Ipad won't work on CG wifi

[Cajun_Bill]

Was at a state park (La) this weekend, but my mini ipad wouldn't find the camp signal. When I asked the ranger, he said that ipads won't work on their network, but didn't know why. Probably a stupid question, but just wondering if that's normal? Gonna take a long trip in August and was hoping to take my ipad instead of laptop.

[docj]

IMHO the problem the OP is reporting is most likely due to a series of problems that have cropped up with iOS6. Here's an excerpt from a recent article on the subject:

The Wi-Fi version of the iPad continues to experience connectivity issues. The problems experienced most often by owners appear to be the following: 1. Failure to rejoin a known network when waking from sleep mode, 2. Weak signal total lack of signal despite being within close proximity to router, and 3. Disrupted streaming video even when Wi-Fi signal is strong and other iPad applications are working without issue.

Initially Apple failed to acknowledge the issue, but that changed recently with Apple admitting there is a Wi-Fi connection issue with “a very small number of iPad users have experienced issues with Wi-Fi connectivity.” The company goes on to say, “Apple will address this with a future iPad software update.”

Here's a link to a whole bunch of articles on the topic:

iOS6 issues


As noted in the quote the problems can manifest themselves in a variety of ways including Weak signal total lack of signal despite being within close proximity to router

You can believe what you wish, but IMO the entire problem experienced by the OP is related to the iOS6 issue. The fact that the Ranger knew that iPads would have trouble connecting to his wifi makes it not surprising that the OP's iPad would have problems.

[1492]

docj wrote:

I think it's the underlying reason why the Ranger told the OP "iPads won't work here". It sounds as if the Ranger has had experience with other irate campers who couldn't get on the wifi. If he knows that iPads won't connect it is probably the result of WMM not being enabled on his router.

If the OP had a problem in addition to this it's kind of irrelevant if he wouldn't have been able to connect anyway.

With all due respect, I don't see how this is relevant to the OP's issue anyway? And besides, not following your logic? You're putting the cart before the horse? And essentially saying the fact that the OP's iPad couldn't discover the WiFi network is irrelevant, as you're "assuming" the OP is likely to experience connection issues anyway due to the Park's possible WMM router settings or lack thereof? :h

Sounds like you're trying to address the Ranger's issues and not the OPs? The question has to do with the Park's WiFi network discovery problem, and not connection issues. Can't have the latter, without first having successfully accomplished the former. That is unless you can explain to me how WMM can cause a WiFi network to not be discoverable in iOS?

[docj]

1492 wrote:

docj wrote:
wrote:

For those who doubt that the WMM issue can prevent an iPad from connecting to a particular router I provide the following from the Apple support website.

But there's a difference between connection and detection issues. I've never heard of WMM causing a WiFi signal to not be discoverable? Which is the issue the OP is apparently having, so still don't see how WMM is applicable in this instance?

I think it's the underlying reason why the Ranger told the OP "iPads won't work here". It sounds as if the Ranger has had experience with other irate campers who couldn't get on the wifi. If he knows that iPads won't connect it is probably the result of WMM not being enabled on his router.

If the OP had a problem in addition to this it's kind of irrelevant if he wouldn't have been able to connect anyway.



Moderator's Note: There were no edits made to this post. My error, clicked the wrong button.

[1492]

docj wrote:
For those who doubt that the WMM issue can prevent an iPad from connecting to a particular router I provide the following from the Apple support website.

But there's a difference between connection and detection issues. I've never heard of WMM causing a WiFi signal to not be discoverable? Which is the issue the OP is apparently having, so still don't see how WMM is applicable in this instance?

[Cajun_Bill]

Davydd wrote:

Cajun Bill wrote:
I wish I was still there to try some of the recommendations, but at home now. As info, I noticed that the wifi antenna was two sites over (about 75 ft. max) so I'm guessing that was close enough. The ipad did not give any indication of even sensing the signal (you know, the little antenna designation that pulses), but my Iphone did see the signal, but as far as I could tell, I was accessing the "net" via 3G rather than over the wifi. Guess I need to get a little more "edjumacated" before I can ask intelligent enough questions to solve this problem. Anyway, glad to hear that at least some others have had this same problem and thanks for the comments.

What I read is you are looking at the menu bar for the wifi detection signal to come up. It works that way on a Mac but not an iPad. If your iPad has never been on that network before, you have to go into the Settings app and first make sure you have wifi turned on to detect a signal. Then you have to select the network you want to connect to. You might be surprised in a campground how many private ones might be set up by other RVers. Click on the one you want. Some might be password protected even if free and you may have to get that password from the office. Often they are not password protected but you might have to wait for a user agreement to come up and click on an agree button. I camped in three Louisiana State Parks this spring and got on with my iPad. One did disable video which severely limited use, IMO, but not all did. I was still able to connect.

I'm guessing that you might be right because I did not go into my settings (on the Ipad) to check if the state park wifi system was detected (I assumed that it would automatically detect that there is a router available like my Iphone did) where I did see the park system listed in my settings. I immediately gave up when I did not see the indicator showing up.

I know that my wifi setting was on, because as soon as I got home, it auto picked up on my home router.

[Learjet]

you didn't miss anything. LA spent a lot of money putting some good equipment in our parks here. But, they all seem to go thru one server and it is sooooo slow its not worth using. You might get lucky and get your email one day. It has went downhill since they installed the systems and put more restrictions on them. They spent all this with no backbone to the system 😞

[Davydd]

Cajun Bill wrote:
I wish I was still there to try some of the recommendations, but at home now. As info, I noticed that the wifi antenna was two sites over (about 75 ft. max) so I'm guessing that was close enough. The ipad did not give any indication of even sensing the signal (you know, the little antenna designation that pulses), but my Iphone did see the signal, but as far as I could tell, I was accessing the "net" via 3G rather than over the wifi. Guess I need to get a little more "edjumacated" before I can ask intelligent enough questions to solve this problem. Anyway, glad to hear that at least some others have had this same problem and thanks for the comments.

