activation server can not be reached

You should check this article: If you can't activate your iPad - Apple Support. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201407

If your iPad is a cellular model, some have reported that temporarily removing the sim allows activation to complete.

Otherwise, 5 possible causes for that error message:

1] Activation server is actually down. Very rare occurrence, and of short duration when it

does happen. Solution - try again.

2] Your firewall and/or antivirus software are preventing the necessary connection. Solution -

temporarily disable your firewall and/or antivirus software until the activation completes.

3] computer being used for activation has been used to jailbreak an iOS device in the past.

Solution - use a different computer.

4] iPad has been jailbroken. Your favorite search engine may provide some direction, but jailbreaks often prevent

activations/updates from succeeding. Per Terms of Use for this forum, discussion of jailbroken iPads is

prohibited.

5] your region and/or timezone settings are inconsistent with your actual location. Solution - set region and/or timezone correctly.

A little hard to help you when you provide NO information about your iPad.

Here are my questions to you.

What year and model iPad do you have/own?

The “A” model number can be found on the aluminium back of your iPad, in small print, right under the larger bold print “iPad”.

What iOS/iPadOS version is this iPad, currently, running?

What is the rated, internal data storage space/capacity of your iPad model and how much of this free, internal data storage capacity is left inside of your iPad model?

All of that additional info can be found in the Settings app, General settings panel, About.

Please attempt to answer all questions asked.

Thank You.

The Firewall is software found in your Home network MODEM/router software.

Maybe an issue and should be investigated.

Unfortunately older 9 and 10-year old iPad models are having issues reaching and re-activating these old iPads over Apple's device activation servers.

Things to try.

Try Restart your Device or try a hard reset of your iPad by holding down both the Home and sleep/wake buttons simultaneously until your iPad goes to black and restarts with Apple logo, then release the buttons.

Check your home WiFi/cellular Network for Issues.

If you have an iPad with a cellular SIM card, try removing the card from the iPad SIM card try using the SIM card tray opening tool that came with your iPad or try the end of a paperclip to open the SIM card try and try the activation process, again, and if successful, then re-insert the SIM card.

Try contacting your cellular service carrier or contact your Intenet Service provider.

Try a re-activation of your iPad using iTunes on a PC or older Mac or by using the macOS Finder on a newer Mac running macOS Catalina, or later.

This issue has mostly affected iPad 2 models with SIM cards for Cellular data service.

If you have a cellular iPad 2 model, try removing the SIM card from the SIM card tray, located on one of the long sides of the iPad ( you may need something small or pointy or the original SIM card tray tool that came with your Cellular service iPad 2 to open the tray ), remove the SIM card, try either a simple restart of your iPad 2 AND/OR try a hard reset of your iPad by holding down both the Home and sleep/wake buttons simultaneously until your iPad goes to black and restarts with Apple logo, then release the buttons.

Then, try re-activating your iPad 2 without the SIM card in the tray.

If successful, return the SIM card back into the tray.

If no joy,

Leave the SIM card installed, first, and try to re-activate your iPad 2 with it connected to a computer running iTunes.

If STILL no joy,

Try taking out the SIM card and try the re-activation with your iPad 2 connected to the computer and iTunes, once again.

Possible solution WITHOUT a SIM card (WiFi ONLY iPad ).

Connect your iPad to a computer running the latest iTunes.

Force your (still plugged-in) iPad to restart by pressing and holding the power (Sleep/Wake) and Home buttons at the same time. Keep holding them down until you see the Recovery mode screen. You probably need to keep holding these down for longer than you think: the screen will go black then after a few seconds, and the Apple logo will appear, but you need to keep holding the buttons for another 10 seconds or so before the iPad goes into Recovery mode.

You'll be given the option to restore or update in iTunes. Select Update.

iTunes will now try and attempt to reinstall iOS 9.3.5.

If the update process takes more than 15 minutes, your iPad will exit recovery mode, and you'll need to repeat the above step.

Some other users here reported seeing the error message again during this process, but says you should ignore it and wait.

After the update is finished, leave your iPad connected to the computer. You'll now need to complete the activation setup process for your iPad using iTunes.

IF still no joy at this point, leave your iPad connected and force another restart of your iPad as I described earlier in this reply post.

Best of Luck to You!

This time your iPad should ask if you want to restore it.

Once the restore is finished, you will be asked to select whether you want to activate the iPad as a "new" device or if you want to restore it from your last backup. Selecting the new iPad option will format your iPad so it is like new and restoring it will retrieve your data again.

some of the information YOU ask for can not possibly be given .. nudge nudge you know, cause its not activated and the only screen you see is language change and a START HERE to activate your ipad which just ends in futility

ill give you some of my info ipad model A1396 there is NO YEAR on the back of the ipad, there is a General or otherwise. serial DLXFWE3GGDFJ2 32 GB of which I think 20 are free and you know I cant access the settings app or tell you the ios version ill take any help i can get especially if it actually HELPS LOL

A1396 IS an over 10-year old, 2011 iPad 2, like I already stated and already knew as these 9 and 10-year old iPads are the ones that have been affected by the Activation server issues.

This is far from my first rodeo with this old iPad Activation server issue.

Follow all of my above instructions.

Good Luck!

Hey thanks for actually responding ... quick question it is an ipad 2 no sim card, so i installed the newest itunes and im holding it a long time and I get the apple then few seconds later i get itunes logo withe the charger cord picture and i keep holding and doesnt change . ...the itunes app is telling me to enter passcode before it can be used with itunes

I find it totally useless to include fix's that require activation of the ipad, how exactly should I disable firewall when i cant activate the ipad and fixing the clock well .....