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I've never seen this question asked - in here or on the general web:
HOW Does a devices' internal Wi Fi antenna get 'broken' in the first place??
I'm getting the popcorn ready for this one.. 😀
iPad mini, iOS 9
This iPad still has its Wi Fi dropping seasons, every 3-4 months or so, lasting up to two weeks. Oh I should have pointed out sooner: it can take anywhere from ten seconds up to two minutes for this Mini to re-establish Wi Fi, regardless of location inside the house.
This iPad still has its Wi Fi dropping seasons, every 3-4 months or so, lasting up to two weeks. Oh I should have pointed out sooner: it can take anywhere from ten seconds up to two minutes for this Mini to re-establish Wi Fi, regardless of location inside the house.
I'm asking in general terms.
Specific to me however, is that my particular Mini repeatedly drops wifi coming out of hibernation for about two weeks, then clears up for a few months, then does it again, like our seasons.
I'm currently mid-'season' - been dropping wifi out of hibernate for about five days now. My last 'season' was in early last fall.
My wife's Mini(same gen) last season of wi fi dropout was almost one year ago.
Neither of our iPhones or other wi fi consuming devices drops wi fi, randomly or in seasons.
Okay,
So, you have a 2013 iPad Mini 2 running iOS 10.2.
That iPad can be upgraded to iOS 12.4.6.
Since it has been too long since this iPad has had an upgrade/updates, you will need to use the iTunes application on a real, full computer, connected to the Internet, and let iTunes do the upgrade of your iPad.
Update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support
Update to the latest version of iTunes - Apple Support
Best of Luck to You!
The antenna is connected to the logic board via a tiny snap on fitting that actually can come loose if jointed by accident and there have been an occasional unit delivered with the connector portly seated out of the factory - QA systems can and do miss these when your pushing volume in any system.
It is repairable however does require opening the device - book a Genie Counter appointment - Yes even right now get that warranty claim registered
[Edited by Moderator]
They cannot be that delicate as I have never had one fail in all of the 6 iPads ( span across 10 years ) my household owns ( soon to be 7 ).
Maybe there is a loose Wifi antenna connection and not necessarily a break in the antenna since your WiFi issues seem sporadic and intermittent.
This maybe strictly a hardware issue.
I suggest just contacting/reaching out to Apple Product support and services about this issue.
They are going to know more about this than any Apple iPad/Mac user here
Tap on the first link below and scroll down some to get to the Apple Product Support section and phone numbers for your location/region.
https://www.apple.com/contact/
OR
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201232
Best of Luck to You!
Only when you get NO WiFi reception when Wifi appears to be on, but NOT connecting.
Toggle Wifi OFF, in Control Center for 3-5 seconds, then toggle back on and see if the WiFi reconnects and is working.
I never have that scenario.
I just get a prompt to connect to Cellular or Wi Fi shortly after unlocking the Mini. The Wi Fi symbol is gone from the upper-left-hand corner screen.
I tap 'Settings', navigate to Wi Fi, select my connection, and 10 seconds to two minutes it reconnects.
Rinse, repeat, for about two weeks, every 3-4 months
If your iPad Mini is still running iOS 9 after all this time, you own an over 7-2/2-year old, 2012, 1st generation iPad MIni.
This is a pretty old device by iPad standards
It is possible something has finally gone wrong with this device.
It is far from new.
Its internal hardware is too old, underpowered and completely incompatible with any of the current and future versions of iOS/iPadOS.
Sorry. It is what it is at this very late date, now here in the year 2020.
These old iPad 2, 3, 4 and 1st gen iPad Mini models are nearing 8 and 9-years old, now.
As of the beginning of 2019, many, MANY third party app developers are all more quickly and completely dropping older app support for all old 7, 8 and 9-year iPads that are running 2-3 year old and earlier iOS versions ( iOS 10 and earlier ).
Third party app developers are removing all of their older, legacy versions of their apps from Apple's App Store servers, now.
