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Wifi disconnects when screen is off.

L

leandronb

Cancelled
Original poster
Dec 6, 2015
21
3
Hi guys. i was using a router that my ISP provided to me but thei wifi is pretty bad with low range and speed, so i borrowed another one from my cousin, is a brand new linksys e900, but i noticed that when my screen is off, the wifi goes off too, and i can't receive any messages or even connect in whatsapp web. This also happened in my college wifi, i read it was a feature, but i really want to disable this feature. My ISP router does not do this, is always connected, and even 20 minutes later i can connect to whatsapp web just fine, but on the other router, 5 seconds later and i can't receive messages or connect in whatsapp web.

Is there a fix for this or a setting in the router?
 
So the router disconnects? Or some device disconnects? If device, are we talking about an iPhone, and iPad, something else (what model in particular, with what iOS version)?
 
C DM said:
So the router disconnects? Or some device disconnects? If device, are we talking about an iPhone, and iPad, something else (what model in particular, with what iOS version)?
Click to expand...
Only my device.
iphone 6s plus 64gb.
It disconnects when screen goes off immediately.
 
leandronb said:
Hi guys. i was using a router that my ISP provided to me but thei wifi is pretty bad with low range and speed, so i borrowed another one from my cousin, is a brand new linksys e900, but i noticed that when my screen is off, the wifi goes off too, and i can't receive any messages or even connect in whatsapp web. This also happened in my college wifi, i read it was a feature, but i really want to disable this feature. My ISP router does not do this, is always connected, and even 20 minutes later i can connect to whatsapp web just fine, but on the other router, 5 seconds later and i can't receive messages or connect in whatsapp web.

Is there a fix for this or a setting in the router?
Click to expand...
Have you tried the following from Linksys' webpage:
http://www.linksys.com/us/support-article?articleNum=142891
 
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willmtaylor said:
Have you tried the following from Linksys' webpage:
http://www.linksys.com/us/support-article?articleNum=142891
Click to expand...
The problem is not the router disconnecting, because all 4 other devices here remain connected. Only my iphone gets disconnected when screen is off.
[doublepost=1468880401][/doublepost]
willmtaylor said:
Or this one:
http://lifeofageekadmin.com/how-to-resolve-iphone-wireless-disconnects-on-linksys-ea6900-router/
Click to expand...
This one does not apply for me because my router is 2,5ghz only.
 
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leandronb said:
Yes but i turned it off to test it, and i can't receive any messages if the screen is off.
[doublepost=1468880256][/doublepost]
e900, is a simple N router.
Click to expand...
You don't have Do Not Disturb enabled by any chance do you? Also, how are you confirming when the WiFi connection disconnects (and re-connects)?

It's fairly normal behavior for iOS to disconnect from WiFi when the device is locked, although that is generally in cases when there's a cellular/mobile data connection available as well (or at least to wake up the device when there's a push notification or something similar that is coming through for it).
 
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leandronb said:
The problem is not the router disconnecting, because all 4 other devices here remain connected. Only my iphone gets disconnected when screen is off.
Click to expand...
In your first post you mentioned that your old ISP router did not have this same effect. That leads me to believe it's an issue with the new router regardless that the other 4 devices remain connected. I would start with a firmware upgrade on the new router to see if that helps.

Edit: Here's some additional settings that Apple recommends: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202068
 
Last edited:
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@leandronb , I have the same question as @C DM : how do you know it's disconnecting?

If you mean the small symbol at the top quickly changes from cellular to wifi when you awaken your phone, this is normal behavior. For ages iPhones have disconnected from wifi while locked and in sleep mode to conserve battery. Wifi immediately kicks back in when you wake up the phone.
 
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C DM said:
You don't have Do Not Disturb enabled by any chance do you? Also, how are you confirming when the WiFi connection disconnects (and re-connects)?

