iPad 2 Wi-Fi is locked

[shaner2000]

I got a new iPad two days ago.
Finally connected to itunes last night to get it set up with the appropriate apps from my iphone, etc.
Messed around with it all evening without once being asked for a passcode.
I distinctly remember never having to, or choosing to, set up a lock-screen passcode.

However, today while I was at work I told my wife to check out the direcTV app while the kid was asleep.

She writes me to say she can't, it's locked.

I'm baffled, because I never set-up a code.

She tried the code we use on our iphones and my itunes account password and other passwords we use together and nothing works.

Any idea why it would be asking for a passcode when I never set one up?

I'm assuming I'll probably just have to put it in DFU mode or whatever that I've read about to try to get past it....?

 

[toiday]

Was it a brand new iPad from the store or you got it from an individual?

 

[shaner2000]

brand-new

 

[Gav2k]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

It's locked is very unspecific! Sounds more like she's trying to connect to another wifi network

 

[shaner2000]

what?

I just said the wi-fi bit in the subject line so people know I'm not talking about unlocking as in unlocking from a specific 3G network.

I am not trying to log into a network.

It's weird, too.

////

Actually, I just found my answer.

It was this exact problem:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3427273?start=0&tstart=0

It was asking for my exchange password from my work email account.

But it was doing it from the lock screen and wouldn't let me go any further.

Weird!

Apparently I wasn't the only one... It definitely happened after I updated to ios 5.0.1 & setup my work email account.

 

[toiday]

WOW... I started using Apple products, Macbook Air, iPad, iPhone, almost a year now. Coming from Windows world, I thought Mac are much better. Better, yes, but not by much... I found some bazaar problems on Mac that I have never seen on Windows. And yes, Windows has blue screen of death and Mac have black screen of death too. I'm glad you found your solution and thanks for sharing with us.

 

[mkrishnan]

Apparently I wasn't the only one... It definitely happened after I updated to ios 5.0.1 & setup my work email account.

I don't think it's a bug. If I'm understanding you correctly...this is a feature Apple implemented on purpose to get corporate IT support (that the Exchange server can specify a device security protocol, and the iOS device will comply with it).

Device Security
iPhone provides over-the-air policy enforcement to prevent unauthorized access to important information. A device passcode is often the first line of defense, and iPhone allows you to select from an extensive set of requirements including timeout periods and complexity. Additional policies define device restrictions like installation of applications, use the camera, or access to YouTube.

The logic of this is that, if the iPad didn't force password authentication, you end up with the situation where someone like your wife (who presumably isn't authorized to access your work account) would have access to your corporate account.

I could be wrong, but I thought it has been like this ever since iOS got Exchange support.

 

[shaner2000]

I don't think it's a bug. If I'm understanding you correctly...this is a feature Apple implemented on purpose to get corporate IT support (that the Exchange server can specify a device security protocol, and the iOS device will comply with it).



The logic of this is that, if the iPad didn't force password authentication, you end up with the situation where someone like your wife (who presumably isn't authorized to access your work account) would have access to your corporate account.

I could be wrong, but I thought it has been like this ever since iOS got Exchange support.

Interesting that it would be required on the ipad but not on the iphone.... ie, my iphone 4, which is setup exactly the same with the same work exchange server, only requires a simple 4-digit unlock passcode and not my work email password.

What you say makes sense, it's just an odd implemenation with the same ios on different devices.

 

[mkrishnan]

Interesting that it would be required on the ipad but not on the iphone.... ie, my iphone 4, which is setup exactly the same with the same work exchange server, only requires a simple 4-digit unlock passcode and not my work email password.

That is odd -- I can't explain that. I would think they both would receive the same security protocol, so it's possible there is some kind of bug involved, although I'm not sure which one is creating the problem behavior. I wonder if it's because the iPad had no passcode set (that is, if you tried to turn passcode off on the iPhone, what happens?)?

 

[shaner2000]

That is odd -- I can't explain that. I would think they both would receive the same security protocol, so it's possible there is some kind of bug involved, although I'm not sure which one is creating the problem behavior. I wonder if it's because the iPad had no passcode set (that is, if you tried to turn passcode off on the iPhone, what happens?)?

Just tried it. I have no option to turn passcode off.

The same thing is true for the ipad - no option to turn the passcode off.

However, on the ipad it does not allow me to select a simple passcode, as that option is turned off as well.

On the iphone, it does allow me to use a simple passcode.

Now that you say all of this, is it possible that when you setup an exchange server that the exchange server is able to demand certain settings on your phone? And, if so, perhaps our IT folks haven't demanded a non-simple passcode on the iphone, but have on the ipad?

If it's true the exchange server can demand, or set, certain settings on your device, then it's probably because of the settings my IT department is requiring and not really an iOS bug.

 

[chrfr]

Now that you say all of this, is it possible that when you setup an exchange server that the exchange server is able to demand certain settings on your phone?

Yes. Exchange admins have a lot of control over iOS devices.
http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#featuredarticles/FA_Exchange_ActiveSync_and_iOS4_Devices/Introduction/Introduction.html

Note that Exchange admins can do a remote wipe of your personal device which will get rid of all your personally owned material as well if you're using your own device to connect to their server.

Edit: This document is a bit less obtuse to read: http://images.apple.com/iphone/business/docs/iOS_Security.pdf

 

[mkrishnan]

Now that you say all of this, is it possible that when you setup an exchange server that the exchange server is able to demand certain settings on your phone? And, if so, perhaps our IT folks haven't demanded a non-simple passcode on the iphone, but have on the ipad?

Maybe they recognize that it's too cumbersome to enter a full password on an iPhone? I dunno, a really interesting case. If all this is what we think it is, then you may have to think about whether you actually want to have Exchange set up on your iPad vs. lose your work info on it and just let it be password free for the family to use.

 

[shaner2000]

Maybe they recognize that it's too cumbersome to enter a full password on an iPhone? I dunno, a really interesting case. If all this is what we think it is, then you may have to think about whether you actually want to have Exchange set up on your iPad vs. lose your work info on it and just let it be password free for the family to use.

Yeah, I think this is a good idea, especially regarding the ability by the admins to do a remote wipe as noted by chrfr. Might even take it off my phone. It's not .that. important. (I'm in healthcare and nothing in email form is ever so urgent I need to see it on my phone...especially since the phone is a personal device and not something purchased for me by the company).

----------

Yes. Exchange admins have a lot of control over iOS devices.
http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#featuredarticles/FA_Exchange_ActiveSync_and_iOS4_Devices/Introduction/Introduction.html

Note that Exchange admins can do a remote wipe of your personal device which will get rid of all your personally owned material as well if you're using your own device to connect to their server.

Edit: This document is a bit less obtuse to read: http://images.apple.com/iphone/business/docs/iOS_Security.pdf

So...since I've got my Gmail account setup as an exchange server, does that mean they could theoretically remotely wipe my phone or ipad?

 

[chrfr]

So...since I've got my Gmail account setup as an exchange server, does that mean they could theoretically remotely wipe my phone or ipad?

Theoretically, yes, it would appear so.

 

[mkrishnan]

(I'm in healthcare and nothing in email form is ever so urgent I need to see it on my phone...especially since the phone is a personal device and not something purchased for me by the company).

I am too, and I don't have evening / weekend call etc, and I kind of went through the same process. After a while, I was like, why am I worrying about what would happen with HIPAA/sensitive information on my phone when I don't really need it there? Now I just use Outlook Web Access if I need to.