Cannot verify server Identity on Iphone 4 on 3G

Question

Level 1

8 points

Cannot verify server Identity on Iphone 4 on 3G

Hi,

I have been using my Iphone 4 for almost 2 months now in my office where there is no Wi-Fi network. So, I use 3G network.
Recently, every time I start using my phone (irrespective of If I am using internet or not), I get this error message -
"Cannot Verify Server Identity
Wi-Fi can't verify the identy of "10.1.1.1" Would you like to conitue anyway?
The buttons are - Cancel / Details/ Continue."

Irrespective of the button I click, I am taken to a log-in screen. I have no idea which login id or password should I enter? Also, my 3G contiue to work. This error message does not affect my internet access. Moreover, when I am at home and using Wi-Fi, this error never crops up.

I never had this problem ever before. And Its turning out to be pretty irritating. Even if I click the Photos, this error crops up.

Can you let me know what can I do to get over with this error?

Iphone 4, iOS 4

Posted on Oct 15, 2010 10:57 AM

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Answer 1

RickyB.

Level 1

35 points

Jan 16, 2011 6:23 AM in response to ArthurDent999

Apple explains the situation here:

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3585?viewlocale=en_US

I just hope they have another fix planned than simply recommending we "follow Microsoft's best practices for Forefront TMG and install the Root Certificate Authority (CA) certificate on the iOS 4.2 device."

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Answer 2

Oct 28, 2010 11:38 AM in response to miliaxy

I believe you will see this message when there is a WiFi base station that is broadcasting it's SSID and is unencrypted. It appears to be that the iPhone is trying to verify a digital certificate, typically used by an SSL transaction. That's when I see it - at work when connecting to one of the WLAN broadcast points. It's sort of goofy though as there is no WEP/WPA/WPA2 encryption being used by the base station, so not sure why this message is being displayed.

Perhaps, this occurs because the iPhone is attempting a Web transaction (see the 'http://www.apple.com' that appears at the top of the window when this message is displayed). The iPhone will attempt to make a Web connection in order to prompt you for a userid / password if needed by the base station to access the Internet.

Same thing happens when you are at an airport or other public Wi-Fi provider. You just don't see the error message, but see a login screen typically instead.

So, I think the message is rather bogus, as I can normally login to my work WiFi after choosing continue.

Net Net : Someone added a WiFi base station in at your work and you are seeing this message because your iPhone is attempting to connect to the Internet through the new base station. You can choose to turn off the feature of automatically attaching to new WiFi networks in the General settings area.

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Answer 3

Nov 15, 2010 12:11 PM in response to Mark Thacker

This message has nothing to do with an unencrypted wireless connection. It has everything to do with a mail account trying to connect via a secured SSL connection. You get this message only while on wifi as the address of the server you are connecting to is in a private IP range. When you connect via 3g you do not normally have the ability to access these other private subnets without added routing information.

The underlying issue most likely is that the SSL certificate being used is self-signed and has not been issued by a trusted Certificate Authority (CA). You can simply accept the certificate and it will allow you to send/receive the email as normal. Some hosted email on custom domains also used self-signed certificates (trusted CA issued SSL certificates cost money and self-generated ones are free for the host).

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Answer 4

Dr_Stein

Level 1

0 points

Nov 23, 2010 8:40 PM in response to Runlevel5

"You can simply accept the certificate and it will allow you to send/receive the email as normal."

Sadly, this no longer seems to be the case with iOS 4.2 - it will bug you about it whenever you send/receive mail after waking the device up. 😟

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Answer 5

Dr_Stein

Level 1

0 points

Nov 24, 2010 7:20 AM in response to Aaron Goldman

There is no current workaround.

Turning off SSL is NOT a workaround, unfortunately. Doing so can be a security issue as you are now transmitting usernames & passwords in the clear.

I see you found the other thread, though. Good. 🙂

It is also important to note that this NOT specific to Microsoft Exchange - this issue is affecting anyone that has a self-signed certificate.

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Answer 6

kabir11

Level 1

0 points

Dec 8, 2010 11:44 AM in response to Ron LaPedis

+1 this has become an incredibly annoying distraction. every minute or so, it pops up. it never did until about a week or two ago (perhaps with the latest iOS upgrade?).

any word on a workaround / fix?

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Answer 7

Subw00er

Level 1

10 points

Dec 9, 2010 1:05 PM in response to miliaxy

+1, this is an annoying issue since the 4.2 release. This is almost as annoying as the itunes loss-less playback quibble. Hey Apple, you're turning into Microsoft.

My small ISP is not going to pay for the certificates, so this means I'm stuck with two extra annoying clicks (and waits) every time I send an email now? Why was this ok before but not now?! It should actually save the "accept certificate" option. If it must, ask me a "are you absolutely sure" question, but dont nanny me. I'm a big boy now.