It's fairly normal behavior for iOS to disconnect from WiFi when the device is locked, although that is generally in cases when there's a cellular/mobile data connection available as well (or at least to wake up the device when there's a push notification or something similar that is coming through for it).
Click to expand...
I did some tests yesterday, disabled DND, and mobile data.
Turned screen off and left the device for 10 seconds, when i pushed the power button, i noticed that wifi icon was not there anymore and it reconnected after a few seconds.
I did the same later but i sent a message from my brother's phone and it didn't show up, until i turned screen on and the phone reconnected and picked up the message.
 
leandronb said:
I did some tests yesterday, disabled DND, and mobile data.
Turned screen off and left the device for 10 seconds, when i pushed the power button, i noticed that wifi icon was not there anymore and it reconnected after a few seconds.
I did the same later but i sent a message from my brother's phone and it didn't show up, until i turned screen on and the phone reconnected and picked up the message.
Click to expand...
Have you tried to see what the experience is like with any other notifications (outside of WhatsApp)?
 
timeconsumer said:
In your first post you mentioned that your old ISP router did not have this same effect. That leads me to believe it's an issue with the new router regardless that the other 4 devices remain connected. I would start with a firmware upgrade on the new router to see if that helps.

Edit: Here's some additional settings that Apple recommends: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202068
Click to expand...
That's it.
"linksys", "netgear", "NETGEAR", "dlink", "wireless", "2wire", and "default".
i was right now on reddit reading that these names will cause iphone or other ios devices to behave like this.
My network name was linksys_(random number) and it was the cause of the problem.
Now i renamed it and is not disconnecting anymore.
Is weird that most of the websites i read says that disconnecting wifi was normal.
 
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leandronb said:
That's it.
"linksys", "netgear", "NETGEAR", "dlink", "wireless", "2wire", and "default".
i was right now on reddit reading that these names will cause iphone or other ios devices to behave like this.
My network name was linksys_(random number) and it was the cause of the problem.
Now i renamed it and is not disconnecting anymore.
Is weird that most of the websites i read says that disconnecting wifi was normal.
Click to expand...
It is generally normal, at least when there's an available celullar/mobile data connection present as well.
 
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C DM said:
It is generally normal, at least when there's an available celullar/mobile data connection present as well.
Click to expand...
But why? in my general experience with smartphones cellular data uses a lot more battery than wifi.
 
leandronb said:
But why? in my general experience with smartphones cellular data uses a lot more battery than wifi.
Click to expand...
I can't quite recall if there's really a technical explanation out there (there likely is), but it's likely that in the case of already maintaining a cellular/mobile connection in standby mode it would take more power to also maintain a WiFi connection in addition to that (rather than just the cellar/mobile connection on its own and just connect to WiFi when the device is actually woken up).
 
my 6s plus doesnt do that.
[doublepost=1468882518][/doublepost]
C DM said:
It is generally normal, at least when there's an available celullar/mobile data connection present as well.
Click to expand...

when mine is connected to wifi and i receive an email when the screen is off wifi is still connected. the screen will turn on. show my email and its still connected to wifi. even apple states iCloud will backup automatically every night when charging, connected to wifi, and in sleep mode.
 
itsray said:
my 6s plus doesnt do that.
[doublepost=1468882518][/doublepost]

when mine is connected to wifi and i receive an email when the screen is off wifi is still connected. the screen will turn on. show my email and its still connected to wifi. even apple states iCloud will backup automatically every night when charging, connected to wifi, and in sleep mode.
Click to expand...
There's a difference there--the charging (or basically plugged in) part.
 
C DM said:
There's a difference there--the charging (or basically plugged in) part.
Click to expand...

it still tried it anyway sometimes, before i cleared up room on iCloud. i would notice sometimes id unlock my phone and it would say 'cannot back up because you have no more space on iCloud' or something like that. whenever i unlock it the wifi symbol is always connected.
 
itsray said:
it still tried it anyway sometimes, before i cleared up room on iCloud. i would notice sometimes id unlock my phone and it would say 'cannot back up because you have no more space on iCloud' or something like that. whenever i unlock it the wifi symbol is always connected.
Click to expand...
Generally speaking WiFi reconnects fairly quickly when the phone wakes up, usually by the time the device is unlocked.
 
C DM said:
Generally speaking WiFi reconnects fairly quickly when the phone wakes up, usually by the time the device is unlocked.
Click to expand...

ok, well mine doesnt disconnect like the original thread poster says like his does.
 
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