iPhone keeps joining forgotten wifi...

[frogywill]

So this has been going on for a few months. Once every few days, my iPhone will join my iot wifi instead of the normal (fast) wifi. It’s been been driving me crazy. It doesn’t happen on my iPad or Mac. It’s just the iPhone. I’ll notice it because it’s slow. I’ve done this so far:
- Forget Network (obviously) an even unchecked ‘auto-join’ numerous times.
- reset network settings
- forgot and delete that network on my Mac
- all of the above at once

Yet it keeps joining again.... I don’t want to change the wifi name or password, I’d have to change it on all the iot devices. Sounds like a nightmare.

It was doing it on my iPhone 11 and now it’s again doing it on the 12 (restored).

Any other clever ideas to fix it?

 

[C DM]

Are you using the same Apple ID on all the devices? Are the network names for both slow and fast networks the same?

 

[Lobwedgephil]

Block your phone from the network.

 

[frogywill]

Are you using the same Apple ID on all the devices? Are the network names for both slow and fast networks the same?

Yes I am using the same Apple ID across the board and the SSID are different. The only time I use that SSID is when I need to set up a Homekit wifi device. That’s like once a year.

 

[frogywill]

Yes I am using the same Apple ID across the board and the SSID are different.

Block your phone from the network.

I don’t think I can block the mac address just for one SSID but I am going to check.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Make sure the WiFi you want the phone to connect to is positioned first in the list of WiFi’s to connect to. I am guessing the slower WiFi is listed first.

 

[C DM]

Yes I am using the same Apple ID across the board and the SSID are different. The only time I use that SSID is when I need to set up a Homekit wifi device. That’s like once a year.

Sounds like based on the same Apple ID being used the iPhone still knows about the network since the other devices know about it and it sounds like at times it thinks it has a better signal than the other network and switches to it.

 

[frogywill]

Sounds like based on the same Apple ID being used the iPhone still knows about the network since the other devices know about it and it sounds like at times it thinks it has a better signal than the other network and switches to it.

Yes, but I’ve told it to forget that network numerous time...

 

[DeltaMac]

After "forgetting", how is that network listed in your Wifi settings? under My Networks, or Other Networks?
If you "forget" that iot network, then try to connect to that network manually, does your iPhone require you to enter the network password for that iot network -- or do you connect immediately (no password required)?

I don't use Homekit, perhaps this is related to a configuration in your iCloud?
Can you check in your iCloud keychain? There may be some difference in the iCloud (keychain) setup for your iPhone and iPad.

And then -- How many iot devices do you have?

 

[C DM]

Yes, but I’ve told it to forget that network numerous time...

From all devices that use the same Apple ID?

 

[Blowback]

Yes, but I’ve told it to forget that network numerous time...

Are the networks different : 5 ghz vs 2.4 ?

 

[frogywill]

Are the networks different : 5 ghz vs 2.4 ?

Yes the networks are 2.4 vs 5 ghz.

after I forget it, if I try to join it manually it asks for the password. But eventually it somehow remembers the password,

 

[DeltaMac]

Check in your iCloud Keychain . Maybe the (slower) network is listed. Delete it if you see it there.

 

[Blowback]

Yes the networks are 2.4 vs 5 ghz.

after I forget it, if I try to join it manually it asks for the password. But eventually it somehow remembers the password,

If I remember correctly...2.4 is the easier of the two for devices to connect to....they go for the 2.4 before the 5 which is what I've seen . 2.4 has longer range and can go through obstructions much better than 5 which is why devices seem to grab it first. If you're not using the 2.4 band disconnect it and see what happens. I use both and occasionally see what you're seeing.

 

[C DM]

If I remember correctly...2.4 is the easier of the two for devices to connect to....they go for the 2.4 before the 5 which is what I've seen . 2.4 has longer range and can go through obstructions much better than 5 which is why devices seem to grab it first. If you're not using the 2.4 band disconnect it and see what happens. I use both and occasionally see what you're seeing.

Sounds like the main issue there is that disconnecting from the network doesn't seem to work longer term as the device seems to connect to it again somehow. (As far as jus disconnecting the 2.4 GHz network itself, that doesn't really seem like an option given the there are other devices, like IOT devices, that need to use it.)

 

[C DM]

Yes the networks are 2.4 vs 5 ghz.

after I forget it, if I try to join it manually it asks for the password. But eventually it somehow remembers the password,

Have you tried removing the network from known networks on all devices that share the same Apple ID?