What I read is you are looking at the menu bar for the wifi detection signal to come up. It works that way on a Mac but not an iPad. If your iPad has never been on that network before, you have to go into the Settings app and first make sure you have wifi turned on to detect a signal. Then you have to select the network you want to connect to. You might be surprised in a campground how many private ones might be set up by other RVers. Click on the one you want. Some might be password protected even if free and you may have to get that password from the office. Often they are not password protected but you might have to wait for a user agreement to come up and click on an agree button. I camped in three Louisiana State Parks this spring and got on with my iPad. One did disable video which severely limited use, IMO, but not all did. I was still able to connect.

[docj]

For those who doubt that the WMM issue can prevent an iPad from connecting to a particular router I provide the following from the Apple support website. Apparently the problem is principally with 802.11n networks if WMM is not supported:


Symptoms

Apple products may be unable to connect to 802.11n Wi-Fi networks if WMM (Wireless Multimedia) is disabled.
Resolution

This applies only to third-party routers. Apple AirPort products do not have a setting to enable or disable WMM.

WMM must be enabled for devices to connect. Disabling WMM on your wireless router can prevent the following Apple products from connecting to an 802.11n Wi-Fi network:

iPad
iPhone
iPod touch
Apple TV

If you are unable to connect to an 802.11n Wi-Fi network on any of these devices, check to ensure that WMM is enabled and configured correctly on your wireless router. If you require additional assistance, please contact your router manufacturer.


If you would like to read the full item on the website it is here:

WMM support

[homedad]

We have 4 IPOD touches and an IPAD. The only time we weren't able to connect it was due to distance. Notebooks have much better antennas than IPADs do. I would go to the place nearest the router and see if you get a signal to rule out distance as the problem. I find that campgrounds have poor wifi signals in general.

[1492]

OK, then I would doubt it's an encryption or WMM issue. Don't mean to ask a dumb question, but you're sure WiFi was turned on in your iPad under settings? Where you picking up any other networks? In any case, you could try resetting the WiFi on/off or renewing lease, but doubt that would fix the issue of not detecting the WiFi signal. This is where a sniffer app would help, but apparently, not a readily available option.

My other thought would be that it's simply the built-in WiFi receiver antenna combo is too weak to pickup the signal. I've noticed at work that my iPad's WiFi connection will drop out at one area though literally within 20 feet of the router. It seems not to be as tolerant in maintaining a WiFi connection when it reaches a certain threshold. Eventhough my smartphone will maintain the same connection at that signal strength. Apple "may" be able to boost the WiFi receiver's Rx power through an iOS update, though will use more battery power, but that's certainly not in your control.

The only thing I can think of off hand is to get a separate router with repeater capability. You will likely have to configure it in some minimal way at each Park or CG you visit. For instance, inputting the Park's SSID and password allowing the repeater to auto login to the connection, and re-broadcast a stronger signal for your iPad to pickup. You should be able use your iPad's browser to configure the repeater.

[Cajun_Bill]

1492 wrote:
I'm not clear as to whether the OP meant cannot find as not being able to see the WiFi SSID? Or not being able to connect? Might help to install a WiFi sniffer app in your iPAD. I use WiFi Analyzer in my Android Smartphones, but not familiar with similar apps for Apple mobile devices? Would give general info about WiFi signal strengths and encryption used.

I couldn't even see the wifi signal indicator so I guess my answer is that I was not able to see the "wifi SSID".

[SCVJeff]

It would be nice if they had one. Several years ago Apple decided that the public shouldn't have such an intrusive device and removed all of them from the store. The one I had worked until an OS update, then it too quit working.

AFAIK the only way to get WiFi anything is to either jail break the device, or go for the $300+ commercial analyzer kit

[1492]

I'm not clear as to whether the OP meant cannot find as not being able to see the WiFi SSID? Or not being able to connect? Might help to install a WiFi sniffer app in your iPAD. I use WiFi Analyzer in my Android Smartphones, but not familiar with similar apps for Apple mobile devices? Would give general info about WiFi signal strengths and encryption used.

[docj]

1492 wrote:

docj wrote:
There is a huge amount of misinformation in this thread. You don't have anything wrong with your iPad and neither is there anything "wrong" with the router.

The wifi problem being experienced by iPad running iOS6 results from Apple having implemented a protocol known as WMM....

You may be right about that, except that I believe Apple has implemented WMM since at least iOS4.x. It's not new to iOS6. Or did Apple change something with the way they implement WMM in iOS6? Notwithstanding, if WMM is the issue in this case, then not sure how deleting/creating a new WiFi profile if WMM is not enabled in the Park's router in the first place, would not be a moot point?

I would have doubts that WMM is the only iPad WiFi related issue. Considering some owners pointing to WPA2/AES specific connection problems, but working fine with other encryption protocols. And that Apple has apparently been replacing customers mobile devices who complain about this connection issue. I don't see why they would do this if it was a router based issue, since a replacement would experience the same problems? :h

I'm not an expert by any means on this stuff, but WiFi Ranger routers could not support iOS6 properly until an Ranger update was provided that enabled WMM. Until we updated to iOS6 my wife's iPad worked fine with the Ranger, but afterwards it would repeatedly lose the connection.