Bernard Stay

Q: Wired broadband for iPad

This is a followup to my earlier posting. I have now established that it is perfectly possible to use the iPad wihout wifi but wired to a router. First turn off wifi on the iPad, turn on Airplane mode, then starting at the router what is required is: an ethernet cable plugged into a high speed ethernet to USB2 adapter. The output of this is plugged into a powered USB 2 hub. The output from the latter goes into an Apple Lightning to USB camera adapter, and the lightning output plugged into the iPad. Then just OK any message that appears. The broadband will then operate as usual and at the expected speed (in my case ca. 12 Mbps.) This contribution is being written in this non-wifi mode. This now enables me to turn off wifi completely at the router. I am trying to establish whether exposure to wifi em radiation contributes to the neurological condition from which I suffer. I have already shown that the pulsed microwave radiation from cordless phones causes me major cardiac and cerebral disturbances and I have had to return to a traditional corded phone.

iMac, OS X El Capitan (10.11.2), 21.5" 500GB 4GB Ram & OS 10.6

Posted on Aug 23, 2016 11:52 AM

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Q: Wired broadband for iPad

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  • by Bernard Stay,

    Bernard Stay Bernard Stay Aug 24, 2016 7:09 AM in response to Bernard Stay
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    Aug 24, 2016 7:09 AM in response to Bernard Stay

    Can I ask a question of any of our knowledgable followers of this (or related iPad) threads. If I operate in wired mode (wifi off) my iPad keeps telling me to turn Airplane mode off as well. I just OK it and carry on in the interest of battery life and minimising any radiation. Can anyone tell me what the iPad may be doing frequently or occasionally when Airplane is not on which involves it emitting radiation of some kind. Then I will be able to decide whether to accede to the above mentioned request. It would make life easier not to have to keep OKaying the box whenever I change app.

     

    Anyone still following may be interested that having paid out for a (Belkin) powered USB hub I have now discovered that it is not necessary to plug it in! It maybe that the BT Hub provides adequate power along with the broadband signal. Anyone comment?

     

    Thanks

  • by Diana.McCall,

    Diana.McCall Diana.McCall Aug 24, 2016 7:23 AM in response to Bernard Stay
    Level 4 (3,614 points)
    Apple TV
    Aug 24, 2016 7:23 AM in response to Bernard Stay

    Just an observation here. Your WiFi router is not the only nearby source of WiFi signals. To check for others you can download the Apple AirPort Utility app. Be sure to enable WiFi scan in settings. Run it, ignore the search for an AirPort, and tap the Scan in the top corner. It will show the signal levels of nearby networks in decreasing order by strength. A level down to about -68 dBm is usable for communication, lower (more negative) values not so much. But I don't know what would be significant medically.

     

    I suspect that you're getting the alert from Airplane Mode because the WiFi receiver is detecting nearby signals that it might be able to connect to. You should probably set Ask to Join Networks in your WiFi settings, to prevent it from doing anything automatically. Certainly, while Airplane Mode is enabled it should not enable the WiFi transmitter.

  • by Bernard Stay,

    Bernard Stay Bernard Stay Aug 24, 2016 8:22 AM in response to Diana.McCall
    Level 3 (579 points)
    Desktops
    Aug 24, 2016 8:22 AM in response to Diana.McCall

    DIana

    Thank you. Could you give step by step instructions for using the Airport Utility to do a scan. I can't see any Scan option. I'm aware of other signals including the neighbour's HP printer and a rather weak wifi hotspot, but I'd like to see how they rank. Do I have to enable wifi on the router and on the iPad to do the scan? I guess initially anyway I'd better turn on Airplane and put up with all the messages.

  • by Diana.McCall,

    Diana.McCall Diana.McCall Aug 24, 2016 9:37 AM in response to Bernard Stay
    Level 4 (3,614 points)
    Apple TV
    Aug 24, 2016 9:37 AM in response to Bernard Stay

    As I mentioned, before using AirPort Utility, you must enable WiFi scan in Settings > AirPort Utility. It won't appear until you do that. You do not need to enable WiFi on the router. I'm not sure about the iPad. You'll only be able to see other networks, not devices like the printer, but it should only transmit when obtaining or updating a connection, and when printing, of course.

     

    I just checked, and WiFi must be on on the iPad for AirPort Utility to work. It does not need to be connected to a network, however.

  • by Bernard Stay,

    Bernard Stay Bernard Stay Aug 24, 2016 1:50 PM in response to Diana.McCall
    Level 3 (579 points)
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    Aug 24, 2016 1:50 PM in response to Diana.McCall

    Thank you again. Got it. It needs wifi enabled on the iPad. The result a moment ago showed several sources including the next door printer but all were between -83 and -92 db and thus probably of little significance. Next time I have the router wifi enabled I'llncheck the level for that - it is in another room.

  • by Bernard Stay,

    Bernard Stay Bernard Stay Aug 27, 2016 4:40 AM in response to Bernard Stay
    Level 3 (579 points)
    Desktops
    Aug 27, 2016 4:40 AM in response to Bernard Stay

    Thank you everyone for your help. Can I ask just one more thing. Here one of the major external source of wifi is labelled 'DS'. What is DS? is it something to do with Nintendo? or?

     

    Thank you.

  • by Bernard Stay,

    Bernard Stay Bernard Stay Sep 15, 2016 7:10 AM in response to Bernard Stay
    Level 3 (579 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 15, 2016 7:10 AM in response to Bernard Stay

    If anyone is still interested in wired broadband for the iPad: Apple seem now to have accepted it. With iOS 10 it has slotted in a box for Ethernet connection in Settings which will appear when you connect the iPad to your router via ethernet. Not only that it is now even easier to do this: just connect the ethernet cable to an ethernet to USB 2 adapter, and the USB end of that to the iPad with an Apple lightning to USB Camera adapter.

     

    I'll now shut up.

  • by Diana.McCall,

    Diana.McCall Diana.McCall Sep 15, 2016 7:51 AM in response to Bernard Stay
    Level 4 (3,614 points)
    Apple TV
    Sep 15, 2016 7:51 AM in response to Bernard Stay

    Hi. No need to shut up. This is great info for any iPad application that needs to work in radio silence. As you say, it sounds like Apple has finally recognized this is a possibility. It'd be nice if they'd bring out a drect ethernet adapter.