My new 3G S has never displayed the wifi indicator

[cameronjpu]

I never worried much about it, since the wifi works just fine, but I figured I'd see if anyone had a suggestion. It is connected, it just doesn't show on the home screen next to the 3G or E icons. When you go into settings it shows the check, and I've browsed safari over to IP address tests and it shows me coming from Comcast instead of ATT. So is there anything I can do short of wiping and reinstalling to get that wifi icon back?

Thanks

Oh also, maybe I'm the only person experiencing this, and maybe it's a related problem... but all the remembered wifi access points from my old 3G were ported over, but when the phone tries to connect, it says incorrect password. So the first time I connect to a wifi AP that I've connected to in the past year, it still asks for a password (I've disabled "ask me to join wifi access points" so this is the only time the wifi pops up for any reason). An annoyance, but I connect to dozens of wifi access points so it's more than a small annoyance.

Thanks

 

[SFStateStudent]

If you have AT&T and your showing Comcast then it sounds like you're picking up your neighbors AT&T signal. You need to readjust your list of providers or just ensure that your AT&T 837WireXXX is setup as your main or primary WiFi service. Sometimes I pickup my neighbors service and I need to eliminate it or on my MBP or Mac Pro>Open Network Preferences>+ or - to add or delete the network.

And your 2nd question; sometimes your router needs to be updated. I found that Comcast doesn't come with a wireless router and that you have to purchase one and then Comcast techs have to walk you through the process of connecting the router and using the most up-to-date firmware and setting up the password. I'm using a Belkin N+ and it took several calls to Comcast to get it running without disconnecting and having me enter my password several times a day....

 

[PoitNarf]

If you have AT&T and your showing Comcast then it sounds like you're picking up your neighbors Comcast signal.

I'm pretty sure the OP has comcast and that's what should show up when they're connected to WiFi on a speed test site. OP is explaining that when they test their connection to see if WiFi is indeed working, all the evidence they can see seems to confirm this is the case, yet the WiFi indicator icon that should replace the Edge or 3G icons never shows up.

cameronjpu, try removing and re-adding your WiFi network from the iPhone. Rebooting your iPhone probably wouldn't hurt either. You say that the WiFi network does have the checkmark next to it, but do you see a valid IP address under the settings for that network?

 

[cameronjpu]

I'm pretty sure the OP has comcast and that's what should show up when they're connected to WiFi on a speed test site. OP is explaining that when they test their connection to see if WiFi is indeed working, all the evidence they can see seems to confirm this is the case, yet the WiFi indicator icon that should replace the Edge or 3G icons never shows up.

All correct.

cameronjpu, try removing and re-adding your WiFi network from the iPhone. Rebooting your iPhone probably wouldn't hurt either. You say that the WiFi network does have the checkmark next to it, but do you see a valid IP address under the settings for that network?

It happens on all wifi networks, new and old. Have rebooted many times. And yes, I have valid IP. Everything works fine, there's just no sign indicating that it is.

If you have AT&T and your showing Comcast then it sounds like you're picking up your neighbors Comcast signal. You need to readjust your list of providers or just ensure that your AT&T 837WireXXX is setup as your main or primary WiFi service. Sometimes I pickup my neighbors service and I need to eliminate it or on my MBP or Mac Pro>Open Network Preferences>+ or - to add or delete the network.

See post 3.

And your 2nd question; sometimes your router needs to be updated. I found that Comcast doesn't come with a wireless router and that you have to purchase one and then Comcast techs have to walk you through the process of connecting the router and using the most up-to-date firmware and setting up the password. I'm using a Belkin N+ and it took several calls to Comcast to get it running without disconnecting and having me enter my password several times a day....

No no, I'm a computer technician, the problem is not updating the router. It happens on every router, it was a problem with restoring the settings from the backup on the 3G onto the 3GS.

 

[Applejuiced]

Thats weird.
So its shows up the 3G or Edge logo up on the taskbar instead of the wifi logo?
Maybe a restore would solve the icon prob.

 

[cameronjpu]

Thats weird.
So its shows up the 3G or Edge logo up on the taskbar instead of the wifi logo?
Maybe a restore would solve the icon prob.

It probably would. But I'm hoping to find an answer that doesn't require that.

 

[Applejuiced]

Are you on stock or jailbroken firmware?

 

[cameronjpu]

Are you on stock or jailbroken firmware?

Stock of course.

 

[PoitNarf]

Quite odd. Could be some bad data that got stuck in the backup of your 3G that was restored on your 3GS. Unfortunately I think your only option is to restore, and if that doesn't work restore but set it up as a new iPhone and don't use your last backup. Very strange that it happens with every WiFi network...

Also might not hurt flipping 3G off and on to try and force the icon to change to Edge. Maybe it's just a general issue changing the icon to anything other than the 3G icon (I'm assuming you get 3G service where you are).

 

[cameronjpu]

Quite odd. Could be some bad data that got stuck in the backup of your 3G that was restored on your 3GS. Unfortunately I think your only option is to restore, and if that doesn't work restore but set it up as a new iPhone and don't use your last backup. Very strange that it happens with every WiFi network...

Also might not hurt flipping 3G off and on to try and force the icon to change to Edge. Maybe it's just a general issue changing the icon to anything other than the 3G icon (I'm assuming you get 3G service where you are).

I'm curious...

Let's see what happens in airplane mode with wifi turned on....

Yep, wifi icon works fine in airplane mode. Heh, now I turn off airplane mode the the ATT bars come back, but no 3G or E icon, ONLY wifi. Turned the phone off and on, back to 3G icon but no wifi icon.

It's like the phone only has space for one icon or the other!

 

[Surrix]

I'm curious...

Let's see what happens in airplane mode with wifi turned on....

Yep, wifi icon works fine in airplane mode. Heh, now I turn off airplane mode the the ATT bars come back, but no 3G or E icon, ONLY wifi. Turned the phone off and on, back to 3G icon but no wifi icon.

It's like the phone only has space for one icon or the other!

The phone does indeed only have space for one icon or the other. When you're on wifi, that should override the cellular icon. However, as far as I can tell, you do still have an issue, as it should show the wifi icon when you're getting the comcast IP.

 

[cameronjpu]

The phone does indeed only have space for one icon or the other. When you're on wifi, that should override the cellular icon. However, as far as I can tell, you do still have an issue, as it should show the wifi icon when you're getting the comcast IP.

Once it has shown the 3G or E icon, it will not show the wifi icon again until the phone is put into airplane+wifi mode. So the net result is that in normal use, it basically never shows the wifi icon.

 

[SFStateStudent]

(I made the change to read AT&T and not Comcast as being the other service provider that was showing up on the OP's iPhone) You might need to take it back to the Apple Store b/c it sounds like a software/hardware glitch that doesn't recognize your Comcast WiFi for whatever reason....

 

[apple3g040193]

i had this problem on my ipod touch wat i did was settings>general>reset>reset network settings and that fixed it good luck!

 

[cameronjpu]

(I made the change to read AT&T and not Comcast as being the other service provider that was showing up on the OP's iPhone) You might need to take it back to the Apple Store b/c it sounds like a software/hardware glitch that doesn't recognize your Comcast WiFi for whatever reason....

It recognizes the Comcast wifi just fine. It just doesn't SHOW that it recognizes is.