

have you been able to use your wifi anywhere? for instance at home where you know you have full signal and are connected to the internet?

this could mean the difference between isolated incidents (mall and gym) or bad wifi altogether (needing a repair)

Yes, I use my wifi at home all the time, and at work (wep key access), flawlessly. I was also able to connect at the Apple store today (non-password protected) but the "free" to the public access points are the ones I'm having trouble with.

Thanks for asking for clarification!

 

[Zapbranagan]

I've just recently purchased my 32gb touch and I've found an issue that I'm not sure how to resolve. I'm pretty much a girl geek so I have an idea what I'm doing and I'm stumped so I'm coming here for help... (after searching and not getting any good answers)

Ok, my gym offers free wifi and I can successfully connect via settings and have full signal strength, but when I try to access any pages via Safari I get the error that I'm not connected. I asked the folks at the front desk if there was something going on with the wifi and they had no clue (it's a brand new gym and the kids working there are clueless) but they said that it's happening to a lot of the members... so I'm assuming all touch owners?

Then I was at my mall today and again connected to their free wifi and had the same scenario as above. I walked outside and went to the Apple store and asked the non-genius if there was a secret to getting connected and she told me it just had to do with signal strength and that it just won't work unless there is a strong signal (I have full signal strength on both connections) and suggested we try to connect to the Apple Store wifi which worked instantly.

My only thought is that it has to do something with the authentication web pages that I get when accessing the mall's wifi via laptop. The mall's wireless page pops up on my browser before I'm able to surf or check mail. (same as at Panera etc.) I was unable to get this page to come up using Safari.

Any thoughts on this issue? I'm hoping to stop by Panera at some point this weekend to see if I have any luck there, but was hoping you guys would have the "easy" answer for me.

Thanks for your time and help!!!

-HeatherA
2g 32gb Touch | 5g 60gb Video | 2g 2gb Shuffle | 3g 40gb (retired)

Other household iPods:
3g 20gb (2) | 5g 30gb Video (2)

First off don't listen to anyone else. There is something wrong with your ipod. Take it back and exchange it. How do I know this? Because that is what exactly happened to me. When you take it back don't let them talk you out of it. That's what they did to me. I got tired of trying everything everyone suggested and I took it back and got another one. And guess what? My wifi works great.

One test you can try is go to a local starbucks. Now with them you can't get free wifi but you should be able to get a page asking for credit card info so you can use there wifi. When I had my bad ipod touch, nothing would come up when I went into starbucks. But I just tested it out with the new one today and it works fine.

It's an internal issue. It's happen to other people. Just tell them that when you take it in to exchange it. Hope this helps.

 

[sgtboy]

I have to strongly disagree that your Ipod is ruined/defective.


First, try a restore
Second, sometimes it is the problem of the Wifi signal. I fix computers for a living and have seen this over and over and over. I bet you $100 if the gym or whereever reset their modem/router, your touch would work

 

[HeatherA]

Thanks for the feedback. I guess I'll take both my touch and my laptop to panera tomorrow and see what happens. If I have no luck there, I'll try a restore and go from there.

I am glad to know I'm not the only one with these issues...

Thanks again!

 

[mgguy]

These are "free" wifi spots and connections designed for public access.

True, but even those "free" wifi networks have to be connected to the internet and sometimes they are not. There have been many times that I have had to ask restaurants, stores, coffee houses, etc., who have wifi why I can't connect to the internet, and they sometimes tell me that they just forgot to switch on the online link. I don't know how they configure their system and connections, but they sometimes have their wifi up but not their online connection. But places like Starbucks are probably online constantly. Just something to think about.

By the way, are you aware that on Macrumors you don't have to post separate responses to each poster you want to reply to at the moment? Instead of clicking the "quote" button for each post you want to respond to, you can click the small quotation mark in each of these posts and then click the "post reply" button at the bottom of the page. When you do that, all of the posts you want to respond to will be quoted in the same window and you then can just type in your responses in that one window. This is explained in the MR instructions available on this site. Anyway, I hope you fix your wifi problem.

 

[reubs]

I had a similar problem at Panera recently with my iPod touch. I got a signal, opened up safari, and I was greeted with that log-in page that had a blue cube on it, but there was no way for me to enter any log-in information. My guess was that the webpage was flash-based, and we all know you can't get that on an iPod touch.

I'm interested in your solution for Panera, so please share!

 

[alexlovesmacs]

At my school I get a free connection non password and I have the same problem.

 

[pilotrtc]

By the way, are you aware that on Macrumors you don't have to post separate responses to each poster you want to reply to at the moment? Instead of clicking the "quote" button for each post you want to respond to, you can click the small quotation mark in each of these posts and then click the "post reply" button at the bottom of the page. When you do that, all of the posts you want to respond to will be quoted in the same window and you then can just type in your responses in that one window. This is explained in the MR instructions available on this site.

Totally cool! I didn't know that. Now I'm going to have to find those MR instructions and see if there's anything else this site can do. Thank you!

 

[HeatherA]

Well I'm posting this from my touch at Paners and I connected just fine. I guess the other locations must just be having problems net wise. Thanks for everyone's help yesterday!