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Answer 8

Jan 8, 2011 3:52 AM in response to miliaxy

+1 from me too...

This is incredibly frustrating. I run my own small email server for me and my family with a self-signed SSL certificate. I have no possibility of getting a Verisign or similar certificate.

This has been happening constantly since I upgraded to OS4.2 and has meant that I have missed being alerted to the arrival of an important email on more than one occasion.

What I can't understand is the fact that I am given the option to "accept" the certificate (which I think is a perfectly appropriate security measure) but that having accepted it, it does not "remember" the fact that this is now a "trusted" certificate.

Does anyone at Apple read this forum? Can anyone give an explanation as to the intended behaviour here and, most importantly, tell us how to fix it or tell us when it will be fixed by Apple?

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Answer 9

chatboy

Level 1

8 points

Jan 16, 2011 11:10 PM in response to miliaxy

Hi all,

I think there are serveral ways that we connect to the email server.

Exchange is one - which the solution of adding port 443 may have worked.
I am subscribing to a POP server.

As such, there are 2 places where you define your Outgoing mail server. With these settings, it worked for me.

Settings -> Mail, Contacts .. -> POP mail
-> SMTP (and)
-> Advanced

In SMTP -> Primary server
Use SSL - OFF (I know that this may not go down well with many of you
but it works for me )
Authentication: Password
Port -25

In Advanced ->
Use SSL: ON
Authentication: Password
Server port: 995

Good Luck!

Message was edited by: chatboy

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Answer 10

Feb 14, 2011 12:36 PM in response to kabir11

My work email has a self signed certificate. I used to be able to get email through webmail w/o any problems. I just updated my iPhone4 an iPad to 4.2 update and this issue popped-up. This used to happen in the older versions of the iOS but when you accepted the certificate as safe just once, it just went away. Now, the "Accept" button (under Details) does not seem to have a lasting effect.

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Answer 11

Feb 15, 2011 9:49 AM in response to ChessMonger

I have an iPhone 3G running iOS 4.2.1 and the cause of my message was that my phone was trying to connect to a guest network at my job. I went into Settings - Wi-Fi then under the Choose a Network... section I chose the guest network and punched the Forget this Network button. It seemed to stop the Verify Identity message from popping up when I try access my email on my phone. BTW I was having this issue while on a 3G connection and not on any Wi-Fi network.

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Answer 12

HugoPT

Level 1

0 points

Apr 12, 2011 4:29 AM in response to miliaxy

I had this problem with my work e-mail, Apple Support provides this article - TS3585, a bit unclear.
My goal was to install the Root Certificate Authority (CA) certificate on the iOS 4.2 device.
All I had to do was navigate with iPhone 3G Safari to a web page where I could download my corporative root certificate (crt file, the same I install in my home pc with internet explorer). You'll know you're good when you access the file and a configuration wizard page pops up for a new profile, I accepted and installed the certificate and now I'm good again! 🙂

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Answer 13

Gtvdhaak

Level 1

0 points

Apr 12, 2011 1:31 PM in response to miliaxy

Hi, im using an iPad with3G (witch is disabled), and using at home my wifi network with key, and at work an other wifi with server certificate. Now the're is my problem, everytime i'm switching between home and work i get this server certificate error like "cannot identity servercertificate". When trying to acces the from the exchangeserver.
After Tapping About 12 times i can go one, but it's driving me crazy. Who knows the solution?

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Answer 14

Oct 17, 2011 7:30 PM in response to miliaxy

This will happen when we attempt to access some public wi-fi (say X) at office and failed to establish connection and we might have forgotten about this attempt. Whenever our phone is brought into that X range, it will keep accessing internet with the help of X but fails eventually. Solution as on iOS5 : Settings->Wi-Fi->(Traverse thru all the wi-fi connections that your phone shows in the problematic location and enable) 'Forget about joining this network' for that X.

Note : This option 'Forget about joining this network' will be displayed only for X which you've attempted to connect earlier. Other Wi-Fi will not display this option. Hope this helps !

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Answer 15

Nov 9, 2011 9:32 AM in response to Runlevel5

I am using an iTouch older version, without camera.

When at work , we have a WIFI Guest (in addition to WLAN used for company e-mails). I have the id and password for the guest WIFI but whentrying to login I got the message:

Cannot Verify Server Identity. WI-FI can't verify the identity of "1.1.1.1". Would you like to continue anyway? I have 3 option buttons: cancel, Details and Continue.

When pressed Detail I got the message "Not Trusted".

Does not matter which of the 3 options I have selected I can not check my personal e-mails (aol or gmail). I have Internet access after selecting Continue and entering the login ID and password.

What else I can do? IT does not handle personal devices to access personal e-mails!

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