Help me get my iPad to connect to the wireless and stay connected

[Mr M5]

I have been having trouble with my iPad connoting to our work wireless network. It seems to connect fine, safari pops up and it asks me to insert the password I do and i can browse the web just fine. Then when I close the web browser and move to say the mail app, it can no longer connect.

Any suggestions?

 

[jsh1120]

Are you sure you're disconnected from the wifi network and not simply unable to connect to your email account? (Sorry if that seems too obvious to be asked.) Be sure to check your settings to be sure that wifi is not connected when you're having problems.

 

[Mr M5]

Are you sure you're disconnected from the wifi network and not simply unable to connect to your email account? (Sorry if that seems to obvious to be asked.) Be sure to check your settings to be sure that wifi is not connected when you're having problems.

Very sure, cuz it's not just the mail app it's everything, including going back to safari.

 

[jsh1120]

Very sure, cuz it's not just the mail app it's everything, including going back to safari.

But you can stay connected as long as you like using Safari, right? It doesn't time out? And you can reconnect by selecting the wifi network you're using from your Settings?

 

[Mr M5]

But you can stay connected as long as you like using Safari, right? It doesn't time out? And you can reconnect by selecting the wifi network you're using from your Settings?

I can use safari once I log into the wi fi yes, but once i exit that insital log in, i can't get web based information from any app. Meaning it's got to be kicking me off our network.

Our network does not broadcast an ssid so the wireless signal doesn't really say anything at the top ever. So it can be hard to tell.

 

[Mcclure]

I have the exact same issue with my iPhone at a family members house. It stays connected as long as I am using wifi but as soon as I stop using the app that needs wifi it drops. I've had FaceTime run for 2+ hours with no issue. I can also connect my iPad, and wife's iPhone and they both stay on fine even with multiple visit. My iPhone needs to manually reconnect each time we go.

 

[jsh1120]

I can use safari once I log into the wi fi yes, but once i exit that insital log in, i can't get web based information from any app. Meaning it's got to be kicking me off our network.

Our network does not broadcast an ssid so the wireless signal doesn't really say anything at the top ever. So it can be hard to tell.

Based on your experience (and supported by the post above) it appears the problem lies in your wifi network. I'm afraid that any further guesses would be nothing but speculation. I suggest getting in touch with your wifi system administrator and see if he/she can help. In any event, it doesn't appear to be a problem with your iPad, per se.

To confirm that, you might want to find an open wifi network (e.g. Starbuck's) and see if the problem is repeated. My guess is that you'll find it isn't.

 

[FloatingBones]

Based on your experience (and supported by the post above) it appears the problem lies in your wifi network. I'm afraid that any further guesses would be nothing but speculation. I suggest getting in touch with your wifi system administrator and see if he/she can help. In any event, it doesn't appear to be a problem with your iPad, per se.

Your work has apparently blocked outgoing connections to some particular ports. If I were to guess, I'd guess that only outgoing connections to a small number of sockets (http, https) and have specifically excluded ports like SMTP and IMAP.

I suspect you would see exactly the same limited access with WiFi on a personal laptop.

Companies do this to limit how their network can be [ab]used. For instance, if you don't have access to SMTP, it's harder to use their network to send out spam.

To confirm that, you might want to find an open wifi network (e.g. Starbuck's) and see if the problem is repeated. My guess is that you'll find it isn't.

Excellent advice. I presumed from the OP's writeup that WiFi access elsewhere worked correctly.

 

[Mr M5]

Your work has apparently blocked outgoing connections to some particular ports. If I were to guess, I'd guess that only outgoing connections to a small number of sockets (http, https) and have specifically excluded ports like SMTP and IMAP.

I suspect you would see exactly the same limited access with WiFi on a personal laptop.

Companies do this to limit how their network can be [ab]used. For instance, if you don't have access to SMTP, it's harder to use their network to send out spam.



Excellent advice. I presumed from the OP's writeup that WiFi access elsewhere worked correctly.

My personal laptop (mac) does work on the wi fi network, as does my work laptop which is also mine but a pc.

Yes, wi fi on the i pad works everywhere else.

To be clear though, the i pad will connect once i load the network, then go to safari to sign in. (much the way you have to at hotels as a guest).

It will then work until as close out of safari and try and use something else.

 

[FloatingBones]

My personal laptop (mac) does work on the wi fi network, as does my work laptop which is also mine but a pc.

Yes, wi fi on the i pad works everywhere else.

To be clear though, the i pad will connect once i load the network, then go to safari to sign in. (much the way you have to at hotels as a guest).

It will then work until as close out of safari and try and use something else.

That helps pinpoint the problem. One more question with your PC: does e-mail access stop working when you close the browser window you used to sign-in to the work network?

What I speculated before about your work network restricting port access doesn't appear valid.

 

[Mr M5]

That helps pinpoint the problem. One more question with your PC: does e-mail access stop working when you close the browser window you used to sign-in to the work network?

What I speculated before about your work network restricting port access doesn't appear valid.

No the pc stays connected as does the Mac once u cclose the browser.

 

[jsh1120]

No the pc stays connected as does the Mac once u cclose the browser.

You're certainly not making this any easier, buddy. I do see why you were puzzled.

 

[FloatingBones]

No the pc stays connected as does the Mac once u cclose the browser.

You've probably reached the limits of what can be done to support you on this problem on the forum.

There is no standard way for establishing a WiFi connection to a server; there's no standard way for the server to know when a user wants to terminate a session. Some WiFi servers require that a browser window remain open; they presumably maintain a TCP/IP connection between the client's browser and the WiFi server. Some will even allow for a WiFi connection to lapse and get re-established within a few minutes; there's a Cisco gateway I regularly use that does that.

If you can give us the specific hardware and/or software being used for the gateway, someone may be able to help you. If you do a support call to your IT staff, I recommend also having a laptop computer with you at the time.

If you get a resolution to your problem or have any more information, please add it to this thread. Thanks.

 

[Mr M5]

You've probably reached the limits of what can be done to support you on this problem on the forum.

There is no standard way for establishing a WiFi connection to a server; there's no standard way for the server to know when a user wants to terminate a session. Some WiFi servers require that a browser window remain open; they presumably maintain a TCP/IP connection between the client's browser and the WiFi server. Some will even allow for a WiFi connection to lapse and get re-established within a few minutes; there's a Cisco gateway I regularly use that does that.

If you can give us the specific hardware and/or software being used for the gateway, someone may be able to help you. If you do a support call to your IT staff, I recommend also having a laptop computer with you at the time.

If you get a resolution to your problem or have any more information, please add it to this thread. Thanks.

Laptop is always with me. I think the main problem is as you have stated that the window has to stay open.