Third party app developers no longer want to support these 8 and 9-year old or older iOS devices, any longer!
Older versions of apps are, soon, going to be gone for good, now!
Getting older versions of apps for these old iPad models, initially from Apple’s iOS App Store is getting very difficult and very problematic and this issue is getting, painfully, much worse in 2020, now!
These old iPads are now reaching their complete end of life and support.
So finding older versions apps for older iPads, while still possible, currently, will be a tough challenge, now, in 2020.
Old iPads that can no longer be upgraded/updated will have NO MORE APPS AVAILABLE for initial download, at all, soon, from the Apple iOS App Store, for such old iOS devices in the very near future.
Older versions of apps for these older iPads will be completely gone, at some point, in the very foreseeable future.
So, this is really now the time to seriously consider a new or discounted, refurbished iPad from Apple or other Apple authorised resellers.
A lot has happened with iPad and iOS in 7-9 years and in the past 2 to 3-1/2 years since iOS 9 and 10.
As an example and compared to your over 7-1/2-year old iPad Mini 1.
The baseline 2019, 10.2 inch screen 7th gen iPads have a 1/2 inch larger retina screen, newer, more powerful and nearly 2-1/2 times faster 2.3 Ghz, A10 Fusion processors, AT LEAST, 3-4 times the internal RAM, with the 2019, 7th gen iPad having 3 GBs of internal RAM, iPadOS 13 support, with much better and improved multitasking features, Apple Pencil and Apple Smart keyboard cover support and have better audio speakers and better/improved built-in cameras.
You might want to consider stop futzing with a nearly 8-year old, problematic device and purchase something that just works and is frustration free and is much newer and runs a much newer version of iOS and can get the most recent version of third party apps.
App support for these nearly 8-9-year old iPads will be gone for good very soon!
So, something to consider at this late date!
Good Luck to You!
Apple does NOT do ANY repairs of iPads.
Well, since this iPad is old, anyways, and well out of warranty, if you think you can take this iPad apart and fix it, by all means take this iPad apart, yourself and look into the issue.
I used to work in small electronics for many military and commercial sub-contractor/company, when I was younger, but that was a long time ago and another career/profession I moved out of.
My testing skills are probably fine, but I no longer have any of my electronics gear and I am sure my soldering/de-solderng skills are not very good or very neat any longer.
I haven't done such work in nearly 20 years, now.
I switched professions when I returned to University sometime in the late 1990’s, early 2000’s.
So many of my small electronics skills are a thing of the past.
Anyways, if you can repair these iPads, fine.
If not, you csn try to find a still open for business, “local” consumer electronics/computer repair shop, if these are still open during this whole CoVid-19 virus self quarantine/isolation time, that specialises in Apple product and mobile device repairs and see what they would charge to look into this issue and attempt a repair for a price.
Maybe cheaper than a new iPad, if you and your wife have been getting by with these very old iPads.
Have you ever dropped or thrown this iPad around?
Was this iPad ever worked on/repaired?
Exposed to any type of shock?
How do you know if your iPad's WiFi antenna is broken in the first place?
My iPads drop WiFi occasionally, also.
In the iOS control center, have you just simply tried toggling OFF WiFi for 3-5 seconds and then toggle WiFi back on?
Also, you might to simply reset your home MODEM/router by simply unplugging it from power for 10-15 seconds, or so, then re-plug into power and let the MODEM/router re-cycle, itself.
Stumped ya, ehh?
My situations tend to do that.
What I would like to know is: How delicate is the Wi Fi antenna inside of these phones and tablets?
Thanks!
Like I said, I'm in the middle of a 'dropping Wi Fi storm' right now, it will be alright for about four months, then it will start happening again for another two week period.
About > Version: "10.2"
Does version 10.2 refer to iOS version?
It's a Mini 2, got it in 2017.
iPad/iPhone Wi Fi Antenna - HOW Does It Get Broken?
